Philippine Secretary of Health Department Manuel Dayrit said Friday his department is closely monitoring the condition of a 27-year-old patient suspected to be a SARS case in the southern province of South Cotabato.

Identified only by "GM," the patient is an overseas worker who came home from Singapore 10 days ago and is experiencing fever that comes and goes which is a typical symptom associated with possible Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) infection.

GM contracted high fever and complained of shortness of breath seven days after arriving, Dayrit said, adding that she has been transferred to a SARS center in Davao city also in the south for quarantine and further medical tests.

He said the Department of Health has so far monitored more than80 suspected SARS cases, but all of them have recovered and gone home.

Meantime, Dayrit reported that the Southeast Asian region has now been declared SARS-free, "This includes Singapore, which was declared SARS-free on May 31. Vietnam was taken off from the WorldHealth Organization list in April and the Philippines on May 20. So, the region is now free from SARS."

On Thursday, WHO said the global SARS outbreak may be nearing an end and praised hard-hit China's campaign against the virus.