Bacolod city: The City Health Office (CHO) here is working to sustain the lower dengue cases recorded last year, urging Bacolodnons not to be complacent despite the 60 percent decrease in cases. Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO Environment Sanitation Division, emphasized the importance of maintaining vigilance after Bacolod experienced dengue surges in previous years, stressing that the city should do its best to prevent future outbreaks.
According to Philippines News Agency, data from the CHO Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit showed that in 2025, Bacolod recorded 1,040 dengue cases, marking a 60.4 percent drop from 2,624 cases in 2024. Dr. Tan noted that while the decrease is significant, it is crucial not to assume that dengue is no longer a problem, as the disease continues to pose a public health challenge in many other parts of the country.
On Wednesday, the CHO participated in a media roundtable at the Bacolod City College campus. The event focused on the nationwide advocacy against dengue and was held in collaboration with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS), and Takeda Healthcare Philippines. During the discussion, Dr. Rachelle Vicencio and Dr. Alexis Milan of the PPS cautioned the public against unverified dengue remedies circulating online, particularly the use of "tawa-tawa" or "gatas-gatas" as herbal treatments, due to a lack of scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness.
The roundtable also addressed the future of dengue control through vaccination. The potential benefits of TAK-003, a second-generation vaccine developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda, were highlighted. TAK-003 has shown to provide long-term protection against dengue in the pivotal Phase 3 Tetravalent Immunization against Dengue Efficacy Study trial. Currently, the license application for TAK-003 is under review with the Philippine Food and Drug Administration.
