The statement belies reports attributed to an urban poor group claiming some 10 children and adults have been afflicted. They said that simple diarrhea and gastro-intestinal cases of lower severity in their area could have simply been mistaken for the potentially fatal water-borne disease. They said that, in any case, the gastro figures they have on records are, more or less, normal.
Dr. Alex Cruz, speaking for Dr. Erlinda Mauricio of the Caloocan City Health Office, told The STAR that as far as their records show, there are no cholera cases in their jurisdiction.
"What we have are simple cases of diarrhea and we assure the public that the number of cases are "regular" and not alarming. The number of cases are not increasing and we are monitoring on a daily basis," Cruz said.
Dr. Isauro Garcia, Malabon assistant city health officer, said that records from September to November this year showed no reported cases of cholera, a deadly water-borne disease that could kill a patient within 24 hours. "People are probably mistaking cholera from simple diarrhea. Ito lang huli siguro ang sinasabi nila. Both diseases lead to dehydration and to death in its severest state," Garcia said. The official said he has tried reaching Rey Baltazar of the Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralitang Lunsod (KPML) and Longos barangay official Arceli Binondo, sources of the news accounts, for confirmation but failed. He said they are now monitoring the health centers and reported cases in the local hospitals.
Meanwhile, Malabon Acting Mayor Mark Allan Jay Yambao said they are conducting an investigation to verify the news reports adding that the local health office reported no such cases.
Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco, for his part, said that although his waterlogged town, like Malabon, was not included in the cholera hit list, he is not taking things for granted and has mobilized the local government’s resources to prevent the disease from breaking out in his town. "Prevention is the best and most powerful defennse against sickness. I enjoin the people of Navotas to make sure we maintain a clean and healthy environment within our homes and in our community."
Ma. Nita Gionson of the Navotas Health Office said they recorded only one death caused by gastroenteritis in October this year. Some 300 cases were reported in all 14 barangays but she said this was normal and this was not cholera.
Meanwhile, Maynilad Water Services Inc. assured customers in Caloocan and Malabon that the water supply in their areas is safe, as confirmed by the daily sampling conducted by the water concessionaire’s central laboratory.
Engr. Ireneo Gonzales, manager of the northwest business area which has jurisdiction over Camanava, said the samplings have been intensified in the wake of reports that there had been cholera cases reported due to contaminated water in Caloocan and Malabon.
"Samplings conducted at Barangays 25 and 38, where the contamination on reportedly occurred, showed normal levels of chlorine," Gonzales said. – With Katherine Adraneda, Pete Laude