ANTI-DENGUE DRIVE. Village chair Marcialito “Al” Balan leads his constituents in their search and destroy drive against dengue-carrying mosquitoes in Barangay Alion, Mariveles, Bataan on Monday (August 26, 2019). The village also launched its unique program of catching mosquitoes with the use of cooking oil in exchange for rice as part of its continuing effort against dengue. (Contributed photo)
MARIVELES, Bataan -- An upland village here launched on Monday its unique program of catching mosquitoes with the use of cooking oil in exchange for rice as part of its continuing efforts against dengue.
Alion village chief Marcialito “Al” Balan of Alion named the program as “Dalawang-daang lamok kapalit isang kilong bigas (Two hundred mosquitoes for one kilo of rice)”.
He said the program is in support of their search and destroy drive against dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
“Unang-una pa rin ang paglilinis, pangalawa itong panghuhuli ng lamok. At least mababawasan ang lamok sa amin (Cleaning is still the first, second is the catching of mosquitoes. At least the mosquitoes will be minimized here)” Balan said, adding that they would not know if the mosquitoes caught are dengue carriers.
He said through moving left and right a plate or basin with used cooking oil, mosquitoes will be caught easily.
When presented to the barangay hall, for every 200 mosquitoes caught will be rewarded with a kilo of commercial rice.
Marilyn Podol was the first beneficiary of the program when she presented a plateful of mosquitoes and got a kilo of rice in return.
“Patuloy akong manghuhuli para maubos ang lamok (I will keep on hunting until the mosquitoes are gone),” she said.
Barangay tanods (village watchmen) in colorful uniform said they will be hunting the mosquitoes.
Balan said there was only one case of dengue in Alion that was even contracted from another village.
He said there are more than 5,000 people in their village.
“Sana suportahan ng lahat ang programa para patuloy na mawalan ng kaso ng dengue sa aming barangay (I hope that all will support the program for the continuous zero cases of dengue in our barangay,” the village head said. (PNA)
