Lifestyle Medicine and Universal Health Care Intersection: The Philippines' Initiative

In 2022, the Philippine College of Lifestyle Medicine (PCLM) obtained its medical specialty accreditation from the Philippine Medical Association and the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians and has since initiated its National Lifestyle Medicine Training Initiative with the goal of integrating lifestyle medicine competencies into healthcare providers' education systems. PCLM has worked with several private and government agencies to advance lifestyle medicine services, education, and community-engaged advocacies. Many of the programs are connected to the transition towards full implementation of universal health care in the Philippines, where health promotion and disease prevention are the main focus. We will discuss how the PCLM collaborates with the Department of Health, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the Philippine General Hospital in implementing foundational and sub-specialty training in lifestyle medicine for public health physicians and healthcare professionals nationwide, with the goal of implementing lifestyle interventions in primary and tertiary care facilities in the country in the next three years. PCLM also recognizes the role of the Department of Education and the Agricultural Sector in the enculturation of healthy lifestyle across all age groups; thus, also implements advocacy programs in collaboration with the Agricultural Training Institute, which provides the budget for the conduct of food-related training programs for schooled students, out-of-school youth, farmers, and women.