Most people here in Iloilo Province are not familiar with the term Havana Syndrome, and that is understandable. It is not a Philippine Department of Health term. It is a term used by the United States government for incidents involving its own personnel abroad.

1. What Is Havana Syndrome?

Havana Syndrome is the informal name for what the U.S. calls Anomalous Health Incidents, or AHIs. It refers to a cluster of unexplained neurological symptoms first reported in late 2016 among U.S. diplomats, intelligence officers and their families at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba. That is why it is called Havana. It is not a contagious disease.

2. What Does It Feel Like?

3. Why People Think It Is About WiFi or 5G — And Why It Is Different

Everyday WiFi and 5G are low power, around 0.1 watt, continuous, and omnidirectional. Reviews of typical environmental exposures have found no statistically significant evidence linking them to these cases.

The hypothesis that investigators examined as plausible for a small subset of early cases was very different: high peak power bursts of narrowband radio frequency energy in the 1 to 100 GHz range, with repetitive sub-millisecond pulses at power densities around 200 mW/cm2 that would require distant, extremely high power sources used for military high power microwave applications. That is not a router or cell tower. Even that hypothesis remains unproven, with no definitive evidence that such a device was used in any confirmed case.

4. What Investigations Found So Far

2023: A globe spanning intelligence assessment concluded it was very unlikely a foreign adversary was responsible for most cases, and that about 1,500 personnel reports included many that could be explained by pre existing conditions and environmental factors.

January 10, 2025: An updated assessment said five agencies continue to assess it is very unlikely a foreign adversary is responsible, while two agencies shifted to a roughly even chance that a foreign actor had developed or used a novel weapon or prototype device against a small, undetermined subset, with low confidence.

March 19, 2026: Reuters reported that leaders of U.S. intelligence agencies endorsed the withdrawal of that 2025 report for further review. The cause remains officially unknown.

5. Is It in the Philippines or Iloilo?

As of July 2026, there are no publicly reported cases of Havana Syndrome in the Philippines, including Iloilo Province. U.S. Embassy Manila public alerts have been about AFP operations and other security issues, not Anomalous Health Incidents. The Iloilo Provincial Health Office continues to track local concerns such as dengue, HFMD, heat related illness, and stroke — not Havana Syndrome.

6. Why Is It Back in the News?

In October 2021, President Biden signed the HAVANA Act — Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks — which authorizes one time, lump sum payments for qualifying brain injuries linked to these incidents on or after January 1, 2016.

The Department of Defense said on July 11, 2025 it has begun reviewing applications for payments. Early planning documents envisioned $100,000 to $200,000 per person, with FY2025 estimates of $4 million total annual payout. Reports of nearly $3 million paid would represent about 15 to 30 approved claims. This is compensation for duty related injury, not an admission of a specific cause.

7. What To Do If You Have Similar Symptoms

This article is not medical advice. If you or someone in your family in Iloilo experiences persistent dizziness, ringing in ears, severe headache, or vision changes, visit your Rural Health Unit, district hospital, or Iloilo Provincial Health Office. Note when symptoms started, what you were doing, heat exposure, and other illnesses. Do not self diagnose based on online posts about Havana Syndrome.