City Hall to mobilize schools, barangays vs dengue

CEBU, Philippines — Mayor Nestor Archival has ordered the City Council Committee on Health and the Local Health Board to submit within two days a comprehensive action plan that will mobilize schools and barangays in a coordinated anti-dengue campaign amid the rising number of cases in the city.

The mayor's directive came as surveillance data showed that Cebu City recorded 1,228 dengue cases, including one City Hall employee, and 10 deaths from January to mid-July 2026. The figures represent a significant increase from the 1,093 cases and three deaths reported during the same period last year.

Children aged one to 10 remain the most affected, accounting for nearly 41 percent of all reported infections. The barangays with the highest number of cases are Guadalupe, Basak San Nicolas, Lahug, Labangon and Tisa.

Archival stressed that preventing dengue starts at home, urging residents to regularly inspect their surroundings and remove stagnant water from unused containers and rain-filled receptacles where mosquitoes breed.

He also reminded residents to seek immediate medical attention at their barangay health centers or the Cebu City Health Department once symptoms appear.

To strengthen the city's response, the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) has established a fast lane for suspected dengue patients to ensure quicker diagnosis and treatment.

According to the World Health Organization, dengue is a viral disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Common symptoms include high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting and skin rash.

Severe dengue may cause abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding and difficulty breathing, and can be fatal if left untreated.

Globally, dengue infects an estimated 100 million to 400 million people each year, with children among the most vulnerable.

In the Philippines, the Department of Health continues to promote the 4S Strategy against dengue: Search and destroy mosquito breeding sites, Self-protection against mosquito bites, Seek early consultation when symptoms appear, and Support spraying in hotspot communities.

City Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the City Council Committee on Health, earlier told reporters that the city will launch a massive information and education campaign in partnership with the Department of Education and barangay officials.

The campaign will extend to the sitio level through the distribution of information, education and communication (IEC) materials, insecticide-treated mosquito nets in schools and communities, misting operations, and community clean-up drives aimed at eliminating mosquito breeding sites.

Tumulak said the campaign will also include public awareness on leptospirosis, a bacterial disease transmitted through floodwaters contaminated with rat urine, although the city has not recorded a local surge in cases. — (FREEMAN)