Philippines on alert to prevent entry of infectious diseases: official

The Philippine government has put in place measures to ensure that deadly contagious diseases, such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), will not spread in the country, a senior government official said Tuesday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that since last year, the Department of Health (DOH) has been on heightened alert to prevent entry of the infectious diseases.

"The Department of Health has the budget and resources to do its job in protecting the health and safety of the Filipino people against infectious or contagious diseases like MERS-Coronavirus, Ebola virus, and even the avian flu," he said at a news briefing in Malacanang, the presidential palace.

Recently, health authorities revealed cases of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who arrived in the country with MERS-CoV or suspected bird flu.

An OFW from the Middle East who had MERS-CoV has recovered. Enditem