EPCALM strengthens data privacy practices
For the EPCALM Foundation, strengthening the protection and dignity of the patients it serves goes beyond providing medical and financial assistance. It also means ensuring that sensitive patient information is handled responsibly. This is one reason the Foundation participated in a Webinar hosted by the DSWD-facilitated Area-Based Standards Network (ABSNet) on 10 September 2026.
The webinar, themed “A Practical Privacy Conversation for NGOs in the Philippines,” carried the topic “The Privacy Mindset: Turning Compliance into Capability.” It provided participating organizations, including EPCALM, with practical guidance on strengthening their understanding and implementation of data privacy policies and practices.
Why data privacy matters. As an organization that provides medical, financial, psychosocial, emotional, and spiritual support to adult leukemia patients and their families, EPCALM handles sensitive personal and family information in the course of providing its services. Strengthening its data privacy practices, therefore, helps the Foundation protect not only information, but also the dignity, safety, and trust of the patients and families it serves.
Participation in the webinar gave EPCALM an opportunity to deepen the knowledge of its staff and volunteers, strengthen internal data-handling practices, promote greater accountability, and ensure that patient information is collected and used responsibly, and only for legitimate purposes.
It also reinforces the Foundation’s commitment to professional standards in social welfare service delivery and to maintaining the confidence of patients, families, partners, donors, and other stakeholders.
For EPCALM, the learning activity was more than a compliance exercise. It was a reminder that protecting data is an essential part of protecting people—especially vulnerable patients and families who entrust the Foundation with deeply personal information as they navigate their leukemia journey. 🧡 (By Jefriel P. Sumandag)
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