An amendment to the Dengue Awareness Ordinance or Ordinance 10 s. 2007 has been submitted to the city council to intensify the mitigation measures of the city against dengue infection.
The proposal to amend the ordinance came about due to the findings of the sanggunian’s Legislative Monitoring and Evaluation Section (LMES) which said that Ordinance 10 s. 2007 is not fully implemented.
The LMES suggested the ordinance be amended incorporating the suggestions and recommendations of the various implementing offices.
In the proposal, the Department of Health-Cordillera shall provide technical assistance on the management and control of dengue instead of merely providing information, education, and communication materials.
Aside from observing sanitation in the school premises, educating students about dengue, and informing parents about the importance of proper sanitation, the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education-Cordillera shall also establish a referral system for suspect dengue cases for students and staff and enforce the 4S in anti-dengue efforts not only in schools but also in the community.
The 4S strategy stands for seeking and destroying breeding places of mosquitoes; self-protection measures; seeking early medical consultation; and stopping indiscriminate fogging.
It shall also be the duty of the DepEd and CHED to advocate health education in formal and informal settings to learners, parents, and DepEd personnel.
The Schools Division Office shall have direct supervision of public and private elementary schools, junior high schools, and senior high schools in the city in relation to dengue awareness campaign in schools.
Aside from information dissemination, referring patients to hospitals, and helping in the active surveillance of dengue, the Department of Social Welfare and Development-CAR shall conduct dengue prevention activities for Pantawid household beneficiaries during family development sessions.
The proposal also seeks to update the strategies for prevention and control as contained in the 2007 ordinance.
The proposed ordinance suggested the use of integrated vector management (IVM), a decision-making process promoting the use of a range of interventions and aiming to promote the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, ecological soundness, and sustainability of vector control measures.
The key elements of IVM strategy are advocacy, social mobilization, and legislation; collaboration within the health sector; integrated approach; evidence-based decision-making; and capacity building.
Under the proposed ordinance, P600,0000 shall be included in the budget of the City Health Services Office starting 2021 and every year thereafter.
The proposal was referred to the committee on health, sanitation, ecology, and environmental protection for review and recommendation. – Jordan G. Habbiling
