BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on third and final reading a proposed ordinance providing for the prevention and control measures to mitigate dengue cases in the city, requiring all residents to strengthen the fight against dengue and appropriating funds for the purpose and prescribing penalties for violations of the provisions of the local legislative measure.
The ordinance authored by Vice Mayor Edison R. Bilog and Councilor Peter Fianza stated among the objectives of the measure is to continually and substantially reduce the occurrence of dengue cases in the city through integrated vector management and implementation of prevention and control measures and strengthening the fight against it.
To promote the general welfare and afety of the constituents of the city, households and business owners, schools and other institutions, hospitals, church organizations and government and private offices or workplaces among others must be involved in the massive cleanliness campaign to rid of the dengue-carrying mosquitoes in their respective areas.
The City Health Services Office shall be the lead agency in monitoring the implementation of the pertinent provisions of the ordinance, particularly in providing technical assistance to the barangay in the form of but not limited to trainings, lectures, advisories, and other dengue prevention and control activities, provide information, education, communication materials to the community to be posted in strategic areas, provide larvicides or adulticides when it is warranted, updated media on latest dengue status in the city, conduct massive campaign on dengue, provide dengue desk assistance, not charge complete blood count (CBC) and antigen tests for suspected dengue cases and conduct fever surveillance and provide medical consultation on suspected dengue cases and refer patients to hospitals accordingly.
The ordinance mandated the creation of the Baguio City Anti-Dengue Committee (BCADC) through an Administrative Order of the City Mayor and shall be composed of the City Mayor as chairperson, the City Health Officer as Action Officers with the City Council Committee on Health and Sanitation Chairperson, president of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC), the City Building Official, the City Engineer, the City Environment and Parks Management Officer, the City General Services Officer, the City Legal Officer, the City Social Welfare and Development Officer, the Public Information Office and the Director of the Baguio City Police Office and representatives from the different national government agencies, academe and accredited non-government organizations and peoples organizations as members.
The BCADC shall enforce the provisions of the ordinance, prepare plans and programs for the prevention and control of dengue cases, conduct public health campaigns, conduct information and education campaign , prepare prevention activities, make regular public announcements, coordinate with other government agencies, ensure the viability and effective implementation of the program, convenes regular meetings or as the need arises for purposes of planning and coordination, conduct orientation on the implementation of the ordinance, undertake surveillance, monitoring, and follow-up, recommend to the City Mayor the deputation of the barangay anti-dengue brigates and provide necessary logistical and operational support as requested by the barangays.
By Dexter A. See
