For people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), finding out about the condition early can make a significant difference. The challenge is that CKD often develops without obvious symptoms, allowing kidney function to decline before a person realizes there is a problem.
Taytay, Rizal is addressing that challenge by bringing kidney health screening directly into communities. The municipal government, in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines and with support from Angat Taytay, has expanded the “Iwas Dialysis, Ligtas Kidneys: Get CheCKD Habang Maaga Pa!” program across barangays and other community locations.
The initiative has screened nearly 4,000 Taytay residents in two months, according to the organizers. Rather than requiring residents to seek screening only at conventional healthcare facilities, the program has brought services to municipal offices, barangay health centers, schools, police stations, fishports, commercial areas, and residential communities.
The approach illustrates an important shift in preventive healthcare: making services available where people already live, work, study, and spend time.
Why is early kidney screening important?
Chronic kidney disease is a long-term condition in which the kidneys become damaged or lose function over time. Because early CKD may have few or no noticeable symptoms, screening can help identify people at risk before the disease becomes advanced.
A 2025 study published in the Journal of Medical Economics estimated that CKD affects about 11.2% of the Philippine population, a figure equivalent to roughly 13 million people. The researchers also found that the cost of managing CKD increases as the disease progresses.
The study estimated the annual total cost of CKD in the Philippines at PHP 592.15 billion, including direct medical expenses, transportation costs, productivity losses, and other economic costs. It also found that annual medical costs increased substantially across disease stages.
These findings give community screening a significance that goes beyond a single health check.
Detecting CKD earlier can create an opportunity for patients and healthcare professionals to identify risk factors, manage underlying conditions, and determine appropriate follow-up care before kidney disease becomes more advanced.
Screening, however, is not the same as diagnosis. People with abnormal screening results need appropriate clinical assessment and follow-up from healthcare professionals.
How is Taytay making kidney screening more accessible?
The Iwas Dialysis, Ligtas Kidneys program takes screening outside a single healthcare facility.
During its initial implementation, activities reached residents in Sta. Ana, San Juan, San Isidro, and Dolores, as well as communities including Sitio Batasin, Montevista Subdivision, and Cielito Homes II.
Screening activities were also conducted at Taytay Municipal Hall, SM Taytay, schools, police stations, and fishports.
This community-based model addresses one of the practical barriers to preventive healthcare: people may not seek screening if doing so requires additional travel, time away from work, or navigating an unfamiliar healthcare system.
By taking services closer to residents, local governments can potentially make preventive care easier to access.
That matters particularly for conditions such as CKD, where a person may feel healthy despite having risk factors or early disease.
What does the program mean for local healthcare?
The Taytay initiative demonstrates how local governments can use partnerships to extend preventive healthcare beyond traditional facilities.
Municipal health offices and barangay health centers already have relationships with local communities. Adding targeted screening activities can help connect residents with information and identify people who may need further medical evaluation.
Taytay Mayor Allan De Leon said the program reflects the municipality's focus on preventing illness rather than waiting until residents require treatment.
Municipal Health Officer Dr. Aldwin Aguinaldo likewise described prevention as an investment that can give residents more time and an opportunity to act before disease progresses.
The partnership also includes local barangay officials, community groups, healthcare providers, and the private sector.
For local governments, this type of collaboration can expand the reach of existing primary-care infrastructure without placing responsibility for prevention on a single organization.
Why is CKD also an economic issue?
Kidney disease affects more than a patient's health.
As CKD progresses, patients may require increasingly complex treatment, including renal replacement therapy such as dialysis or kidney transplantation. These interventions can involve substantial medical expenses as well as transportation costs and lost productivity.
The 2025 Philippine cost-of-illness study found that the economic burden rises with disease progression. Its analysis estimated annual direct medical costs for CKD health states at between PHP 44,610 and PHP 116,590 for non-diabetic patients, and between PHP 46,452 and PHP 120,948 for diabetic patients, excluding costs associated with complications.
The researchers also calculated significant costs associated with renal replacement therapy. Annual direct medical costs across dialysis modalities were estimated at roughly PHP 401,000 to PHP 560,000, depending on the treatment and assumptions used in the analysis.
The study was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines and involved researchers from healthcare institutions and a health economics research firm. That funding relationship is important context when considering the findings, although the study underwent journal publication and provides a detailed economic analysis of CKD management in the Philippines.
The economic argument for early detection is therefore straightforward: identifying kidney disease earlier may create opportunities to manage it before it reaches more costly stages.
Who is behind the Taytay kidney screening program?
The initiative is being implemented by the Municipal Government of Taytay, in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines and with support from Angat Taytay.
Boehringer Ingelheim's role forms part of its broader effort to support kidney-health awareness and early screening in collaboration with local governments and community organizations.
Dr. Greta Cortez, Head of Medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines, said improving access to community screening is an important part of encouraging earlier action on CKD.
The program also supports the broader direction of the Philippines' Universal Health Care framework, which emphasizes accessible health services and stronger primary care.
What happens after a kidney screening?
A screening result should not be treated as a final diagnosis.
People who receive an abnormal or concerning result may need additional tests or evaluation by a healthcare professional. The appropriate next step depends on the individual's medical history, risk factors, symptoms, and screening findings.
This makes the connection between screening and primary care especially important.
A community screening program is most useful when residents who may be at risk can also access appropriate follow-up, treatment, monitoring, and health education.
For local governments, that means the long-term value of screening depends not only on how many people are tested, but also on how effectively those identified as at risk are connected to continuing care.
Where can Taytay residents access upcoming screenings?
The program is continuing its community activities in August.
Based on the schedule provided by the organizers, activities include screening opportunities in Barangay San Isidro through August 30 and Barangay Dolores through August 29, along with activities at Sitio Tagumpay on August 23, Sitio Bayabas Purok 1 on August 29, and Sitio Bayabas Purok 5 on August 30.
Residents should confirm schedules and availability with the Taytay Municipal Government or their local health center before visiting, as community schedules can change.
People who are concerned about their kidney health should also consult a healthcare professional rather than relying solely on a community screening event.
Can community screening reduce the burden of kidney disease?
Screening alone cannot eliminate CKD, but it can address one of the major challenges surrounding the disease: people may not know they have it.
That makes community-based programs particularly relevant to preventive healthcare. By moving screening closer to residents, local governments can lower some of the practical barriers that discourage people from seeking health checks.
The Taytay experience also highlights the role of partnerships in public health. Local governments bring community access and health infrastructure. Healthcare professionals provide clinical expertise. Community organizations can help mobilize residents, while private-sector partners can contribute resources and technical support.
The measure of success, however, should extend beyond the number of people screened.
The more meaningful outcomes are whether residents understand their risk, whether people with concerning results receive appropriate follow-up, and whether early intervention helps slow disease progression.
A community approach to protecting kidney health
The Iwas Dialysis, Ligtas Kidneys initiative puts an important principle of preventive healthcare into practice: sometimes the most effective way to encourage people to take care of their health is to bring the service closer to them.
With nearly 4,000 Taytay residents reached in two months, the program demonstrates the potential reach of community-based screening when local government, healthcare providers, community groups, and private organizations work together.
For a condition that can remain hidden until it becomes advanced, earlier awareness can give patients something valuable: time to seek medical advice and make informed decisions about their health.
As Taytay continues its screening activities, its experience may also offer a useful model for other municipalities looking for practical ways to strengthen preventive healthcare at the community level.
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