Environment and National Resources Secretary Ramon Paje on Tuesday ordered a massive cleanup drive of waterways and other breeding places of mosquitoes all over the country in an effort to curb the rising number of dengue cases nationwide. In an administrative order issued on Tuesday, Paje directed the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and all its regional officials to coordinate with local executives and lead the cleanup drive on rivers, creeks and other waterways. The DENR chief specifically ordered local officials to remove silt and garbage in these waterways, which impede the free flow of water and make them breeding places for dengue-carrying mosquitoes. “The unprecedented increase in the number of dengue cases in the country is definitely alarming. The DENR fully supports the call of the government for a massive cleanup," he said in a statement posted on the DENR website on Tuesday. Paje added that he issued the order in response to a directive from Malacañang calling on the DENR and two other government agencies to undertake measures to arrest the spread of dengue. The Department of Health earlier said that the number of dengue cases in the country for the past eight months already reached 69,594 — almost double the figure for the same period last year. (See: DOH: Mild dengue cases can be managed at home) Paje likewise said that the waterways cleanup drive also seeks to address other environmental problems usually associated with the rainy season.
“The beauty of the clean-up campaign is that we are not only addressing the dengue problem, but also other environmental problems that also need immediate attention like flashfloods and landslides that we may face under the La Niña scenario," he said. He added that he has also directed local environment officials to regularly submit reports on the progress of cleanup drives in their areas so that the DENR central office in Quezon City can monitor their activities. The department is also planning to engage the help of the country’s 100 top corporations in its “adopt-an-estero" program, where each waterway in the country will be placed under the watch of a particular firm, according to Paje.—JV
