It’s in the can! The Research and Creative Work Division together with TVUP called it a wrap last November 13, 2024, as the show’s cast and crew finished filming the pilot episodes of “MoskiToks”, the division’s novel spin on information dissemination campaigns and engaging vulnerable communities tackling dengue disease and dengue prevention.
An activity under the Center for Climate and Health on Global Research on Disasters (CORD) Project on Dengue, the upcoming TV show seeks to inform children and families about dengue disease and dengue prevention in a fun, relatable way. That said, the show’s creators made sure that MoskiToks was developed in collaboration with health experts and local educators, and even incorporated them seamlessly into the world of Barangay Katatagan, starring in the show as themselves.
Watch Dr. Ivan Christian V.J. Imperial, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher and professor from the UP Diliman Institute of Biology, Prof. Myra Mistica, a faculty of the UP Manila College of Public Health Department of Parasitology and primary author of the Dengue Mosquito Ovitrapping and Preventive Fogging Trials in the Philippines, and of course, UP Resilience Institute’s very own Executive Director, Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay, a geologist, academician, and a pioneer in shedding light to multi-faceted aspects of natural hazards; join the fun and banter with the spirited, young-at-heart, and almost mischievous puppet trio – Manong Sol, Tolits, and Pareng Pete or the hilarious PaPaToks; together with the community matriarch Lola Karing, and the knowledge powerhouse, Mama Ruby.
The MoskiToks creative team is composed of Dr. Glecy C. Atienza, project proponent, co-writer, voice actor; Arman Mangilinan, scriptwriter; Roberto C. Mendoza, songwriter and music composer; and RCW staff Christian Jesus Sanchez, Jamie Gundaya, and Mape Estellena, as puppeteers and voice actors. The project is also made possible by the very capable staff of the TVUP, an internet television (webcast) network operated by the University of the Philippines; led by their director Grace Alfonso.