June 11, 2026 – Despite a significant decline in dengue cases this year, the City Health Services Office (CHSO) is urging residents not to let their guard down and to continue observing mosquito control measures to prevent a possible resurgence of the disease.
City Health Officer Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes and Dengue Program Coordinator Miller Balisongen of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Division said the current dengue situation in the city “may not be that alarming but it should not be a passport for us to be careless and inattentive to our environmental health.”
Medical Technologist Ruby Magsino of the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) reported that the city’s cases decreased by 57 percent this year compared to last year and that the city’s epidemic curve is “way below the alert and epidemic threshold” so far.
However, there is a chance for an increase in cases is expected in the next few weeks so vigilance is in order, she added.
Allowing no let up on the mosquito-borne diseases which also include zika virus and chikungunya, the city government mapped out strategies to strengthen its campaign against mosquito-borne illnesses guided by the National Aedes-Borne Viral Diseases Prevention and Control Program.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong earlier issued Executive Order No. 57-2026 reconstituting the Baguio City Anti-Mosquito Borne Diseases Committee (BCABDC) pursuant to Ordinance No. 10-2025 entitled “The Consolidated Anti-Mosquito-Borne Diseases Ordinance of the City of Baguio.”
The BCABDC which the mayor heads and with Dr. Brillantes as action officer conducted its second coordination meeting last June 4 to keep track of the progress of the policy updates, localized surveys and community initiatives rolled out for this year.
Based on updates from Balisongen, targeted fieldwork to track down mosquito breeding sites, larval and environment survey alongside Social Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) activities have been started covering three initial barangays.
The health program identified risk levels among the surveyed areas with initial findings showing that Irisan and Bakakeng Central remain at high risk.
Teams distributed copies of the ordinance and primer on the diseases during the inspections to boost residential awareness.
The city has outlined an active agenda for the third quarter of 2026, which includes hosting the Baguio City Dengue Summit 2026 under the theme “Pan-iinabuyugan: Baguio City Dengue Summit: One Health, One Baguio, One Dengue-Resilient Community.”
To motivate local leadership, the city is launching a search for the “Top Rated Barangay for Dengue Prevention and Control Program” where participating barangays will be evaluated based on: compliance with local and national policies, community participation and mobilization, Social Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) and advocacy campaigns, leadership, governance, and program management and innovation and best practices.
Other upcoming efforts feature ongoing larval surveillance across the top 20 barangays with confirmed cases, product demonstrations for an Ovicidal-Larvicidal (OL) Trap Project, and the procurement of space spraying chemicals and thermal fogging machines.
On the observance of National Dengue Awareness Month in compliance with Proclamation No. 1204, s. 1998, which declares June as National Dengue Awareness Month, and in observance of ASEAN Dengue Day on June 15, the city has scheduled a Symposium cum Orientation for Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) to streamline case reporting and validation mechanisms at the grassroots level.
A more streamlined dengue case reporting mechanism will also be implemented to improve follow-up and validation efforts at the barangay level. **Aileen P. Refuerzo
