Mandaluyong City and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) launched a community drive against dengue, convening a lay forum under the banner of Project E-CODE (Empowering Communities for a Dengue-Ready Philippines).
With the Department of Health (DOH) logging over 100,000 dengue cases in the first half of the year, the city health officials are intensifying the fight against the mosquito-borne illness.
This community-based public health event was organized specifically to raise awareness and encourage active, grassroots participation in prevention and control efforts.
According to Edmond Deo Cuaresma, Policy Officer for ULAP, the goal of the lay forum is to target prevention efforts at the grassroots level by completing a three-pronged strategy.
‘There’s one for dengue experts, for the doctors. There’s also the Dengue Integrated Program for the healthcare workers and this one, the lay forum, which is for our local officials or barangay officials,’ Cuaresma told the BusinessMirror. ‘This ensures there’s a community-based approach to really having dengue prevention and awareness for different levels.’
The local government echoed this focus, stressing that community knowledge is vital to reducing the healthcare burden. Dr. Arnold Abalos, City Health Officer of Mandaluyong, emphasized that a refresher is needed to tackle the ongoing threat.
‘It’s more of a refreshment and reiteration to the community, to the barangay level, that this is a real threat and it is something serious and it should be addressed,’ Dr. Abalos said.
He noted that while the national target is to achieve zero dengue cases by 2030, the immediate plan is to ‘make the cases lower as much as possible.’
Key takeaways
During the lay forum, a discussion was led by Dr. Alexis Milan, a Pediatric Critical Care Specialist and resource speaker, whose informative session focused on empowering attendees with life-saving dengue prevention strategies.
Dr. Milan’s presentation covered essential topics such as debunking common myths and misconceptions about the disease, discussing unfamiliar facts about dengue, explaining the symptoms and proper management, and detailing practical, community-friendly ways to prevent its spread.
This community education aligns with a reinforced national campaign, as Mandaluyong City Mayor Carmelita ‘Menchie’ Abalos highlighted the Department of Health’s intensified focus.
‘Ngayong taon, inilunsad ng Department of Health ang mas pinaigting na kampanya na tinawag na ‘Dengue Free Philippines 2025′ na nakatuon sa pagpapalawak ng surveillance system gamit ang digital reporting tools, pagpapalaganap ng active guidelines ng critical management ng Dengue, [at] pagpapalakas ng community education,’ Abalos stated.
[‘This year, the Department of Health launched an intensified campaign called ‘Dengue Free Philippines 2025′ that is focused on expanding the surveillance system using digital reporting tools, disseminating active guidelines for the critical management of Dengue, [and] strengthening community education,’ Abalos stated.]
She emphasized that the campaign centers on the ‘4S Strategy’ for Dengue prevention: Search and Destroy mosquito breeding sites, Secure Self-Protection measures, Seek Early Consultation for symptoms, and Support fogging only in hotspot areas.
Dr. Lester Tan, Regional Director of the DOH-NCR Metro Manila Center for Health Development, provided a deeper explanation of the first step strategy, Search and Destroy, by introducing the complementary ‘4Ts of Dengue’ approach, often used at the barangay level.
‘Taob [turn upside down], Taktak [shake], Tuyot [dry], and Takip [cover]. Taob meaning turnover the container, taktak is empty the contents, and tuyo is to dry these containers, and takip is to cover these containers so we would not have mosquito breeding sites.’
Project E-CODE
The event received support from key partners, including Takeda Healthcare Philippines Inc., the lead partner for Project E-CODE (Empowering Communities for a Dengue-Ready Philippines).
Estela ‘Tattie’ Del Rosario, Takeda Philippines’ Public Affairs and Communications Head, highlighted the company’s commitment to mitigating the severity of dengue through community engagement.
‘Earlier, Takeda forged a meaningful partnership with ULAP and together launched the E-CODE Project. Through the E-CODE Project, our shared vision is both simple and powerful: to raise dengue awareness and empower communities, health workers, and local leaders with the tools and knowledge to combat dengue more effectively,’ Del Rosario explained.
Demonstrating international cooperation, Dr. Fumiko Aoki, First Secretary and Health Attaché of the Embassy of Japan, was also present to express Japan’s continuous commitment to collaboration and support for improving the country’s healthcare system.
The success of the Project E-CODE lay forum, piloted in Quezon City and most recently implemented in Mandaluyong, marks the beginning of a larger campaign. Takeda and ULAP will next roll out the program in Bohol, Cavite, and Iloilo as it expands its efforts across the Philippines.