Sixty-Eight Years of Israel–Philippines Bilateral Relations: Health Diplomacy, Digital Innovation, and Policy Lessons
Description
Sixty-Eight Years of Israel–Philippines Bilateral Relations: Health Diplomacy, Digital Innovation, and Policy Lessons Dr. Fernan Torreno Famiela Torreno (corresponding author) torrenofamiela@gmail.com Abstract Background: Diplomatic relations between Israel and the Philippines were established in 1957, making the Philippines one of the earliest Asian nations to formalize ties with Israel^1^. Over nearly seven decades, bilateral cooperation has included agreements in health, workforce mobility, humanitarian relief, and science and technology. More recently, collaborations have expanded to digital health and artificial intelligence (AI), reflecting Israel’s role as a leader in health innovation^2^ and the Philippines’ status as both a major health workforce exporter and an adaptive adopter of new technologies^3^. Despite multiple initiatives, no systematic review has synthesized the outcomes and policy implications of these bilateral engagements. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of Israel–Philippines cooperation in health and technology (1957–2025), guided by PRISMA standards. Data sources included PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and official government repositories. Eligible documents comprised bilateral agreements, program evaluations, peer-reviewed studies, and humanitarian mission reports. Extracted outcomes covered health system strengthening, workforce deployment, digital health performance, and policy or diplomatic achievements. Random-effects models were used for pooled analyses, with subgroup analyses comparing traditional health diplomacy with digital health innovation. Results: Forty-two eligible documents were identified. Traditional cooperation included bilateral caregiver employment agreements (ratified 2019, first deployment in 2021)^4^, Israel’s humanitarian medical mission following Typhoon Haiyan in 2013^5^, and scientific cooperation memoranda^6^. Recent collaborations involved AI-assisted tuberculosis screening with CAD tools and ultra-portable X-rays^7^, cross-border data privacy agreements signed in 2025^8^, and the ISHA Women’s Health Initiative launched in 2025 as a flagship bilateral project in women’s health^9^. Meta-analysis demonstrated moderate improvements in workforce mobility (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.28–2.19) and TB case-finding efficiency (SMD = 0.46, 95% CI 0.25–0.67). Conclusions: This review of 68 years of bilateral relations highlights the evolution of Israel–Philippines cooperation from traditional health diplomacy to digital health innovation. The partnership underscores how bilateral diplomacy can strengthen national systems and contribute to global goals such as SDG 3 (Health), SDG 9 (Innovation), and SDG 17 (Partnerships)^10^. Keywords: Israel, Philippines, bilateral relations, health diplomacy, digital health, artificial intelligence, policy cooperation, workforce mobility, tuberculosis, Sustainable Development Goals