THE Cebu Provincial Government will distribute 100 vials of newly procured polyvalent antivenom free of charge to treat life-threatening snakebites following a rise in reported snake encounters in the province.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Sheila Faciol said during a press conference on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, that the procurement arrived on Friday, July 3, to provide accessible and specialized healthcare to Cebuanos.
“There have been reports in the previous months of snakebite cases, so there was a need to procure antivenom treatments through the governor’s office,” Faciol said.
Polyvalent treatment
Faciol said that unlike monovalent antivenom, which targets a single snake species, the polyvalent antivenom can neutralize venom from multiple species, particularly when the biting snake is unidentified.
“If the biting snake is not known and the species is unidentified, the polyvalent antivenom treats whether it is a King cobra or any other venomous snake,” Faciol said.
Hospital deployment
The health office will deploy the supplies to Cebu Provincial Hospitals (CPHs) in Danao, Bogo, Carcar and Balamban, with distribution expected to be completed within the week.
Designated doctors in the four CPHs underwent clinical training to administer the treatment, bridging the gap left by the absence of a resident toxicologist in the provincial hospital network. Due to the lack of a specialized medical expert, Faciol said the province is encouraging qualified applicants to fill the vacancy.
“The patient should be transported to the nearest provincial hospital because the doctors trained are there. Time is of the essence, therefore, the administration of the treatment should be done right away,” Faciol said.
Clinical authority
The four CPHs secured a Compassionate Special Permit from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which authorizes a facility to handle the specialized treatment.
“The four [provincial] hospitals are granted the permit from the FDA, the Compassionate Special Permit, so they are the only ones permitted to administer,” Faciol said.
Island access
The Provincial Government is also exploring options to extend antivenom access to isolated island municipalities, including Bantayan and Camotes.
“As far as these [island] hospitals are concerned, we are trying to see how fast the Compassionate Special Permit will come out so that residents from these islands will no longer have to go to the mainland. We are trying our best to coordinate with the FDA,” Faciol said.
While awaiting the permits, the Provincial Health Office is coordinating with the Philippine Coast Guard to use sea ambulances for emergency patient transfers to the mainland. / Veejay Catadman, UP Cebu Intern
