ILOILO City's City Health Office (CHO) has confirmed six monkeypox (mpox) cases and recorded 48 new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases as of June 9, 2025.
Public health efforts are intensifying to prevent further transmission.
CHO Dr. Mary Ann Diaz reported that all six monkeypox patients — five males and one female — are in stable condition and are undergoing isolation and treatment.
Diaz stressed the need for public cooperation, including vigilance, seeking medical consultation, accurate symptom reporting, and proper isolation if symptomatic.
Diaz stated that the City Government, through the CHO, is actively coordinating with various sectors including schools, barangay officials, boarding houses, religious groups, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies, the transport sector, and regional offices to strengthen preventive efforts against mpox spread.
The city’s first confirmed mpox patient fully recovered as of June 5, and six additional suspected cases await laboratory confirmation.
Monkeypox primarily spreads through prolonged close physical contact, including skin-to-skin and intimate sexual activity.
Diaz added that it can also spread via respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding or clothing. Common mpox symptoms include fever, intense headaches, muscle aches, back pain, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes.
Diaz advised the public to practice preventive measures like regular handwashing, wearing face masks and protective clothing, avoiding crowded or poorly ventilated places, and engaging in safe sexual health behavior, such as limiting partners and using protection.
The CHO has activated hotline numbers—0995-638-2338 (Globe) and 0908-213-0980 (Smart)—to assist with queries or reports related to monkeypox.
In a separate report, Iloilo City also recorded 48 new HIV infections during the first quarter of 2025. CHO data from 2020 to the present shows that most HIV cases were among individuals aged 25–34 (361 cases), followed by 15–24 years old (276), and 35–49 years old (148).
Of the 810 total reported cases during this period, 771 were males and 39 were females.
Males who have sex with males accounted for 434 cases, followed by males who have sex with both males and females at 218, and male-to-female transmission at 139 cases.
Since Iloilo City recorded its first HIV case in 1988, the total number has reached 1,694.
Dr. Ma. Odeta Villaruel, STI/HIV/AIDS Coordinator and head of the Social Hygiene Clinic, recommended expanding HIV testing through mobile voluntary counseling and testing services for greater accessibility.
Villaruel stated that the Social Hygiene Clinic provides lectures and testing services to barangays and other groups upon request for community-based learning.
She also proposed reopening the Iloilo City Sundown Clinic, which operated from 2016 to 2018 with Department of Health (DoH) funding. Villaruel noted the service was available from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., primarily for individuals unable to visit during regular hours.
The CHO is also implementing various prevention strategies, including lectures in schools and barangays, promoting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and establishing primary HIV care clinics.
The Iloilo City Social Hygiene Clinic, located on Rizal Street, City Proper District, offers fast, free, and confidential HIV testing. The process involves three steps: pre-test counseling, blood extraction, and 20-minute results. Walk-ins are welcome, and no appointment is needed. This initiative promotes early detection, treatment, and protection for individuals and their loved ones.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas approved these recommendations during a recent meeting with CHO and called for strengthened prevention campaigns on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), HIV, and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
The CHO strongly encourages the public, especially youth, to prioritize early testing, prevention, and awareness to slow the rising trend of infections. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)