(In Dengue, there are several types, and if you survive one type and get another case, you are at a higher danger of the hemorrhage/fatal disease, due to antibody problems. There is a worry that the vaccine will do the same thing: Something doctors worried about, but were overruled).
Well, the latest headlines are that there are fewer cases of Dengue this year in the Philippines.LINK.
The Philippines reported more than 200,000 dengue fever cases during the past two years (2015 and 2016) being among the highest in Asia. However, there is some good news in 2017. During the first nine months of the year, health officials have reported a total of 97,287 dengue cases including 526 deaths.
however, the Manila Bulletin notes that in contrast to the rest of the country, cases increased in the Manila region. It has been rainier than usual this year, so presumably it is from more mosquitoes.
In our town, the open drainage ditches had been covered in a project complete with huge signs that it was being done by the mayor. (she lost and was replaced by a reform mayor).
The drainage ditches had been made larger and covered so that the palenke would not flood in heavy rains.
The problem? She must have used shoddy cement, because not only did the street at our corner collapse over the drainage ditch, but I now count three areas where the smaller ditch coverings have collapsed, presumably from cars parking on the side of the road.
The area is getting very heave traffic due to increase in population and prosperity. So the main street is changed to one way when it nears the palenke, and the detour around the palenke for the other direction is around our house.
The amount of garbage on the street is less: partly due to the bins for garbage along the street, and partly because we now see street cleaners cleaning up the streets.
Plastic bags continue to be a problem: because of shop lifting, they put every little thing in a plastic bag with a receipt to prove you bought it, even when I point out they can add it to my larger bag or let me put it in my purse. Sigh.
And the central square is now all clean and decorated for Christmas... and there are covered kiosks for the street food: most of them open in the late afternoon for the "night market" nearby. (due to heat, lots of shopping is in the evening or early morning). And of course, the square is a big place for young people to hang out: Includes a playground, and every morning has exercize class.
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