Timeline of the History of Community and Public Health in the Philippines

Pre- American Occupation  1577- Public health began at the old

( up to 1898) Franciscan Covenant in Intramuros
where Father Juan Clemente put up
dispensary for treating indigents in
Manila.
 1659- The dispensary eventually
became the San Juan de Dios
Hospital.
 1806- Creation of the Board of
Vaccinators to prevent smallpox.
 1885-Maritime quarantine was
instituted.
 1876- Construction of Carriedo
waterworks.
 1872- Founding of the first medical
school, University of Santo Tomas.
 1879- Founding of the school of
Midwifery.
 1883- Public Health Laboratory
 1892- Forensic Medicine
American Military Government  Control of epidemics such as cholera,
(1895-1907) small pox and plague.
 Fight against communicable diseases
such as common, Hepa A-D,
chickenpox, SARS, flu, mumps,
malaria, herpes, STD, and measles.
 Projects and Activities:
1. 1899-Establishment of garbage
crematory
2. 1902- First sanitary ordinance and
rat control.
3. 1905- Cholera vaccine was first
tried, followed by compulsory
vaccination of school children.
4. 1905- Confirmation of the theory
that plague in man comes from
infected rats.
5. 1906- Opening of the leper colony
in Culion and compulsory
detection of lepers.
6. 1902 & 1903- Founding of the
Manila Medical Society and the
Philippine Island Medical
Association.
7. 1905- Establishment of the
Bureau of Science. In
collaboration with the Philippine
General Hospital and the
 University of the Philippines, it
became an active center for
scientific instruction and research.
8. 1907- Opening of the college of
Medicine U.P. with preventive
Medicine a one the departments.

Philippine Assembly  1908

(1907-1916) -First institution of the search for germ
carriers
- Passing of the Employers Liability
Law which made employee liable for
injury and death of employees.
 1909
-inclusion of Hygiene and Physiology
in the curriculum of public elementary
schools
- start of anti- tuberculosis campaign
-conduct of first sanitary of rural
community
- dissemination of the results of first
nutrition survey
 1910
-Organization of the Philippine
Tuberculosis society
- Opening of Pasteur Prophylaxis
treatment against rabies
 1911
-First demonstrated the eradication of
beri-beri among Philippine scouts by
means of simple change in the diet
 1912
-Initial use of anti-typhoid vaccine
- use of hypochlorite of lime for the
first time for treating Manila water
supply
 1913
-use of etiology of amoebic dysentery
in the detection of carriers and mild
cases
-first used of dry vaccine against
smallpox
- first offering of graduate courses in
hygiene and tropical medicine at the
UP College of Medicine
 1914
-manufacture and free distribution of
tiki-tike for treatment of beri-beri
-inauguration of first “ clean-up week”
-Rise of non-governmental health
organizations such as:
 1. La Protection de la Infancia
2. La Liga National Filipinos Para la
Protection de la Infancia
3. Association de Damas Filipinas
Jones Law  1916- A Committee was appointed to
(1916-1936) study the cause and prevalence of
typhoid fever.
 1913-34- The composition, value and
vitamin distribution of many Philippine
foods were studied.
 1919- Schick test was first used to
determine the susceptibility of Filipino
children to diphtheria.
 1922- Campaign against hook worm
was launched.
 1923- First training course for sanitary
inspector Sewage of Manila purified
by hypochlorite of lime was
conducted.
 1924-26- Mechanism of transmission
through Aedes Egypt of dengue fever
was studied successfully.
 1930- Tuberculosis Commission was
created.
The Commonwealth  The epidemiology of life threatening
(1936-1942) disease was studied- diphtheria,
yaws, dengue.
 UP School of Public Health was
established
 1939- creation of Dept. of Public
Health and Welfare.
 1940- Bureau of Census and
Statistics was created to gather vital
statistics.
Japanese Occupation  The Japanese Occupation practically
paralyzed the activities, Public Health
and sanitation were set back quarter
of a century.
 Hunger, disease and epidemics
stalked the land.
Post World War II to Martial Law  Construction of the National Chest
(1946-1972) Center, establishment of a control
case registry for TB.
 Inauguration of an industrial hygiene
laboratory
 Introduction of one- infection method
for gonorrhea with penicillin which
established a routine procedure in all
VD clinic.
 Creation of a Central Health
 Laboratory of Philippine under the
newly organized Department of
Health.
 Creation of the Institute of Nutrition.
The Martial Law Years  Construction of Tertiary Hospital
(1972-1986) 1. Philippine Heart Center
2. Lung Center
3. Kidney Center
4. Lungsod ng Kabataan/ Phil.
Children Medical Center
 Adaptation of the Primary Health Care
 Launching of Operation Timbang and
Mothercraft
 Progress in Public Health research
1. RITM- Research Institute for
Tropical Medicine
2. PCHRD-Philippine Council for
Health Research and
Development
 Department of Health was renamed
as Ministry of Health (MOH)
Post Edsa Revolution  From Ministry oh Health, it was
(1986) renamed again as Department of
Health
 Increase in life expectancy slowed
down
 Increased incidence of malnutrition
 Decline practice of family planning
Aquino Administration  1987 Constitution- more provisions on
health making comprehensive health
care available
 Major Activities
1. Milk Code- required the marketing
of breast feed milk substitute.
2. Universal child and mother
immunization
3. RA. 6725- Act prohibiting
discrimination against women.
4. NESS- National Epidemic
Surveillance System
5. RA. 6675- National Drug Policy
and Genetics Act.
6. RA. 7170- Organ Donation Act
(1991)
Ramos Administration  “ Health in the Hands of People” and
Let’s DOH it” by Sen Juan Flavier
 National Immunization Day

Source: Tiglao, T.(n.d). A Century of Public Health in the Philippines. Retrieved from
https://www.nast.ph/images/pdf%20files/Publications/NAST%20Transactions/NAST
%201997%20Transactions%20Volume%2019/1%20A%20Century%20of%20Public%20Health
%20in%20the%20Philippines%20Teodoro%20V.%20Tiglao%201997.pdf