TIME TO MAKE THE DISEASE CONTROL DATABASE THAT COULD SAVE LIVES

TIME TO MAKE THE DISEASE CONTROL DATABASE THAT COULD SAVE LIVES

You’d think that after enduring dengue, SARS, bird flu, swine flu, and of course, COVID-19, we would have learned a thing or two about being proactive with public health. And yet, here we are in 2025—with no fully integrated national database for disease control.

This reality struck me during a lecture by Dr. Nelia P. Salazar on “Environment and Disease,” hosted by the National Academy of Science and Technology. Dr. Salazar explained that while the Philippines does have pockets of health-related databases, these operate in silos. There's no integration, no real-time coordination, and no central system to map and respond to disease outbreaks efficiently. That’s the good news—we have data. The bad news? We’re not using it wisely.

Even more concerning: when I asked Dr. Salazar if we have a local equivalent of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), her answer was a flat “no.” Yes, we have the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), but it focuses mostly on training and research. There is an Office for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control under the Department of Health (DOH), but its scope is nowhere near the CDC's. In short, we’re flying blind.

Why does this matter? Because disease surveillance saves lives. We already know, thanks to researchers like Dr. Salazar, where many disease vectors—like mosquitoes and rats—are concentrated. We know how outbreaks start, how they spread, and even how to prevent them. What we don’t have is a centralized, responsive system that pulls all this information together and acts on it. That’s what the CDC does for America—and that’s what we urgently need here.

So, what should we do?

First, we must create a Philippine Center for Disease Control. This will require new legislation, yes. But until that can be passed, we need a stopgap: the DOH should immediately begin building an integrated disease control database under its Management Information Services (MIS) department.

Second, let’s not reinvent the wheel. The U.S. CDC already has proven systems and software for disease tracking, prediction, and coordination. We should tap into that. I suggest that the President instruct the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to coordinate with the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC, and request help from the U.S. State Department. A faster route? Contact the U.S. Embassy in Manila. We’re not asking for charity—we’re asking for partnership in global health security.

Yes, adapting foreign systems will require customization. Our local realities—limited internet in rural areas, barangay-level recordkeeping, language differences—must be accounted for. But if we can get a functional base system, we can build on that. It’s faster and cheaper than starting from scratch.

Now, I may not be an epidemiologist, but I do know databases. I’ve led Management Information Systems (MIS) Department at the DFA, the National Computer Center (NCC), the National Computer Institute (NCI), and the PCSO. I know how to build systems that work. More importantly, I know dozens of capable Filipino ICT professionals—developers, analysts, network engineers—who would gladly volunteer their time to help set this up. That’s how urgent and important this is.

This is no longer about tech—it’s about national resilience. We’ve seen how a single virus can grind economies to a halt, collapse healthcare systems, and destroy families. Are we really going to wait for another COVID to remind us of that?

Let’s also not forget: data doesn’t just help us respond to outbreaks; it helps us prevent them. With an integrated system, we could identify hotspots for dengue before they spike. We could forecast water-borne diseases after floods. We could analyze respiratory illnesses in real-time during smog events. In short, we could be smarter about public health.

And here’s something else to chew on: the cost of setting up this system—hardware, software, training, integration—will be minuscule compared to what we’ll lose in the next pandemic if we don’t prepare now. Prevention is not only better than cure—it’s cheaper too.

So, Mr. President, the time to act is now. Build the system. Tap the experts. Seek international support. And most importantly, empower a new agency that will exist not just to study diseases, but to control them.

We cannot afford to stay reactive. We must be predictive, preventive, and prepared.
If we fail to plan, we are planning to fail.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, 09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com

08-30-2025