MANILA, March 21 -- The Department of Health (DOH) is encouraging the public to take part in its immunization campaign against vaccine-preventable diseases as cases of measles and pertussis are on the rise.

In a statement on Thursday, the DOH said it has established a national Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC), with support and assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the United States Center for Disease Control (USCDC).

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa supervises the on-the-ground response activities to contain the measles cases.

"Code Blue has been practiced in the DOH Central Office (DOH-CO) since March 20, which signals intensified ...