UP, Manila HealthTek sign deal for telemedicine expansion

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The University of the Philippines (UP) and Manila HealthTek Inc. have signed an agreement allowing the company to use the RxBox trademark for a biomedical telemetry device designed to support remote medical consultations and patient monitoring.

The agreement covers the use of the RxBox trademark for a device that measures vital signs and transmits patient data over the internet, allowing healthcare workers in underserved areas to seek assessments and referrals from doctors remotely.

According to a press release, RxBox can measure and record blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, temperature, electrocardiogram (ECG) readings, and maternal-fetal data. The system also supports electronic health records, initial patient assessment and referrals to specialists.

UP President Angelo Jimenez and Manila HealthTek CEO and founder Dr. Raul Destura signed the trademark licensing agreement on Sept. 29, 2026, at the UP Manila Museum of a History of Ideas.

The RxBox project previously manufactured and deployed 1,000 units to local clinics in selected local government units, including in the CALABARZON region, where the devices were used to help healthcare workers assess patients and determine whether they needed referral to higher-level facilities.

The units were also deployed to referral centers during the COVID-19 pandemic to support remote patient monitoring and help inform treatment decisions.

Destura said Manila HealthTek is preparing to develop a new version of the device, called “RxBox Next Gen,” with the goal of expanding its use in support of the government’s Universal Health Care program.

“We are celebrating a Filipino innovation that has evolved and continues to find its purpose serving our world,” Jimenez said during the signing ceremony.

The project was developed by Filipino engineers and medical experts, with researchers from UP’s College of Medicine and Technology Transfer and Business Development Office among those involved in its development and technology transfer.

In his speech, DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the DOST supported the RxBox project as part of efforts to develop technologies addressing healthcare needs in communities.

“This is Agham na Ramdam — science you can feel. Science that reaches the grassroots, answers our people’s needs, and makes a tangible difference every single day,” Solidum said.

The parties said they intend to continue working with government, academe and industry partners to expand the adoption and commercialization of the technology.

“Let us be relentless in developing this technology. Today, we recommit ourselves until RxBox reaches more communities and until Filipino innovation stands confidently before the world,” de Guzman said. — MCG, GMA News

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