The Department of Health-Northern Mindanao (DOH-10) is calling on municipal and city health departments to set up localized HIV treatment facilities to better serve remote and marginalized communities.
The initiative expands the region’s current network to 18 active treatment hubs, significantly boosting the accessibility of medical services across Northern Mindanao.
During a press briefing on Friday, Dr. Ronald Romano, the chairperson of the City Health Office HIV and AIDS Core Team, highlighted the regional health department’s push for localized care.
”DOH has encouraged our municipal health offices, city health offices to establish their own treatment facilities,” Dr. Ronald Romano, City Health Office HIV and AIDS Core team chairperson, said during a media briefing here Friday.
Regional data from DOH-10 reveals that Misamis Oriental currently operates two treatment centers, which includes a new site launched in Manticao in December 2025. Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro City hosts four treatment hubs—three of which are run by the government—and Iligan City, along with every province in the region, maintains at least one operational facility.
Dr. Romano pointed out that public misinformation continues to be a major obstacle in educating communities. He stressed that individuals living with HIV (PLHIV) lead healthy lives and do not transmit the virus, provided they strictly adhere to their daily antiretroviral therapy (ART).
According to Romano, 95% of PLHIVs across the Philippines are successfully maintaining their ART regimens. This high adherence rate enables patients to lead normal lives, with many raising families where partners and children remain completely free of the virus.
Financial support for patients is also available through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), which fully covers HIV testing, doctor consultations, and regular ART medications, extending these benefits even to non-contributing or non-paying members.