DOH: LGU has mandate over Mpox case

THE Department of Health (DOH) said Monday, June 29, 2026, that it is leaving the case of Mpox detected in Mandaluyong City to the local government unit (LGU) concerned.The health department is referring to the case confirmed by the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) on late Monday, June 29."Local government units are empowered under Republic Act No. 11332 to issue their own advisories in the interest of public health in their area," said the DOH in a brief statement.It also said it does not see the need to interject in the mandate of LGUs considering the overall situation. "The DOH does not discuss individual case circumstances to avoid stigma and to comply with data privacy laws, especially in the context of a markedly lower case count," said the DOH.Nevertheless, the health department took note that there have been fewer cases of Mpox in the country in the current year.The DOH said there have only been 44 Mpox cases recorded from January 1 to June 13, 2026."This is 79 percent lower than last year's count of 205 for the same monitoring period," said the DOH.Thus, the health department stressed that there is no need to panic over the detection of a confirmed case in Mandaluyong City."While the disease has always been around, there is no outbreak or even an increase in numbers," it said. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)