The Dengue-Free Movement distributed larvicide to 19 school divisions under the Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd 7) as part of its campaign to eradicate dengue.
The larvicide worth P535,000 was turned over by Dr. Wyben Briones of the Rotary Club of Metro Cebu and founder of the Dengue-Free Movement in a ceremony held last Friday at the DepEd regional office in sitio Sudlon, barangay Lahug, Cebu City.
The plan to turnover the insecticide came up five years ago with the goal of eradicating dengue.
District Governor Buddy Estudillo said the Dengue-Free Movement is a program of The Rotary International District 3860 (Central Visayas, Negros Region, Leyte, Samar, Caraga Region, Socsargen and Davao provinces) to help our constituents in the district.
“Our plan is to reach those mentioned areas, but we are still looking for funds for other areas. Cebu is lucky to get their larvicide first,” Estudillo said.
Former District governor Toto Cupin said the larvicide is partly funded by the rotary club and International Pharmaceuticals Inc. (IPI), the supplier of the product from Mexico.
“This project is the fifth phase of our anti-dengue campaign, which started in 2010 in Cebu City, then it expanded to Metro Cebu, Cebu province, and the whole region seven,” Cupin said.
The program will be deploying 45,000 teachers region-wide to help drop the larvicide in school areas where there are stagnant water, a breeding ground for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
Cupin stressed the need to sustain the practice since mosquitoes quickly multiply and increase. The application has to be done at least thrice a year.
Their problem though is the insufficient funds to sustain the project. Cupin said he hopes the local government units (LGUs) will provide financial support to sustain the project. He said some LGUs shouldered the cost of larvicide, but not all were moved by their concept of larviciding.
“Our stock will cover 300 meter radius around all 2,300 schools. Most of the dengue patients are children so chances are, they got it from the parameters of the schools,” said Cupin.
Another goal of the rotary club is to organize a “little dengue brigade” which will monitor areas in their community where there are stagnant waters. /Palompon Institute of Technology Intern Bianca Genosa