CAVITE — A state of calamity has been declared in Tanza town amid the continuing increase of dengue cases, an official said Friday.

Tanza Municipal Health Officer Dr. Ruth Punzalan said there are 310 dengue cases in the municipality as of September 1, a huge increase compared to the same period in 2021 and 2020.

With the declaration of state of calamity, the municipality will be given additional budget to strengthen its dengue control programs.

“Marami pong mga dahilan na posibleng naging contributory factor doon sa pagtaas [ng kaso ng dengue]. Ang Tanza po kasi ay isa sa mataas na populasyon [sa Cavite] at marami po kaming mga dense areas na barangay. May mga matao na mga lugar dito sa Tanza. Siyempre, ‘yung waste disposal minsan, ‘yung sunod-sunod pag-ulan,” said Punzalan.

Punzalan said situation in three hospitals in the municipality is still manageable, but they often experience admission congestion due to dengue cases.

The official recommended the designation of fast-lane in hospitals to prioritize dengue patients.

“Sa ngayon, hindi pa naman sila nao-overwhelm, handled pa naman. Pero madals na nagiging full house na rin,” she said.

“Minsan nage-exceed na rin doon sa designated space nila for COVID at saka for dengue.”

In a bid to control the outbreak,the Department of Health-Calabarzon on Friday turned over anti-dengue and other vector control supplies to the local government of Tanza. The supplies will then be distributed to schools and residential areas.

This also coincided with the launching of “Oplan Katok, Lamok Tepok” campaign where municipal employees will knock at the doors of residents to check cleanliness.

Public information campaign through infomercials and text blasts will also be conducted, while the local government will implement a clean-up drive.

“Ang dengue po mga kapatid ay hindi pangkalusugang problema. Ito po ay environmental problem. Tapos kapag napupuno ang ospital, kami ang papagalitan? Pagalitan niyo naman ang sarili niyo. Iniaasa niyo lang sa barangay officials ang paglilinis,” said Dr. Nelson Soriano, provincial health officer of Cavite.

“Sa sama-samang pagkilos ng ating mga kababayan, na bawat isa ay may kanya-kanyang responsibilidad, bawat isa ay may kakayahang gawin ang kanyang maliit na kontribusyon upang siguraduhin na ang atin pong kapaligiran ay maging ligtas po,” added Dr. Ariel Valencia, regional director of DOH-Calabarzon.