ANTI-DENGUE DRIVE. Barangay chairman Hector Forbes of Sta. Lucia, Samal, Bataan, leads a cleanup drive at the Samal South Elementary School to destroy breeding sites of mosquitoes on Saturday (Aug. 10, 2019.) Forbes said the cleanup will be conducted every Saturday and Sunday to maintain the dengue-free status of their village. (Photo by Ernie Esconde)
SAMAL, Bataan -- A massive cleanup drive kicked off Saturday in a village here as part of efforts to wipe out the possible breeding sites of dengue-carrying mosquitoes
At least 40 people including teachers, parents of schoolchildren and members of the barangay council conducted a search and destroy operation starting at the Samal South Elementary School in the farming village of Sta. Lucia.
Sta. Lucia barangay chairman Hector Forbes led the cleanup drive, where participants cut tall grasses, cleaned plant boxes, surroundings and clogged canals on the school grounds.
“Ito’y isang aktibidades ng barangay para matulungan ang mamamayan lalo na ang mag-aaral sa Samal South Elementary School laban sa dengue (This is one of the activities of the barangay to help the citizens, especially the pupils at the Samal South Elementary School against dengue),” Forbes said.
“Narito kami ngayon para maglinis upang maiwasan na magkaroon ng dengue sa aming lugar (We are here now to clean in order to avoid having dengue here in our place),” he added.
The next activity, according to the village chief, will be the cleaning of canals in the entire barangay.
“We will conduct these activities every Saturday and Sunday until we completely destroy all the possible breeding places of dengue-carrying mosquitoes. We want to maintain cleanliness to avoid having dengue case,” he said.
Village health record shows that Barangay Sta. Lucia has no case of dengue.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rosanna Buccahan, provincial health officer, said they are fully implementing the “4S” program of the Department of Health to fight dengue.
The strategy involves Searching and destroying all breeding places of mosquitoes, Self-protection measures, Seeking early consultation for fever and Saying yes to fogging if there is an impending outbreak or continuous clustering of cases.
“Maglinis ng kapaligiran dahil kung walang breeding site, walang lamok na kakagat para magkaroon ng dengue (Clean the surrounding because if there is no breeding site, there is no mosquito that will bite which causes dengue),” Buccahan said.
She reported that there were 771 dengue cases with one death in Bataan from January to July 25, 2019 which, however, is 30 percent lower than the 1,100 cases during the same period last year. (PNA)
