CALAMBA CITY, Laguna (PIA)– The Department of Health (DOH) is pushing for tighter disease prevention and response measures following a spike in water-borne, food-borne, and influenza-like diseases across the CALABARZON region.
Dr. Eva Marie Torio of DOH Center for Health Development in CALABARZON, in a meeting with the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) last September 23, warned that the wet condition during rainy seasons facilitate the widespread transmission of diseases such as leptospirosis, influenza, and dengue.
“All of these diseases usually re-emerge and have an increasing number of cases after the typhoon season…Our recommendation is to strengthen the cholera prevention response efforts in the affected communities, particularly in Cavite and Laguna by promoting safe drinking water, sanitation, and good hygiene practices.”
Torio also raised particular concern over the increasing number of leptospirosis cases, which has reached 925 cases–up by 17 percent from 792 cases in 2025.
“Even if media coverage are focused in NCR, here in CALABARZON there is a significant 17 percent increase in the total number of leptosipirosis cases including 55 deaths, and we still have a lot of expected typhoons.”
In its data, the DOH CALABARZON cited flood-related exposure as the leading cause of leptospirosis infection which composes 72 percent or 666 reported cases in the region.
In addition to leptospirosis, the region is also seeing a rise in dengue cases with 5,404 confirmed cases and cholera with five (5) cases.
With the El Niño phenomenon causing longer dry periods and above normal rainfall likely to be expected in December, the health department’s Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (EREID) program has also launched a series of planning workshops as part of its preparations for the monsoon season later in the year. (PB-PIA CALABARZON)