As of July 27, PHL has most deaths due to dengue in Southeast Asia this year

The Philippines at present has the highest dengue fatality rate in all of Asia with 720.

According to Cedric Castillo's report on "Balitanghali", the country has more dengue-related deaths even it has fewer cases than its ASEAN neighbors Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

The Department of Health (DOH) said it has recorded a total of 167,607 dengue cases as of July 27.

This was 98 percent higher than compared to the number of cases recorded in the same period last year.

"The Philippines continues to have the highest fatality among the five ASEAN regions, ASEAN countries," Health Secretary Francisco Duque said in a briefing.

The official said the rising number of deaths could be attributed to "late response" to the mosquito-borne disease.

Tawa-tawa

As the number of dengue cases are only expected to rise during the rainy season, the Health department  advised the public not to rely on medicine made from the tawa-tawa plant to battle dengue, in spite of its supposed ability to increase blood platelets.

"Yung tawa tawa na ibinebenta, mag-ingat po tayo dahil unang una ahanapan po natin ito ng FDA (Food and Drugs Adminsitration) CPR, certificate of product registration, kung wala po siyang ganoon kalimutan na po ninyo siguro. O isangguni sa FDA hotline para isumbong," Duque said.

Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo clarified that the DOH does not recommend using tawa-tawa as "unregistered and untested 'yon so walang safetly profile."

This includes tawa-tawa capsules that have been approved by the FDA as a health supplement.

"Ito ay safe, wala siyang masamang side effect walang mangyayari sa atin na masama pag tinake natin siya. Kung meron siyang therapeutic value hindi pa natin masabi," Domingo explained.

"Hindi pa natin puwedeng isalalay doon ngayon ang paggaling o pagkontra sa dengue." —Margaret Claire Layug/NB, GMA News