Metro Manila, Philippines — In an effort to curb rising dengue cases, the local government of San Juan set up a year-long cleanup contest and promised ₱100,000 in cash incentives to the recognized top-performing barangay.
Second and third top-performing barangays will receive ₱50,000 and ₱30,000 in cash incentives, respectively.
According to the city’s advisory, a panel of judges will randomly inspect and evaluate towns throughout the year to assess performance based on cleanliness, sustainability, and dengue prevention efforts.
The contest is open to all barangays in San Juan and will focus on:
– Regular clean-up drives in public spaces, drainage systems, and barangay facilities
– Implementation of solid waste management practices
– Dengue prevention measures, such as larviciding and community education
– Community participation and engagement
– Proper maintenance of Materials Recovery Facilities
The competition launched by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office will recognize the chosen barangays during the celebration of Environmental Awareness Month in November.
The Department of Health earlier called on local governments to be proactive in their anti-dengue campaign amid the spike in dengue cases.
Mid-February, Quezon City declared a dengue outbreak after recording a more than 200% increase in dengue infections from January to February compared to the same period last year.
