BACOLOD City – With human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in the country now increasing at an unprecedented rate of 57 new infections per day — the highest growth rate in the Western Pacific region — Bacolod City is ramping up its public health campaign to confront the local surge, as health officials reveal an alarming spike even among minors as young as 12.
Councilor Claudio Jesus “Kalaw” Puentevella, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s committee on health, disclosed that Bacolod recorded more than 1,100 HIV cases in 2023.
Shockingly, by the end of the first quarter of 2025, the number had already climbed to approximately 1,300.
“The youngest documented case is just 12 years old,” Puentevella stressed, underscoring the urgency of the situation. He also called for intensified education and testing campaigns, especially among the youth.
The Department of Health (DOH) has recommended the declaration of HIV as a national public health emergency due to the rapid rise in infections nationwide — a 500% increase in recent years. Bacolod is no exception, with local health officials attributing the trend to risky behavior influenced by misinformation online.
Dr. Babylin Drilon, STI-HIV/AIDS coordinator of the City Health Office (CHO), warned that social media and unfiltered online content have encouraged unsafe sex practices among young people. She called for the full implementation of comprehensive sex education in schools and communities, with strong parental and institutional support.
To counter the trend, the CHO has launched massive awareness drives and continues to offer free and confidential HIV testing at its office and at the Amlig Health Clinic of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH).
The clinic also promotes condom use among sexually active individuals, emphasizing that consistent and correct condom use is 98% effective in preventing HIV transmission.
Bacolod’s city council has passed several ordinances to strengthen the HIV response, including the creation of the Bacolod City Local AIDS Council (BCLAC). The council is tasked with policy formulation and program monitoring to ensure the city’s HIV and STI initiatives are effective and inclusive.
BCLAC aims to provide a comprehensive approach covering prevention, treatment, care, and support services for individuals affected by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
With the numbers rapidly climbing and the youth at increasing risk, local leaders emphasized that tackling HIV must now be a collective priority — not just of government, but of families, schools, and communities./PN