Greetings from the University of the Philippines Manila - College of Public Health and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) TROPMED Philippines!
Guided by our vision of co-creating healthy futures for all, we shape the public health landscape by empowering future-ready leaders, pioneering translational research, and championing responsive public service. Our comprehensive undergraduate and graduate programs integrate theory, field experience, and interdisciplinary collaboration, designed to develop leaders, researchers, and practitioners equipped to address complex and evolving health challenges. Through education, research, and public service, we contribute to nation-building by strengthening the country’s public health workforce, informing policy through research, and supporting communities through service and partnership.
As the SEAMEO TROPMED Philippines Regional Centre, we hold a vital responsibility in advancing public health, hospital administration, environmental health, and occupational health across Southeast Asia. Beyond educating health professionals, we conduct relevant research, deliver extension and consultancy services, and strengthen regional collaboration to promote sustainable and healthy communities.
With honor and excellence, we remain committed to raising public health standards in the Philippines and across the region, working together toward healthier, more resilient futures.
Mabuhay ang UP College of Public Health at SEAMEO TROPMED Philippines!
Prof. Fernando B. Garcia Jr., PhD
The University of the Philippines College of Public Health was created as the School of Sanitation and Public Health on 11 February 1927 by the UP Board of Regents under Act No. 3340 during the American occupation. It was formally inaugurated on 6 June 1927.
It succeeded the Graduate School of Tropical Medicine and Public Health established in 1913, as a department of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM), but this was closed in 1919 due to the lack of faculty. Plans to reorganize it led to the idea of creating a separate school for public health apart from the UPCM.
These plans were realized through the efforts of Dr. Hilario Lara, a former rural doctor and a public health specialist trained at Johns Hopkins University, who then headed the Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine at the College of Medicine. Dean Fernando Calderon of the UPCM served as the school’s director in its early years. In 1929, it was renamed the School of Hygiene and Public Health.
Sustained development was made possible through grants from the Rockefeller Foundation, which supported faculty recruitment and construction. A grant of Php 302,471.31 funded a three-story building completed in 1932, now Lara Hall, which the College still occupies. Growth accelerated in the following decade, leading to its renaming as the Institute of Hygiene in 1938.
However, the Second World War halted this expansion. The Institute resumed operations shortly after the Liberation of Manila on 26 February 1945 and undergraduate instruction on 6 August 1945. The War Damages Commission funded building repairs, and through Dr. Lara’s intervention, the Rockefeller Foundation donated Php 100,000 for equipment. Repairs were completed in 1949, and reconstruction and improvements enabled continued expansion. Dr. Lara served as the Institute’s first postwar director.
Further growth led to its designation as a Regional Centre by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) in 1970, followed by its renaming as the Institute of Public Health in 1971, and the College of Public Health in 1986. It became a SEAMEO National Centre for Tropical Medicine and Public Health that same year.
This designation was supported by technical assistance from the German Technical Cooperation Agency (now GIZ), which facilitated the construction of a new building, later named CPH Annex II, in 1988. That year, the College also acquired the Bureau of Mines Building behind the main structure, designated as CPH Annex I.
In 1993, the College was designated Regional Centre for Public Health, Hospital Administration, Environmental and Occupational Health under the SEAMEO Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network (TROPMED). This included GIZ assistance to develop a distance education mode for its Master of Public Health program, including construction of the Annex II Expansion building in 1994.
To date, CPH maintains linkages with both local and international agencies. From a school to an institute and finally, a college, the College of Public Health’s cornerstone remains the same: a leader and trailblazer in the training of public health practitioners, scholars, and researchers.
February 11, 1927
Co-creating healthy futures for all
We shape the public health landscape by empowering future-ready leaders, pioneering translational research, and championing responsive public service.
Integrity, Excellence, Professionalism, Commitment, Fairness
CPH is a Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) applicant institution with ongoing efforts for the accreditation of the BS Public Health Program.
CPH faculty members are members of the ad hoc group working on the PAASCU evaluation instrument for BSPH programs in the country.
BSPH is also scheduled to undergo Asean University Network (AUN) accreditation in 2028.
Facility Description: The Public Health Nutrition Laboratory is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary facility designed to support high-level instruction, biochemical analysis, and research for undergraduate and graduate students. It serves as the training ground for Clinical Chemistry 1 & 2 (PH 166/167) and Fundamentals of Biochemistry (PH 161). For Nutrition (PH 162), students conduct practical food analysis (proximate analysis and Vitamin C determination) and biochemical assessments, such as serum protein, hemoglobin, and hematocrit analysis. Additionally, the lab facilitates Laboratory Methods (PHN 204) for the Master of Science in Public Health (Nutrition) program, focusing on the principles and methods of instrumentation and biochemical tests used in experimental nutrition and surveillance research.
Date of Approval: 1974
Service Name: Nutrition Laboratory
Clients: UP Manila constituents and other institutions
Contact Information: Rowel C. Malimban
Description: The Nutrition Laboratory specializes in the proximate analysis of foods (moisture, ash, crude protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates) and the quantification of specific nutrients like Vitamin C. Furthermore, the facility caters to Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) for nutritional surveillance research.
Facility Description: The Diagnostic Parasitology Laboratory is a specialized facility dedicated to the accurate detection, identification, and reporting of parasitic infections affecting humans. It provides comprehensive diagnostic services for both intestinal and tissue parasites, supporting clinicians, public health programs, researchers, and academic institutions.
The laboratory is equipped with modern microscopy facilities and operates under stringent quality assurance and quality control protocols to ensure reliable, timely, and accurate results. It also contributes to epidemiologic surveillance, outbreak investigations, and research initiatives related to parasitic diseases.
Beyond routine diagnostics, the Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory is committed to excellence in public health service and professional training in parasitology. It offers specialized technical services, including research consultation, pre-clinical studies, and bioassays.
Date of Approval: N/A
Service Name: Diagnostic Parasitology Laboratory
Clients: UP Manila constituents and other institutions
Contact Information: dop.upcph@gmail.com
Description: Our services specialize in the diagnosis of parasitic infections through a range of standardized and evidence-based laboratory procedures, including:
Facility Description: The Medical Entomology Laboratory is a specialized facility dedicated to advancing vector control strategies and strengthening efforts to prevent mosquito-borne and other vector-borne diseases. The laboratory focuses on the study, rearing, identification, and evaluation of medically important arthropods, with particular emphasis on mosquito vectors of public health significance.
Core Functions and Services
The laboratory provides comprehensive services that include:
Facilities and Standards
The laboratory is equipped with controlled insectary facilities, environmental chambers, and advanced microscopy systems. It operates under stringent quality assurance and biosafety standards to ensure reliable and reproducible results.
Beneficiaries of Services
Role in Public Health and Research
The Medical Entomology Laboratory supports disease surveillance, vector control programs, research initiatives, and academic training in medical entomology. It serves as a resource center for vector-borne disease research, public health interventions, and professional capacity development.
Date of Approval: N/A
Service Name: Medical Entomology Laboratory
Clients: UP Manila constituents and other institutions
Contact Information: dop.upcph@gmail.com
Description: Medical Entomology Laboratory services specializes in the following:
Facility Description: The Animal Laboratory of the Department of Parasitology is a specialized research facility dedicated to conducting controlled in vivo experiments that support research in parasitology, infectious diseases, and pharmacology. It provides high-quality animal-based experimental services aimed at advancing the understanding of host–parasite interactions, disease pathogenesis, and the evaluation of potential therapeutic and preventive interventions.
The laboratory operates under stringent ethical standards and institutional animal care and use regulations, ensuring humane treatment, biosafety compliance, and scientific integrity. It maintains controlled environmental housing systems and implements standardized protocols for experimental infection, clinical monitoring, parasitologic assessment, and evaluation of treatment responses. All procedures follow reproducible and validated methodologies to ensure reliability, accuracy, and adherence to regulatory and research best practices.
Date of Approval: N/A
Service Name: The Animal Laboratory
Clients: UP Manila constituents and other institutions
Contact Information: dop.upcph@gmail.com
Description: The Animal Laboratory provides services such as:
Facility Description: The Computer Laboratory forms part of the Department’s academic, research, and extension service arms in the areas of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Health Research – disciplines that rely on information and communications technology (ICT) for quantitative data analysis employed in instruction, knowledge generation, field investigations, surveillance, and other public health activities and exercises. The laboratory currently houses more than 50 desktop units equipped with licensed STATA software.
Date of Approval: N/A
Service Name: Research and Statistical Consultancy Services
Clients: UP Manila constituents and other institutions
Contact Information: https://tinyurl.com/DEBsResearchandStatConsult/ debs.cph.upm@up.edu.ph
Description: The clinic renders technical consultancy to clients needing expertise and/or assistance in protocol development, including objective setting, research and sampling designs, sample size and power calculation, data processing, and data analysis. It also provides a structured consulting experience for enrolled graduate students under faculty supervision.
Facility Description: The Industrial Hygiene Laboratory processes environmental samples for Work Environment Measurements. It houses Industrial Hygiene equipment and other laboratory equipment necessary to determine measurements of select work exposures. These include air sampling trains, integrating sound level meters, photodetector cells, electronic heat stress monitors, a hot-wire thermoanemometer, Bellows hand pump and detector tubes, smoke tubes, a dessicator, and an analytical balance.
Date of Approval: N/A
Service Name: Work Environment Measurements
Clients: UP Manila constituents and other institutions
Contact Information: +63285265966 / +63285247102 loc. 114 / upm.cph.deoh@up.edu.ph
Description: Work Environment Measurements determines levels of the following workplace parameters: (1) total and respirable dust via sampling trains and filter weights; (2) solvents, gases and vapors via detector tubes; (3) noise, illumination, and heat stress via special equipment; and (4) general and local exhaust ventilation via smoke tubes and thermoanemometer.
Facility Description: The Water Laboratory processes drinking water samples to measure select parameters as stated in the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water. The facility houses an atomic absorption spectrometer, UV-Vis Spectrophotometer, pH multimeter, and glasswares and other equipment required for titration, and colorimetry. The Water Laboratory is accredited by the Department of Health.
Date of Approval: N/A
Service Name: Physicochemical Analysis of Drinking Water (suspended due to ongoing laboratory room renovations)
Clients: UP Manila constituents and other institutions
Contact Information: +63285265966 / +63285247102 loc. 114 / upm.cph.deoh@up.edu.ph
Description: Physicochemical Analysis of Drinking Water includes measurements of the following parameters: (1) odor via observation, (2) color via colorimetry, pH, (3) total dissolved solids, and conductivity via a multimeter, (3) alkalinity, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and total hardness via titration, and (4) iron and sulfate via spectrophotometry.
Facility Description: Bacteriological water analysis is one of the main extension services offered by the Department of Medical Microbiology. This test analyzes the presence of coliforms and total bacterial count that are the parameters for potability and safety of drinking water samples. The Department has been offering water analysis testing since the 1980s.
Since 2019, the DMM Water Laboratory has been an accredited and certified laboratory for bacteriological water analysis under the DOH-National Reference Laboratory (DOH-NRL) and has annually passed its National External Quality Assessment Scheme (NEQAS) proficiency testing for water bacteriology laboratories.
Date of Approval: DMM Diagnostic Tests and Extension Services approved during the BOR Meeting in July 1975
Service Name: Bacteriological Water Analysis inclusive of coliform testing and heterotrophic microbial count
Clients: General public
Contact Information: dmmcph.upmanila@gmail.com
Description: Bacteriological water potability analysis is currently priced at PhP 600 per sample inclusive of the sterile water bottle collection container. Samples may be submitted from Mondays-Wednesdays from 8:00AM - 12NN only. Turnaround time of results is one week from date of receiving the samples.
Facility Description: The LepCon Laboratory, inaugurated in 2011, is a Biosafety Level 2 laboratory composed of the following rooms: (1) DNA or molecular laboratory where molecular assays (e.g., polymerase chain reaction, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, etc.) are done; (2) Serology and culture laboratory where isolation/culture of Leptospira from human, animal, and environmental samples are being done and where the microscopic agglutination test is performed; (3) Specific pathogen free animal laboratory for breeding and experiments using laboratory animals (specifically golden Syrian hamsters) are conducted (e.g., in-house vaccine testing, pathogenicity/virulence tests, etc.); and, (4) Cold room, which is equipped with biorefrigerators, deep freezers, and nitrogen tank.
The LepCon laboratory is located at the 4th floor of Lara Hall, College of Public Health and its establishment is co-funded by the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Health Research Development (DOST-PCHRD), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) through the Leptospirosis Prevention and Control Program. This program was a 5-year collaborative research program involving Kyushu University (Japan), Chiba Institute of Science (Japan), and the College of Public Health - University of the Philippines Manila.
Date of Approval:
Start of the Leptospirosis Prevention and Control Program: April 1, 2010
Inauguration of the LepCon Laboratory: January 26, 2012
Service Name: Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT), Leptospirosis Culture, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
Clients: General public
Contact Information: smvillanueva4@up.edu.ph / dmmcph.upmanila@gmail.com
Description:
Routine tests that are offered by the LepCon laboratory include the following:
Special laboratory assays that are conducted in the LepCon laboratory include PCR of Leptospira isolates from humans, animals, or the environment.
Facility Description: The DMM Research and Extension Services Laboratory is a BSL-2 facility equipped with a biosafety cabinet, conventional and real time PCR machines, incubator and a VITEK II system. It is currently housed at Room 1, 1st floor, CPH Annex 1. Processing of clinical samples and isolates, bacterial culture and identification, DNA extraction and PCR activities of the five component projects of the OneARM Program are done in this facility. Other research and extension services such as fungal assay, microbial challenge assays are also performed in this laboratory.
Date of Approval: DMM Diagnostic Tests and Extension Services approved during the BOR Meeting in July 1975
Service Name: Bacterial and fungal culture, DNA extraction, VITEK ID and AST and PCR
Clients: General public - Bacterial and fungal requests, sterility and microbial challenge assays
Other equipment and services- currently restricted for OneARM projects and BSPH undergraduate and MSPH Microbiology graduate students
Contact Information: dmmcph.upmanila@gmail.com
Description: At the moment, only fungal and bacterial culture requests, sterility and microbial challenges are available for the general public. DNA extraction and use of equipment such as VITEK and PCR are currently not available for public use.
Facility Description: The Virology Laboratory of the Department of Medical Microbiology was previously housed at Room 309, 3rd Floor, Lara Hall. It is one of the first research laboratory facilities of the Department headed by former Professor Emeritus and National Scientist, Dr. Veronica Chan. The virology and immunochemistry tests offered before by the Viro Lab are also included in the original BOR 1975 approval for diagnostics tests of then the Institute of Public Health. It had a cell culture room and specimen processing room both equipped with biosafety cabinets and a shared C02 incubator.
At present, due to the ongoing renovation of the facility, the Virology laboratory is temporarily relocated to Room 1, 1st floor Annex 1.
Date of Approval: DMM Diagnostic Tests and Extension Services approved during the BOR Meeting on July 1975
Service Name: Cell culture, virus culture, neutralization assays, polymerase chain reaction, ELISA, SDS-PAGE, Western blot (for research purposes only)
Clients: Undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members, and researchers
Contact Information: dmmcph.upmanila@gmail.com
Description: The service is currently not available for public use.