Bohol town declared rabies-free zone in PH

BOHOL, Philippines – For hitting a zero record on animal bites and for undertaking strong rabies prevention and elimination programs for 3 years in a row, an island municipality in the province of Bohol has been declared a “rabies-free island.”

President Carlos P. Garcia (CPG), more commonly known here as Pitogo Island and located northeast of the capital city of Tagbilaran, was recognized by the national government during the World Rabies Day celebration on Thursday, September 28, for its anti-rabies programs.

These programs include dog vaccination, dog population control, community awareness, education on rabies prevention, immediate treatment if bitten by unvaccinated dogs, and promoting responsible pet ownership.

CPG town, a 4th-class municipality with a population of 23,356 as of 2015, shares the limelight with the municipalities of Batuan, San Jacinto, San Fernando, and Monreal of Ticao Island, all in Masbate province – and Corcuera, Banton, and Concepcion in Romblon province – at the recently concluded 2017 National Rabies Summit held in Century Park Manila.

“The rabies-free declaration of President Garcia town is one big step towards the achievement of our ultimate goal of Bohol being a rabies-free declared province by 2020,” said Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto in a statement.

In 2011, the Global Alliance for Rabies Control recognized Bohol for its rabies prevention program, saying that “due to their intense and successful efforts, the Bohol Rabies Elimination program won the highly competitive Galing Pook Award…”

“As long as the government is able to receive continued support to sustain these efforts, both the dog and human population of Bohol will be protected from death from rabies,” according to a study submitted to the US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) has noted that 200 to 300 Filipinos die every year due to rabies-related infection.

WHO says the Philippines has been ranking as one of the top 10 countries in the world with the highest number of rabies incidents.

In 2015, for instance, the country registered some 783,000 cases of animal bites, 10 percent higher than the 683,000 cases recorded a year earlier.

Receiving the awardin Manila for CPG town were Liza M. Quirog (representing the provincial government), provincial veterinarian Dr Stella Marie Lapiz, CPG councilor Tessie Boyboy (representing CPG Mayor Fernando Estavilla), Department of Education supervisor Maria Teresa Bacor, municipal agriculturist Felisa Boyles, municipal health officer Dr Honey Talisic, and CPG local government unit representative Celso Basilad. – with a report from Romy Garcia/Rappler.com