The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded 190 HIV cases involving overseas Filipino workers in the first quarter of 2025—a slight increase of three percent compared to the same period last year.
Of these, 166 were men and 24 were women, with the majority contracting the virus through sexual contact, the DOH reported. This continues a long-standing trend, as data since 1984 show that sexual transmission accounts for the overwhelming majority of infections among migrant workers.
To date, a total of 10,813 migrant workers have been diagnosed with HIV, with only a small fraction acquiring the virus through other means such as needle sharing (19 cases), exposure to contaminated blood (9 cases), or needlestick injuries (3 cases). The mode of transmission remains unknown in 179 cases.
Nationwide, the DOH confirmed 5,101 new HIV cases from January to March 2025, with most infections reported in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Davao, Western Visayas, and Central Visayas—regions that together make up nearly 70 percent of all new cases.
Health authorities continue to emphasize early testing, awareness, and treatment access as key strategies in curbing the rise of infections, particularly among high-risk populations like overseas workers.
