Q1 2026 Newsletter (January-March)

LOS ANGELES — VISAYA, led by Chief Executive Officer Julian Valenzuela, headed the Philippine Healthcare Information Management Services (HIMS) sector delegation during the Philippine HIMS US Roadshow conducted from March 4 to 6 across Los Angeles and Las Vegas ahead of the HIMSS 2026 global health technology conference.

The roadshow began with a courtesy call on Philippine Consul General Adelio Angelito Cruz, followed by a town hall with members of the Filipino-American healthcare community. Discussions centered on workforce mobility, industry linkages, and the Philippines' participation in global healthcare support services including revenue cycle management and care coordination.

During the Los Angeles leg, the delegation met with officials of the Hospital Association of Southern California (HASC) to explore the potential accreditation of Philippine vendors supporting hospitals in Southern California. Topics included operational support areas such as billing management and patient coordination services. Representatives from HASC, including Katrina Quinto, Teri Hollingsworth, Devani Hubbard, and Julian Velazquez, hosted the discussions.

In Las Vegas, the delegation held meetings with the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development to discuss healthcare investment prospects and business collaboration opportunities. The engagement formed part of broader discussions on cross-border partnerships and workforce development initiatives linked to healthcare services and technology adoption.

Following the roadshow, Valenzuela also led the Philippine delegation's participation at HIMSS 2026, which was held from March 9 to 12 at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas. The conference brought together more than 40,000 healthcare leaders, over 1,000 exhibitors, and participants from more than 90 countries to discuss developments in healthcare technology, workforce strategies, and system transformation initiatives.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and VISAYA will roll out free training programs starting this July 6 aimed at preparing Filipino workers for roles supporting United States healthcare operations. The inaugural initiative, titled Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) Operations Level I Training, will be implemented in Ortigas with TESDA coordination for certification and competency validation processes. Another separate course is also planned for Bacolod later this year.

These trainings will be delivered under the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) model, a TESDA-supported approach that allows industry partners to conduct practical skills training aligned with workplace requirements. EBET programs are designed to strengthen employment readiness by integrating classroom instruction with operational exposure that reflects current labor market demand.

Who Can Apply?

• Employees seeking career advancement
• IT-BPM workers
• Higher education institution (HEI) students
• Displaced workers
• Former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)
• Office professionals
• Career shifters
• Out-of-school youth who have completed at least Junior High School

TESDA and VISAYA will coordinate participant selection, training delivery, and competency assessment as part of program implementation.

The free training structure is intended to widen access to sector-relevant technical education, particularly for individuals transitioning between industries or returning to employment after displacement. The program also supports ongoing workforce development efforts linked to global demand for healthcare information management and back-office services.

Through EBET implementation in multiple locations, this partnership reflects continued coordination between government and industry stakeholders to expand workforce participation in healthcare services operations.

Labor patterns observed between 2020 and 2025 showed a significant number of Filipinos returning home after working overseas, particularly during the global disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported that more than 400,000 overseas Filipinos were repatriated in 2020 due to job losses, mobility restrictions, and shifting economic conditions. Reintegration efforts were supported by agencies such as the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to help returning workers transition into domestic employment and training opportunities.

Within this broader workforce movement, Mary Rose Pioquid's professional journey reflects how international experience can translate into continued career progression in the Philippines. She spent four years working in Singapore, where she completed licensing requirements and handled responsibilities that required adaptability, communication, and the ability to learn new operational systems. Working in a multicultural environment exposed her to varied workplace practices and strengthened her confidence in navigating unfamiliar tasks.

Her return to the Philippines was shaped by family circumstances, but she maintained continuity in her career by taking on roles related to healthcare administrative processes. She worked in accounts receivables positions that involved reviewing billing records, coordinating timelines, and ensuring documentation accuracy. These responsibilities required attention to detail and analytical thinking within revenue cycle functions.

Following the pandemic period and a temporary pause from employment to care for her family, Pioquid resumed her professional path in July 2024 when she joined VISAYA in a medical billing role. Her responsibilities include identifying billing discrepancies, resolving claim-related issues, and supporting timely submission processes tied to U.S. healthcare operations.

Her experience illustrates how competencies developed overseas can be applied within domestic industries connected to global service delivery. Workforce discussions have increasingly described this shift as a form of "career without distance," where professionals engage in internationally aligned work while remaining based in the Philippines. Training and upskilling initiatives supported by institutions such as the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) have continued to strengthen readiness for roles linked to global healthcare systems.

Organizations in the Philippine healthcare outsourcing sector continue to recruit professionals with skills in financial coordination, claims management, and client support. Some companies, including VISAYA, provide employment pathways that enable returning workers to pursue career growth closer to their communities while contributing to international healthcare processes.

Pioquid's story reflects a broader labor trend in which reverse migration intersects with expanding local opportunities. As globally connected service sectors continue to grow, returning Filipino professionals are participating in roles that combine technical responsibility, continuous learning, and proximity to family support networks while remaining part of international value chains.