Spreading awareness of dengue prevention measures to avoid
contracting deadly dengue-carrying mosquito virus. No lamok. No dengue.
Philippine-based advocacy The Sandy Project, now on its 12th Year, continues its fight against dengue to reduce, if not prevent, dengue fever cases and deaths caused by being bitten by dengue-virus-carrying mosquitoes. Its aim is to raise awareness of dengue through community engagement and empowerment.
The Sandy Project is expected to activate ‘Dengue Police’ teams – comprising volunteers from local schools and barangays (communities) – in the next few weeks. They will go around their schools and immediate neighborhoods to check potential breeding grounds of mosquitoes and to talk about dengue prevention measures.
The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded over 110,000 cases of dengue across the country from January to May 10, 2025. Of the nationwide cases, DOH said it logged 437 deaths, mostly children aged five to nine. Children have lower immunity compared to adults so the kids can get easily infected by dengue, as reported by GMA News Online on June 5, 2025.
June – February are dengue season months in the Philippines, where some key parts of the country have been identified as dengue endemic areas including parts of Metro Manila.
“No lamok. No dengue. Our goal is to educate and empower individuals from as young as 10-15 years old into embracing the ‘Dengue Police’ spirit, and to earnestly persuade members of their immediate community – their families, friends, peers, neighbors, fellow students – in doing their part to avoid the spread of dengue-virus-carrying mosquitoes,” says lawyer Ma. Louella Martinez-Aranas, founder of The Sandy Project, her personal advocacy solely dedicated to raising Dengue awareness and prevention campaigns.
Aranas lost her then 10-year-old only daughter Sandy to dengue in 2013. She established The Sandy Project also in 2013 to raise awareness of the risks and dangers of the dengue virus-carrying mosquitoes.
“It was painful losing Sandy, but it is my hope that her death can serve as a catalyst in saving the lives of other children. No one needs to suffer or die from dengue. It can be prevented,” she continues.
The only way to avoid contracting the dengue virus is to prevent mosquito bites and to avoid endemic areas.
“Prevention is the best way to fight Dengue. The solution is elementary. Keep our immediate environment and homes mosquito-free. There are no mosquitoes if there are no breeding grounds,” Aranas emphasizes. “With the battle cry ‘Let’s fight Dengue together’ The Sandy Project’s ‘Dengue Police’ teams will strive to raise our voices to save lives.”
Keep an eye out for the ‘Dengue Police’ patrol in your schools and barangays.
If you’re interested join ‘Dengue Police’ please email: info@thesandyproject.com
