BONTOC, Mountain Province – With the unpredictable weather condition experienced now and typhoons hitting the country from time to time, health officials are reminding the public to take precautions against the killer dengue.
As of this writing, a total of 56 cases were reported from January to August 2022, thus raising the need for an intensified campaign against dengue and clean-up activities.
In response to the increase in dengue cases and COVID-19 cases in the municipality, Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., led the cleaning of the main roads and streets in the Central Barangays in the early morning of July 29, 2022.
Mayor Tudlong issued Memorandum Order No. 33 to the elected officials, Sangguniang Bayan members led by Vice Mayor Eusebio Kabluyen, Department Heads and Assistant Heads of the Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU), Bontoc Municipal Fire Station (MFS), and Bontoc Municipal Police Station (MPS), for their attendance to the Clean-up Drive.
Tudlong issued another Memorandum Order enjoining all the 16 Punong Barangays to schedule and conduct a General Cleaning in their respective barangays in order to contain the increasing dengue cases as well as to maintain the sanitation in the community.
He lauded the participants as well as the volunteers for their attendance despite the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that occurred two days prior to the activity.
“Our battle against COVID-19 is still ongoing yet another virus has posed another threat to our community. Thus, immediate action is necessary not only to contain the spread of the dengue virus but also to encourage our constituents to maintain clean and healthy surroundings,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Bontoc LGU through the Municipal Health Office (MHO) has conducted Dengue Indoor Residual Spraying, Oplan Taob, and Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Campaign in Barangays Bontoc Ili, Poblacion, and Caluttit on August 1, 3, and 4, 2022, respectively.
According to Sanitation Inspector II Nissan Gulian, eight teams composed of personnel from the MHO, nurses employed under the DOH-Nurse Deployment Program (NDP), barangay officials, barangay functionaries of the said barangays, Bontoc MFS, Bontoc MPS, Mountain Province Provincial Police Office, and DepEd, went around the said barangays and have included private and public schools for the spraying and larvicide application.
Municipal Health Officer Dr. Diga Kay Gomez reiterated the “4-o’clock habit” which seeks to enjoin the communities to take time to weed out dengue breeding sites at 4 P.M. each day.
She also enjoined the community to maintain clean surroundings since used tires, cans, and plastics which are potential breeding sites of dengue-carrying mosquitoes were seen scattered around the roads, pathways, and yards in the barangay.
Further, Dr. Gomez mentioned that spraying in other barangays will be scheduled while other private and government schools and agencies may coordinate with the MHO and request for the dengue residual spraying.
The anti-pest solution and sprayer were provided by the Provincial Government of Mountain Province through the Provincial Health Office (PHO) under the leadership of Provincial Health Officer II Dr. Annie Claire Pekas and Provincial Health Officer I Dr. Carolyn D. Yawan.
