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In an intensified campaign to fight dengue, the Department of Science and Technology, with the Department of Education (DepEd), will provide mosquito traps to all classrooms of both public and private schools in areas with high dengue cases in the metro.

“The DOST and DepEd partnership to stop dengue among our schoolchildren will start at the National Capital Region and will proceed to the regions most affected with the disease,” DOST Sec. Mario Montejo announced. “Our priorities will be schools in hotspot areas, communities around the schools, and hotspot barangays.”

Some 34,910 OL trap kits will be distributed to 17,454 classrooms in public and private elementary and secondary schools in Caloocan, Quezon City, Pasay, Valenzuela, Manila, Muntinlupa, and Pasig.

Within the month, DOST and DepEd will extend distribution to schools in Ilocos Sur, Benguet, La Union, and Pangasinan provinces where about 46, 500 OL Trap kits will be distributed in these areas for free.

Meanwhile, DepEd Undersecretary Rizalino Rivera, in a memorandum, instructed NCR school division superintendents to distribute the OL Traps to all schools in their respective divisions and assign students to monitor the traps.

The DOST-developed OL Trap has three important parts: a black container, a small strip of wood (lawanit) for mosquitoes to lay their eggs on, and a larvicide solution. The scent of the larvicide solution attracts female mosquitoes and encourages them to lay eggs on the immersed lawanit strip. Once exposed to the solution, the eggs and hatched larvae will die. The OL Trap prevents the next generation of mosquitoes from reaching adulthood and curbs the Aedes Aegypti mosquito population.

The OL Trap is one of the government’s strategies in its multi-pronged approach to fight the dengue menace.

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Initial results from various regions revealed decrease in dengue cases after using the Mosquito Ovicidal Larvicidal (OL) Trap, data from the Department of Science and Technology show.

In Region 2, for example, five schools in Ballesteros and Claveria towns in Cagayan reported “zero case” as of press time, namely the Libag Elementary School, North Central School, Caritan Elementary School, Cataggamman National High School, and University of Cagayan Valley.

Official reports showed that in 2010, there were 210 aggregate cases of dengue among schoolchildren in four barangays where these schools were located. After the OL Trap rollout in these barangays, no cases have been reported thus far.

Ballesteros and Claveria were declared “hotspots” for dengue cases last year, with the former having 213 cases and the latter, 15 cases. To date, there have been no dengue cases reported since the roll out.

With the decrease in dengue cases reported in the region, Dr. Labasan, municipal health officer of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya said that additional units are needed for other barangays as they found that mosquito eggs and larvae are “killed right there and then.”

“It is the only way to stop the eggs from hatching,” he added.

In the Eastern Visayas where the OL Trap was initially launched, results showed that five barangays in Northern Samar, Southern Leyte, and Leyte showed zero results after the OL Trap was used in said areas. Brgy. Dalakit in Catarman, for example, had 44 cases last year while Brgy Airport had 30 cases. Meanwhile, Brgy 109-A in Leyte had 64 cases last year. Its neighbor, Brgy 109, also showed significant result having decreased its dengue cases from 122 last year to three this year.

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President Benigno Aquino III conferred the Order of the Golden Heart, Rank of Grand Collar (Marangal na Kuwintas) posthumously to Dr. Fe del Mundo during the necrological service held in del Mundo’s honor at the Department of Science and Technology in Bicutan, Taguig City, Metro Manila on 11 August 2011.

The Grand Dame of Philippine Medicine and the first female National Scientist, the 99-year old del Mundo died August 6 after a long and distinguished career.

In his eulogy, Pres. Aquino specially recognized Del Mundo’s significant contribution to the Philippine society, “even without holding a position in the government or being a successful entrepreneur” (Pinatunayan niyang hindi kailangang magkatunkulan sa gobyerno, o maging matagumpay na negosyante upang maka-ambag sa pag-unlad ng bansa.)

Pres. Aquino also noted that del Mundo “did not desire to be wealthy or powerful; she only focused her efforts on the health and sake of the children and the Filipino family.” (Hindi niya hinangad na magpakayaman at kumapit sa kapangyarihan, tanging ang kapakanan at kalusugan ng mga bata at pamilyang Pilipino ang kanyang tinutukan.)

Meanwhile DOST Secretary Mario Montejo noted that del Mundo’s stellar reputation and her various academic and professional recognitions were “overshadowed by her passion and quiet dignity.”

“Even in death, she continues to live in the hearts of those whose lives she touched warmly,” Montejo said.

 

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General Santos City – In the tuna capital of the Philippines, this city, a sea of people waited in line for the opening ceremonies of the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) Regional celebrations organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Regional Office 12, August 11-12, 2011.

 

Themed “Nasa Siyensya ang Pag-asa”, the NSTW in South Central Mindanao is a convergence of players from the government, academe, and private sector.

 

In his message, Science Secretary Mario G. Montejo pointed out that the NSTW “brings into greater focus the vital role of the scientific community in providing solutions to long-standing developmental problems and challenges”.

 

Emphasizing the role of S& in the development of the region, particularly of General Santos City, lady Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio said, “Applied sciences can provide convenience, accessibility and information that will create more livelihood and employment, and add value to more products and services.”

 

“Let us appreciate technology as a tool that will free our people from the clutches of oppression, poverty and ignorance,” she told the audience composed of scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, students, journalists, and science workers. “We need to mainstream DOST’s programs in Region 12.”

 

Alongside the Region 12 NSTW celebration, the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits likewise opened, jointly organized by DOST 12 and DOST’s Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI).

 

In regard to inventions, Engr. Edgar I. Garcia, director of DOST-TAPI, underscored the importance of inventions and innovations in pushing the country to become more competitive by opening and expanding opportunities for industrial and intellectual properties. Engr. Garcia said, “The functional and user-friendly innovations that we will witness and discover at RICE 12 hopefully will contribute in helping the country move forward and keep pace with the changing times.”

OL Trap roll out in Region 12
GenSan fights dengue. The DOST-developed Ovicidal-Larvicidal (OL) Trap was launched during the NSTW 2011 Regional Celebrations themed ‘Nasa Siyensya ang Pag-asa’ in General Santos City on 11 August 2011. With OL Trap, the region hopes to curb the rising incidence of dengue cases. Shown in photo are (L-R) DOST Undersecretary Carol M. Yorobe, Mindanao Development Authority Secretary Luwalhati R. Antonino, DOST-ITDI Director Nuna E. Almanzor, DOST Region 12 Director Zenaida P. Hadji Raof Laidan, DOST Region 12 staff, and DOST Undersecretary Fortunato T. Dela Peña.