Dengue is a real problem in the Philippines. It is a mosquito-borne disease that requires one to be bit in order to get sick. Obviously the best way to eradicate dengue is to reduce the mosquito population. That includes pouring out all standing water and keeping public areas clean. In the Philippines there is the "four o'clock habit" where, at 4 p.m. everyday, people stop what they are doing and clean up.
However there are also other methods to prevent the spread of dengue. One Barangay in Quezon City wants to use frogs to eat the mosquitoes.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/17/qc-barangay-eyes-use-of-frogs-to-catch-and-swallow-dengue-carrying-mosquitoes |
Officials of Barangay Matandang Balara, an exclusive and gated subdivision in Quezon City, plan to deploy again an army of frogs to catch and swallow dengue-carrying mosquitoes following a dengue outbreak declaration in the city.
Mayor Joy Belmonte declared a dengue outbreak on Saturday, Feb. 15.
“Because when we did that, we actually saw a decrease in dengue cases,” Barangay Chairman Allan Franza said in an interview.
“Although we still believe that the frogs can still help a lot, especially in vacant lots that the barangay cannot enter to clean," he added.
In 2018 and 2019, the barangay released frogs after recording two deaths and over 200 dengue cases.
However, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Health (DOH) frowned upon this method in reducing dengue cases citing the lack of study to prove that it is an effective solution.Franza said they will continue to conduct clean-up drives and information dissemination.
“We will follow the 5S strategy of DOH),” he said.
“The release of frogs will be our last option if we cannot stop the spread of dengue,” he added.
Barangay Matandang Balara has recorded 45 dengue cases.
While there is no studies on whether the number of frogs results in a decrease in dengue cases they do have anecdotal evidence that it worked previously. They are also not giving up on conducting clean-up drives.
A village in Mandaluyong is offering bounties for each mosquito brought in dead or alive.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/624117/mandaluyong-village-battles-dengue-by-offering-bounties-for-mosquitos-dead-or-alive |
A village in the densely populated Philippine capital region launched a battle against dengue Wednesday by offering a token bounty to residents for captured mosquitos — dead or alive.
Mandaluyong village battles dengue by offering bounties for mosquitos — dead or alive
The unusual strategy adopted by the Addition Hills village in Mandaluyong City reflects growing concern after the nearby city of Quezon declared an outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness over the weekend. Eight more areas reported an upsurge in cases of the potentially deadly viral infection.
At least 28,234 dengue cases have been recorded in the Philippines this year up to Feb. 1, a 40% increase compared to the same period last year, according to health department statistics. Quezon City declared a dengue outbreak Saturday after deaths this year reached 10 people, mostly children, out of 1,769 residents infected.
A urban village of more than 100,000 residents living in crowded neighborhoods and residential condominium towers, Addition Hills has done clean-ups, canal de-clogging and a hygiene campaign to combat dengue. But when cases spiked to 42 this year and two young students died, village leader Carlito Cernal decided to intensify the battle.
Residents will get a reward of one Philippines peso (just over 1 cent) for every five mosquitos or mosquito larva they turn in, Cernal said.
Critics warned the strategy could backfire if desperate people start breeding mosquitoes for the reward. Cernal said that was unlikely because the campaign would be terminated as soon as the uptick in cases eases.
As the campaign began, about a dozen mosquito hunters showed up at the village office. Miguel Labag, a 64-year-old scavenger, handed a jug with 45 dark mosquito larvas squirming in some water and received a reward of nine pesos (15 cents).
“This is a big help,” Labag said, smiling. “I can buy coffee.”
It's not clear how desperate people, or any people really besides scientists in a lab, would be able to breed mosquitoes. That's a lot of work for such a low reward. It's a very silly idea not unlike cities who offer rewards for rodents caught in markets. It's gross and belies a much larger problem. Rather than focus on invididual mosquitoes, breeding grounds must be destroyed.
One doctor says to forget all that nonsense and clean up
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/20/doctors-tell-lg-us |
Rather than offering financial rewards for catching mosquitoes, local government units (LGUs) should focus on rigorous environmental cleanup efforts to combat dengue, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) said on Thursday, Feb. 20.
PMA President Dr. Hector Santos Jr. warned that offering cash incentives for catching mosquitoes could lead to unintended consequences rather than effectively controlling the spread of the disease.
“Promote more cleaning the environment and removing or destroying breeding sites of mosquitos. We should focus more on cleaning the environment and removing or destroying mosquito breeding sites,” he told the Manila Bulletin.
His statement comes after a barangay in Mandaluyong City launched a “May Piso sa Mosquito” program, offering cash rewards to residents for every mosquito caught.
While well-intentioned, Santos warned that such measures could lead to people breeding mosquitoes for profit instead of actually reducing their population—a phenomenon known as the “Cobra Effect.”
The term “Cobra Effect” originates from a historical incident in British India, where authorities offered a bounty for every dead cobra to control their population.
But instead of solving the problem, enterprising individuals began breeding cobras for the reward, ultimately leading to an even larger cobra population when the program was scrapped.
Santos cautioned that a similar unintended consequence could arise from mosquito-catching incentives.
“People might turn this into a business, growing mosquitoes and their larvae just to sell them for profit,” he warned.
Also, the Department of Health (DOH) urged local governments to coordinate their anti-dengue programs with them to ensure that they are effective.
The PMA president urged LGUs to strengthen community-wide cleaning efforts rather than focusing on short-term gimmicks that may not effectively curb the disease’s spread.
"In areas with a surge, people must be extra vigilant. Clean up and kill mosquitoes,” he stressed.
Instead of relying on monetized mosquito collection, he emphasized the importance of fogging operations, larvicide application, and strict monitoring of stagnant water sources, which have proven to be more effective in reducing mosquito populations.
Frogs, monetization, and cleaning-up are three of the ways the Philippines is fighting dengue. Cleaning up is certainly the most effective route. With all the rain it is imperative to make sure there is no standing water in which the mosquitoes can breed.
