THE Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) approved the P8-million fund requested by the City Health Office (CHO) for dengue prevention program in the metro, during a meeting on July 17.

The amount is part of the P57.6-million 2018 trust fund intended for CDRRMC’s various programs, projects and activities related to disaster risk reduction.

“We need the fund to purchase equipment like fogging machines, sprayers, and chemicals so that we can already saturate the schools and barangays here in the city,” Mayor Jerry Treñas, CDRRMC chairperson, said.

“Teachers and principals are almost in panic state, and they are calling for immediate response to spraying requests of the schools,” he added.

Treñas noted schools that have Gabaldon buildings are potential mosquito breeding grounds because of stagnant water under the structure, which was raised 1.2 meters on wooden or concrete platforms.

CHO recorded as of date 868 dengue cases, with eight confirmed deaths, compared to the whole year of 2018 which had six deaths. (PR)