Human immunodeficiency virus cases in Baguio City rose steadily over a five-year period From 2021 to 2025, prompting regional health officials to roll out community-level treatment initiatives while urging local lawmakers to institutionalize school-based health programs.
Data from the Department of Health-Cordillera Administrative Region shows the city logged 70 new cases in 2021, 86 in 2022, 63 in 2023, 80 in 2024, and 87 in 2025.
The recent spike brings Baguio’s cumulative total to 800 cases, with health experts noting that individuals aged 25 to 34 represent the most affected demographic.
To counter the upward trend, DOH –CAR is focusing on medical interventions designed to halt active transmission.
Darwin Francisco Babon, the DOH-CAR regional program manager, told the Baguio City Council during a recent regular session that the agency is prioritizing its “U=U” campaign.
The initiative, which stands for “undetectable equals untransmittable,” relies on free antiretroviral therapy provided through local treatment hubs.
“Unlike before, if you catch HIV, it’s already a death sentence,” Babon said. “But now with antiretroviral therapy, it does not kill the virus, it weakens it.”
Babon said the therapy suppresses a patient’s viral load within three to six months, effectively eliminating the risk of transmitting the virus to others.
Health officials reported that Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, a preventive medication known as PrEP, is being distributed through the Baguio Health Services Office and the Namnama Center at the Baguio Convention Center.
While staff at all local district health centers are trained to administer HIV testing, active treatment remains centralized at the Reproductive Health Wellness Center on T. Alonso Street.
The shift in transmission methods has also changed where health officials focus their outreach.
In response to questions from Councilor Elmer Bilog regarding whether case increases were tied to regulated nightlife establishments, Babon clarified that data shows an insignificant number of positive cases among traditional nightlife workers.
Instead, Babon highlighted that unregistered, freelance sex workers operating online represent the current high-risk population.
To expand the reach of these medical interventions, DOH-CAR and local health leaders requested legislative backing from the City Council for structural reforms.
City Health Officer Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes requested policy support to institutionalize sex education and the “Project Bonjing” adolescent health curriculum in local schools.
“It needs some legislation for us to institutionalize it in the schools so that our teachers will be able to impart this to our students,” Brillantes said.
The City Council was also asked to fund a halfway home or temporary shelter for diagnosed individuals experiencing displacement or structural crises, alongside stricter regulations for entertainment establishments regarding other sexually transmitted infections.
Councilor Joel Alangsab said the local legislative body will review an existing authority ordinance aimed at strengthening the city’s sexually transmitted infection and HIV/AIDS response to incorporate the necessary resource and structural allocations. John Larry “Lala Dy” Agtarap | UC Intern
