THE Department of Health (DOH) said on Saturday that it is considering mandatory human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing for foreign tourists, citing the massive rise of HIV cases in the Philippines.
”As of today, the Philippines logs the highest number of cases, with 16 new cases a day, most of which are among the youth. A certain percentage, which I still don’t know, may be coming from foreigners infecting our locals. Our workers, before flying overseas, are required to have an HIV test. Can’t we do that?” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in a radio interview.
Under Republic Act 11166, or the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act, compulsory HIV testing as a precondition for entry into or travel within the Philippines is unlawful.
DOH spokesman Albert Domingo said the agency has yet to issue a further advisory on the matter.
The DOH statement comes after a viral social media post by Russian vlogger Nikita Chekhov threatening to spread HIV in the country. While authorities described the video as “rage-bait,” the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it is still a public health concern.
Chekhov has since been detained at a BI detention facility pending deportation proceedings.
The DOH said it administered an HIV test on Chekhov after his arrest on Thursday, the result of which turned out negative.
The BI said it has existing programs aimed at protecting young people from sexual exploitation by foreigners, noting the framework could be expanded to include health screening for incoming tourists.
”We should really talk about how we can lessen the number of people coming to the Philippines for sex tourism as possible sources of HIV,” Herbosa added, stressing the need for coordination with other agencies to prevent similar incidents.