In This Neighborhood, They Trade Mosquitoes for Cash

With the dengue virus spreading to people in the Philippines, one neighborhood is taking action—offering a bounty on mosquitoes. The project is the brainchild of Carlito Cernal, village chief of Addition Hills in the city of Mandaluyong east of Manila, who believes capturing the dengue-spreading insects can have a "huge impact" on curbing the spread of the virus, per AFP. Though health officials are doubtful, some of the neighborhood's 100,000 residents seem game, per the AP. They lined up outside the village hall on Wednesday with various containers, receiving one peso (just over 1 US cent) for every five mosquitoes, dead or alive. Any live insects are transferred to a UV light machine, where death is certain.

The Philippines is among the countries most affected by dengue, and cases are on the rise this year. Some 28,200 people were infected in January, up 40% compared to the same month last year, per AFP. Assistant Health Secretary Albert Domingo notes heavy rains driven by climate change have left behind stagnant water, where mosquitoes breed, per the Philippine Star. Residents have been urged to eliminate breeding sites and protect themselves from bites to help mitigate dengue outbreaks, already declared in five cities and municipalities. "The sooner we clean our surroundings and overturn any possible areas where stagnant water is collecting, then we will have a better fight against dengue," said Domingo, per AFP.

Officials in a Quezon City village were mulling over releasing a bunch of frogs, hoping they'd eat the problematic mosquitoes, per the AP. But public health expert Anthony Leachon tells AFP that Addition Hills' mosquito bounty will have "little or no impact," and that some residents might even feel compelled to breed mosquitoes in the hope of bringing in money. However, one local who lined up Wednesday said it wasn't about the coin. "My child suffered from dengue before and I know how scary and difficult that is," she said. Addition Hills has reported 42 dengue cases this year, resulting in the deaths of two young students, the AP reports. The Philippines reported a total of 575 deaths from dengue in 2023. (More Philippines stories.)