IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay -- Close to 200,000 residents joined the province-wide simultaneous clean-up drive Friday to eradicate potential mosquito-breeding sites in this province.
Gov. Wilter Yap Palma initiated the cleanup drive to destroy the breeding areas of dengue-carrying mosquitoes after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed a resolution Tuesday declaring this province under the state of calamity amid the rising cases of dengue.
Participants included personnel from the Department of Education (DepEd), private schools, business sector, non-government organization, civic organizations, and all the 16 towns and 390 barangays.
Myra Hubilla-Pandaan, education coordinator of the provincial health office, said “dengue is preventable and the society needs to know that they have a major role in this. The authorities cannot do this alone."
“On behalf of the provincial government, I would like to express my gratitude to all Sibugaynons who answered and supported the call of Gov. Wilter Yap Palma for this significant activity. Without them, this clean-up wouldn’t be successful,” Pandaan said.
Dengue cannot be spread directly from person to person. However, a person infected and suffering from dengue fever can infect other mosquitoes.
Angie Panganiban, in-charge of the Provincial Epidemiology Surveillance Unit, said at least 10,000 Aedes larvae were collected from discarded tires and water containers around the provincial capitol building.
The Provincial Health Office has recorded 3,005 cases of dengue with 12 deaths as of July 16, 2019. The figure is higher by 1,466 percent from the 150 cases registered during the same period last year.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection causing a severe flu-like illness that could sometimes be fatal. (PNA)
