**Philippine Village Officials Offer Cash Rewards to Combat Dengue Outbreak**
In an effort to tackle a dengue outbreak, village officials in the Philippines are distributing cash rewards to residents who capture mosquitoes. During the launch event on Wednesday, residents from Addition Hills, a village in metropolitan Manila, lined up with plastic cups and bags filled with their catches, eager to receive their payment: one Philippine peso (approximately 1.7 US cents) for every five mosquitoes collected.
Organizers distributed coins to participants and utilized an ultraviolet mosquito zapper to eliminate live mosquitoes. One resident earned nine pesos, roughly 15 US cents, for handing over 45 mosquito larvae. Village chair Carlito Cernal announced on social media that the initiative was implemented in response to a rise in dengue cases in the area.
Dengue, a potentially fatal viral infection, has been on the rise nationwide, with the Department of Health reporting over 28,000 cases in January alone, marking a 40% increase compared to the same period last year. Earlier this week, the department highlighted a “concerning rise” in dengue cases across nine regions in the Philippines. Quezon City, the most populous city in the country, declared a dengue outbreak on Saturday following 10 fatalities since the start of the year.
However, there are concerns that the village’s cash incentive program could backfire, as individuals might begin breeding mosquitoes to earn rewards, according to department spokesperson Albert Domingo. While he did not condemn the initiative, Domingo suggested considering cleanliness contests where neighborhoods compete to eliminate stagnant water.
The project has also raised eyebrows on social media, with users warning about the potential for mosquito farming for profit. Comments included calls for sustainable solutions that avoid unintended consequences, with one user urging a reevaluation of the program’s effectiveness.
In response to the backlash, Cernal reassured the public in a Facebook post that he had “no ill intentions” behind the initiative.
