QC barangay turns to frogs amid dengue scare

A Quezon City village is again deploying frogs to combat dengue-carrying mosquitoes, a week after the city declared a dengue outbreak.

Margaret Lipata, secretary of Barangay Matandang Balara, told DAILY TRIBUNE on Monday that their village chief, Allan Franza, has called an emergency meeting to mobilize resources to fight dengue, including the use of frogs.  

The city government declared a dengue outbreak on Saturday following several deaths, most of them children. According to city dengue surveillance data, 1,769 cases were recorded from 1 January to 13 February.

“Our declaration of a dengue outbreak ensures that we are on top of the situation, and we are doing everything we can to protect our residents from this deadly disease, especially our children,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

Lipata, meantime, said they previously released thousands of frogs into creeks, canals and drainage systems in 2019, with the frogs coming from Batangas province.

The Quezon City Health Department has also conducted fogging and fumigation operations in coordination with barangay officials.

In other developments regarding dengue, Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City is offering a P1 reward for every mosquito or larva caught or killed.