CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — The Department of Health Center for Health Development Northern Mindanao (DOH-CHDNM) has expanded its Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) testing and treatment services across the region. This initiative is part of the agency’s 8-Point Action Agenda (2023–2028), which aims to achieve a “Healthy Pilipinas” and end the HIV epidemic

“Right now, bisan og naa sila sa Iligan, naa sila sa Bukidnon or anywhere, accessible na ang testing. Na-increase naman nato atong testing facilities and treatment as well,” said Ven John Nuñez, DOH Community Outreach Worker for Iligan City.

(Right now, even if they are in Iligan, Bukidnon, or anywhere else, testing is accessible. We have increased our testing facilities as well as our treatment centers.)

Northern Mindanao currently hosts 18 treatment hubs and primary HIV care facilities. These include the Adventist Medical Center-Iligan (HAVEN), Bukidnon Provincial Medical Center, Maramag HIV/AIDS Primary Care Services, Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro Sr. Medical Center, and Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC), among others.

Additionally, eight laboratories in the region are now certified for confirmatory HIV testing including City Health Offices of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, Amai Pakpak Medical Center, Gregorio T. Lluch Memorial Hospital, Kolambugan Provincial Hospital, Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro Sr. Medical Center, and Northern Mindanao Medical Center.

Key interventions focus on awareness campaigns, early detection, treatment access, stigma reduction, and community-based prevention methods such as condom use and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

Testing is available to everyone, regardless of age or sexual orientation. “Wala man gi-ila nga dagway, edad, or sexual orientation. As workers ani nga program, naa lang pud ta gi-target based sa data kung asa daghan og numbers in terms of male having sex with another male (MSM),” Nuñez explained.

(We do not discriminate based on appearance, age, or sexual orientation. As program workers, we simply target our efforts based on data where numbers are high, specifically among males having sex with males.)

Nuñez noted that the MSM category does not refer exclusively to the LGBTQ+ community; it also includes men who identify as straight but engage in sexual acts with other men, sometimes in exchange for money. Other priority groups include transgender individuals, pregnant women, and people diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB).

The DOH-CHDNM also continues to debunk common myths. HIV cannot be spread through kissing, hugging, handshakes, sharing utensils, food, toiletries, or using the same restroom. The virus is also not transmitted through saliva, sweat, tears, or urine.

To prevent infection, the agency promotes the ABCDE approach:

A – Abstain from casual sex

B – Be mutually faithful to one partner

C – Correct and consistent use of condoms

D – Do not engage in illegal drug use or excessive alcohol

E – Education and Early detection

“If people are empowered enough to embrace this knowledge, then HIV can be prevented,” Nuñez said.

As of June 2025, Northern Mindanao has recorded a total of 4,156 HIV cases since 1991, with 3,989 of those cases involving men. Nationwide, the Philippines reports an average of 55 new cases every day. (JMOR/PIA-10)