Bacolod Tightens Border Checks Amid Monkeypox Cases in Iloilo

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez has ordered stricter border controls at all city entry points following confirmed monkeypox (mpox) cases in Iloilo City.

In a press briefing Monday, Benitez stressed the importance of proactive measures, noting that Bacolod has not yet recorded any mpox cases.

“We want to ensure our borders are secure. The absence of cases here doesn’t mean we can afford to be complacent,” he said.

The city plans to install a scanner at Bredco Port and has also proposed placing one at Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City.

Benitez said he would coordinate with the Negros Occidental provincial government and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) regarding the airport scanner’s procurement.

He has instructed the City Health Office (CHO) to intensify monitoring at entry points.

Health personnel will be stationed at ports and the airport to check incoming travelers for symptoms.

Although face masks are not currently mandatory, the CHO is reviewing its health protocols and may update recommendations if necessary.

Benitez emphasized the need to protect vulnerable groups, such as children, seniors, and individuals with pre-existing conditions.

Dr. Grace Tan, head of the CHO’s Environmental Sanitation Division, said mpox spreads mainly through skin-to-skin contact and can also transmit via respiratory droplets or contaminated surfaces.

She noted that early symptoms often mimic the flu, including fever and general malaise.

Tan confirmed that the CHO is working closely with the Bureau of Quarantine and has strengthened its public information campaign about mpox.

While final guidelines from the Department of Health (DOH) are still pending, the city is considering using thermal scanners to detect symptomatic travelers.

“If fever is a known symptom, we can act on that without waiting for DOH,” Benitez said.

As of June 2, Iloilo City had reported four confirmed and two suspected mpox cases.

All six individuals are in isolation and under monitoring as health officials investigate the source of the infections.