Our Story: Driving Impact Through Bayanihan

Unilab Foundation is committed to building a healthier Philippines. Since 2011, we've been working collaboratively, inspired by the Filipino value of bayanihan, to address critical needs in mental health, STEM education, healthcare, and youth empowerment.

Memberships

League of Corporate Foundations (2014-present)

Association of Foundations (2015-present)

Philippine Coalition for Volunteerism, Inc. (2016-present)

Accreditations

Philippine Council for NGO Certification (2013-present)

Department of Social Welfare and Development (2013-present)

ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems (2014-2017)

ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems (2017-present)

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) (2019-present)

Awards

Grand Anvil Award for Ideas Positive (2014)

Apolinario Mabini Employer of the Year (2015)

Gold Anvil Award for Project Inclusion (2017)

Quill Award: Corporate Social Responsibility, and Publications for Play Advocacy Week Toolkit (2021)

Bronze medal awardee under Health outcomes category at the Healthy Pilipinas Awards by the Department of Health (2023)

Outstanding CSR Project in Health (2024)

From our first initiative, Play It Forward, to our current programs—Heads Up PH, the Unilab Center for Health Policy, and Project Kaakbay—we're making a difference.

We're also proud of the impact of our spin-off initiatives, the Positive Youth Development Network, Project Inclusion Network and the Center for Integrated STEM Education.

Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our accreditations from the Philippine Council for NGO Certification and ISO International Certification.

Partner with us and help build a healthier, future-ready Philippines – together.

OUR LEADERSHIP

Atty. Jose Maria A. Ochave

Executive Director

Eduardo G. Policarpio Jr.

Director of Operations

Marie Joan Armada-Urieta

Programs Director

Ruben A. Basa

Program Director, Unilab Center for Health Policy

We are guided by these core values as we work to build a healthier Philippines:

Integrity

Excellence

Innovation

Compassion

Bayanihan

Our  Programs

At Unilab Foundation, our programs tackle crucial challenges in healthcare policy, mental health, youth empowerment, workforce development, and education. Through strategic collaboration, rigorous research, and community-driven initiatives, we develop solutions that create lasting impact.

EXPLORE OUR PROGRAMS

Our History

2024

Unilab Foundation (ULF) launched the Unilab Center for Health Policy (UCHP) and the Health Sector Skills Council (HSSC). UCHP is a venue for stakeholders to examine health policy issues. HSSC is a project supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian Government and the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), to prepare the necessary groundwork to better understand the future needs of Human Resources for Health (HRH) of the country.

2023

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The Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Alliance (AMDev) was launched. AMDev is a 5-year industry-led program implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Unilab Foundation to upskill and reskill the Filipino workforce

2022

Piloted two new initiatives –  Project Kaakbay under the Youth Forward PH and STEMKonek under STEM+ PH

USAID awards a $ 5 Million grant to ULF to lead the creation of the  Global Development Alliance for Advanced Manufacturing
.
ULF in partnership with the Philippine Business for Education (PBED) and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) organized the first Technical Working Group for Strategic Healthcare Workforce Education

2021

The first Center for Integrated STEM Education (CISTEM) is established as the third spin-off entity

2nd Integrated STEM Summit in Asia Asia  co-convened by ULF and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education  Organization (SEAMEO) under a virtual platform

Partnered with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship in undertaking evidence-based research using big data

2020

The Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN) is established as the second spin-off entity

Pinays Can STEM advocacy launched

The Bayanihan for WellBeing (BWB) organized to strengthen ULF’s work in mental health amidst the pandemic

DepEd cascade to over 12 million elementary learners ULF's Play-based psychosocial support program and Covid-19 comics

2019

The First Integrated STEM Summit  was organized by ULF in partnership with the US-based STEM Leadership Alliance

The STEM Leadership Alliance in the Philippines was convened by ULF named as SLA-PH with 12 Founding members

The first spin-off entity is established -
Project Inclusion Network (PIN) 

Ideas Positive receives Outstanding

CSR Project on Health award

National Play Advocacy Week launched by the Philippine Play Coalition, with ULF as Secretariat

2018

STEM+ PH launched as Unilab Foundation’s flagship program

Project Inclusion received the Gold Anvil Award

2017

Restructured operations into three (3) Program Pillars: STEM Education (STEM+PH), Mental Health (Heads Up PH), and Youth Empowerment

Adopted whole-of-society approach towards achieving systemic change

Reached 17 regions in the Philippines

Over 100 institutions & program partners engaged

2016

Project Anihan piloted

Unilab Foundation accepted in  Philippine Coalition on Volunteerism

86 institutional & program partners engaged

2015

Health Science on the Go (HSTOG) Piloted

Unilab Foundation accepted in the Association of Foundations

Project Inclusion received Apolinario Mabini Employer of the Year Special Award

39 institutional partners engaged

2014

Ideas Positive received the Grand Anvil Award

Unilab Foundation accepted as member of the League of Corporate Foundations

33 institutional partners engaged