DiWA

𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐏 | 𝐃𝐢𝐖𝐀 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐒𝐔-𝐈𝐈𝐓 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐎𝐒𝐓-𝐒𝐄𝐈 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬

Throughout the month of July 2026, the DiWA Center welcomed student-interns from Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) and DOST-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) scholars for a comprehensive internship under project RESCUE.

During the 200-hour practical training, the interns tackled mathematical simulation and analysis, dummy data and dashboard generation, and thorough reviews of related literature (RRL) for the center's rabies epidemiology and public health project. Crucially, they also conducted fieldwork at Davao City National High School to gain valuable hands-on experience, bridging mathematical modeling with real-world public health application.

The internship concluded with an emotional send-off during their capstone report, where Center Director Dr. May Anne Mata provided personalized mentorship on mathematical analysis and academic literature writing—offering key insights to refine their work and future scientific endeavors.

The DiWA Center extends its appreciation to MSU-IIT and DOST-SEI for their trust and partnership in developing the region's next generation of researchers and innovators. Building on the successful end of the DiWA Center's 2026 Internship Season, we remain committed to providing meaningful research opportunities for young professionals. Looking ahead, we are pleased to announce that the DiWA Center will be open for internship opportunities for the next academic year (May–July 2027). Interested educational institutions are encouraged to send an email to [email protected] for inquiries and application details.

The International Conference for Interdisciplinary Approaches to Health (ICIAH) 2026 is happening this September 8–9, 2026, via Zoom!

Hosted by the Mindanao Center for Disease Watch and Analytics (DiWA Center) of the University of the Philippines Mindanao, in partnership with the Office of Research, ICIAH 2026 will bring together global health experts, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss interdisciplinary approaches to artificial intelligence, disease surveillance, nowcasting, and climate resilience.

With the theme “The NOW and the NEXT for Health: Navigating a World in FLUX,” this year’s conference highlights the need for collaborative, accessible, and forward-looking solutions in addressing today’s rapidly changing public health challenges.

Read the full press release here: https://upmin.edu.ph/global-health-experts-to-tackle-ai-climate-and-disease-surveillance-at-iciah-2026-hosted-by-upmins-diwa-center/?fbclid=IwY2xjawThKlJwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMURhQnJNMGpQQzZEVHJITnZzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEebXhAWaFYgNGsumvKPyspvJXxjOY7jMLnfO9Egm_kR39ucVS0TFtPNgX09O0_aem_Lwy6hKg3p4Fq9FUDySZoZA

PRESS RELEASE | Global health experts to tackle AI, climate, and disease surveillance at ICIAH 2026, hosted by UPMin’s DiWA Center

The University of the Philippines Mindanao's Mindanao Center for Disease Watch and Analytics (DiWA Center), in partnership with the Office of Research, will host the International Conference for Interdisciplinary Approaches to Health (ICIAH) 2026 on 8–9 September 2026 via Zoom.

With the theme "The NOW and the NEXT for Health: Navigating a World in FLUX (Fast, Localized, Uncharted, and eXperimental)," the conference will bring together global experts to explore interdisciplinary solutions in artificial intelligence, disease surveillance, nowcasting, and climate resilience.

Convenor Prof. May Anne E. Mata emphasized the need for cross-disciplinary collaboration and an online format to ensure greater accessibility for researchers and practitioners worldwide, particularly those from low- and middle-income countries.

READ FULL: https://upmin.edu.ph/global-health-experts-to-tackle-ai-climate-and-disease-surveillance-at-iciah-2026-hosted-by-upmins-diwa-center/

𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 | 𝐃𝐢𝐖𝐀 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

The DiWA Center team attended SanData 2026: A Performance Exhibit on Data-Driven Governance for Dengue Resilience in the Philippines on July 29, 2026, at Aldaba Hall, UP Diliman.

Representing the Center were Michelle Magallanes, Marion Fiorenzo Miranda, Bhea Dela Cruz, Alyssa Ilaguison, and Jamaiya Hadji Acmad.

SanData 2026 presented how climate and health research can be translated into practical tools for dengue preparedness, including dashboards, rainfall-based triggers, predictive models, and operational frameworks for local decision-making. The event combined performance, exhibit work, dialogue, and a DengueR workshop to show how data can become timely and actionable for public health.

During the activity, the DiWA Center team attended performances on project-related topics, joined open discussions on epidemiological data and dengue resilience, networked with stakeholders, and toured exhibit works featuring data-driven governance and health innovation.

This engagement advances the DiWA Center’s pillars of 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿 & 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀, and 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 by strengthening learning, stakeholder exchange, and the use of data-driven tools for anticipatory public health action.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐄 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥! 🐾

Our team is conducting school-based data collection to better understand household pet ownership, rabies awareness, and community practices across Davao City.

The information gathered will be integrated with government and community datasets to help enhance the Rabies Analytics Dashboard, supporting stronger rabies surveillance and more informed public health planning.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐬, 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨! 👋🐾

𝘼𝙪𝙜𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧…
𝙆𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙣 ❌
𝘽𝙪𝙬𝙖𝙣 𝙣𝙜 𝙒𝙞𝙠𝙖 ❌
𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙣𝙞 𝙂𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙚𝙧, 𝙄𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙚, 𝙖𝙩 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙣 ✅

This month, the DiWA Center wishes a happy birthday to our August celebrants!

Gessfer, our Project Technical Assistant II for Project IRDSS, thank you for your contributions to the Center’s research and modeling work. Irene, our Computer Programmer for the DiWA App, thank you for helping strengthen our digital health tools. Marion, our Project Technical Assistant I for Project Wolbachia, thank you for supporting the Center’s research and project activities.

Your work helps move the DiWA Center’s mission forward as we continue building a more health-resilient Mindanao and beyond.

Happy birthday, Gessfer, Irene, and Marion! 🥳🌻

2ND SET OF SPEAKERS ⚕️🌎 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 — 𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐇 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 (A Virtual Conference)

Continuing our speaker highlights, we are proud to revisit our 2nd Set: 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 & 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡—a group of leading experts advancing research at the intersection of computational modeling, genomics, and public health surveillance:

1. 𝗗𝗿. 𝗬𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗼 𝗦𝘂 | Professor, Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology
2. 𝗗𝗿. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗴 | Director, Environmental Epidemiology and Toxicology Division, Singapore National Environment Agency (NEA)
3. 𝗗𝗿. 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗽𝗻𝗶𝗹 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗮 | Assistant Professor, NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health

With these experts on our virtual stage, you won't want to miss the opportunity to learn from them, since 𝘄𝗲'𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟱 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲!

Visit our website to submit your abstract: 🔗tinyurl.com/ICIAH2026

𝐈𝐂𝐘𝐌𝐈 | 𝐃𝐢𝐖𝐀 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐎𝐒𝐑𝐀 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Mamerto Jr. Brina, Project Technical Specialist I of the Project IRDSS, served as one of the judges during the Outstanding Student Research Awards (OSRA) 2026 – 2nd Cycle Call held on July 24, 2026, at the Main Hall, RG Birrey Building, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao.

Organized by the Office for Research, Development, and Innovation (ORDI) of Mapúa MCM, OSRA recognizes outstanding thesis and capstone projects of graduating students across different research categories. The event featured oral and poster presentations that highlighted student-led research, innovation, and interdisciplinary problem-solving.

Through this engagement, Brina contributed to the evaluation of student research outputs and supported young researchers in strengthening the quality, relevance, and impact of their work.

This activity advances the DiWA Center’s pillars of 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿 & 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 and 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 by sharing technical expertise, supporting research evaluation, and contributing to the development of future researchers and innovators.

1ST SET OF SPEAKERS 🔬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 — 𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐇 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 (A Virtual Conference)

Continuing our speaker highlights, we are proud to revisit our 1st Set: 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 —a group of exceptional leaders around the world pushing the boundaries of modeling, epidemiology, and public health surveillance:

1. 𝗗𝗿. 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹 𝗟𝗼𝘄𝗲 | Professor at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health
2. 𝗗𝗿. 𝗚𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝘇𝗵𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮 | Associate Professor in Infectious Disease Modeling at the University Medical Center Utrecht
3. 𝗗𝗿. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗶𝐰𝗮, 𝗠𝗣𝗔 | Acting Division Head of the Research and Laboratory Division at the Davao City Veterinarian's Office

With these experts on our virtual stage, you won't want to miss the opportunity to learn from them, since 𝘄𝗲'𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟱 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲!

Visit our website to submit your abstract: 🔗 tinyurl.com/ICIAH2026