IMAGE Daniella Marie Agacer
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Quezon City government on Saturday declared a dengue outbreak in view of the rising number of people affected in the city.
鈥淥ur declaration of a dengue outbreak ensures that we are on top of the situation, and we are doing everything we can to protect our residents from this deadly disease, especially our children,鈥� QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a statement.
Data by the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Division of the Quezon City Health Department showed that 1,769 cases were recorded from January 1 to February 14, 2025, registering a nearly 200 percent increase from last year.
READ: DOH sees 40% rise in dengue cases as of Feb. 1
The city government also reported that eight out of 10 QC citizens who died from the disease were minors.
Further, it noted that 鈥淸f]ifty-eight (58) percent of the reported cases involve school-aged children (5 to 17 years old), while 44 percent are children ages 1 to 10.鈥�
鈥淢ga bata ang karamihan sa mga nagiging biktima ng nakamamatay na sakit na ito. Kaya nananawagan ako sa mga kapwa ko magulang na sama-sama nating protektahan ang ating mga anak laban sa dengue,鈥� Belmonte said.
(Children are mostly the victims of this deadly disease. I am calling on my fellow parents to protect our children against dengue.)
Belmonte also urged parents to monitor and observe health conditions of children and join clean-up drives.
The city will also open all 66 QC Health Centers during the weekends, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 鈥渁s a primary solution to address the late diagnosis of dengue.鈥�
The city health centers also established a fever express lane to attend to possible dengue patients, as fever is one of the symptoms of the disease. Free dengue test kits are also available in health centers and hospitals.
鈥淨Citizens, kung may nararamdaman na kayong sintomas ng dengue tulad ng lagnat, sakit ng ulo, at pananakit ng kasu-kasuan, pumunta na kayo agad sa pinakamalapit na health center sa inyong lugar,鈥� Belmonte stated.
(QCitizens, if you feel dengue symptoms like fever, headache, muscle ache, go to the nearest health center in your area.)
READ: Store water, avoid dengue, DOH urges public
The QC government also issued the following reminders for its citizens:
- Use mosquito repellent
- Wear personal protective clothing like long sleeves and long pants
- Ensure that there is no stagnant water in houses or drainage systems
- Empty used containers, tires, pots, and other items that collect water
The Department of Health on Friday reported an upward trend in dengue cases with 28,234 cases logged as of February 1, 2025, a 40-percent increase from the previous year.