Quezon City, Philippines — Every day, around 12 Filipino women lose their lives to cervical cancer, a disease that ranks as the third most common cancer among women in the Philippines. Despite its high preventability—thanks to well-known risk factors and early screening techniques—cervical cancer continues to claim lives, with an alarming 8,549 new cases each year and 4,380 deaths annually. Low screening rates and limited access to affordable testing options underscore the urgent need for more effective and accessible detection methods. 

One group leading the charge to address this gap is CerviQ (End Cervical Cancer Philippines Organization, Inc.), a non-stock, non-profit advocacy group dedicated to raising cervical health awareness and championing innovative screening solutions that help detect abnormalities early and save women’s lives. CerviQ initially set its sights on an AI-assisted colposcope—a specialized instrument used to inspect the cervix, providing a magnified view that helps identify abnormal tissues—from overseas. However, the initial excitement faded once the true costs became clear: steep upfront fees, ongoing subscription charges, and strict reliance on a foreign vendor’s proprietary software. These obstacles threatened to make advanced screening inaccessible to the rural clinics and public hospitals that need it most. 

Project Leader Ms. Roxanne S. Aviñante, Senior Science Research Specialist, joined by Dr. Jesus Randy Rivera, founder of CerviQ; S&T Fellows; DOST-ASTI experts; and Dr. Cecilia Lladines-Llave, Director of the Philippine Cancer Society and Cervical Cancer Prevention Network Program (CECAP), convene to advance AI-driven solutions for early cervical cancer detection. 

 Building on a solid track record in computer vision, data analytics, and AI-driven research, the DOST–Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) is now collaborating with CerviQ on the newly launched Cerv.ai Project (Cerv.ai: Identification of Regions-of-Interest in Cervical Pre-Cancer and Cancer Screening Images Using Computer Vision). The project officially kicked off on 16 January 2025 at the DOST-ASTI Training Room in Quezon City. This joint effort aims to blend cutting-edge AI research and practical, on-the-ground advocacy—laying the groundwork for a transformative shift in how cervical cancer is detected and prevented across the country. 

Dr. Jesus Randy Rivera, founder of CerviQ, demonstrates how the technology prototype helps during the cervical screening process. 

Through this partnership, the Cerv.ai team will train deep learning models on thousands of annotated cervical images, ensuring accurate, locally relevant detection. CerviQ’s goal is to develop a locally engineered cervical imaging device and integrated AI system in collaboration with DOST-ASTI, minimizing the need for expensive imports and onerous licensing fees. This device promises to automate lesion detection, potentially allowing healthcare workers—even midwives—to spot cervical cancer at its earliest stages. 

“We believe in the power of prevention and early detection,” says Dr. Jesus Randy Rivera, Founder of CerviQ. “If we can get AI-assisted colposcopes into the hands of midwives and local health workers, we can radically increase screening rates and help more women catch cervical cancer well before it becomes life-threatening.” 

United in purpose, CerviQ and the DOST-ASTI team—led by Ms. Joanna G. Syjuco, Chief Science Research Specialist of the Computer Software Division—form the powerhouse behind the Cerv.ai Project. 

This collaboration between DOST-ASTI and CerviQ stands to transform the landscape of women’s health in the Philippines. By combining grassroots advocacy and cutting-edge engineering, the Cerv.ai Project promises not just a technological triumph but a life-saving shift in how cervical cancer is detected and treated—ultimately helping more Filipino women avoid the tragic outcomes of late-stage cervical cancer.