Bacolod City intensified its HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) response through a targeted awareness campaign in Barangay Handumanan on July 18, as health officials revealed concerning infection rates across Negros Island, a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office said.
City Health Office officials disclosed 16 new HIV cases recorded in Bacolod during January to February 2025, representing 38 percent of the 42 total infections across Negros Occidental and neighboring provinces. The data from the Department of Health underscores the urgency of the city’s expanded prevention strategy.
Executive assistant Jonathan Diaz, who spearheaded the community symposium, outlines the city’s plan of action that includes district-level education targeting all barangays, educational institutions, and community groups; expanded testing capabilities through an annual P500,000 prevention fund; and development of a dedicated healthcare hub for treatment and counseling services.
Diaz emphasized the administration’s commitment to destigmatizing HIV care while implementing data-driven interventions. Barangay Handumanan officials, led by Captain Febe Legaspi, pledged to replicate the pilot program’s outreach model, mobilizing health workers and youth advocates across the city’s 61 barangays.*
