HERE is one reminder that the people of Davao City especially those residing in blighted, swampy or normally water catchment areas must heed.
The other day the City Health Office (CHO) advised the public that the dengue cases are increasing lately. This is happening, according to the CHO, as a consequence of the almost daily downpour in Davao City and in all of Mindanao. In fact the CHO reported that a 6-year old child died of the mosquito-borne disease.
Of course the city health authorities were quick to assuage the fear of the people by claiming that they already have come up with measures that will make it easy for everyone to access medicines for dengue. The same office also informed the public it has been conducting massive information drive to make the people aware of the spike in cases and what they should do on their own to avoid the possibility of getting bitten by the dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
Good thing that the CHO now under Dr. Ashley Lopez, is undertaking a more preemptive means of
preventing the spread of dengue in one simple and inexpensive manner. And the move is ideal because
it raises the people’s awareness and also engages them in the process.
Yes, without spending money and by only exerting little efforts in cleaning one’s surrounding like
disposing of water stocked in containers, in tires just left lying anywhere in residential compounds,
draining stagnant water by clearing canals or drainage with earth and others so water could easily flow –
all these are easily doable by anyone in the family who cares about the health of members.
As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” We agree a hundred
percent to this and prevention should not only be relied in the hands of government. The people must
take part in all efforts related to it. After all, it is us who will be the likely victims when we opt to be
complacent rather than be active participants in the prevention efforts.
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Here is another laudable action made by a government agency. That is, the launching of satellite
registration venues for those who would want to be voters in the coming barangay and Sangguniang
Kabataan elections in October this year. It is something like giving life to the reverse of the saying that “if
the mountain cannot go to Muhamad, then let Muhamad instead go to the mountain.”
And it is exactly what the local office of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is doing. Now that the deadline of voter’s registration is less than two weeks from today and those who have registered barely reach the fifty percent mark of target, it become imperative for the agency to get its services more accessible to
the target population.
And it is a happy note that representatives of the agency are now going to certain barangays in
various districts of Davao City. The COMELEC has also tied up with some of the city’s malls for its people
to use part of its space so registrants would have better atmosphere in their registration process.
So, if all the residents of Davao City who are either first time voters in the coming polls, or are
transferees and would want to exercise their rights of suffrage, the ball is now in their court. They
should find time to go to the satellite registration venues and register. That makes them responsible
citizen in this country.
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Indeed Davao City is the “lucky one,” or so it seems.
Why, because in all these days of almost non-stop rain and flood in most of Mindanao as a result of
the “overstaying” low pressure area and shear line in the current weather situation in this part of the
country, the city remains spared by nature’s fury.
Davao so far, is very much fortunate compared to Zamboanga City and other cities, municipalities in
the provinces of Regions 9 and 10. In Zamboanga City for example as of the other day, it was reported
on television that some 38 barangays are still under water and are without power and water for
household or commercial and industrial use.
We can only imagine the magnitude of the problem of the population in those areas and of the
weight of the responsibility that the city officials have to bear in having the two basic yet highly critical
services to the people who voted them into office.
Davao City, for all its luck, must commiserate with Zamboanga City and its people in whatever ways it
can. Perhaps the local government can mobilize technical people and other skilled workers to be sent to
Zamboanga to help in the restoration process of the city’s power and water supplies. And may be Mayor
Baste could tap people from the city’s leading utilities that are into delivering the same service as those
that are troubled in Zamboanga City.
Without doubt that could be one way of a showing concrete commiseration to a fellow city badly in
need for immediate recovery from perdition brought about by the almost non-stop flood that hit the
area.
