ROXAS CITY, Capiz, Philippines (PIA) — Despite low cases of dengue fever in Capiz, health officials here continue to remind the public to be vigilant against the deadly Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that can spread the dengue virus. As of October 29, only 72 dengue cases were recorded with the Capiz Epidemiological Surveillance and Response Unit (CESRU).

Of total cases, 60 were from Capiz while 12 others are from neighboring provinces admitted to Roxas city hospitals. Of the 16 towns and one city in the province, 25 dengue cases were recorded in Roxas City, followed by Maayon and Panay with five cases each, and three cases each in Dumarao, Pilar, Pontevedra and Sigma.

Opvet advisory

KALIBO, Aklan (PIA) — Vaccinating pet dogs with anti-rabies vaccines will greatly contribute in totally eradicating rabies infection cases, although provincial veterinarian, Dr. Gervase Radislao of the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPVET) here said vaccination should be focused more on stray dogs, as they bear the greatest risk of acquiring rabies.

 “As long as there are stray dogs, which are prone to rabies as they come in contact with other dogs, animals and dirt triggering infection, we cannot do away with rabies,” Radislao said. Aklan is a recipient of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which has provided Aklan with anti-rabies vaccines.

Refresher course

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, (PIA) — Members of the Sagay Island Ferryboat Operators’ Cooperative were given a refresher course on Basic Rescue and Water Safety by the local government of Sagay through the City Information and Tourism Office.

 The one-day Lecture and Refresher Course was aimed at further equipping participants on water safety and rescue skills. The training was in collaboration with Sagay Marine Reserve, Museo sang Bata sa Negros, Sagay Volunteer Emergency Response (SAVER) team and Sagay Ministers Association (SAMA).

Birth registration

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar (PIA) — Sangguniang Panglungsod member Jennifer Anacio marked her birthday sponsoring 68 birth registrations from all over Borongan City. “A child needs an identity,” said Anacio, “and birth registration gives them identity.”

 Anacio also pointed out that a person who is not registered loses opportunities when it comes to job opportunities. She also informed that the project she co-sponsored with Borongan Mayor Ma. Fe Abunda made her understand why parents don’t register their children.

Classrooms built

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte (PIA) — Telecommunications provider, Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) has funded the retrofitting of classrooms and construction of a concrete pathway here, enabling pupils of Himbangan Elementary School in Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte to have comfortable classrooms free from flooding and leaking ceilings.

Said town is one of several sites benefiting from the Advancing Safer Communities and Environments against Disasters (ASCEND) Project, aiming to increase resilience and reducing the vulnerability of communities, schools and local government units in high-risk areas through consolidation and scaling-up of gains in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA).