Rama wants ordinance to help prevent dengue

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama wants the Cebu City Council to enact an ordinance compelling the city residents to prevent the spread of dengue by cleaning up their surroundings and to penalize those who refuse to comply with the law.

Cebu City Public Information Officer (PIO) Florito “Carlo” Dugaduga said the mayor called up a meeting with the health officials, including some doctors of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) last Wednesday to discuss the issue.

Dugaduga said the mayor instructed the health officials to come up with a recommendation to guide the city councilors who will be drafting the proposed ordinance.

“Gusto man gud ni mayor nga duna g’yuy balaud kabahin niini aron nga mapugos gayud ang katawhan nga manglimpyo sa ilang palibut ug gub-on ang mga breeding sites sa mga lamok sa ilang dapit. (The mayor really wants a law regarding this so that the people will really be compelled to clean their surroundings and destroy the breeding sites of mosquitoes),” said Dugaduga.

It is not clear yet if the said ordinance will include making barangay officials liable if there are areas in their territorial jurisdictions that are considered breeding sites of mosquitoes.

The health officials announced that seven persons, mostly children, already died because of dengue and close to 2,000 dengue cases had been recorded in Cebu City so far from January to August 31.

But because the passage of an ordinance may take several months or even a year due to the compliance of legal requirements like presenting the issue through a public hearing, Dugaduga said Rama will just issue an executive order once he returns from his trip to China next week.

Rama is afraid that if the public will not cooperate by cleaning their respective surroundings, dengue cases will go up on the next months especially now that it is already rainy season.

– (FREEMAN)