(First of two parts)
Times are indeed changing for the better for the animals.
The Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) culture in the northern part of the country is known for its rich cultural traditions and practices. It is renowned for its arts, music, dance, fabrics, and even wood carvings, to mention a few.
However, over the years, these cultural practices have been overshadowed by a deep and often controversial issue regarding the practice of killing and consuming dog meat in the name of religious rituals and cultural traditions or practices. Over time, this also became a commercial trade called the dog meat trade. Since the 1990s, thousands of dogs were reported to have been transported from different areas namely, Batangas, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, and Pangasinan, which are eventually slaughtered and sold in restaurants both in Baguio City and in Benguet province.
Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF), in its staunch campaign against the cruel dog meat trade, has highlighted the brutal methods used to capture, transport, and slaughter dogs for meat. These practices often involve overcrowding, inadequate food and water, and inhumane killing methods, which can include electrocution, hanging, beating, and even drowning. In fact, the mistreatment of dogs in the dog meat trade in the Philippines, along with other Asian countries, has sparked protests worldwide.

Cultural Practice vs Animal Rights
The dog slaughter issue has been a difficult balance in respecting the rights of the Indigenous Peoples and animal welfare, animal rights, ethics, and even legal framework. While in the Philippines, dog meat consumption varies depending on the region and cultural beliefs, the commercial consumption and trade of dogs for their meat became a popular and widespread practice as a delicacy that tickled the curiosity of tourists in the past.
Recently, the commercial selling and consumption of dogs have significantly been reduced owing to the staunch and successful campaign against it by AKF, a local non-government organization (NGO). However, It cannot be denied that the slaughter of dogs as part of the rituals and practices in the Mountain Provinces still exists.
Enforce Animal Welfare Laws
The Animal Welfare Act or Republic Act No. 8485, as amended by RA 10631, as well as Department of Agriculture (DA) Administrative Order (AO) No. 25 issued in 2008, provide guidelines in the use of animals for religious rituals of an established religion or sect. How these laws and guidelines have been relayed to the grassroots and the general public have always been a critical concern as it is often wanting in terms of enforcement. The lack of political will from the local government units to enforce these laws and guidelines has been a huge struggle.
The recent viral incident of two dogs brutally slaughtered in public at the wake of a member of an indigenous tribe in Poblacion, La Trinidad, Benguet triggered another clamor for enforcing the animal welfare law. The question of whether such a killing is necessary was raised. Animal welfare advocates asked if a cultural ritual really requires such a killing which was done in public and with such cruelty.
Animal Welfare Forum
Last September 2024, an Animal Welfare Forum was initiated by the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian of the Province of Benguet amidst the outcry and pressure from both netizens and animal welfare NGOs like AKF. The interagency forum was an avenue to discuss among others what went wrong in the recent viral killing of two dogs during a wake.
Board Member Benjamin Palbusa, an Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of Benguet, apologized for the apparent lapses and violation of guidelines of the animal welfare law on the use of an animal in a cultural ritual. Citing the ritual practices and requirements, he cautioned that the rituals must be performed correctly, and those performing the rituals with little or no knowledge should stop performing it altogether, mentioning that the ritual would be useless or would backfire if incorrectly done.
AKF, with the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian, committed to undertake more information campaign drives and come up with possible local guidelines on this matter.
Barangay-level Information Drive on the Animal Welfare Law
The forum paved the way for the first-ever information and education seminar held on December 11 and 12, 2024 where IP leaders were also present. In fact, there were about 576 attendees from 140 barangays within different municipalities of the Province of Benguet. The 140 barangays were represented by their punong barangays, kagawads for health and agriculture, and most importantly, the barangay IPMRs who actively participated in the seminar series.
Leading the seminar was this author, Atty. Heidi M. Caguioa, a pioneer lawyer on animal welfare practice. She discussed the law on animal welfare and its basic concepts to ensure a better appreciation of why animal welfare matters in the community, along with the significant role of animal welfare in the economy, health, and environment citing the One Welfare Concept.
About the Author: Atty Heidi M. Caguioa is the president and program director of Animal Kingdom Foundation . To know more about how to help AKF continue its animal welfare work, email them at akfanimalrescue@gmail.com www.akfrescues.org.
To be continued