Bacolod reports first MPOX Case

The City Health Office said the patient, who remains unidentified, is in stable condition and under strict medical supervision at an isolation facility. Contact tracing operations have been launched to prevent further transmission, and no secondary cases have been reported as of press time.

Mayor Albee Benitez, in a public statement, sought to temper alarm, assuring residents that Bacolod has long prepared for such eventualities.

“Mpox is a manageable disease, and with proper health protocols, we can prevent further spread,” Benitez said. “Let us be guided by facts, not fear.”

As of June 2025, the Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed 911 cases of mpox in the Philippines since January 2024. While most patients have recovered at home without complications, health officials continue to emphasize that immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, pregnant women, and young children remain vulnerable to severe illness.

No deaths have been directly attributed to the virus in the country, according to the DOH.

In response to Bacolod’s first recorded case, the city government has called for stricter screening at its ports and airports, particularly Bredco Port and the Bacolod-Silay Airport, following reports of rising infections in neighboring Iloilo.

The patient is being treated at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, while local health authorities are working closely with the DOH and other regional agencies to trace contacts and assess community risk.

Residents have been urged to maintain hygiene, avoid close physical contact with individuals displaying rashes or flu-like symptoms, and seek medical care if symptoms such as fever, lymph node swelling, or rashes appear.

The city government emphasized that patients affected by mpox should not be subjected to discrimination. Officials appealed for compassion and community support, warning that fear-driven stigma could hinder detection and containment efforts.
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Public health experts say Bacolod’s swift response echoes successful strategies in Mindanao and Metro Manila, where early contact tracing and community education helped stall wider outbreaks. The call for enhanced port monitoring and community information campaigns signals a shift from reactive containment to proactive disease prevention.

While mpox has yet to reach crisis levels in the Philippines, the case in Bacolod serves as a reminder that outbreaks begin locally, and so too must the solutions.

“We have overcome challenges before,” Benitez said, “and with unity and vigilance, we will do so again.”