MP Advocates for rabies free Philippines in 2020

IN its bid to help promote a rabies free Philippines, pet owners in Mountain Province recently conducted “Dog walk and Rabies Prevention and Control Program Awareness Month Celebration” on March 21 to 22.

Activities include a dog walk, information education campaign (IEC), free rabies vaccination, vitamins, deworming, pet consultation and neutering of pets.

The event was in collaboration with the provincial government, Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), Department of Agriculture (DA- RFO-CAR) and Department of Health (DOH- CAR).

“One health approach is applied through these joint activities from different agencies to support the prevention of rabies since animal health is also human health,” said Provincial Veterinarian Rodelio Bagawi.

Cordillera Administrative Region have 27 canine rabies positive cases recorded last year and 10 as of March.

“This means that people are now being aware, wherein they submit samples immediately in the laboratory compared in the previous years of first quarter wherein only three are being reported” stated Dr. Leisley Deligen of DARFO-CAR.

Moreover the officials are encouraged to help disseminate to the constituents that rabies can be preventable through anti-rabies vaccination.

“If all the barangays have an ordinance as to responsible pet ownership wherein 100 percent of the population of dogs are vaccinated, there will be no problem about rabies” said Claudio Pancho, DOH Mountain Province.

Roy Fiaching, DOH CAR Regional Rabies Coordinator said during the National Program Review, CAR is only the region that reached 70 percent of the dog population vaccinated which is the maximum target of the program.

Furthermore, to help control the population of pets, specifically dogs and cats, free neutering was conducted. There were

37 neutered pets with 27 dogs and four cats castrated with three dogs and cats spayed.

The IEC seminar was participated by barangay officials and health workers of different barangays of Bontoc. The regular updates and facts on animal and human rabies was discussed, also the vaccine storage and handling. DA-CAR Release