Valenzuela councilor eyes putting up bounty on rats

MANILA, Philippines - A proposed ordinance is offering a maximum of P10 bounty for every rat caught dead or alive in Valenzuela City as part of a campaign against leptospirosis, a deadly water-borne disease acquired through direct contact with the urine of infected rodents.

Councilor Alvin Feliciano, the ordinance’s principal author, said the Department of Health has recorded a total of 2,158 leptospirosis cases, including 167 deaths, and there is a high risk of an outbreak in Metro Manila.

“The (proposed) ordinance seeks to prevent and or reduce the rat population, to rid the city of pests that cause the transmittal of leptospirosis,” he said.

Under the proposed measure, the city health office would pay a maximum of P10 for every rat weighing over half a kilo and P5 for smaller rodents caught by Valenzuela residents.

Feliciano said all residents have to do is bring the rats to a drop-off point at the city hall, where city health officers will collect the rats for disposal and pay the residents for their effort.