Synchronized Dengue Clean-Up Drive Kicks-Off in Taguig
By Ciara Robyn Fandiñola
TAGUIG CITY – “Kayang kaya kung Sama-sama!” true enough as the theme goes, the DOH NCR office, Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Local Government Units collaborate in launching the Region-wide Synchronized Dengue Clean-Up Drive at Brgy. Sta. Ana Covered court, Taguig City, last June 20.
“Hindi po ito kaya ng DOH lang, kailangan namin ang tulong ninyo para makamit ang all for health, kalusugang pangkalahatan,” remarked Assistant Regional Director Corazon Flores in her keynote message. “Makakatulong tayo sa bayan kung tayo po ang maglilinis sa paligid. Hindi lang lamok ang masosolve, even other environmental health problems,” she added.
Taguig City Mayor Laarni Cayetano supported this statement by encouraging her constituents to cooperate with the DOH program for a dengue-free community. She further emphasized the significance of personal hygiene and culture of cleanliness inside the homes.
“Huwag nating hayaan na paangat ang lungsod ng Taguig pero ang mga komunidad natin ay palubog ng palubog dahil hindi natin magampanan ang ating basic duties” she reiterated, prior to assuring everyone that Taguig will keep their communities dengue-free with the leadership of their barangay officials.
Additionally, the barangay officials in leadership of Capt. Radeng Aquino, City Councilor for Health Rodel “Tikboy” Marcelino, City Health Officer Dr. Erlinda Rayos Del Sol, Taguig City Sanitation Office and Taguig Integrated School actively participated in the launching of the program.
Thereafter, a cleanup activity in Taguig Integrated School followed wherein parents initiated the sweeping and collecting of trashes around the area. Meanwhile, Sanitation officers started fogging the identified dengue-prone expanses inside the campus.
The launching activity is only a kick-off of intensifying the surveillance and awareness campaign to the public in order to avoid the recently reported increasing rate of dengue cases. The DOH continually promotes the strict observance of 4S (Search and destroy, Self-protection measures, Seek early consultation and Say no to indiscriminate fogging) in eliminating dengue.
Ultimately the success of achieving a dengue-free community does not only end here. It is important to continue the support and commitment coming from the government, partner agencies and most especially from individual homes; hence, as Mayor Cayetano emphasized, “makialam po tayong lahat, dahil sa huli, bawat buhay po ay mahalaga.”