ILOILO City — Mayor Raisa Treñas is urging residents to abandon the practice of relying solely on weekly community cleanups and instead make dengue prevention a daily household responsibility as the mosquito-borne disease continues to threaten public health across the city.
Treñas stressed that eliminating mosquito breeding grounds should become an everyday routine, particularly with dengue clusters detected in 28 barangays, including four identified as hotspots.
“Indi naton paghulaton ang weekly cleanup. Ang paglikaw sa dengue dapat adlaw-adlaw nga ginahimo sang kada panimalay,” the mayor said.
She urged every household to adopt the “4 O’Clock Habit,” dedicating a few minutes each afternoon to inspecting and eliminating stagnant water in containers, drainage areas and other potential mosquito breeding sites.
“Even a few minutes of checking our surroundings every day can help prevent mosquitoes from multiplying. We must make this a regular habit in our homes and communities, not just something we do during scheduled cleanup drives,” Treñas said.
The renewed call comes as City Health Office (CHO) records showed 785 dengue cases and eight deaths from January 4 to October 31, 2026, representing a 37.7-percent increase in infections compared with the same period last year.
The CHO also confirmed that the city had breached both dengue alert and epidemic thresholds, underscoring the urgency of sustained preventive measures.
Treñas emphasized that the city government’s cleanup campaigns would be insufficient without the active participation of residents and barangay officials.
“Dengue prevention requires the participation of everyone. The City Government can implement programs and conduct cleanup activities, but every household must also do its part to eliminate possible breeding places,” she added.
The mayor urged barangay officials to mobilize their communities and encourage residents to regularly inspect their surroundings rather than wait for government-organized cleanup activities.
She also reminded the public to seek immediate medical consultation upon experiencing dengue symptoms to prevent potentially serious complications.
With dengue transmission continuing to pose a public health threat, Treñas emphasized that consistent household action, rather than occasional cleanup drives, is essential to protecting communities from further infections and deaths./PN
