Central Visayas hospitals on alert as Cebu hosts ASEAN summit

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May 1, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — A Code Blue alert has been raised in all government-run hospitals and health facilities in Central Visayas as part of the preparation for the 48th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Summit from May 7 to 8, according to the Department of Health.

The DOH’s Central Visayas center for health development said the blue alert took effect yesterday and will remain until May 12.

A Code Blue alert requires hospitals, health offices and emergency responders to be ready to respond to medical and public health emergencies during disasters.

Apart from strengthening health emergency preparedness, the DOH said the Code Blue alert ensures rapid response, resource mobilization and setting up of hospital fast lanes.

These emergency fast lanes are tasked to attend to any untoward medical incident involving delegates and other participants in the summit.

Up to 55 medical teams composed of 400 physicians, nurses, emergency responders and ambulance drivers from seven hospitals in Central Visayas will be deployed to secure the gathering.

The deployment of medical teams will support uninterrupted health services during the summit as well as intensify monitoring and inter-agency coordination, according to the DOH-Central Visayas.

The summit will bring together heads of states and senior officials who will discuss pressing political and economic issues such as the energy crisis, trade and food supply, and security of Asean member-states.