FLY INFESTATION. Residents in Umingan town in Pangasinan province set traps for houseflies that are infesting a majority of its villages. Mayor Michael Carleon Cruz has vowed to address the problem in an interview on Tuesday (June 20, 2023). (Photo courtesy of Yan Si Lhyn Facebook account)
UMINGAN, Pangasinan – The local chief executive of this town has vowed to address the housefly infestation in almost all its villages following the call from the residents on social media.
In an interview on Tuesday, Mayor Michael Carleone Cruz said they have already conducted dialogue with owners of poultry farms, that could be the cause of the housefly infestation.
“We have talked with the owners and asked them to manage well their poultry farms to prevent this incident,” he said.
He added that other measures will be undertaken to address the dilemma of the residents, but did not elaborate on any measures.
The local government unit held a meeting with 13 poultry farm owners on June 19.
This was after a private citizen, Judith de Leon, a resident of Poblacion East wrote a letter to the Sangguniang Bayan requesting a thorough investigation into the housefly infestation in their town.
“The posts on social media regarding houseflies from our different barangays are very alarming. Why are there so many houseflies in our town all of a sudden? Housefly infestation is a problem that can pose health risks and annoyances,” she wrote in the letter.
In a phone interview on Tuesday, de Leon said the housefly infestation has been a perennial problem of the residents in the town and revealed that she had actually started a petition some seven to eight years ago.
“Only one to two barangays were affected at that time and then many more villages added to the affected areas until recently that majority of the villages are now affected,” she said.
She added that the residents have only been enduring the housefly infestation season in their town over the years and have come up with different ways to cope with the swarming of houseflies in their residences.
De Leon said they will continue to monitor the implementation of the recommendations made during the local government's consultative meeting with the poultry farm owners.
Umingan town is a first-class municipality with 58 barangays. (PNA)
