SENATOR Nancy Binay on Tuesday called on the Department of Education and local governments to ensure that students are protected against dengue.

The country already logged more than 100,000 dengue cases as of July this year.

“Mas fatal ang dengue para sa mga bata, kaya nananawagan tayo sa DepEd at LGUs na mag-focus din sa dengue. Bukod sa Covid-watch, dapat paigtingin din ang dengue-watch, at kailangang masiguro na dengue-safe ang schools natin,” Binay said.

The Department of Health reported last week that the country posted 102,619 dengue cases as of July 30, 2022 which is 131 percent higher than the 44,361 cases in 2021.

Binay warned that cases will continue to grow unless dengue-carrying mosquitoes are eliminated.

“Sa usaping ito, malaki ang maitutulong ng mga LGU para masigurong laging malinis ang mga paaralan at walang pinamumugaran ng lamok ang mga ito,” the senator said.

She urged LGUs and schools to conduct clean-up drives and integrate anti-dengue measures even after Brigada Eskwela 2022 concludes this week.

Binay added that communities should be constantly engaged and informed about the 4S strategy against dengue — search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation and say no to indiscriminate fogging.

“Mahalagang malaman din ng mga pamilya kung anong maaari nilang gawin upang maiwasan ang dengue sa kanilang mga tahanan,” she said.

The senator called on the Department of Science and Technology to share its knowledge on innovative ways to prevent the spread of dengue in schools and households.

The DOST has developed the Mosquito Ovicidal-Larvicidal trap system to detect, monitor, and control the population of the dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

The trap works by attracting female mosquitoes to lay eggs on the paddle drenched with an organic solution that kills the eggs and larvae.