MANILA, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Dengue cases in the Philippines continue to rise with more than 15,000 recorded in the first six months of 2008, or 43 percent more than the same period last year, according to a report by local TV network ABS-CBN online news on Saturday.

    The report quoted Health Secretary Francisco Duque as saying 15,061 cases of dengue nationwide were recorded from January 1 to June 14 this year, with Metro Manila remaining on top of the list of regions with the most number of dengue cases.

    The other provinces which have the high number of mosquito-carried disease are Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon all neighboring Metro Manila.

    But the case fatality rate remained low at 1 percent, which he attributed to the quick responses of the families of patients and health workers, said the report.

    Dengue cases have become a year-round phenomenon because of climate change and concentration of population in urban areas, particularly Metro Manila, said the report.

    The government has called on local population to clean their living surroundings and eliminate mosquito's breeding grounds to prevent spreading of dengue.