MANDALUYONG CITY, (PIA) — In Barangay Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City, an innovative way was recently launched to fight the dreaded dengue.
Addition Hills Barangay Captain Carlito Cernal explained the concept of collecting live or dead mosquitoes or larvae.
“Ang konsepto po natin dito ay magdadala ang ating mga kababayan ng limang piraso ng lamok, buhay man o patay, o kiti-kiti kapalit po noo’y piso. Layunin po natin dito na paigtingin ang programa na mapababa ang kaso ng dengue.”
[Our concept is for residents to bring five pieces of mosquitos, alive or dead, or larvae, in exchange of one peso. We aim to strengthen the program and to lower the case of dengue.]
Cernal also enjoined residents to be part of the solution and the need for cooperation between the community and the government in the fight against dengue.
He also reminded residents that minors or those under 18 years old are prohibited from joining the program to ensure their health and safety.
To keep track of the number of collected mosquitoes, Barangay Addition Hills keeps a database.
According to Cernal, the barangay has collected around 3,000 mosquitoes and larvae in just three days after its launch.
Meanwhile, to allay fears of ‘mosquito farming,’ the barangay chief said that they are strictly monitoring residents who are bringing in mosquitoes.
“Yung pinangangambahan ng ating mga kababayan na baka mag farming, ‘pag nalaman namin na paulit-ulit na nagdadala ng kiti-kiti o lamok, baka ipatawag ko yung tao o residente…para mapatigil natin yung ganung sistema.”
[If we find out that residents are repeatedly bringing in larvae or mosquitoes, (maybe) I will call the person… to prevent it.]
Aside from this campaign, Barangay Addition Hills also implements its community ‘Palit Basura, Pagkain sa Mesa’ campaign – encouraging residents to keep their surroundings clean.
Residents are encouraged to collect and bring in their cut plastic sachets and wrappers in exchange for food.
This campaign is also one of the strategies Barangay Addition Hills implements to prevent not only dengue, but leptospirosis as well. (JEG/PIA-NCR)
