SDO San Juan joins the Region-wide Synchronized Dengue Clean-Up Drive
The Schools Division Office of San Juan, in coordination with the City Health Office, answered the call of the Department of Health for a Region-wide Synchronized Dengue in the National Capital Region by mobilizing all schools to participate in the activity last August 16, 2019 wherein a kick-off activity was held at Pinaglabanan Elementary School with guests from DOH-NCR Office.
In attendance were school officials, students, teachers and parents, ready to do their part in the prevention of dengue infection.
Mr. Dennis Bacle, School Head of Pinaglabanan Elementary School, welcomed the participants and guests with special appreciation to the leadership of Pinaglabanan Elementary School GPTA, in the person of the president, Mr. Cedric Casilao, for encouraging parents’ participation in the activity and their initiative to coordinate with the City Health Office on dengue prevention measures that can help make the school safer for their children.
It could be remembered that on August 6, 2019, via a press release, the Department of Health declared a National Dengue Outbreak in the wake of the 146,062 cases recorded since January up to July 20 this year, 98% higher than the same period in 2018. In response to this, the Metro Manila Center for Health Development (MMCHD), spearheaded the conduct of the Region-wide Synchronized Dengue in the National Capital Region.
On behalf of the Schools Division Office, Dominique T. Rivera, PhD, Senior Education Program Specialist, related his childhood experience with dengue, giving emphasis to making sure that the school is not, and will not be, conducive to the increase of breeding places of mosquitoes. He also mentioned that the practice of the 4 o’clock habit should not end after the clean-up drive, but should be done regularly in the school, community, and households.
San Juan City DOH Representative, Mr. Ritcher Quitevis, DMO IV, thanked the school for accommodating the activity’s kick-off ceremony. He also appealed to the parents that daily practice of the 4 o’clock habit should start at home and the more households practicing it, the better the protection of the community.
DOH-NCRO Representative, Dr. Patrick Co, DMO V, reminded the participants that the Region-wide Synchronized Dengue Clean-up Drive should not be just about cleaning. It should be about eradicating the breeding places of mosquitoes because, as he said, “No mosquitoes, no dengue.”
Dr. Melchor Gonzales, City Dengue Coordinator, presented the key point on the practice of the 4 o’clock habit which is finding and eradicating possible breeding places of mosquitoes such as tires, drums, vases, cans, water bottles, etc., containing stagnant water. He also encouraged practicing daily the 4S Strategy: Search and destroy, Self-protection measure, Seek early consultation when symptomatic, and Support space spraying in identified areas with clustering of cases.
The program was then followed by the clean-up activities. Mr. Rick Chua, San Juan Sanitation Officer, showed examples of possible mosquito breeding places and demonstrated how to clean them. The participants were grateful for this and proceeded to their areas of assignment, hopeful for a cleaner, dengue-free school, because, as the slogan said, “Sabayang 4-O’clock Habit para Deng-Get Out!”
Article written by:
Michelle Cielito C. Abraham (Division Nurse II)
