Dengue Alert

MANILA, Philippines – Neighborhoods still submerged in floodwaters are facing a yet another new challenge – mosquito infestation.

The threat of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases is causing alarm among the residents of Mercedes Executive Village, Barangay (village) San Andres in Pasig, which is still submerged in chest-deep water that is starting to emit the stench of week-old garbage.

“It takes P380 to transport goods that we bought outside the village by raft, which is more expensive than the few gallons of water that we are able to buy,” resident Tess Bas lamented to the Inquirer through the Gifts and Graces Foundation.

“Sometimes we spend P1,000 a day on water and transport alone, which would not even be enough to buy food for our families,” she said.

With Metro Manila experiencing lighter-than-expected wind and rain from Typhoon “Pepeng” yesterday, the Philippine Daily Inquirer Ondoy Relief Drive continued to distribute donations prepared by the Assisi Foundation.

Some 5,000 families from the foundation’s parishes in Rizal province – Our Lady of Light in Poblacion, Cainta, St. Michael the Archangel in Jala-Jala, and Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in San Jose, Montalban – were the recipients of relief goods.

Calls for help continue to be coursed through the Inquirer. Aside from non-perishable food, potable water in sealed bottles, toiletries and fresh underwear, donations of mosquito nets and other means of protection from disease are needed by communities that have yet to be reached by other donor groups, and are in dire need of help.

Those who own any kind of flotation device to transport relief goods to still-submerged neighborhoods are encouraged to lend these.

Donors may send relief goods to the Inquirer’s main office at 1098 Chino Roces Ave., Makati. On weekdays they may also be dropped off at the following Inquirer classified ad branches: G/F Atrium Bldg., Makati Ave., Makati; 5/F Bldg. B, SM Megamall, Edsa; G/F Trinity Bldg., Kalaw Ave., Manila; and St. Anthony’s Bldg., Aurora Blvd., Cubao, Quezon City.

All open McDonald’s and PSBank branches in Metro Manila, as well as Cebuana Lhuiller branches in Quirino Ave., Baclaran and Dr. A. Santos, Lopez, Sucat, Parañaque and the RFM relief center on Pioneer St., Mandaluyong, will also accept donations to the Inquirer Ondoy Relief Drive.

Monetary contributions may be deposited with PSBank: account numbers 111-112002660 for peso deposits and 111-132000158 for dollar deposits under the account name “Inquirer Ondoy Relief Drive.”

PSBank has opened more options for Filipino donors abroad by securing free fund transfers online at www.psbank.com.ph. Along with Metrobank and partner remittance agency iRemit, PSBank has waived transaction fees for donations until Oct. 15, 2009.