Dengue outbreak puts four Iloilo towns in calamity

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Four towns in Iloilo province—Oton, Passi City, Tigbauan, and Miagao—have declared a state of calamity due to a dengue outbreak. The entire province has also been placed under a dengue outbreak and is on blue alert status.

Oton was the latest town to declare a state of calamity after the Sangguniang Bayan approved the request of Mayor Sofronio Fusin Jr. Oton Vice Mayor Jose Neil Olivares announced the decision on social media, citing the alarming rise in dengue cases.

According to data from the Provincial Health Office (PHO), Oton recorded 223 dengue cases from January 1 to August 10, 2024. This marks a significant 248 percent increase compared to the 64 cases reported during the same period in 2023.

In just one week, from August 4 to 10, the town logged 58 new cases.

Passi City was the first to declare a state of calamity on August 9, following a special session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod. The city has reported 327 dengue cases, including one fatality, as of August 8.

Tigbauan, with 117 recorded cases, and Miagao, with 128 cases, including two deaths, have also declared a state of calamity.

Meanwhile, the Iloilo Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (IPDRRMC) passed a resolution on August 15 recommending the entire province be placed under a state of calamity.

The resolution will be deliberated in the upcoming regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on August 20.

A province-wide declaration of a state of calamity would enable the mobilization of resources and the implementation of more comprehensive measures to address the outbreak.

As of August 10, Iloilo province has reported 4,595 dengue cases and 10 fatalities since the start of the year, marking a 320 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, which saw 1,095 cases and one death.

Out of 43 local government units (LGUs) in the province, 41 have breached the epidemic threshold, with 268 barangays experiencing clusters of dengue cases.

Meanwhile, Governor Arthur R. Defensor Jr. signed Executive Order No. 174 on Friday, declaring a heightened response to the recent surge in dengue cases across the province.