HEALTH and science and technology researchers bank on artificial intelligence to advance data-driven projects to optimize public health services and disease tracking across the Davao Region, but with considerations for ethical use.
Dr. Anthony Sales, RHRDC XI interim chair and Department of Science and Technology XI regional director, said this is the core of the 16th Health Research and Development Expo (HRD Expo).
The Regional Health Research and Development Consortium XI, in collaboration with the Department of Health Center for Health Development XI, opened the two-day expo on Monday, October 12, in the World Palace Hotel, Davao City.
The expo convened health research stakeholders, including faculty members, students, researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and local government units, to strengthen the capacity of health research stakeholders in the Davao Region to responsibly utilize artificial intelligence.
Sales said the expo seeks to promote digital health technologies toward improved health outcomes and Universal Health Coverage.
Louise Sky Taclibon Olaguer, program head of DOST-PCHRD Digital and Frontier Technologies for Health, said multiple ongoing initiatives in the region integrate artificial intelligence into regional health frameworks.
Among these is a vaccine demand forecasting system being developed by the Davao Del Norte State College, designed to optimize vaccine procurement, distribution, and allocation in Panabo City.
“Through the project, Panabo City will be able to improve vaccine availability and ensure a more efficient distribution of vaccines to support immunization,” Olaguer said.
She also added that researchers are leveraging predictive informatics for disease control, citing Dr. Michelle Evangelio of the University of the Philippines Mindanao, who features a rabies data analytics dashboard that integrates genome informatics and predictive models to support evidence-based rabies prevention strategies in Davao City.
Olaguer said there are four AI-related projects in Davao City and are expected to increase with the upcoming 2027 call for proposals, as the agency is “very strict” in approving or funding proposals related to AI.
“We need ethical frameworks on how to use AI, and there are still doubts on how it will affect our healthcare workers and how it will decide for our healthcare,” Olaguer said.
Dr. Jasmin Pasia, RHRDC XI research utilization committee chair, conducts capacity-building to utilize AI tools “responsibly and ethically” to maximize its potential.
“The RHRDC XI has conducted a lot of capacity-building seminars, inviting member institutions that can be used on the different tools that can be used in research and academic activities,” Pasia said.
Dr. Jethri Cruz, DOH Health Research Division medical officer, said the agency is currently formulating policy frameworks to ensure that AI applications in health research reinforce human-centric development and adhere to strict data security standards.
“The important gist of this is to bring back the center of research to humanity, because when we talk about AI and research, we always go back to what health research is doing, which is promoting the human condition, and no AI would move on itself without being prompted by a human prompt,” Cruz said.
He added that developing ethical standards with the use of AI to ensure the tools are used for their “fullest potential” while ensuring it protects the human, who is what the research is for.
The two-day HRD Expo, which runs until October 13, will feature mentorship for Big Ticket Projects, which will enable researcher-participants to engage with experts and receive guidance in developing potential high-impact research initiatives to address priority health concerns in the region.