Our Legacy
OUR STORY
Founded on July 29, 1910, the Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Inc. continues to pioneer patient and community-centered care for over a century.
Founded on July 29, 1910, the Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Inc. continues to pioneer patient and community-centered care for over a century.
The Philippine Tuberculosis Society was founded on July 29, 1910 by a small group of Filipinos and Americans. Led by the Society’s first president, Eleanor Franklin Egan, and Sixto delos Angeles, the Society operated two small clinics in Manila until expanding and opening the Santol Sanatorium in 1918.
In 1934, President Manuel Quezon signed Republic Act No. 4130 (the Sweepstakes Law) to address the public health threat of TB. With the founding of the Quezon Institute, the organization opened more clinics across the country until the start of war. During WWII, the Quezon Institute was occupied by Japanese forces. Following the war, the United States and the National TB Association helped the Society recover.
The organization was incorporated as the Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Inc. (PTSI) in 1960. PTSI partnered with organizations like the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to expand its 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.
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.
In its 115th 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 (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.
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.