Daga: More Than Pests

More than just a pest, the rat is an unacknowledged actor in Philippine history, its story intertwined with our own from prehistoric times to the modern day. This episode uncovers that hidden narrative, from the extinct giant cloud rats that coexisted with ancient humans to the arrival of invasive species that brought centuries of agricultural plagues and colonial-era disease. It examines the rat's evolution into a public health enemy, the target of post-war military campaigns, and a potent cultural symbol—euphemized as "mabait" in folklore while weaponized as the namesake for a brutal paramilitary group. With this journey, we find that rats reflect our society's failures in agriculture, urbanization, and waste management, proving that the rat's story is inseparable from our own.