The country’s HIV situation entered the final quarter of 2025 with a marked increase in new infections, as health officials reported a surge in cases concentrated in several major regions. Fresh figures from the Department of Health showed that 5,583 people were diagnosed in the third quarter alone, a tally that sits 22 percent higher than what was recorded during the same stretch of 2024.
Health authorities noted that the bulk of these cases came from Metro Manila, followed by CALABARZON, Central Luzon, Central Visayas, and the Davao region, which together accounted for roughly 61 percent of all infections detected nationwide.
Daily case numbers also climbed. The surveillance report logged an average of 61 new infections per day, up from last year’s daily average of 50. A significant portion of the individuals diagnosed, 16 percent or 895 cases, had already reached an advanced stage of HIV at the time they sought testing.
The data continued to show a pronounced gender disparity, with 5,299 men making up 95 percent of the newly reported cases compared with 282 cases among women. Most of the people diagnosed were between 25 and 34 years old, with the average age pinned at 27. Sexual transmission remained the primary mode of infection, accounting for 4,879 cases or 87 percent of the total.
By year’s end, the DOH projected that 252,800 people in the Philippines would be living with HIV. International agencies, including UNAIDS and the World Health Organization, have been providing technical support to the government, pushing for wider public education efforts and greater investment in HIV programs. They have also urged the prompt signing of an Executive Order that would formally classify HIV as an urgent public health concern.
The Philippines remains far from achieving the benchmarks set by UNAIDS under the 95–95–95 target for 2030. At present, 59 percent of people living with HIV in the country have been diagnosed or confirmed via laboratory testing, 67 percent are on antiretroviral therapy, and 57 percent of those on treatment have reached viral suppression.
Younger Filipinos have also been identified as a vulnerable group. In June, the DOH highlighted a 500 percent increase in HIV cases among those aged 15 to 25.
World AIDS Day, observed every December 1, renewed attention to global and local gaps. The UNDP emphasized this year’s focus on the #TripleTenTargets, which aim to dismantle stigma, discrimination, gender-based violence, and laws that impede access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care.
