In a bid to address the prevailing dengue crisis in the city, Mayor Celso Lobregat has issued an executive order declaring this day, September 2, as a Citywide Cleanup Day.

In signing Executive Order No. CL 351-2010 dated August 31, Mayor Lobregat said that for the month of August alone the City Health Office had reported 314 dengue cases, thus breaching the outbreak level for the said month of 277 cases.

Lobregat said today’s citywide cleanup campaign is aimed at drumming up awareness on the need to stem the spread of dengue fever cases through massive “search and destroy” the breeding grounds of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

He has instructed the CHO to implement the office planned programs and activities to effectively address the dengue crisis.

To recall, Lobregat last August 20 had also issued another executive order (CL 350-2010) declaring a dengue fever outbreak in Zamboanga City and a year-round war against the dengue disease.

This developed after the CHO’s Epidemiological Surveillance Unit had reported a total of 1,755 dengue cases in the city, of which 20 mostly children had died of the disease.

Among the hardest hit barangays (with most number of dengue cases) were: Tumaga with 110 cases, Tetuan- 101, Sta. Maria- 94, San Roque- 93, Baliwasan- 81, Guiwan- 76, Putik- 75, San Jose Gusu- 69, Pasonanca- 68, Sta. Catalina- 61 and Talon-Talon with 59 cases.

In his executive order, Lobregat noted that dengue fever has become a year-round occurence in the city, for which he cited the need to undertake immediate interventions to stop or prevent dengue through, but not limited to, search and destroy of dengue mosquito breeding sites, cleanup drive, intensified advocacy and information drive, fumigation of selected schools, residences and business establishments, and planting of mint trees in different areas.

For which purpose, the chief executive has created the Zamboanga City Dengue Crisis Management Committee as complemented by his earlier EO No. CLL-188-2995.

All barangay units have been enjoined to assist in the action plan of the committee for a sustained pro-active stance against dengue, a mosquito-borne disease.

In July this year, the mayor had also issued Administrative Order N0. CL 34-2010, designating the Office of City Health Officer Rodelin Agbulos) to take the lead in responding to health emergencies by formulating a health emergency response framework plan.

Specifically, the administrative order hopes to develop goals, plans and policies for ensuring an efficient and effective system for managing emergencies and disasters in the health sector.