People in a village in the Philippines catch mosquitos and mosquito larvae. Next, they carry them to the village office. They get paid one peso for every five bugs or larvae they turn in. 

The goal: Stop the spread of dengue (DEN-gay) fever. 

The sickness is breaking out in parts of the Philippines. Mosquitos spread it. Nearly 2,000 people have caught the illness in Quezon City. Ten have died.

The mosquito collection is happening in a nearby village called Addition Hills. (It’s really more like a city. More than 100,000 people live there in crowded neighborhoods.) Village leader Carlito Cernal decided to fight back against the bugs.

Is his “money for bugs” plan a good idea? Critics warn it could backfire. What if people start breeding mosquitos for money? Then more sickness would spread.

Mr. Cernal says that’s unlikely. He says the village will stop paying for bugs as soon as fewer people get sick. 

As the campaign begins, about a dozen mosquito hunters show up. Miguel Labag is a 64-year-old scavenger. He hands over a jug. Inside, 45 dark mosquito larvae squirm in water. Mr. Labag gets nine pesos. That’s about 15 cents in U.S. money.

He smiles. “This is a big help,” he says. “I can buy coffee.”

Dengue fever spreads in tropical countries all over the world. It causes joint pain, nausea, vomiting, and rashes. When people get dengue, it’s important for them to stay hydrated.

 Of course, not getting dengue at all is the best option. To stop its spread, people clean up pools of water where mosquitos breed. And in another nearby village, leaders consider a different solution: Releasing mosquito-eating frogs!

The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. — Psalm 41:3