THE DEPARTMENT of Education launched a program to protect children in Antique from dengue.

DepEd Antique Medical Officer 3 Kristine Marie Gadayan said that parents helped the teachers paint, clean and rearrange furniture in preparation for the holding of face-to-face classes.

“In the process of arranging the cabinets, chairs and other classroom facilities, the teachers with the help of the parents are also able to remove containers that could serve as mosquito-breeding places,” she said.

Dengue awareness campaigns are ongoing in schools, Gadayan said.

In the first five months of 2022, the Philippines recorded about 35,000 cases of dengue fever and 180 dengue-related deaths, according to the Department of Health.