Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital bridges healthcare, education gaps with strategic initiative

BIDA Lourdes: Sci-Tech Champs has supported the hospital's growth and contributed to a resilient and well-prepared healthcare system for the future.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital experienced a sharp decline in census and revenue, with its patient base limited to only three of the seventeen cities in the National Capital Region (NCR): Manila, San Juan, and parts of Mandaluyong. This was due to altered consumer behaviour, increased price sensitivity from healthcare inflation, HMOs redirecting patients, and low brand visibility and affinity.

Recognising the urgency, the hospital addressed these challenges as census recovery remains a problem in 2023. The hospital partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) - NCR the same year to launch BIDA Lourdes: Sci-Tech Champs, which supports the agency’s national goal of enhancing education by engaging students in science, math, research, robotics, and healthcare.

More than just outreach, it is also a strategic initiative to expand Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital's influence, boosting census and revenue, enhancing brand awareness in NCR, and attracting future healthcare employees.

A significant aspect of the initiative is its Brainiac: Clash of the Sci-Tech Champs, an inter-school quiz bowl launched in June 2023, attracting over 280 participants from 77 schools and reaching 1.2 million on social media. In its second year, student participation surged to 750, a 167.86% increase, whilst school participation rose to 160, a 107.79% increase from the first year. Social media reach also grew to 2.5 million. In its third year, the number grew to more than 1,000 participants with an increased social media reach of 3 million, signifying Brainiac’s continuous growth over three years.

At the same time, BIDA Lourdes has also designed programmes such as Jumpstart, a work immersion programme offering high school students hands-on healthcare experience, and Training the Trainers, a workshop for educators to develop their science and research skills.

The projects under this initiative have profoundly impacted brand building, affinity, and loyalty. They have bolstered the agency’s reputation as a trusted and innovative provider by engaging directly with the community and addressing pressing educational and healthcare needs. Consequently, the hospital has seen an increase in patient census and revenue, particularly from the self-pay segment, which has helped mitigate the impact of HMOs' redirection drive.

“The programme deepens the hospital's reach within NCR, engaging families who might choose Lourdes as their healthcare provider and students who might consider it as a future employer,” the company said.

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital’s success in this regard has been recognised by the prestigious Healthcare Asia Awards 2025, with the facility taking home the win in the Marketing Initiative of the Year - Philippines category.

The prestigious awards programme honours exceptional hospitals across the region that have redefined the standards of excellence in the industry through their innovative solutions and substantial contributions to communities.

The Healthcare Asia Awards is presented by Healthcare Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your organisation's remarkable initiatives and contributions to the healthcare industry, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez at [email protected].