Filipino ‘Bayanihan’ spirit is shaping healthcare for future generations
An overwhelming response from the Filipino community sees much-needed diversity added to medical research.
The way doctors practice medicine is changing. Your DNA can help them better understand, diagnose, and predict health conditions.
However, many multicultural Australian communities are currently underrepresented in the resources doctors and researchers rely on to diagnose and predict different health conditions.
In the spirit of bayanihan, over 1,000 Filipino Australians have taken part in OurDNA to represent their community in medical research and ensure future generations can equitably benefit from advances in healthcare.
Bayanihan is a Filipino word that describes the spirit of community volunteering in cooperation and unity to achieve a common goal.
Taking charge to build a more equitable future
The OurDNA project works with communities who are mostly missing from medical research to build resources that will make healthcare better for all Australians. It is a flagship project from the Centre for Population Genomics, a collaboration between the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne.
In September 2022, the Philippine Community Council of NSW began its partnership with OurDNA, working closely to figure out how to best reach, talk with, and invite Filipino Australians to join the project.
“The impact of having Filipino representation in genetic resources is significant.” said Grace Liston, research scientist and President of the Philippine Community Council of NSW.
“These resources are the first step in ensuring our community can experience the benefits of more personalised care.”
Since September 2023, 332 community members have joined the project in NSW.
In Victoria, leaders of the Bayanihan OurDNA project Mila Cichello and Ria Velasquez proved to be instrumental. Because of their hard work, 687 community members in Victoria have taken part in OurDNA.
A total of 1019 Filipino Australians decided to come together and be a part of building better resources for their community.
“This research is significant for me and my kababayans. Filipinos understand the science linking dugo (blood), tribo (tribe), lahi (race) heredity, traits and medical conditions”, explains Mila Cichello, whose younger brother died from an unknown paralysing illness in his 40s when doctors did not have genetic resources to diagnose and treat his condition.
“I’m proud that so many of us have come together to create change and leave a legacy for future generations. This is bayanihan in action. Every Filipino who joined OurDNA will make a lasting impact on the future of healthcare for our community.”
“We each carry our medical history, our cultural origins in our DNA. Filipinos are volunteering their time bayanihan style for OurDNA because they believe that the collective data will improve healthcare for the whole community, now and for future generations”, added Ria Velasquez.
A lasting partnership
“A huge thank you to every single community member who joined OurDNA. Because of their contributions, we can build better, more representative genetic resources for everyone.” said OurDNA Program Lead Chris Richards.
“We’re especially grateful for the leadership of our community partners, including Cesar Bartolome, Grace Liston, and Maureen Santiago from the Philippine Community Council of NSW, and Mila Cichello and Ria Velasquez in Melbourne. It’s because of their leadership that we’ve been able to engage so many Filipino Australians in OurDNA. We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership. This tremendous milestone is just the beginning.”
The Filipino community is one of the several leading the way in this national effort. OurDNA will continue to partner with different multicultural communities in Australia to ensure genetic discoveries benefit everyone. People of Vietnamese ancestry are currently being invited to sign up and shape the future of healthcare for their communities.
Media contact
Amelia Rahardja
Media and Outreach Officer
amelia.rahardja@populationgenomics.org.au | 0480 808 476
