Dr. Ric Noel Naciongayo of the Antique Provincial Health Office recently spoke with the Philippine Information Agency, where he called on the local community to contribute in the fight against dengue.

He said dengue cases are on the rise in the province and reminded families to monitor the health status of children and other relatives.

The health official suggested eliminating areas where stagnant water is collected as it could serve as a breeding ground for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Last July, the Iloilo City Health Office (CHO) reminded barangays of the “4 o’clock habit,” which encourages local communities to clean their surroundings at 4:00 p.m.

“We have noticed that there were some who stopped cleaning their surroundings if there were no dengue cases in their barangays,” noted CHO head, Dr. Bernard Caspe. “The clean-up initiative should be done every day to ensure that there are no breeding places of mosquitoes.”

The city earlier passed a resolution mandating all barangays to conduct cleanings every Saturday./WDJ