Twenty-four areas are now under close watch due to the rising dengue cases nationwide, according to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).
Part of the actions taken by the Red Cross includes the deployment of 15 PRC chapters to key community areas, such as Quezon City, which has already declared an outbreak.
Aside from Quezon City, the PRC has reportedly received numerous blood requests from areas including Caloocan, Marikina, Kalinga, Bataan, Tarlac, Mountain Province, Bulacan, Abra, Cebu, Iligan, Misamis Oriental, General Santos City, Surigao del Norte, and Agusan del Sur.
Moreover, there has been an overall increase in the demand for blood from the Red Cross this year.
The blood dispersal by PRC has grown by over 100 percent from January to mid-February, surpassing the numbers from the same period last year.
However, the socio-civic group has assured that it is prepared and has enough blood supply to address the rising demand caused by the disease.
Meanwhile, PRC Chairman Richard "Dick" Gordon has called on barangays to implement programs like 'Piso sa Mosquito' in Mandaluyong and the release of frogs to combat mosquitoes in parts of Quezon City, reiterating that cleaning the environment would be a faster and more effective solution.
