Council eyes Wolbachia to curb dengue cases

CEBU City Councilor Michelle Abella-Cellona renewed her call for a city-wide adoption of the Wolbachia method as an additional tool in addressing dengue, citing persistent infections and recent case data despite ongoing prevention efforts.

In a privilege speech on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, Cellona said dengue continues to affect families and strain the health system, particularly during the rainy season, and called for a science-based, preventive approach to complement existing measures.

Citing Department of Health (DOH) data, Cellona said 62,313 dengue cases were recorded nationwide from Jan. 1 to March 1, 2025, higher than during the same period in the previous year. She also cited earlier DOH figures showing 28,234 cases as of Feb. 1, 2025, a 40 percent increase from the previous year.

For Cebu City, Cellona said the City Health Department (CHD) recorded 701 dengue infections from Jan. to April 2, 2025, more than double the same period in 2024. From Jan to Sept. 6, 2025, dengue cases in the city reached 1,516, with seven deaths.

Cellona said that the City Government continues to support the DOH’s 4S strategy, which includes search and destruction of breeding sites, self-protection, early consultation, and fogging when indicated, but pointed out that dengue transmission remains a challenge.

She proposed the Wolbachia method, which involves introducing Wolbachia bacteria into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to reduce their ability to transmit dengue. According to the World Mosquito Program, the method does not involve genetic modification and can be sustained once established in communities.

Complementary method

Cellona cited results from a randomized controlled trial showing 77 percent lower dengue incidence and 86 percent lower dengue-related hospitalizations in areas where Wolbachia was implemented, based on research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

She said the Wolbachia program had previously been introduced in Cebu City and was reintroduced in 2025 with the support of the City Health Office. She called for a local implementation roadmap, pilot barangays, community briefings, monitoring, and budget support.

“I respectfully urge that we treat the Wolbachia method not as a replacement for current dengue control but as a complementary long-term layer of protection, particularly in high-risk urban barangays where outbreaks recur,” said Cellona.

During the session, Liga ng mga Barangay President Franklyn Ong discussed possible venues for briefing barangay officials, including through the Liga ng mga Barangay, and noted that all 80 barangays have received new misting machines, while raising concerns over the availability of chemicals used for misting. / EHP