Published January 29, 2021 10:29pm Cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines continue to increase a year after the Department of Health confirmed the first case of the virus in the country. According to Maki Pulido’s report on “State of the Nation” on Friday, the first case of COVID-19 in the country was announced on January 30, 2020. Health Undersecretary Francisco Duque III said a 38-year-old woman from Wuhan, China arrived in the Philippines via Hong Kong. Since then, cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines have soared. So far, the country has recorded a total of 521,413 cases including 475,765 recoveries and 10,600 deaths. According to the Health Alliance for Democracy, the surge in cases in the country could have been prevented if the national government’s efforts were proactive.