Penalties with anti-dengue ordinance?

CEBU, Philippines - National and local health officials gathered at Plaza Sugbo fronting the Cebu City Hall for the nationwide information campaign kickoff against the deadly dengue virus.

This as Mayor Michael Rama called on his opponents to stop blocking his anti-dengue moves and dared barangay officials to resign if they can’t support the fight against dengue. He also threatened to penalize those who will not cooperate in the national and local programs of the government against dengue.

No less than Department of Health Secretary Enrique Ona led the campaign urging Cebuanos to help the government in preventing the rise of statistics especially in Central Visayas region. Cebu is also the province with the most number of dengue cases.

“Let us reduce the mosquito population para mawala ang virus nga nag-spread sa dengue,” he told the audience composed of barangay health workers, municipal and city health officers who turned out in full force for the ASEAN Dengue Day activity.

Dancing DOH Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag conducted a demonstration on what the agency dubbed as “4 o’clock habit.” Under the said program is the tagline “Stop, Look & Listen.”

“When the clock strikes four in the afternoon, we should stop whatever we are doing at home, school, or anywhere you are and look for possible breeding areas of dengue-carrying mosquitoes. Take note that they do not dwell in dirty water but in stagnant, clean water containers,” Tayag explained.

The most important part, Tayag added, is the “listen” portion because this is where health and local government unit officials come in.

“We should recognize the huge involvement of barangay officials because they will help us in spreading the right information on how to prevent dengue in our community,” he continued.

The anti-dengue video which was performed by Tayag together with the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center dancing inmates was also played at the activity which was accompanied by Tayag’s live performance together with local dancers spread all over Plaza Sugbo in a flash mob dance style.

Records at the National Epidemiology Center for the period January 1, 2013 to June 8, 2013 showed that Central Visayas has the most number of cases in the entire country with 6,023.

This is 51 percent higher than the cases recorded for the same period in 2012.

For that same period, Cebu City has 831 cases according to Cebu City Health Department Dengue Coordinator Dr. Raymond Ogan. Two have already died. For the same period last year there were 962 cases.

Ogan said it was sad to note that Cebu indeed has the most number of dengue cases nationwide.

“It’s sad to know but it’s a challenge for us on our part to do more and to implement more dengue activities in the different barangays especially on those barangays which have high dengue recorded cases,” Ogan said.

Ogan also said that some of the barangays are doing actively and some are just doing fairly. He added that one of the problems raised by the barangay officials is that the residents are already aware about the risks of dengue but they are not taking any action and still have dirty surroundings.

With this, Ogan said that they are working on increasing the penalty for those households who have dirty surroundings and those that have mosquito breeding sites and containers in their property.

Upon learning about Cebu has the highest number of dengue cases in the country, Rama said there were measures they wanted to introduce but it was not pursued due to budget concerns.

He added that there is no clear penalty yet on those people who do not cooperate and still maintain an unhealthy environment, a good reason why he believes that an ordinance or a law should be passed in the prevention and fight against dengue.

He asked his opponents to stop politicking and be more involved instead in the advocacy of stopping dengue.

Rama said that he will tell Councilor Jose Daluz to make an ordinance to let the barangays be involved in the fight against dengue as well as its prevention.

“Let’s all be one in the fight against dengue. Kung dili ta makabuhat sa pagsugpo niana, mang-resign ‘tang tanan,” Rama challenged all the barangay captains and health officials, who were in the meeting yesterday.

“We will give warning, and even penalize those who will not cooperate in the national and local programs of the government to stop dengue fever,” Rama said.

Rama is also open to imitate the programs of those cities which were successful in their fight against dengue.

Meanwhile, Rama said he is also glad that a dengue vaccine created by Sanofi Pasteur will soon be released because he believed that this will be a good solution for a dengue-free country.

Cebu provincial and city government officials accepted the challenge of DOH to help them in addressing the rise of recorded dengue cases in the Queen City of the South.

“We are taking note of the concerned areas in the province. And I am likewise challenging our integrated provincial health office to address dengue and prevent the numbers from rising,” acting Cebu acting governor Agnes Magpale said.

ASEAN Dengue Day is also celebrated in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Vietnam. It is in partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government and Sanofi Pasteur.   (FREEMAN)