Aired (October 11, 2024): Ayon sa Bureau of Animal Industry, tinatayang nasa 200 Pilipino ang namamatay taon-taon dahil sa rabies. Mahigit 300 naman ang mga namatay ngayong 2024. Ano nga ba ang mga programa ng pamahalaan kaugnay nito? Panoorin ang video.
Hosted by veteran and premier documentarist Kara David, ‘Kara Docs’ gives faces to significant statistics on social issues. It amplifies the subjects’ voices as Kara David immerses herself in their lives.
Watch 'Kara Docs' every Monday, 5:00PM on GMA Public Affairs YouTube Channel. Subscribe to youtube.com/gmapublicaffairs for our full episodes. #KaraDocs
Hosted by veteran and premier documentarist Kara David, ‘Kara Docs’ gives faces to significant statistics on social issues. It amplifies the subjects’ voices as Kara David immerses herself in their lives.
Watch 'Kara Docs' every Monday, 5:00PM on GMA Public Affairs YouTube Channel. Subscribe to youtube.com/gmapublicaffairs for our full episodes. #KaraDocs
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NewsTranscript
00:00For pet owners, it is important to be responsible and to vaccinate their pets.
00:07For fur parents, we should remember that it is our responsibility to vaccinate our pets.
00:13The best advice is to vaccinate our fur babies or cats yearly
00:20so that their immune system is strong against, if ever, a possible rabies exposure.
00:28Secondly, we should not let our pet dogs or cats go out or disappear.
00:36Animal control, the fight against rabies, is again, everyone's responsibility.
00:42We need to make an effort to help the community.
00:46First of all, pet owners, we need to vaccinate our pets every year.
00:53It is in the law that they need to be vaccinated every year
00:56for the protection of our pets, our families, and ourselves.
01:02According to the Department of Health, from January to September this year,
01:06more than 300 people have been infected and died from rabies.
01:11Most of them died from dog bites.
01:15This is higher than the previous cases last year.
01:20The Philippines is one of the countries where rabies is a public health concern.
01:26In San Lazaro Hospital, being the biggest animal bite center,
01:31the supply of our vaccine against rabies is sufficient.
01:36Maybe some of us, when the number of our patients who were vaccinated increased,
01:42there were shortcomings, but we had emergency purchases.
01:46So we were able to purchase and supply it.
01:51Due to the increasing number of rabies infections in the country,
01:54one of the steps that the government is taking is dog population management
01:59or controlling the increase of stray cats and stray dogs.
02:03There are more than 12 million dogs and cats in the Philippines.
02:09According to Republic Act 9482 or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007,
02:15it is the responsibility of the local government to control stray animals
02:19to avoid the spread of rabies.
02:24In Barangay Payatas, Quezon City, they have their own staging area
02:28to place the stray dogs that they catch.
02:33So these dogs were caught on the street or were rendered?
02:39These dogs were rendered because they are too brave and dangerous.
02:43The rest are stray dogs.
02:46Ah, stray dogs.
02:48They are called stray dogs.
02:51Ah, okay, okay.
02:53We caught them because they can bite.
02:55Ah, okay, okay.
02:57Then you will bring these dogs to City Pound?
03:00Yes, after one week.
03:01The time frame is one week to bring them there.
03:07So this place is just like their staging area.
03:10The dogs don't really stay here.
03:12If you are a dog owner and you want to surrender your dogs
03:17because you can't take care of them anymore,
03:19you give them to them and then you turn them over?
03:22We turn them over to City Pound.
03:24To City Pound?
03:25Yes.
03:26For the others, the ones that are still okay,
03:28we take care of them and feed them every day.
03:30So all these dogs that are here, you have already injected them with anti-rabies?
03:35Yes, anti-rabies.
03:36Ah, that's good.
03:37So that our staff can also protect them.
03:39So if they get bitten, they won't be in danger.
03:43Okay, that's good.
03:45According to the Bureau of Animal Industries,
03:47in the whole country, there are only 20 local governments
03:50that have registered an animal pound.
03:54Four non-government organizations are the registered animal shelters in the whole country.
03:59This number is small
04:01if the law dictates that there should be animal pounds in every local government.
04:08If we read the law, there is no sanction if they don't have City Pounds.
04:14So it's not that much.
04:16There are City Pounds,
04:18there are also a lot of City Pounds that are not yet registered with us.
04:22The most common problem is the prioritization of LCEs when it comes to the budget.
04:29Especially for some LGUs that have problems with our trans-animal boundary diseases,
04:36ASF, bird flu.
04:38We are also trying to update policies.
04:41So at the moment, our target is still aligned with the revised ASEAN target
04:47of zero rabies by 2030.
04:54Dogs usually stay in the staging area of Barangay Payatas for a week only.
04:59If there is no owner, they will be brought to Quezon City Pound.
05:11Today, some dogs were able to turn over in City Pound.
05:23So sir, what are you holding here?
05:26Actually, when we hold this, it will be like this.
05:29When we catch a dog like that, we will wait for it to calm down.
05:36Calm down?
05:37Relax?
05:38Before we tie it, hold it.
05:41Why does it need to be used like this?
05:43So that it won't fall apart.
05:45Oh, it can't be tied like that?
05:47And it won't get hurt.
05:48Because once it's tied, it's a neck.
05:51Ah, okay.
05:52So if it's a neck, we will wait for the dog to calm down.
05:58Once it calms down, we can tie it and bring it to the cage.
06:02Because these dogs are really wild?
06:05Yes.
06:07Oh, the color is white. It's so cute.
06:09But why did you render it?
06:11Because it's red, it's biting.
06:13It bit its owner.
06:14Ah, it bit its owner.
06:17Ah, so they might look a bit wild right now.
06:21But these dogs were rendered by their owners because it's really biting.
06:33This one surrendered too. It's so beautiful.
06:37This dog is not really a stray dog.
06:40But the story of the owner is that it's already biting.
06:46They can't take care of it anymore.
06:48It looks like it's going to bite.
07:02Actually, our definition of stray is confusing.
07:05So our problem is roaming.
07:08Because based on the studies we did in 2017,
07:12we don't have a stray.
07:14Instead, it has an owner, but at a certain time of the day,
07:18it's allowed to roam the streets.
07:20So they're owned but roaming.
07:23So yes, that's a huge problem.
07:26There's also a big risk of acquiring rabies.
07:30Because we don't know who they will meet on the streets.
07:34Each of these dogs will be brought to the city pound.
07:38Each of these dogs has already been injected with anti-rabies.
07:43So what they will do now in the city pound,
07:46they will be kept there.
07:47And hopefully, if someone wants to adopt a dog.
07:52This one is so cute.
07:55I hope they can find a new family.