MANILA, Philippines — A shift in healthcare is underway inside a medical facility in Metro Manila.
The center, operated by Radlink Philippines and Fullerton Health—a Singapore-based healthcare group—is not a hospital. There are no emergency rooms, no crowded corridors and no long queues. What it offers instead is something far more elusive in the local health system: time, precision and prevention.
“We’re not here to compete with hospitals,” said Carmie de Leon, country general manager of Fullerton Health in the Philippines. “We’re here to complete the ecosystem.”
At the facility, executive checkups include CT scans as part of the standard package—not as an optional upgrade. Diagnostic reports come with risk assessments powered by medically verified algorithms. When screenings detect issues that need follow-up, patients are referred directly to partner specialists, with minimal delays and no guesswork.
A year into its operations, the center has earned a five-star service rating and recently received the Service Innovation of the Year award at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2025—an early validation of its approach.
“We took that recognition as both an honor and a challenge,” said Dr. Don Santos, the center’s chief radiologist. “We’ve had moments when we dropped to a four-star rating, and we immediately sought out patient feedback. We knew we had to listen and act.”
Fullerton Health operates in nine countries and serves more than 40,000 executive clients annually in Singapore. Its Manila facility is the group’s first in the Philippines to combine advanced imaging with lifestyle-driven screening.
Unlike most clinics, where annual checkups are often routine or cursory, Fullerton’s model is predictive. Patients are screened for silent risks—coronary blockages, pre-diabetes, even potential cancer markers—long before symptoms emerge.
“Most people only go to the doctor when something feels wrong,” Santos said. “But by that point, it may already be too late.”
That philosophy—catching diseases before they show—shapes the center’s approach. And it’s a mindset the team is trying to embed in Filipino health culture.
“We tell people not to wait until they feel sick to take control of their health,” de Leon said.
To reduce friction and hesitancy, the center launched a mobile app called LiveFuller, allowing users to schedule appointments, access health screening results, and securely store encrypted medical records—all without the need for a phone call or paperwork.
“Technology won’t replace your doctor,” de Leon said. “But it can make your experience faster and less frustrating.”
Referring physicians are granted portal access to patient imaging—a system still uncommon in many traditional clinics. The goal is continuity, not just convenience.
“We want the patient to feel like everyone is talking to each other,” Santos said. “Because they should be.”
The center works with more than 100 partner clinics, hospitals and corporate clients. It refers patients out for services it does not offer and invites other providers into its network. It’s a cooperative, not competitive, model.
“That’s the future,” de Leon said. “We’re not trying to be everything for everyone. We’re trying to make everything work better together.”
Expansion is in discussion, but the team remains focused on building its base in Metro Manila. New offerings, including cancer screening, genomics and gut microbiome testing, are already in pilot phases.
“We’re building slowly, but deliberately,” de Leon said.
Most of the center’s patients are cash-paying professionals, often referred by colleagues or employers. But the team insists its approach is scalable and relevant to broader public health goals.
They’ve begun outreach to HR associations, corporations and local government units to promote preventive care as part of a long-term health strategy.
“Many Filipinos think checkups are only for when something’s wrong,” de Leon said. “But when people understand what early detection can do, they start to prioritize it.”
The center’s reach may still be limited by geography and cost, but its model—a tech-enabled, data-informed, partnership-based approach—may set the tone for how preventive health evolves in the Philippines.
“We know we’re not solving every problem,” Santos said. “But we’re making one part of the system better. That’s where change starts.”
Editor’s Note: This press release from Fullerton Health is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.