San Luis, Pampanga LGU offers P5 per rat tail to keep vermin population down

The local government of San Luis, Pampanga is offering its residents P5 per rat tail under its program “Wanted: Mr. Rat”, according to Mark Salazar’s report on “24 Oras.”

“Currently po meron na po kaming 58,666 pieces po na tails na na-receive na katumbas po ng P293,330. Pero ‘yung target namin is one million. So ‘yung one million is makaka-collect ka ng 200,000 pieces of tails ng daga,” Ardee Taruc, PIO chief, said.

The municipality said that for every P1 million it will allot yearly to the rat tail program, it will save P75 million worth of rice crops. It added that this is a practical investment for a town that is 80 percent made up of farmlands.

However, it will only buy rat tails as the rat meat has its own market.

“Exotic food namin siya dito sa municipality of San Luis. So masarap dito ‘yung adobo, adobong daga. So bale, double purpose siya. So nakakain na siya ng mga tao, ‘yung mismong katawan ng daga. Sa dagang bukid, hindi dagang bahay,” Taruc said.

“Hindi naman siguro [delikado]. Actually, I myself kumakain ako ng adobong daga. Still, buhay pa naman ako,” he added.

The municipal health officer said it is safe to eat rats from farmlands as long as they are properly cooked. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News