Baguio mayor launches rat catching contest on eve of April Fools’ Day

Contributed photo

BAGUIO CITY –– For the top prize of P20,000, vendors of the Baguio City Public Market have started chasing after rats for a month-long challenge which Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong launched on Tuesday (March 31).

The contest was Magalong’s innovation on the city’s pest control problems in the area where most residents buy food, while the summer capital rides out the Luzon lockdown.

Supervised by the Baguio City Market Authority, the market tenant who shares the most rats would be declared the winner.

The second placer will receive P10,000.

The mayor issued the challenge when he inspected the market to see how the imposition of dedicated market days for each barangay has reduced crowding there.

All 128 barangays were divided into 20 districts with their market hours to conform with quarantine rules that prohibit all activities, which gather more than three people in close quarters.

The lockdown was meant to stop the coronavirus disease from spreading.

The market is open every day from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Sundays.

The tenants regularly clean and disinfect the market before they shutdown.

LZB