ILOILO CITY — In a ballroom at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, a program born in a humble barangay in Jaro district was recognized as one of Asia's most impactful community healthcare initiatives. The Medical City (TMC) Iloilo received the Community Initiative of the Year award at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2026 for its ATIPAN Community Adoption Program, a multi-sector collaboration that has moved members of the Ati indigenous community from the margins of the healthcare system into its workforce. The recognition, conferred in March 2026, validates an approach that refuses to separate medical care from human dignity, skills training, and the right to earn a living.
The award was one of four major honors TMC collected that evening, including Hospital Group of the Year, Clinic Group of the Year, and Medical Tourism Initiative of the Year. But the Iloilo award carried a distinct weight. It recognized not a clinical procedure or a financial turnaround but a sustained relationship between a tertiary hospital and the Ati people of Panay, who are among the country's most historically marginalized indigenous groups. "These recognitions reflect the dedication of our physicians, nurses, and employees across the entire The Medical City network," said Dr. Stuart Bennett, president and group CEO of The Medical City. "By working as one fully integrated academic health system, we are able to deliver consistently high quality standards of care and make them more accessible across the entire country."
From Medical Missions to Employment Pathways
The ATIPAN Community Adoption Program launched in April 2023 in partnership with the University of San Agustin, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Health, and the Center for Heritage and Indigenous Cultures. Its name draws from the Ati people themselves, and its design reflects a deliberate departure from the traditional medical mission model. Rather than treating patients and leaving, the program built a 125-day TESDA-accredited healthcare training course tailored for Ati participants. Six individuals from the community completed the program, underwent clinical training at TMC Iloilo, and were hired as nursing assistants in 2024 before being absorbed into regular positions.
"These recognitions reflect the dedication of our physicians, nurses, and employees across the entire The Medical City network," said Dr. Stuart Bennett. The program also includes regular medical missions, feeding programs, hygiene education sessions, and health screenings conducted directly in the adopted Ati community in Barangay Lanit, Jaro. In December 2024, TMC Iloilo expanded the effort by partnering with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Iloilo Chapter (PCCI-Iloilo) and Miss Iloilo 2025 to hold a Christmas outreach activity that served over 200 Ati residents with Noche Buena packages, games, storytelling, and gift-giving. PCCI-Iloilo Chairman Felix Tiu described the partnership as a way "to foster community engagement and help those in need," adding that it promoted "more inclusive growth to everyone." TMC Iloilo Chief Executive Officer Dr. Felix Ray Villa noted that the collaboration was "extra special because we have benefitted our adopted Ati Community."
A Network Strategy That Reaches Beyond Metro Manila
The ATIPAN award sits within a broader institutional strategy at TMC to decentralize specialized care beyond its flagship Ortigas campus. With facilities in Pasig, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Laguna, and Iloilo, the network has pursued standardized quality across all sites. TMC Iloilo has been operating in the province since 2009 and in 2025 performed the region's first intravascular lithotripsy, bringing advanced cardiovascular care to Western Visayas and reducing the need for patient referrals to Metro Manila. The hospital also partners with PHINMA-University of Iloilo to develop nursing students through a Clinical Nurse Residency Program.
The Healthcare Asia Awards, presented by Healthcare Asia Magazine, recognize exceptional hospitals across Asia that "redefine the standards of excellence in the healthcare industry" and "have a lasting impact on their local communities." The ATIPAN program's recognition aligns with a growing body of work at the intersection of indigenous health and digital innovation. The University of San Agustin's Atipan telemedicine project, launched in late 2021, brought digital healthcare to seven Ati communities in far-flung areas, with subsequent expansion as Atipan+ covering indigenous groups in Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental. Prof. Romulo "Jong" de Castro, the Atipan project lead and a Balik Scientist, described it as "a model project that can be done nationwide."
