MANILA, Philippines?The reported figure of 62,000 dengue cases as of August this year is the highest ever recorded in the country, a Department of Health official said Thursday.

Doctor Nilo Tayag, head of the National Epidemiology Center, said that the 62,503 dengue cases registered from January to August 21 breached the previous highest record of 57,636, which was reached last year.

"This is the highest number of cases (recorded) because the previous record was last year," Tayag told reporters.

"We've already passed the 57,636 cases registered last year. We have 465 deaths due to dengue as of August, which is lower than the 548 deaths last year," he said.

"We hope we don't reach that number but the trend tells us that it will. If the reported cases reach 80,000 and one percent of those die, then that means we could have 800 deaths," he added.

The DOH said that the 62,503 cases reported from January to August 21 was 88.8 percent higher than the 33, 102 recorded during the same period last year.

"We had an 89-percent increase from last year and this is because of El Niño, the circulation of four dengue strains, and improved reporting," Tayag said.

He said the number of dengue cases was still going up in the National Capital Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region, and Western Visayas.

Tayag said that as early as January this year, the number of dengue cases already shot up, especially from the eastern part of the country.

"At the start of January, the number of cases was already above average. This is because the eastern part of the country already had rainy weather," Tayag said.

"The number cases usually begin to rise during the first quarter and then it peaks from July to October," he added.

To improve public awareness about dengue, Health Secretary Enrique Ona on Thursday distributed leaflets to commuters at the Monumento station of the Light Rail Transit system in Caloocan City.

"This is part of our continuing program about what people should do to get rid of the dengue threath and other diseases," Ona said.

He said President Aquino also ordered the DOH to ensure that the country's hospital, clinics and health centers are prepared to help dengue patients.