Sibalom municipality in Antique suspended classes at all levels in public and private schools to allow insecticide spraying to eliminate dengue vectors. Mayor Gian Carlo Occeña issued Executive Order 2024-20-VIII, suspending classes on Friday afternoon. 'To prevent the widespread occurrence of dengue and other diseases in the locality, there is a need for collective effort and immediate action like spraying, including schools, to combat the increasing incidence of dengue cases in the Municipality,' the EO dated Aug. 29, 2024 read. The town has 135 confirmed dengue cases, the highest in Antique, prompting the mayor to conduct anti-vector spraying. Antique Integrated Provincial Health Office information officer Irene Duldoco said the spraying activity is a good initiative to prevent the spread of dengue. 'There are already 994 dengue cases in Antique, which is 97.61 percent higher than last year's 503 cases only,' she said in an interview. The cases from Jan. 1 to Aug. 24, 2024, with one death, breached the alert threshold. It signals preparation to respond to an epidemic. 'The Barangay Health Workers are urged to conduct fever surveillance in every household so that they could immediately advise people to seek early consultation and treatment,' Duldoco said. Source: Philippines News Agency