Senator Loren Legarda on Tuesday urged local government units (LGUs) to exercise best practices to help bring down dengue cases in the country, as she expressed alarm over the unsettling increase in dengue cases this year.
Legarda, the author of the National Environmental Awareness Education and the author and principal sponsor of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, said LGUs, as well as citizens and landfill operators should take proactive measures in reducing mosquito populations by maintaining cleanliness in their areas and ensuring proper waste management and disposal.
“Poorly managed waste, especially during the rainy season, can collect water and become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. It is essential to eliminate stagnant water sources and properly dispose of trash to prevent disease outbreaks,” Legarda said.
Likewise, the senator called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to properly implement the Philippine Clean Water Act, another law she authored, which designates water quality management areas, with LGUs manning the board.
Improper water handling, she stressed, can harm public health, leading to illnesses such as dengue.
The board should implement strategies and policies to improve and maintain its respective sewerage or septage program and ensure a clean water supply, Legarda said.
“Environmental education should be taught in a way that environmental concepts and principles, environmental laws, the state of international and local environment, as well as local environmental best practices should be followed,” remarked Legarda.
“We must make citizens aware of their responsibility to protect and conserve the environment, as well as rehabilitating natural resources and make it sustainable,” she emphasized.
Last February 15, Quezon City declared a dengue outbreak after a steep rise in cases—almost 1,800 cases in 2025—an almost 200 percent increase year-on-year.
Of the cases, there had been 10 recorded fatalities, with eight (8) being minors may declare a dengue outbreak due to a significant rise in cases and these are from Calabarzon, Central Luzon, and the National Capital Region (NCR).