Iloilo: The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO) on Wednesday urged communities to intensify the campaign against dengue as the province experiences a continuing rise in cases since the start of the year.

According to Philippines News Agency, based on the latest data, Iloilo province logged 2,511 dengue cases, including 10 deaths, from Jan. 1 to June 28, marking a 58 percent increase from the 1,586 cases with five deaths recorded in the same period in 2024. The municipalities with the highest cases are San Joaquin, Oton, Dumangas, Leon, Cabatuan, Pototan, Lambunao, Janiuay, Calinog, and Pavia.

The towns with the highest new cases in just a week are Oton with 20, Janiuay with 15, Dumangas has 14, Barotac Nuevo with 13, and 10 each from Lambunao, Pavia, and Barotac Viejo. Further, the number of barangays with clustering of cases rose to 39 from only 23 barangays in the previous week.

IPHO chief Dr. Maria Socorro Qui±on noted in a media interview that there is a 70 percent increase in barangays with clustering of cases in just one week. Qui±on acknowledged the support of the community in the 'Alas Kwatro Kontra Mosquito' campaign, a simultaneous cleanup every Monday, but highlighted that those not participating are likely the ones affected by dengue.

'Let us not lose hope. Let us continue to practice Alas Kwatro Kontra Mosquito every Monday or Saturday for your convenience, whichever, as long as we search and destroy breeding places even for just once a day in one week,' she said. Qui±on also urged those showing signs and symptoms to seek consultation immediately, observe self-protection measures, and agree to fogging where there is clustering of cases.

Qui±on hoped that the province would not experience the 2019 dengue outbreak where the province recorded more than 3,000 cases and 15 deaths from January to June of that year.