Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) Guide 2026
Quick Answer: The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang, Muntinlupa City is not a general hospital — it's the Department of Health's national research institute and referral centre for infectious and tropical diseases. What most people actually need it for: the Animal Bite Center for post-exposure anti-rabies and anti-tetanus treatment, the Dermatology Clinic, the General Infectious Disease Outpatient Clinic, and the DOH-accredited TB-DOTS Clinic, which offers free sputum microscopy, GeneXpert MTB/Rif and TB culture. RITM also runs a small 50-bed PhilHealth-accredited hospital for confirmed infectious-disease cases, including a negative-pressure isolation unit. It hosts a confirmed Malasakit Center, the 100th nationwide. Trunkline: (02) 8807-2631 / 8807-2632 / 8807-2637.
About these figures: RITM publishes an itemized fee schedule inside its 2026 Citizen's Charter, 1st Edition — a 550-page PDF released April 2026 covering its Schedule of Fees per service. Source: RITM Transparency page. The figures below are transcribed exactly from that document's Histopathology section; we have not seen a published schedule for the Animal Bite Center, Dermatology or the General Infectious Disease OPD, so we don't quote prices for those here. Last checked: August 2026.
Table of Contents
- About RITM
- What the public can actually access at RITM
- Official published fees
- Free services: TB-DOTS and program-based care
- What's not covered
- The Malasakit Center at RITM
- How to contact RITM
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
About RITM
RITM is a Department of Health institute, not a general hospital — its own site's banner reads "Republic of the Philippines / Research Institute for Tropical Medicine / Department of Health." Its core mission is research and reference laboratory work: RITM is the National Reference Laboratory for dengue, tuberculosis, polio, influenza, malaria and bacterial enteric diseases, and it holds WHO recognition as a National Influenza Center.
Attached to that research mission is a 50-bed, PhilHealth-accredited hospital that serves as a referral centre specifically for infectious and tropical disease cases. It includes a negative-pressure facility with six isolation rooms and an Intensive Control Unit for highly communicable diseases — the kind of infrastructure a general hospital typically doesn't have on hand. If you're picturing wards, an OB-Gyne department and a general emergency room, that's not what RITM is; it exists for a narrower, more specialized purpose.
RITM sits at 9002 Research Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, 1781. See the directory listing at Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
What the public can actually access at RITM
For most people, RITM is relevant through one of four outpatient services:
- Animal Bite Center — post-exposure anti-rabies and anti-tetanus treatment for dog and cat bites, open Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm. If you were bitten and need treatment closer to home, see our directory of animal bite centers in the Philippines for other locations.
- Dermatology Clinic — outpatient skin consultations.
- General Infectious Disease Outpatient Clinic — for infectious-disease concerns that don't require admission.
- TB-DOTS Clinic — DOH-accredited, offering free sputum microscopy, GeneXpert MTB/Rif testing and TB culture (details below).
Beyond outpatient care, RITM's inpatient side handles emergency services, diagnostic imaging, clinical laboratory work, pharmacy and dietary support for admitted infectious-disease patients. There's also an online appointment system for COVID-19 testing. Source: RITM Outpatient Services and RITM Hospital Services.
Official published fees
RITM's 2026 Citizen's Charter includes a detailed Schedule of Fees. The clearest published figures we found are from the Histopathology section, transcribed exactly:
| Test | Fee |
|---|---|
| Cytology with Cell Block | ₱980.00 |
| Cytology | ₱820.00 |
| Pap/Tzanck smear | ₱500.00 |
| Hematoxylin-Eosin Stain, small | ₱650.00 |
| Hematoxylin-Eosin Stain, medium | ₱800.00 |
| Hematoxylin-Eosin Stain, large | ₱1,950.00 |
These are laboratory fees, not consultation or treatment charges for the Animal Bite Center, Dermatology or Infectious Disease OPD — we have not located a published price list for those specific clinics. The full 550-page Citizen's Charter covers many more services than we've reproduced here; for anything not listed above, check the source PDF directly or call RITM's billing section.
Free services: TB-DOTS and program-based care
The clearest "free" story at RITM is its TB-DOTS Clinic. As a DOH-accredited DOTS facility, it provides free sputum microscopy, free GeneXpert MTB/Rif testing, and free TB culture — these are standard national TB program services, not a special discount, and they're available regardless of ability to pay.
Some other tests are similarly free when coordinated through the right referral channel — vaccine-preventable-disease testing, for instance, can be free via RESU (Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit) referral at DOH facilities generally, though we haven't seen an RITM-specific confirmation of that particular pathway. What's confirmed for RITM specifically is the TB-DOTS free-testing package above.
For anything outside a specific free program — a Histopathology test, a Dermatology consult — the fee schedule above applies, and PhilHealth benefits reduce your out-of-pocket cost the same way they would at any PhilHealth-accredited facility. See our guide to PhilHealth hospitalization benefits for how that works.
What's not covered
- RITM is not a walk-in general hospital. If you need emergency surgery, obstetric care or general internal medicine unrelated to an infectious or tropical disease, RITM isn't the right facility — a general hospital is. Try our government hospital near me tool.
- No published price list for the Animal Bite Center, Dermatology or Infectious Disease OPD. Only the Histopathology fees above are confirmed from the Citizen's Charter.
- The 50-bed hospital is small and specialized. It's built for confirmed or suspected infectious/tropical-disease cases requiring isolation, not general admissions.
- Elective and cosmetic services aren't part of RITM's mandate.
The Malasakit Center at RITM
RITM hosts a confirmed Malasakit Center — the 100th nationwide, inaugurated 2 February 2021, serving both RITM patients and Muntinlupa City residents more broadly.
A Malasakit Center combines four government assistance programs under one roof, so you're not shuttling between agencies:
- DOH — medical assistance for indigent and financially incapacitated patients
- PhilHealth
- DSWD — assistance to individuals in crisis situations
- PCSO — medical and charity assistance
Using it is free, and assistance is typically issued as a Guarantee Letter applied against your bill. See our Malasakit Center guide for the full process, and our PCSO medical assistance guide if you need to approach PCSO directly. Source: RITM unveils 100th Malasakit Center.
How to contact RITM
| Address | 9002 Research Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, 1781 |
| Phone | (02) 8807-2631 / 8807-2632 / 8807-2637 |
| Emergency Clinic Hotline | Local 209 |
| Website | ritm.gov.ph |
For the Animal Bite Center, Dermatology, or the General Infectious Disease OPD, call the trunkline and ask to be routed to the specific clinic. For financial assistance, ask for the Malasakit Center. For a COVID-19 test, use RITM's online appointment system rather than walking in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is RITM a hospital?
Only partly. RITM is primarily a Department of Health research institute and national reference laboratory for diseases like dengue, TB, polio, influenza and malaria. It does operate a small, 50-bed PhilHealth-accredited hospital for infectious and tropical disease cases, including a negative-pressure isolation unit, but it isn't a general hospital for everyday admissions.
What can I go to RITM for?
The services most people actually use are the Animal Bite Center (rabies and tetanus post-exposure treatment), the Dermatology Clinic, the General Infectious Disease Outpatient Clinic, and the TB-DOTS Clinic, which offers free sputum microscopy, GeneXpert MTB/Rif testing and TB culture.
Where is RITM located?
9002 Research Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, 1781. It's inside the Filinvest Corporate City business district in Alabang.
Does RITM treat animal bites?
Yes. The Animal Bite Center provides post-exposure anti-rabies and anti-tetanus treatment, open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. If Alabang isn't convenient, see our broader animal bite centers in the Philippines guide for other locations.
Is TB testing free at RITM?
Yes, through the TB-DOTS Clinic specifically. As a DOH-accredited DOTS facility, RITM provides free sputum microscopy, free GeneXpert MTB/Rif testing, and free TB culture.
Does RITM have a Malasakit Center?
Yes, confirmed — RITM's Malasakit Center was the 100th opened nationwide, inaugurated 2 February 2021. It serves both RITM patients and Muntinlupa City residents and combines DOH, PhilHealth, DSWD and PCSO assistance at one counter.
How much does a test cost at RITM?
It depends on the test. Published Histopathology fees range from ₱500 for a Pap/Tzanck smear to ₱1,950 for a large Hematoxylin-Eosin stain, per RITM's 2026 Citizen's Charter. We haven't found published prices for the Animal Bite Center, Dermatology or Infectious Disease OPD consultations — call RITM to confirm those.
Can I get a COVID-19 test at RITM?
Yes, RITM runs an online appointment system specifically for COVID-19 testing rather than walk-in testing. Check RITM's website for the current booking process.
Conclusion
The most important thing to understand about RITM is what it isn't: a general hospital you'd visit for a routine admission. It's the DOH's national institute for infectious and tropical disease — the place to go specifically for an animal bite, a dermatology concern, an infectious-disease workup, or free TB testing through TB-DOTS. Its published fee schedule covers laboratory work like Histopathology; for the clinics most visitors actually need, call ahead to confirm cost, and lean on the confirmed Malasakit Center if you need financial help.
For related government-facility guides, see Zero Balance Billing in the Philippines and our hospital rates in the Philippines overview, and compare with a DOH-retained general hospital like Bicol Medical Center. To find other facilities near you, search ClinicFinderPH.