The incidence of HIV/AIDS in the Philippines has been rising to unprecedented levels and we are in the midst of a full-blown epidemic. In 2009, a record number of new cases were diagnosed, with the highest number of new cases ever reported in a month (126) occurring last December. While effective treatment exists for persons living with HIV/AIDS, the number of trained healthcare personnel who are competent to care for these patients is in very short supply. HIV/AIDS treatment is tremendously complex, and requires specialized training in order to maximize the benefit derived from medications. Moreover, antiretroviral drugs are prohibitively expensive, and the potential loss of external funding from the Global Fund which currently supports antiretroviral treatment will be catastrophic. Prevention and awareness campaigns remain by far potentially the most effective means of controlling HIV/AIDS in the Philippines. Clinical capacity building through training of physicians is already in effect, but may need to be ramped up further in the face of accelerating case numbers. In addition, international research collaboration for access to state of the art therapies and approaches will play an important role if we hope to reverse the epidemic. Finally, novel policies including opt-out testing, aggressive case finding, and test and treat strategies need to be explored in order to effectively combat this threat.