The Bureau of Animal Industry will need as much as P300 million for the next three years to support the Agriculture Department’s anti-rabies campaign.
Animal Bureau veterinarian 2 Ma. Glofesita Lagayan said that would be the ideal amount to fund the DA's anti-rabies drive.
“Previously, the government did not really give much attention to rabies control until two years ago, when anti-rabies vaccines were provided consistently. We also need to make sure that pet owners are aware of their responsibilities and have their dogs vaccinated as prescribed,” she said during the launch of the “Rabies Free 2020” app.
The agency's target is to vaccinate at least 70 percent of the country's dog population, as well as cats. At present, the Philippines' dog population is about 10 percent of the human population, or around 10 million canines.
Lagayan said the budget would cover the vaccine procurement, the expenses of vaccinators, and other miscellaneous costs.
The Rabies Free 2020 app is a homegrown Android phone application developed with the Technological Institute of the Philippines to safeguard public health through the control and elimination of animal rabies in the country.
With roughly 250 Filipinos dying of rabies yearly and a regional target of rabies freedom by 2020 within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, this application aims to strengthen the rabies awareness campaign through useful information on the facts about rabies, location of animal bite treatment centers, location of animal rabies diagnostic laboratories, and contact information needed by the public.
The app is now available and can be downloaded through Google Play by searching for “Rabies Free 2020.”
Rabies continues to be a serious public health concern in the Philippines, with animal vaccination considered the most effective way of eliminating the disease.
Among the provinces with the highest reported animal rabies cases from 2016 and 2017 are Pampanga, Pangasinan, Cebu, Iloilo, South Cotabato, Misamis Oriental, Zamboanga City, Bataan, Bulacan, Davao del Sur and Metro Manila.
The rabies app is expected to be supported by local governments and the public, especially in rabies-prone areas.