𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺’𝘴 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘺.
Moderated by Dr. Carlo Panelo, the Vice President of Culion Foundation, Inc., the panel titled “The One Health Landscape in the Philippines: Risks, Gaps, and Opportunities” gathered key voices from government, international agencies, civil society, and academia. Dr. Panelo opened with a warning: the next pandemic is not a matter of if, but when. He emphasized that One Health requires intersectoral collaboration beyond individual disciplines.
Panelist Rowena Capistrano, the Technical Officer of the World Health Organization Philippines, cited that while the Philippines has pioneered One Health initiatives like the Philippine Inter-agency Committee for Zoonoses (PhilCZ), implementation remains fragmented and underfunded. Amandeep Singh, the Senior Social Sector Specialist at the Asia Development Bank, highlighted the lack of engagement from the agricultural and private sectors, stressing the need to shift from awareness to action. Dr. Remil Galay, the Director of UP Los Baños Zoonoses and Vice President of Philippine One Health University Network (PhilOHUN), pointed to gaps in animal health and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), adding that academic programs like the PhilOHUN are training future experts but need greater support. Dr. Jerome Montemayor, the Executive Director of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, linked ecosystem degradation to zoonotic risks and highlighted regional efforts to involve businesses in conservation financing.
All panelists agreed on the private sector’s critical role in funding, innovation, workforce development, and resilient infrastructure. They urged companies to integrate One Health into their ESG strategies, not just CSR.
Dr. Mary Ann Lansang, a trustee of the Philippine Tuberculosis Society Inc., and Clinical Professor of UP-PGH Clinical Epidemiology Unit, closed the discussion by urging unified private sector involvement in shaping and supporting the government’s National Action Plan on Zoonoses. She emphasized the 4Cs: Coordination, Collaboration, Commitment, and Co-ownership, as pillars for a stronger One Health future.
Dr. Panelo concluded that One Health must become a long-term, collaborative model to effectively address emerging health threats.
#OneHealthForum2025 #OneHealthPH
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