Anti-Dengue Quezon City fashion show drums up awareness

MANILA, Philippines — The growth of dengue cases this year is alarming. So, in an effort to raise awareness on dengue, Watsons Philippines recently held "Slay the Swarm: The Anti-Dengue Fashion Phenomenon," in Liwasang Aurora Ampitheater, Quezon Memorial Circle.

It was Dengue community awareness with a unique art and fashion performance, educational and fun booth activities for the public, and creative promotion of healthcare. The Watsons health advocacy campaign had the support of Quezon City Local government.

“This pioneering health education effort combines art and performance to raise awareness on an often overlooked health concern. We see the importance for us to tackle the seriousness of dengue - why this viral infection shouldn’t be taken lightly, but at the same time, we don’t need to be afraid of it,” shared Watsons Customer Director Jared de Guzman.

The Swarm’s costumes represented common symptoms of dengue: rashes in the form of lumps and bumps accents, fever via illuminating flames, nausea as shown in the stimulating and dizzying patterns, and body pain using spikes and sharp silhouettes. The costumes were designed by Oz Go of House of Mizrahi.

There is a reason why Slay the Swarm was staged in Quezon City. It is the city with one of the highest cases of Dengue in Metro Manila. In fact, Dr. Marlon Molano, Medical Officer III of the Quezon City Health Department, shared that from January 1 to August 24, 2023, the Quezon City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (QCESU) logged in 2,156 Dengue cases. In contrast, the total cases for the whole year of 2022 was 2,558.

“This campaign allows our youth to be well-informed, to be proactive in the fight against dengue, and to propagate the series of awareness through the current information path of this generation, which is social media,” he said.

Dr. Molano commended Watsons, a private partner, for supporting a public health endeavor. “Watsons, I cannot stress how valuable this activity is, to our city and our community,” he said as he reiterated that it is only August and yet Quezon City is already nearing the total cases it had recorded last year.

During the event, families enjoyed a whole day of