Iloilo mayor seeks DOH go-signal for local lab to handle mpox tests
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Tre帽as has requested permission from the Department of Health (DOH) for Uswag Molecular Laboratory to handle mpox testing in Panay.
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Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
Also known as RITM
The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) is the Philippines' primary COVID-19 testing site and a key institution focused on research and manufacturing human biologicals; it recently faced budget cuts and absorption into a proposed CDC, raising concerns about overlapping mandates with a new Virology and Vaccine Institute.
This is an AI-generated summary based on recent coverage.
Last updated at April 26, 2025.
Recent stories about RITM
DOH: Rabies cases drop 32%, fatality rate remains at 100%
Rabies cases in the Philippines declined by 32 percent as of May 17, 2025, compared to the same period last year, according to the Department of Health.
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Iloilo reports 1 confirmed mpox case, 4 suspects; health alert issued
Iloilo City's Health Office confirmed its first case of monkeypox (mpox) and four suspected cases in Iloilo City, while one positive case was also reported in Iloilo Province, with all individuals currently stable under isolation.
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DOH, DA activate task force for glanders outbreak in Siquijor
Health and agriculture authorities in Negros Occidental are working to contain the spread of glanders, a rare bacterial disease, after six human cases were confirmed in Siquijor on Sunday, May 25.
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2 confirmed mpox cases in Maguindanao del Norte, 6 suspected cases under testing, 10 cases in South Cotabato
The Bangsamoro health ministry confirmed two mpox cases in Maguindanao del Norte and is monitoring six other potential infections, while South Cotabato has recorded a total of 10 cases as of May 22.
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Senate OKs bill to create Virology Science and Technology Institute
The Senate approved a bill on Monday with a unanimous 19-0 vote to establish the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines (VIP).
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Sen Tolentino pushes bill to create Virology Institute of the Philippines
Senator Francis Tolentino is pushing for the passage of Senate Bill 2893, which aims to establish the Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) to improve responses to animal-borne diseases like African swine fever (ASF).
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DOH-12 issues alert for 2 possible mpox cases
Health authorities in the Soccsksargen Region have issued a public alert regarding two possible cases of monkeypox (mpox) involving individuals showing symptoms such as skin rashes, lesions, and recurring fever.
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Quezon City records first mpox case this year
Quezon City recorded its first mpox case this year, a 37-year-old male resident who is currently hospitalized at San Lazaro Hospital.
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Philippines low risk for COVID-19 despite global uptick
The Philippines remains at low risk for COVID-19 despite an uptick in cases globally due to FliRT variants.
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