PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Health (DOH) to strengthen surveillance against the Nipah virus and other infectious diseases in a bid to safeguard public health.
In a press conference on Thursday, January 29, 2026, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the DOH has aligned its health protocols with the latest updates from the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Patuloy na nakatutok at nagbabantay ang Bureau of Quarantine ng DOH sa Nipah virus na napabalitang na-detect muli sa ibang bansa,” Castro said.
(The DOH’s Bureau of Quarantine remains on alert and closely monitoring the Nipah virus, which has reportedly been detected again in other countries)
“Ito’y alinsunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na panatilihing ligtas ang mga Pilipino mula sa mga infectious diseases,” she added.
(This is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to keep Filipinos safe from infectious diseases.)
Castro said the DOH is beefing up its information drive on the Nipah virus, which, according to the WHO, is a zoonotic virus that spreads from animals to humans and can also be transmitted between people.
She said the DOH remains fully alert and proactive in conducting screening procedures at the country’s borders through on-arrival thermal scanning, trained observation, and close scrutiny of online health declarations.
According to the WHO, fruit bats are the primary natural hosts of the virus, which can range from mild or no symptoms to severe respiratory illness and fatal brain inflammation.
Among the symptoms are fever, headache, and muscle pain.
The virus, which has caused only a few known outbreaks in Asia, can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant livestock losses. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)