Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong announced a "downward trend" of diarrhea cases in the city, days after an outbreak was declared.

The Department of Health has also committed to send additional personnel.

"The dramatic increase started on Dec. 28, wherein we recorded around 33 cases. The peak was sometime in Jan. 7, where we recorded 438 in one day... Jan. 9, we have 244 cases, Jan. 10, we only have 61 cases. And yesterday, we have 43 cases," Magalong said in a video posted by the Baguio City Public Information Office (PIO).

"Yesterday, I had the chance to talk to Usec. Eric Tayag and I asked for additional personnel from their Epidemiological Bureau and they will be arriving today... They're going to conduct more test, gather more specimens for us to be able to determine the source of this contamination. So things are looking good for the city of Baguio," he added.

Diarrhea cases in the city reached over 2,900 on Friday.

According to the Baguio PIO, the City Health Office has confirmed 18 of the water samples from different establishments have tested positive for the total coliform, while eight were positive for e coli.

"City Health Officer Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes said that as of Jan. 12, samples from 62 establishments, households and institutions had been tested at the public health laboratory and results showed that 18 tested positive for total coliform and eight for e. coli. Last Jan. 10, a sample from a food establishment also tested positive for bacterial contamination," it said in a Facebook post.

"Of the 16 that tested positive for total coliform, 12 water delivery firms, four were food establishments, one was residential and one school. The same establishments and residents identified for coliform also tested positive for e. coli along with five of the 12 water delivery companies," it added.

The city said this further affirms that contaminated water is the cause of the disease, but the results remain inconclusive on the source of contamination.

The PIO also shared that the Baguio Water District's tests on 15 of its deepwells "yielded negative for coliform results in rapid tests" as of Jan. 10.

GETTING TO THE 'MAIN SOURCE'

The Baguio LGU and the DOH are determined to identify the cause of the unusual increase and clustering of diarrhea cases in the city,

Water samples were taken from Sto. Tomas Rain Basin in Tuba, Benguet, as well as treatment facilities.

"We have to start from the main source. This is a rain catchment area of the Baguio Water District, and we need to see from the raw water going down so that we can have a comprehensive water testing of the supplies and sources in the city of Baguio," Brillantes told ABS-CBN News.

"Sa treatment, we will see the efficiency of how treatment is being done at the water distribution areas... The treatment process includes chlorination, filtration, reverse osmosis, etc. Kung meron doon pumalpak in between, then really lalampas ang ating mga pathogens or germs ng tubig," she added.

Brillantes said they are looking into water sources, and not food.

"We have already discounted the possibility of a food borne (issue). Food-borne, when you are using the water that is not boiled, perhaps, and that is contaminated. So water used in cooking, perhaps, was not really boiled or what, that can be possible... Hindi iyong food because there's no common food, it's widespread, so it must be the water," she explained.

But in his case, Kagawad Jeric Sinner of Brgy. Gibraltar suspects he acquired his diarrhea through improper food handling as he does not drink tap water.

Sinner has also experienced stomachache due to diarrhea on Tuesday.

"Nagka-cramps iyong tiyan ko tapos hindi ako mapakali, parang pinagpapawisan. Tapos may urge talagang pumunta sa comfort room... Noong araw na iyon, parang naka-8 or 9 ako na punta sa comfort room. Kasi sobrang sakit tapos kailangan mo talagang umiinom nang umiinom ng tubig... Medyo okay naman na pero may urges pa rin kasi parang bago pa lang, control pa rin ako sa food and water," he shared.

BUSINESS AND TOURISM

For the Baguio LGU, the slowing down of cases is a result of their "effective" calls to those in Baguio to refrain from drinking tap water, or boiling it before drinking.

Water filters should also be regularly replaced.

Even businesses like restaurants now use mineral water for cooking, which is their way of showing customers that their food is well prepared.

"Ngayon siguro bumaba ng 10 percent iyong kita dahil na rin sa outbreak... Sa ngayon po talaga, sumusunod muna kami sa utos nila pero umaasa pa rin po kami na sana tuloy tuloy na ito at sana maresolbahan na ito," said restaurant manager Carlos Dela Cruz.

Tourists like the Garcia and Perez family brought their own bottled water.

"Ngayon, naka-12 bottles na kami. Meron pa kami sa hotel namin... Mas maganda iyong safe kesa magt*e o kaya maospital kami, mas mura na iyong bumili kami ng tubig namin," said Benjo Garcia from Bataan.

For Henny Perez, who hails from Bulacan, "Puro mineral dapat... Takot talaga pero ingat lang."

• Fecal contamination of Baguio water sample detected; diarrhea cases reach 2,200

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