CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – A reward of P30,000 for every 30,000 tails of crop-eating rats.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) here said the offer was made by the Bulacan provincial government to local folk to combat the proliferation of the rodents amid the coming rice harvest season, particularly in the rice producing towns of San Ildefonso, San Miguel and San Rafael in the province.
The cash-for-rats program was launched by the Bulacan Provincial Agricultural Office (PAO), headed by Gloria Carillo, under its rat control operation with the theme “Daga’y puksain, kita’y palaguin (Eliminate the rats, increase income).” Sixteen out of 24 towns in Bulacan have reported rat infestation, PAO said.
The province-wide anti-rat campaign was launched initially in Baliwag and Pulilan, and would be in effect up to June.
The DA quoted Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado as appealing to his constituents to take advantage of the P30,000 cash offer to the first barangay which could catch and kill 30,000 rats per month in each town. The second barangay to do so would get P20,000 while the third would get P10,000.
PAO said the tails of the killed rats would suffice as proof during the competition.
PAO’s Carillo said the control operation “would alleviate increasing damages wrought by rat invasions despite regular purging efforts of farmers.”
“Rat control operation is a regular activity of farmers after the harvest season as they prepare for the next planting. According to data, the damages brought by these pesky rats are increasing and lead to big losses,” said Carillo.
