Filipinos were reminded by the Department of Health (DOH) to check and clean possible mosquito-breeding sites as dengue is also prominent this dry season. Many people will think that dengue “would only happen during the rainy season. But that is not the case,” said DOH Officer-in-Charge and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in a recent press briefing. “Ang dengue po dito sa Pilipinas ay endemic. Ibig sabihin, whatever type of season or month, ay nangyayari ang dengue sa bansa (Dengue is endemic in the Philippines. It means,  whatever type of season or month, dengue can happen in our country),” she said. The usual cause of dengue infections this dry season is the lack of water supply, where people  store water in containers such as pales and basins,  said Vergeire. Dengue-carrying mosquitoes prefer to breed in clear and stagnant water, she said. “So, iyon pong ating iniipon na tubig ay clear at stagnant iyan. Kailangan takpan ng lahat ng sisidlan ng tubig  para maiwasan ang mga lamok ay magmultiply at magkaroon sa ating kabahayan (Water in containers is clear and stagnant. We must cover the water containers to avoid mosquitos from multiplying in our households),” said Vergeire. The public should also clean their surroundings, said Vergeire. “Gustong-gusto po ng mga lamok sa maduduming lugar, madidilim, at masisikip. Kailangan lamang po maglinis tayo ng maigi ng ating bakuran (Mosquitoes are attracted to dirty, dark, and small areas. We just need to clean our surroundings thoroughly),” she added. A total of 27,670 dengue cases were recorded nationwide from Jan. 1 to March 18, recent data from the DOH showed. The figure is 94 percent higher compared to the same period last year, when 14,278 cases were logged. Most of the cases were recorded in the National Capital Region (3,898), Central Luzon (3,053), and Davao Region (2,707).