MANILA – Two red lines were all it took to confirm what 26-year-old Luke Galade (not his real name) had already prepared himself for.

There were no tears, no shock, just quiet acceptance for the freelance writer and former teacher when he tested positive for HIV in March 2024.

The signs were there: a persistent fever, sudden hair loss, shortness of breath and rashes on his palms. Deep down, Mr Galade suspected he had contracted the virus from his former boyfriend, whom he left three months earlier after discovering he had been the third party in a relationship.

“I immediately accepted my fate,” Mr Galade told The Straits Times. “Over time, I felt anger towards my ex, but I didn’t reach out. Then came regret, because I’ve always dreamt of working abroad. But there are countries that don’t allow people like me, who live with HIV, to enter their territories.”

Mr Galade is part of a troubling trend in the Philippines, where new HIV infections, especially among youth, are rising at a pace unmatched in the Asia-Pacific, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (Unaids).

Data showed that new infections in the region have declined by 13 per cent since 2010, but the Philippines’ 543 per cent surge in new cases stands out among countries like Bangladesh (20 per cent) and Papua New Guinea (104 per cent) where HIV cases continue to rise sharply.

As at March 2025, over 139,610 Filipinos are living with HIV, and the government estimates this number will rise to 252,000 by year end.

Experts say the surge is driven by a mix of factors such as poor sex education, unprotected sex among those who meet through dating apps, persistent stigma and cultural shame. The country’s conservative, predominantly Christian culture has also made open discussions about sex and HIV difficult, even within families.

The Department of Health (DOH) now records 57 new HIV cases daily, when the country recorded just six new infections a day in 2010. Most of the new cases are still tallied amon...