The City Health Office (CHO) reminded Bacolodnons and the public that they should not let their guard down as dengue continues to pose a significant threat on people’s health.
Speaking at a media roundtable organized by the Bacolod local government, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS), and Takeda Healthcare Philippines Jan. 28, Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment Sanitation Division, said that people and communities must continue to take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of dengue.
Although fewer cases were logged in the city in 2025, it remains important to take the necessary steps to prevent the possible spread of the disease, she added.
Per data from the CHO Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, there were 1,040 dengue cases logged from Jan. 5, 2025 to Jan. 3, 2026, or 60.4 percent lower than the 2,624 cases reported in the same period in 2024.
Despite the reduction in reported cases, dengue-related deaths continued to be recorded in Bacolod with seven last year, same as the year prior, underscoring that severe dengue and fatal outcomes remain possible even during periods of lower transmission.
“While reported dengue cases (in 2025) were significantly lower than (in 2024), that doesn’t mean we should be complacent and assume that it is no longer a problem,” Tan stressed in a press release.
“Our city has experienced dengue surges before, and we should do our best to keep it from happening again. In many other parts of the country, dengue continues to pose a considerable public health challenge, and we need to do our part in preventing the spread of the disease,” she added.
Joining Tan in the discussion at the Bacolod City College were pediatricians Rachelle Vicencio and Alexis Milan of PPS, who emphasized that dengue remains a leading cause of hospitalization among children in endemic areas, like the Philippines. They warned that misinformation and reliance on unproven remedies can delay proper medical care, increasing the risk of complications and death, particularly among young patients.
The media roundtable was part of a much larger dengue advocacy led by the city government, ULAP, PPS, and Takeda to raise awareness on important health issues, particularly dengue. The advocacy complements awareness campaigns and vector control strategies led by the DOH, particularly the “Alas Kwatro Kontra Mosquito” initiative. Under this campaign, families and communities are encouraged to take a few minutes to clear out potential breeding sites of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
Aside from discussing vector control strategies and the importance of early detection of symptoms, both Vicencio and Milan cautioned the public against unverified dengue remedies circulating online. In particular, they warned the public against the use of tawa-tawa or gatas-gatas as herbal treatments, emphasizing that there is no current scientific evidence to support their effectiveness.
Both also touched on the future of dengue control through vaccination, highlighting the potential benefits of TAK-003, based on the results of Phase 3 Tetravalent Immunization against Dengue Efficacy Study (TIDES) trial.
TAK-003, developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda, has demonstrated efficacy and safety against dengue in the pivotal Phase 3 TIDES trial, its press release said. “Recent data from the trial collected over a period of seven years showed that TAK-003 provides sustained protection against virologically confirmed dengue and hospitalization, with no important safety signals.”
The TIDES trial involved over 20,000 children and adolescents living in dengue-endemic areas, including the Philippines.
TAK-003, currently under review with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines, has received authorization for use in 41 countries worldwide, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam, among others, the press release said.
It is also included on the World Health Organization’s list of prequalified vaccines, affirming its compliance with international standards for quality, safety, and suitability for use in public immunization programs; and about 20 million doses have been distributed in dengue-endemic countries, it added. ||
