Have you received our latest newsletter?

NUS Deepens Public Health and Alumni Connections in Manila

Strengthening NUS–Philippines Public Health Connections
The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health delegation, Philippine health leaders, partners, representatives of the Singapore Embassy in the Philippines, and alumni gather in Manila.

NUS public health leaders, Philippine health officials, partners, and alumni came together in Manila as the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health strengthened its growing engagement with the Philippines.

On 17 September 2026, the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) Philippines Partnership Programme hosted a special reception at Discovery Suites Manila, bringing together NUS faculty, Philippine health leaders, partners, and alumni.

The gathering was part of the School's continuing engagement with the Philippines and provided an opportunity to strengthen connections across the public health and NUS communities.

Celebrating Philippine Health Leadership

The SSHSPH delegation was led by Dean Professor Teo Yik Ying, with representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in the Philippines also joining the gathering.

The evening honored the recent appointments of Dr Edwin Mercado as Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) and Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho as President and CEO of PhilHealth.

Former Health Secretary Dr Manuel Dayrit was also among the Philippine health leaders in attendance, alongside other partners and members of the public health community.

Beyond celebrating these leadership milestones, the gathering provided a space for conversations around public health, partnership, and the longstanding connections between Singapore and the Philippines.

Strengthening the NUS–Philippines Public Health Community

The reception also brought the partnership closer to NUS alumni based in the Philippines.

Representing the local alumni community were NUS Alumni Network Manila Chair Patricia Villar-Yambing, together with SSHSPH alumni Dr Venus Oliva Cloma-Rosales (Public Health ’13) and Dr Divine Agustin (Public Health ’26).

Their participation reflected an important dimension of NUS's engagement in the Philippines: alumni who can help sustain relationships between the University and the communities, institutions, and sectors in which they now work.

For Philippine-based SSHSPH alumni, the growing partnership also creates opportunities to remain connected with the School while contributing their own experience and networks to public health collaboration closer to home.

Building on a Growing Partnership

The Manila reception forms part of a broader period of engagement between SSHSPH and the Philippine public health community, bringing together academic, government, professional, and alumni networks.

Such connections create opportunities for continued exchange in areas such as public health education, research, capacity development, policy, and regional collaboration.

They also reflect the wider role that alumni can play in strengthening NUS's relationships overseas—not only by maintaining connections with one another, but by serving as bridges between the University and their local institutions and communities.

Connecting NUS, Singapore and the Philippines

For the NUS Alumni Network Manila, the evening was an opportunity to welcome NUS leaders and partners while strengthening ties between the University's growing public health engagement and its alumni community in the Philippines.

As these relationships continue to grow, we look forward to more opportunities to bring together NUS, Singapore, Philippine institutions, and our alumni community around shared interests and meaningful collaborations.

Contributed by Dr Venus Oliva Cloma-Rosales (Public Health ’13) to the NUS Alumni Network Manila.

Google Sites

Report abuse