Mandaue to ask students to wear ‘anti-dengue attire’

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City Government is encouraging pupils to wear knee-high socks and long-sleeved clothes when coming to school as a way to prevent dengue.

The City Council recently passed a resolution requesting the day care centers and primary school institutions to motivate and encourage the students to observe proper sanitation in an effort for a city-wide preventive dengue campaign.

Councilor Jimmy Lumapas sponsored the resolution.

Among the suggestions is the wearing of knee-high socks and long-sleeved clothes when coming to class.

The Department of Health recently declared a national dengue alert due to the rapidly-increasing number of cases of the mosquito-borne disease in several regions.

Central Visayas is among the many regions in the country with an exceeding epidemic threshold having 9,199 cases from January to June of 2019.

“Schoolchildren are the largest group who often fall prey to this disease, thus the local government of Mandaue City is challenged to come up with measures to respond to this alarming situation,” Lumapas said.

He said that while the number of cases are glaring, these rising number of cases can still be prevented with some effective ways such as the observance of proper sanitation, applying mosquito repellants, and the wearing of long-sleeved clothes and knee-high socks in school premises.

“Whereas, to instill proper sanitation and the wearing of these self-protective garments to schoolchildren are hereby enjoined by the Mandaue City Government to form part of its intensified campaign to prevent the rapid rise of dengue cases,” read a portion of the resolution.

Copies of the resolution will be distributed to the office of Mayor Jonas Cortes, the day care centers in each of the 27 barangays of Mandaue City; and the Department of Education Mandaue City Division for prompt action. (FREEMAN)