In a press briefing on Wednesday, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said that the Department of Health (DOH) will take necessary action related to the plague scare.

"We have spoken directly with the DOH , and they are closely monitoring the situation, especially since the DOH also takes the WHO's recommendations very seriously," she said.

"Rest assured, our fellow countrymen, that the DOH is focused on this, and whatever further action is needed, they will do it," she added.

Castro noted that so far, the DOH "are meeting the requirements to ease our fears regarding this plague happening in Russia."

The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging Russia for full transparency on the death of a researcher at a plague institute in Siberia early this month and on reports of "a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause". Robina Asido/PHS