UPM-NIH NTHC Joins Philippine Delegation at Digital Health Interoperability Bootcamp and SNOMED CT Expo in Sydney

November 13, 2026

Text by Ingrid Bautista
Photos by Australian e-Health Research Centre (AEHRC), Arturo M. Ongkeko Jr., Dr. Sofia Capistrano

Philippine Delegates joined the Asia-Pacific Digital Health Interoperability Bootcamp, hosted by Amazon Web Services in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 19-23, 2026. From Left: DOH KMITS OIC-Director IV Cherrie Esteban, UPM-NIH NTHC Director Arturo M. Ongkeko Jr., CSIRO Indo-Pacific Digital Health Project Leader Umer Nisar, NTHC Terminology Specialist Dr. Sofia Capistrano, and Aklan Provincial Health Officer Dr. Leslie Ann Sedillo.

UPM-NIH National Telehealth Center (NTHC) Director Arturo M. Ongkeko Jr. and Terminology Specialist Dr. Sofia Capistrano joined the Asia-Pacific Digital Health Interoperability Bootcamp and SNOMED CT Expo in Sydney, Australia, last Oct. 19-23, 2026, alongside former OIC-Director IV Cherrie Esteban of the Department of Health – Knowledge Management and Information Technology Service (KMITS) and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Leslie Ann Sedillo of the Aklan Provincial Health Office. The SNOMED CT Expo 2026 brought together international experts, healthcare professionals, government representatives, researchers, health IT developers, and terminologists who shared knowledge, showcased innovations, and promoted the effective implementation of SNOMED CT to support semantic interoperability, data-driven healthcare, and improved patient outcomes. The group’s participation is supported by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Australia through the Strengthening Standards Capability Project (SSCP), funded by Australian Aid – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Former DOH KMITS OIC-Director IV Cherrie Esteban (top) and UPM-NIH NTHC Director Arturo Ongkeko (bottom) submitted their abstract, “A government-academe partnership model for the National Release Center: The Philippine Experience,” during the SNOMED CT Expo 2026.

The bootcamp explored a shared challenge: how can different health information systems within and beyond national borders exchange information that health workers can understand and use to support patient care?

*Former DOH KMITS OIC-Director IV Cherrie Esteban (top) and Aklan Provincial Health Officer Dr. Leslie Ann Sedillo shared key lessons from Aklan’s Local Health Information Exchange experience.*

At the event, Director Esteban and Dr. Sedillo shared the Aklan Local Health Information Exchange experience, contributing lessons from local efforts to connect health services. Meanwhile, Director Ongkeko facilitated workshop sessions on approaches to connecting health information systems using the International Patient Summary (IPS) and its relevance to the Philippines. His participation brought the perspective of NTHC’s work with government and local partners in advancing health interoperability in the Philippines.

UPM-NIH NTHC Director Arturo M. Ongkeko Jr. (center, in blue) facilitated workshops on the International Patient Summary (IPS), highlighting its role in advancing health interoperability in the Philippines.

Also at the Expo, NTHC Terminology Specialist Dr. Sofia Capistrano presented an ePoster on the NTHC’s work on standardizing road safety data using SNOMED CT and other international standards.

UPM-NIH NTHC also expressed its appreciation to DOH Undersecretary and former CIO Dr. Albert Francis E. Domingo for his continued support of initiatives advancing health data standards and interoperability in the Philippines, including the work highlighted at these events. These exchanges offered opportunities to share Philippine work and learn from other countries and support UPM-NIH NTHC’s continuing collaboration with international and local partners toward more connected health information and coordinated care.

https://www.upm.edu.ph/cpt_news/nthc-moves-to-harmonize-road-crash-data-for-improved-reporting

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