BACOLOD CITY – “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world”. -Howard Zinn.

The one-hectare Home for the Blind in Brgy. Mansilingan in this city is a community established and founded on August 6, 1968, by former Bacolod City Mayor Roming Guanzon, to provide shelter for the blind and their families.

Health among children is the most urgent concern, especially in these times of rainy seasons where the dangers of dengue can greatly affect the households’ health as well as the children’s education. The family members must be given basic knowledge in fighting dengue as well as personal hygiene to help households prevent the heavy cost of hospitalization. Hence, it will prevent children of the blind household from dropping out of school.

As a preventive measure, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) staff of the Bacolod City Operations Office initiated an outreach program entitled “Liwanag sa Dilim” within the said community on September 20, 2024. Recipients of the activity are both 4Ps and non-4Ps members comprising 70 children and 50 parents. It aims to help the blind community improve the health of their children.

Ang Liwanag sa Dilim outreach program advocates raising awareness as one of the effective tools to prevent dengue fever and its consequences to the life of a person with a disability. Through imparting information, it will help broaden the knowledge of the community about the danger of dengue and how it will be prevented.

Among the topics discussed are the following: (a) Search and Destroy. In Search and Destroy, one must search where the mosquitoes are laying eggs. It is in the most area where the water is stagnant and the light is dim, (b.) Seek Early Consultation. In these steps, the households should seek the doctor once the signs and symptoms are seen such as fever, rushes, and muscle pain; (c) Self-Protection. In this step, households are encouraged to wear long sleeves and pants. They are also encouraged to put mosquito repellant; (d) Support Community Fogging. In this step, 4Ps COO-Bacolod has a dialogue with the officials of the Barangay Mansilingan. Since resources and materials will be coming to the barangay, it is imperative to conduct fogging among the community, especially in this time of rainy seasons; (e.) Sustained Hydration. Households were encouraged to drink at least two liters of water every day.

Proper and basic hygiene were also tackled such as taking a bath, changing clothes every day after a bath, washing hands (before and after eating, cleaning the nose and ears, maintaining oral hygiene, and trimming nails and hair. Aside from the information drive, the 4Ps Team conducted fun games, feeding programs, and gift-giving to all the participants.

Angelita Barbado, 43, a community resident and one of the recipients of the activity said she is grateful that the 4Ps team initiated this outreach program because they learned a lot from the topics especially how to prevent the spreading of dengue mosquitoes.

“Through this, I can protect my family against these dengue mosquitoes as well as how to keep my family clean and improve our hygiene practices. I am very thankful to our ever-supportive City Link Ryan Ceazar and his team for prioritizing our community,” she said.

The success of the whole-day activity was credited to the 4Ps staff in partnership with the Mansilingan Barangay Council. (Submitted by Bacolod COO, Negros POO1)