About

Early Beginnings

It all started with the desire to help our local city make evidence-based decisions during the community quarantine. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, our work gained momentum. Collaborations with government agencies and academic institutions began, strengthening the role of research and analytics in supporting public health. 

By posting data-driven insights on social media, the team quickly drew the attention of the Department of Health (DOH) Davao, marking the start of formal collaborations.

Expansion of Initiatives

With support from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), we launched the Center for Applied Modeling, Data Analytics, and Bioinformatics for Decision Support Systems in Health (AMDABiDSS–Health), which expanded our capacity to conduct research, develop innovative tools, and collaborate with government and academic partners. Aware that this initial funding was time-bound, we began building long-term sustainability by strengthening our core team and actively pursuing additional grants and partnerships at both local and international levels.

Becoming the DiWA Center

What began as AMDABiDSS–Health has since evolved into the Mindanao Center for Disease Watch and Analytics (DiWA Center)—a regional hub for health resilience anchored within the UP Resilience Institute (UPRI). Today, DiWA Center serves as UPRI’s first Health Resiliency Hub, dedicated to advancing transdisciplinary research, developing digital tools for health governance, and equipping public officials and communities to build a resilient future for Mindanao and the Philippines.

We bring data to life by transforming health information into actionable insights for public health decision-making in Mindanao and beyond, one data at a time.