A TEAM from the Ateneo de Manila University has earned global recognition at the Seoul International Invention Fair (SIIF) 2024.

Dubbed the “Smarter and Integrated Local Health Information System (SMILHIS),” the project was led by the Ateneo’s Institute of Philippine Culture – Dr. Rosita G. Leong School of Social Sciences and funded by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD).

The project won the Bronze Prize from the Korean Invention Promotion Association and the Special Prize for Best International Invention from the Malaysian Association of Research Scientists.

The project team included Dennis Batangan, Philip Christian Zuñiga, Jaztine Calderon, Patria Luwalhati Garcia, Jose Francisco Santiago, Jan Jacob Carpio, Queen Tayam, and Andrew Lacsina.

“SMILHIS addresses health systems interoperability, connecting local government unit health facilities for secure patient information sharing through authoritative records like the Philippine National ID System and the COVID-19 Vaccination List. This enhances healthcare delivery by ensuring patient medical histories are accessible across clinics and hospitals,” Ateneo said.

“Part of the eHATID LGU System, SMILHIS advances Universal Health Care implementation by streamlining health information exchange within communities. The project is also progressing toward securing a patent for its technology,” it added.

The SMILHIS project, supported by Ateneo and the DOST – Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI), is part of DOST-TAPI’s internationalization campaign, which highlights the ingenuity of Filipino inventors and innovators by providing opportunities to showcase their achievements on the global stage.

The event, held at COEX Exhibition Hall C in Seoul, South Korea, brought together more than 500 inventions from 32 countries.