THE Department of Health Davao Region (DOH-Davao) recorded 10,808 cumulative dengue cases from January 4 to September 5, 2026, a slight 1.2 percent decrease from the 10,936 cases logged during the same period last year.
Medical Officer III Dr. Frances Therese Reyes presented the Morbidity Week 35 surveillance report during a media briefing, noting that despite the overall year-to-date decline, recent weeks saw a slight uptick.
Infections rose by 1.6 percent to 1,339 cases from August 9 to 22 (MW 32–33), up from the 1,318 cases recorded between July 26 and August 8 (MW 30–31).
Health officials cautioned that the lower cumulative total should not give residents a false sense of security, noting that dengue is no longer strictly seasonal due to rapid climate change and shifting weather conditions, though cases still naturally rise during the rainy season when stagnant water accumulates.
Addressing common community misconceptions regarding mosquito control, Reyes noted that fogging operations only eliminate adult mosquitoes and must be paired with consistent physical intervention.
"We have to remember, very important na ang fogging is ang napapatay is ang adult lamok lamang (it is very important to note that fogging only kills adult mosquitoes)," Reyes said in an interview. "So, ang foundation talaga natin for dengue prevention and control is ang search and destroy (our true foundation for dengue prevention and control is search and destroy)."
The health agency urged the public not to be complacent and reiterated its enhanced 4Ts strategy to eliminate potential breeding sites like old tires and flowerpots: Taob (empty water-holding containers), Taktak (discard things that collect water), Tuyo (keep containers and surroundings dry), and Takip (cover water storage containers properly).
Residents are reminded to thoroughly scrub water containers, not just empty them, to dislodge mosquito eggs clinging to the surfaces.
The mid-year regional data follows earlier local figures reported by the City Health Office (CHO) during Dengue Awareness Month in June. CHO Tropical Disease Prevention and Control Unit head Melodina Babante previously disclosed that Davao City logged 644 cases and seven deaths from January to May — a 61.53 percent drop in cases compared to the 1,674 recorded during the same timeframe in 2025.
Local health officials attributed the earlier decline to community compliance with City Ordinance No. 0401-20, or the Davao City Mosquito-Borne Diseases Prevention and Control Program, alongside targeted waste disinfection near national highways.
However, health authorities continue to monitor high-risk barangays in the third congressional district, where frequent rainfall and lingering garbage issues create persistent breeding environments for mosquitoes. GRS
