PAGADIAN CITY — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday mobilized the country’s more than 42,000 barangays to lead the implementation of the Aksyon Barangay Kontra Dengue (ABKD) through regular clean-up activities in their respective communities.

ABKD is an inter-agency strategy and is the government’s response to intensify the fight against dengue outbreak in order to reduce dengue cases and control dengue transmission.

DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo said barangays should spearhead and intensify the conduct of a clean-up drive through the mobilization of volunteers involving residents, Barangay Health Teams and Barangay Tanods.

“If we really want zero-dengue incidents, the clean-up activity should be made as a regular activity in all barangays that should be participated in by residents and other concerned sectors,” he said.

Last year, a total of 25,533 dengue cases have been reported, which resulted to the death of 180 patients where most of the victims were children ages 1 to 15 years old.

In his directive, Robredo enjoined city and municipal mayors to cause the enactment of an ordinance embodying measures on dengue prevention and control, as well as to allocate funds for dengue prevention and control subject to national and local rules and regulations.

He also said that mayors should ensure that punong barangays under their supervision should carry out the following tasks, among others; conduct of information campaign relative to the OL-Trap system as a strategy to control and detect impending dengue outbreaks; assist in the identification of distribution centers or stores for OL-Trap Kits; mobilize the Barangay Health Teams as distribution agents of OL-Trap products; and allocate funds to sustain the continous supply of OL-Trap materials for free to their barangay constituents.

In the same way, city or municipal health officers are expected to conduct massive information campaign relative to the OL-Trap system; monitor the health situation; provide data on dengue cases to partner agencies; extend technical assistance in the conduct of training and orientation relative to dengue prevention and control; devise a scheme of providing support fund to ensure sustainability of dengue prevention and control; and ensure that dengue patients are provided with timely and proper medical attention.

The Ovicidal/Larvicidal Trap System of OL-Trap System, a device consisting of a tumbler, strips of plywood and pellets, can detect Aedes mosquito population and acts as an early warning signal to pre-empt any impending dengue outbreaks.

The DILG Secretary also directed all DILG Regional Directors and the ARMM Regional Governor to designate a regional focal person on dengue and monitor the actions undertaken by the city, municipal and barangay governments and require them to submit quarterly reports to the DILG Secretary.