Philippines

• Our Co-Convener Katherine Ann Reyes was selected as a Harvard LEAD Fellow for the 2023-2024 cohort.
• WGH Philippines has attended the 74th and 75th World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region Regional Committee Meetings to advocate for gender equity, inclusion, and the essential role of women in shaping a healthier world.
• In the 74th WHO WPRO RCM, WGH Ph was represented by Pura Angela Wee Co, Kim Sales, and Lynnell Alexie Ong. WGH Ph submitted statements on the health security and health workforce agenda items. The statement on health security was delivered in-person by Pura Co.
• In the 75th WHO WPRO RCM, WGH Ph was represented by Pura Co and Jela Tambio. WGH Ph submitted a statement on the climate resilience in health-care facilities agenda.
• WGH Philippines has also posted multiple written works such as:
  • A blog post on the experience of WGH co-convener Kim Sales on her experience at the WHA76 on Speaking of Medicine and Health.
  • An opinion piece on addressing health inequities for LGBTQIA+ Filipino on Rappler.
  • An article on careers insights and advice from Filipino women leaders in health in the Philippine Journal of Health Research and Development.
  • A blog post on seeking gender equality in the global health workforce on Think Global Health.
  • The personal account of Pura Angela Wee-Co on the state of the world for women in health under PLoS Blogs Speaking of Medicine and Health.
• In 2024, WGH Philippines was selected to be part of Global Health Council’s Health Equity Working Group.
• WGH-Ph through member Lynnell Ong presented its study titled, “Advancing Women’s Leadership in the Philippine Health Sector: A policy and literature review” to the Department of Health – Human Resources for Health Development Bureau, at the The 8th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Nagasaki, Japan, and at the launch of the University of the Philippines Center for Women and Gender Studies: Review of Women’s Studies Vol XXXXIV.
• WGH member Katherine Ann Reyes was honored in The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service 2025.
• WGH Co-Convener Kim Sales was selected as a mentor for Global Health Mentorship’s Women Mentoring Women campaign for 2025.

Social Media Campaigns

• Women’s Month Campaign which featured women leaders in health in 2024, and women health professionals in 2025.
• Ensuring Inclusivity in #HealthForAll during the 77th World Health Assembly.

Current Work

• Currently, WGH is implementing its grant from FutureWORKS focused on generating evidence-based recommendations to create fair, equitable, and safe working conditions for female nurses navigating the challenges posed by digitalization and climate change, ensuring access to upskilling and social protection.

• Pura Angela Wee Co, Country Director, ThinkWell Philippines and President, The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR)
• Martha de la Paz, Adviser, Services for All Implementation, UNAIDS
• Chiqui de Veyra, Consultant, Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes
• Gillian Garcia, MPH Student, College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, and Consultant, Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes
• Jana Deborah Mier-Alpaño, Hub Manager, Social Innovation in Health Initiative Philippines and Board Member, Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes
• Lynnell Ong, Junior Researcher and Management Assistant, Health Promotion Program, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila
• Lindsay Orsolino, Consultant, Communications and Advocacy Unit, Media and Public Relations, The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2)
• Kathy Reyes, Research Assistant Professor and Program Lead, Health Promotion Program
• Kim Sales, PhD candidate, Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Bond University