One of the biggest reasons that the Philippines experiences a lag in health status indicators, as compared to most of South-East Asia, is that there is a national inequity of in access of healthcare services. Health resources are concentrated in major cities, provided by private practitioners, and are too expensive for those who need them most. When similar issues were seen in developed countries, the role of advanced practice nursing emerged as a potential solution. The literature largely agrees that nurses trained in advanced care have the ability to provide a range of services at a similar, if not equal, level to physicians and are argued to be most cost-effective. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed that advanced practice nurses can “lead the way” in providing more efficient and cost-effective primary health care in resource poor countries. However, to successfully do so, the role must be formalized in academia, policy, and practice. By systematically reviewing the literature on advanced practice nursing in the Philippines, this study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the current academic understanding of the advanced practice nursing in the context of the Philippines and establish a baseline on which further academic, policy, and practice conversations can be based.