History

Our Story

• Origins

The Philippine Tuberculosis Society was founded on July 29, 1910 by a small group of Filipinos and Americans. They were led by the Society’s first president, Eleanor Franklin Egan, and Sixto delos Angeles. The Society operated two small clinics in Manila until they were able to expand activities and open the Santol Sanatorium in 1918.


In 1934, President Manuel Quezon signed Republic Act No. 4130, or the Sweepstakes Law, to address the public health threat of TB. With the founding of the Quezon Institute, the organization opened more clinics and TB pavilions across the country until the start of war.


During World War II, the Quezon Institute was occupied by Japanese forces and used as a military hospital, resulting in the loss of several important records, equipment, and supplies. The United States and the National TB Association helped the Society recover after the war.

• Expansion

The Philippine Tuberculosis Society was incorporated as the Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Inc. (PTSI) in 1960. In the decades that followed, PTSI partnered with several public and private organizations, including the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), to expand its treatment, research, and training capabilities. It established its National Research and Training Center and Central Laboratory, now one of the leading TB laboratories in the country.


From 1987 onwards, the Quezon Institute adopted and pioneered the implementation of the Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS), a six-month treatment course for TB patients.

• COVID-19 Pandemic

PTSI became active in the national COVID-19 response after the pandemic crippled the country’s healthcare system.

In 2020, PTSI was designated as a COVID testing facility by the DOH. The Quezon Institute hosted its own Modular Hospital and Dormitory, a treatment and quarantine facility for moderate to severe cases.

• PTSI Now

In its 112th year, PTSI actively participates in the National Tuberculosis Program of the DOH. As a trusted partner of several public and private organizations, PTSI continues to receive and provide support for various TB initiatives across the Philippines.

• The Quezon Institute

The Quezon Institute (QI) serves underserved and indigent patients suffering from TB and its complications through its Outpatient Department. It offers community-based services in TB control such as case finding, case holding through DOTS strategy, health education, and training courses in the implementation of TB control.

Its Central Laboratory is accredited by the National TB Reference Laboratory (NTRL) for TB culture and drug susceptibility testing. It also assists in training TB laboratory workers and case finding activities. At present, it is the only NTRL-accredited laboratory in the private sector to conduct Direct Sputum Smear Microscopy training.

• A Cultural Heritage Site

The 16.5-hectare complex located in the heart of Quezon City is occupied by a handful of Art Deco-style edifices designed by National Artist Juan F. Nakpil. Built in the Commonwealth era, these impressive structures and its numerous fixtures and artifacts survived World War II and multiple earthquakes, thus remaining a cultural heritage site to this day.

The buildings were designed not just to withstand the elements but to keep staff safe and patients healthy. The whole complex has a network of open-air walkways which connects the buildings and promotes proper ventilation to prevent the spread of TB. Patients were once housed in and free to roam the complex’s open grounds to aid in their faster recovery.

Timeline

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Main Office

PTSI National Office

Quezon Institute Compound,
E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue (España Ext.), Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

(02) 8356 5857

ptsi@philtbsociety.org

Branches

Albay

Cagayan

Davao

Eastern Visayas

Iloilo

Negros Oriental

Roxas