OUTGOING Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has signed an executive order creating an inter-agency task force to monitor and address mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) cases in the city.
The order was signed on Monday, June 2, 2025, at the Office of the Mayor in City Hall.
The task force will be chaired by Garcia, with the City Health Department and the Office of the City Administrator as vice chairpersons.
Other members include representatives from the City Council’s committee on health, the Business Permits and Licensing Office, Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Department of Social Welfare and Services, Cebu City Medical Center, Local School Board, Public Information Office, Barangay Affairs Office, Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Education.
The task force is mandated to monitor mpox cases in the city, submit daily reports, draft an emergency response plan, coordinate with national agencies, and intensify information campaigns on prevention and control.
Garcia announced four suspected mpox cases in Cebu City.
He said the patients are already in hospital isolation and contact tracing has been completed. He declined to name the barangays where the cases were detected.
“There is no cause for alarm to panic,” Garcia said.
He assured the public that mpox is not airborne and is mainly spread through skin-to-skin contact.
Isolation facilities
Garcia said the City is ready with isolation facilities, citing its experience with the Covid-19 pandemic. However, while mpox vaccines are accessible in other countries, they are not yet available in the Philippines.
The procurement of vaccines, Garcia said, will be handled by the DOH.
In a separate statement, DOH 7 Director Joshua Brillantes reported five suspected mpox cases in Cebu City. The number is one case higher than Garcia’s figure.
Brillantes said the cases were recorded in May 2025 with the patients showing symptoms that included fever, skin rashes and raised skin bumps.
Brillantes said the patients had no history of travel abroad and their test results are still pending.
Brillantes reported that since January 2025, six mpox cases had been confirmed in Central Visayas—three in Cebu City, and one each in Mandaue City, Talisay City and Lapu-Lapu City.
Five of the patients have recovered. One death was recorded in Talisay City.
Brillantes advised the public to report symptoms to the nearest health centers and to avoid unnecessary physical contact with others.
In Mandaue City, officials said they would not create a separate task force unless the situation develops into a full-blown outbreak.
City Administrator Jamaal James Calipayan said the local government is focusing on prevention and coordination at the community level.
“We only have one suspected case, and there is no indication of local transmission,” Calipayan said.
“We are strengthening our protocols by working with nurses and midwives in all 27 barangays,” Calipayan added.
He said barangay-based health workers have been convened to streamline local responses and raise public awareness on prevention and early detection.
He added that the patient with the suspected mpox case remains under monitoring.
Mandaue City has prepared essential resources and intensified contact tracing efforts, said Calipayan.
Meanwhile, Garcia has asked the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate individuals spreading misinformation on social media regarding an alleged lockdown in Cebu City due to Mpox.
“I appeal to people not to scare others,” Garcia said.
“This is something we are monitoring and treating seriously, but it is not proper to cause panic,” said Garcia adding that the City Government is considering legal action against those found responsible for spreading the false information. / JPS, CAV