EVERY rainy season, Western Visayas braces not only for floods but also for a familiar consequence: disease outbreaks. The latest warning from the Department of Health (DOH) is another reminder that while heavy rains may be unavoidable, the illnesses that follow should not be accepted as an annual inevitability.
As of early June, Western Visayas had already recorded 1,734 dengue cases, 329 food and water-borne disease cases, 279 influenza-like illnesses, and 144 leptospirosis infections. These are children, workers, students, and elderly residents whose health, livelihoods, and even lives have been placed at risk.
To its credit, the DOH Region 6 has acted swiftly by intensifying surveillance and reminding the public to observe preventive measures. But health advisories alone cannot solve a problem that has become deeply rooted in poor sanitation, inadequate drainage systems, improper waste disposal, and weak community discipline.
The truth is that dengue mosquitoes do not appear overnight. Floodwaters do not become contaminated without reason. Leptospirosis spreads because garbage clogs waterways, flooding becomes more frequent, and communities are repeatedly exposed to unsafe environments. Food- and water-borne diseases thrive where access to clean water and proper sanitation remains inadequate.
This is why disease prevention cannot rest solely on the shoulders of health authorities. Local government units must strengthen drainage maintenance, intensify garbage collection, enforce sanitation ordinances, and eliminate mosquito breeding sites long before the rainy season begins. Schools, barangays, businesses, and civic organizations must also become active partners instead of waiting for outbreaks before mobilizing.
Public awareness must likewise evolve into sustained behavioral change. Many people know the dangers of stagnant water, contaminated floodwaters, and poor hygiene. Yet too often, these reminders are forgotten until another family member falls ill. Prevention is effective only when practiced consistently — not only during emergencies.
Climate change makes this challenge even more urgent. Stronger rains, prolonged flooding, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns create conditions that favor the spread of infectious diseases. Public health planning must therefore become part of climate adaptation strategies. Investments in resilient infrastructure, flood mitigation, safe water systems, and disease surveillance should be viewed not merely as development projects but as life-saving measures.
Ultimately, the greatest tragedy is that many of these illnesses are preventable. Every dengue case avoided, every child spared from severe diarrhea, and every family protected from leptospirosis represents a victory achieved not inside hospitals but within communities committed to prevention.
Western Visayas should not merely focus on how quickly it responds to outbreaks. It must pay attention to how outbreaks occur in the first place. Breaking this annual cycle requires warnings and more — it demands sustained political will, responsible governance, and a public that understands that health is everyone’s shared responsibility.
