ILOILO City – As dengue cases continue to increase across the country, Iloilo City has ramped up efforts to monitor its borders and curb the spread of the virus.
The City Health Office (CHO) reported a total of 106 dengue cases between January 1 and February 22, 2025, which includes one death — a 45-year-old man from the City Proper who succumbed to the illness on February 10.
While this marks a slight decline compared to the 119 cases recorded during the same period last year, the rise in cases has triggered heightened vigilance in the city’s bordering areas.
Dr. Mary Ann Diaz, CHO officer-in-charge, explained that the city’s focus is on critical border areas such as Barangay Buntatala, which borders the municipality of Leganes, Iloilo; Mandurriao district which is adjacent to San Miguel, Iloilo; and Arevalo district which borders Oton, Iloilo.
“We haven’t stopped advocating against this dengue. We are promoting the 4S,” she emphasized, referring to the four key strategies:
* searching and destroying mosquito breeding sites
* seeking early medical consultation
* self-protection, and
* supporting fogging efforts during outbreaks
Dr. Diaz stressed the importance of eliminating the mosquito vector in preventing dengue transmission.
“Without the mosquito vector, dengue transmission cannot occur,” she noted.
The city has also urged residents with symptoms to seek immediate medical attention and participate in self-protection measures, including supporting misting efforts when outbreaks are identified.
While Iloilo City has not yet reached an alert level for dengue, local health authorities continue to track emerging cases in areas such as barangays South Fundidor (Molo), Calaparan (Arevalo), and Jereos (La Paz), which have reported clustering of cases.
“Right now, we haven’t yet reached the alert level. But now and then, we have cases,” Diaz shared, signaling that the situation remains under close watch.
To further curb the spread, the city has intensified its information campaign and appealed to all 180 barangays to join the nationwide cleanup drive scheduled for Monday at 4 p.m. in order to eliminate potential mosquito breeding grounds.
Meanwhile, Iloilo province has also seen a sharp increase in dengue cases, with 592 reported between January 1 and February 15, 2025 — a 76.7 percent rise compared to last year. This includes five fatalities, up from one during the same period in 2024./PN
