BAGUIO CITY – The city government is conducting a three-month Rat-Catching Challenge inside the Baguio City Public Market from May 20 to August 31.
It is managed by the City Treasurer-Market Section and the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO).
Extermination of rats is a priority to address leptospirosis cases here which increased by 126 percent last year in the months of July and August with the onset of the rainy season. Seven individuals died.
Public market tenants and vendors were encouraged to help maintain cleanliness by eradicating the presence of rats.
This year, the section with the most rats caught will receive a P25,000 cash prize, second place will receive P15,000, third place will receive P10,000, and P5,000 for the most rats caught by an individual.
Trapped rats, whether alive or dead, must be turned over to a collection point from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. which will be supervised by the market supervisor.
The activity aims to continuously involve market leaseholders and vendors, including privately-operated business establishments within the market premises, in the eradication of pests for public safety.
The first Rat-Catching Challenge was initiated by Mayor Benjamin Magalong in 2020 to exterminate rats seen thriving in the public market.
In a month of rat hunting, 1,766 were caught by vendors in the Lechon Section, Pines Meat Mart, and Entrails Section.