CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The data on dengue cases being received by the Department of Health (DoH) in Bukidnon, the province with the most number of cases in Northern Mindanao, is feared to be just “the tip of the iceberg” and that many other cases remain unreported, a provincial health official disclosed Thursday.

Dr. Josephine Ibalio, the health coordinator for Bukidnon province, said they are receiving information of new cases every week as she expressed concern that the situation could get worse because not all cases are recorded especially those in remote towns of the province.

“There are those that are just considered hearsays, no chance for validation, because not all are diagnosed to the hospitals,” she said.

But Ibalio was optimistic that the situation would improve after the Region 10 office of the DoH has commissioned people to gather data on dengue cases in rural areas in the province.

In the regional data, the province of Bukidnon ranks first in the provincial level with an increase of 930 percent, with the municipality of Kalilangan, Bukidnon having the most number of cases.

Ibalio also said the dengue problem now lies in the hands of the local government units although the provincial government is always ready to help.

In Iligan City, the City Health Office has reported nine fatalities out of the 681 individuals who were diagnosed with dengue from January to June 2010, as compared to the 586 cases and 17 deaths recorded in 2009.

Carlito Ballesta, health education and information officer, said for the first semester this year, the victims’ ages range from three months old to 75 years old.

City Mayor Lawrence Cruz has issued an executive order for a cleanup drive throughout the city. He said the campaign should be sustained by having regular cleanup drives in the barangay levels involving the populace to get rid of the breeding places of the dengue-carrying mosquitoes as well as to prevent the spread of this dreaded disease.

Meanwhile, various stakeholders led by the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) and the provincial government of Lanao del Sur have organized the Provincial Dengue Task Force.

The aim of the task force is to increase people’s awareness on the disease and formulate a plan of prevention and control responsive to the rising number of dengue cases.

IPHO chief Dr. Alinader Minalang said the task force will strengthen inter-sectoral coordination and social mobilization to be able to come up with a unified approach to combat the alarming dengue cases in the province.

Present conditions in the province showed that the numbers are increasing with 400 cases and two deaths reported from January to July this year alone.