Republic of the Philippines

PROVINCE OF BENGUET
Municipality of ________
Barangay ___________

Barangay Ordinance No. ______

AN ORDINANCE SUPPORTING RABIES PREVENTION AND CONTROL PROGRAM,

PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS THEREOF WITHIN BARANGAY ______________,
MUNICIPALITY OF __________________, BENGUET PROVINCE.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

WHEREAS, rabies is a fatal disease caused by Lyssavirus and primarily affects dogs,
cats, bats and can also affect humans;

WHEREAS, rabies can be transmitted from a rabid animal to other animals or to

humans when infected saliva is introduced into the body through biting, licking of open
wounds and mucus membranes, scratches, ingestion of raw infected meat, and organ
transplant;

WHEREAS, rabies is a public health problem which causes 200-250 human deaths
in the Philippines yearly and that majority of human rabies cases is transmitted by dog
bite;

WHEREAS, there is no effective treatment for rabies in both animals and humans
and that once clinical signs appear, it is 100% fatal;;

WHEREAS, responsible pet ownership should be practiced by owners in order to

effectively prevent the occurrence of rabies in their pets;

WHEREAS, the Philippines has a goal of becoming rabies-free by the year 2020;

WHEREAS, barangays play a crucial role in the prevention and control of rabies and
the declaration of Benguet as a rabies-free province;

NOW THEREFORE, ON MOTION DULY SECONDED BE IT ORDAINED BY THE

BARANGAY COUNCIL IN SESSION ASSEMBLED THAT:

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SECTION 1. Title. This ordinance shall be entitled: “An Ordinance Supporting the Rabies
Prevention and Control Program, Providing Penalties for Violation Thereof Within
Barangay _________________, Municipality of _________________, Province of Benguet.

SECTION 2. Definitions. For the purpose hereof, the terms below shall be understood to
mean as follows:

a. Pet refers to a domesticated animal most commonly referring to a dog, cat or

monkey, which are potential carriers of rabies.
b. Rabies refers to a highly fatal disease caused by lyssavirus, transmitted mainly
through the bite of an infected animal and is characterized by muscle paralysis,
hydrophobia and aerophobia, and other neurological manifestations.
c. Owner refers to any person keeping, harboring, or having charge, care or control
of a pet including his/her representative.
d. Rabies vaccination refers to the inoculation of dogs, cats and monkeys with a
rabies vaccine by a licensed government or private veterinarian or trained
individual under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The services of
the said trained individual shall be limited only to Rabies Vaccination Injection
and only during government mass vaccination campaigns.
e. Observation period refers to the 14-days that a biting animal should be closely
observed for signs of rabies and/or death which renders the animal suspect for
rabies. A biting animal that dies during the observation period should be
promptly reported to the Barangay Rabies Prevention and Control Committee
that shall facilitate the examination of the animal’s head at the Regional Animal
Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL). The animal should not be prematurely
killed during the observation period. The observation period is critical as it
affects the post-exposure treatment to be received by the bite victim.
f. Neutering of pets refers to the surgical removal of the testicles of male dogs and
cats and the surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus in female dogs and cats
by a licensed veterinarian. This is to control unwanted increase in pet population
which may contribute to the perpetuation of rabies.
g. Registration of pets is the act of officially identifying a particular pet to its
specific owner through recorded information kept for said specific purpose.
Registration and identification is important to identify owned and stray animals,
proof of ownership and is an important requirement for the efficient
enforcement of the barangay rabies prevention and control program.
h. Public Place refers to any place that is open to the public such as streets, parks,
etc.
i. Duly vaccinated refers to the yearly vaccination of pets against rabies.

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 j. Animal Bite Treatment Center (ABTC)- government-owned treatment centers
for animal bite victims. Meanwhile, Animal Bite Centers (ABCs) are privately-
owned animal bite treatment centers.
k. Tandok- the traditional practice of using a stone to allegedly remove rabies
from bite wounds.

SECTION 3. Barangay Rabies Prevention and Control Committee. As mandated by R.A.

9482 (The Anti-Rabies Act of 2007), a Barangay Rabies Prevention and Control Committee
shall be formed to spearhead the implementation of the barangay rabies prevention and
control program and other rabies-related activities as may be provided by guidelines
promulgated by higher authority or mandated by national laws.

This committee shall be composed of but not limited to the following:

Chairperson: barangay captain

Vice Chairpersons: barangay kagawad-committee on agriculture
barangay kagawad-committee on health
Members: barangay kagawads, barangay health workers, barangay
animal health care aides, midwives, barangay tanods,
lupong tagapamayapa, key purok leaders, canine clubs
based in the barangay, pet owners

The chairperson may nominate other responsible citizens of the community to be

members of this committee as needed

SECTION 4. Responsibilities of the Barangay Rabies Prevention and Control Committee

and its members.

1. The committee must create a barangay rabies prevention and control program;

2. Must actively support and participate in the implementation of the barangay rabies
prevention and control program;

3. Must coordinate both with the Municipal Health Office and the Municipal
Agriculture Office regarding the creation of barangay rabies prevention and control
program to ensure harmony between barangay and municipal rabies prevention
and control programs ;

4. The committee must prepare a yearly plan on rabies prevention and control in their
barangay;

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 5. Conduct regular meetings to plan and implement the barangay rabies program;

6. Committee members must be properly informed on rabies and support IECs on

rabies and responsible pet ownership;

7. Committee members must assist in monitoring compliance of owners on the

mandatory 14-day observation period for biting animals in coordination with the
Municipal Agriculture Office.

8. Assist or advice owners of biting animals which died during the observation period
to submit the animal’s head for rabies examination at the Regional Animal Disease
Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL);

9. Come up with additional ordinances that can help in the prevention and control of
rabies in their barangay such as but not limited to: ordinance regulating the number
of owned dogs, and prohibiting the entry of unvaccinated dogs into the barangay;

10. Come up with additional activities, programs and policies supporting the barangay
rabies prevention and control program (such as assigning particular staff or hiring
additional staff to man the pet registration system; mandating pet owners to place a
collar on their pets, etc).

BARANGAY RABIES PREVENTION AND CONTROL PROGRAM

SECTION 5. There shall be a Barangay Rabies Prevention and Control Program to be

implemented by the barangay rabies prevention and control program committee. Among
its central components include: (1) mass vaccination of dogs; (2) provision of pre-exposure
vaccination and post-exposure treatment to individuals exposed to rabies; (3)
establishment of a central database system for registered and vaccinated dogs; (4) dog
movement control; (5) conduct of information education campaigns; (6) dog population
control; (7) financial allotment for the program

SECTION 6. Responsibilities of Pet Owners. All barangay residents keeping pet dog/cat/
monkey are expected to be responsible pet owners and are required to:

1. Have their pets vaccinated against rabies starting at 3 months of age and yearly
thereafter;

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2. Maintain control over their pets and not allow it to roam freely in public places by
tethering or by confining them within their compound. Pets that are brought out for
walks in public places must always be on leash and muzzle should be placed on
aggressive pets;

3. Should not bring into the barangay dogs, puppies or kittens not duly vaccinated with
rabies;

4. Have their pets registered and pay the corresponding registration fee with the
barangay if any;

5. Provide their pets with proper grooming, shelter, food and clean water;

6. Keep a vaccination card containing the pet’s details such as species, name, breed,
sex, and color markings;

7. Within 24 hours, report immediately any pet biting incident to concerned officials in
the barangay, namely members of the barangay rabies prevention and control
committee, Municipal Agriculture Office or Provincial Veterinary Office for
investigation and for appropriate action;

8. Assist bite victim immediately and shoulder all medical and other incidental
expenses incurred relative to the treatment of the victim’s injuries.

9. Catch and confine or put a leash on the biting animal and observe it for 14 days for
any changes in behavior or death. The biting animal should not be killed during the
observation period;

10. In case the biting animal remains alive after the 14-day observation period, the
owner must report the outcome to the Barangay Rabies Prevention and Control
Committee and adopt measures to prevent further biting incidences through proper
animal control and confinement and updated anti-rabies vaccination;

11. In case the biting animal died within the observation period, the owner must report
the same to the Barangay Rabies Prevention and Control Committee that shall
facilitate the immediate examination of the biting animal for rabies.

12. In case the sample turns out positive, the pet owner must submit all his/ her
remaining pets for rabies vaccination to the quick response team of the Municipal
Agriculture Office and Provincial Veterinary Office. Meanwhile, the owner and in

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 contact members of his/her family to the said pet must seek medical attention
immediately.

SECTION 7. Regulation of Entry of Unvaccinated and Unregistered dogs and cats into the
barangay

1. All pets are required to be registered before their first rabies vaccination and
updated yearly thereafter;

2. The barangay may impose registration fees per pet (state agreed amount);

3. Unregistered pets will not be vaccinated during the scheduled mass rabies
vaccination and owners will be required to have their pets registered first before
these are vaccinated.

PENALTIES

SECTION 7. Penalties

1. Pet owners who fail to have their pets, that are at least three months old and above
registered shall be meted a fine of one hundred pesos (100.00) per pet;

2. Pet owners who refuse to have their pets registered shall be penalized with the
amount of three hundred pesos (300.00) per pet;

3. Pet owners who fail or refuse to have their pets vaccinated against rabies shall be
meted a fine of five hundred pesos (P 500.00) per pet;

4. Pet owners who fail or refuse to have their pets vaccinated against rabies and the
said pet contracts rabies shall be meted a fine of one thousand pesos (P 1,000.00)
per pet;

5. Pet owners who allow their dogs to roam freely in public places shall be punished
with a fine of one hundred pesos (P 100.00) per dog and per incident on their first
offense; five hundred pesos (P 500.00) on their second offense and one thousand
pesos on their third offense (P 1, 000.00);

6. Pet owners who bring in unvaccinated pets into the barangay shall be meted a fine
of three hundred pesos (P300.00) per pet on their first offense, five hundred pesos

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 (P 500.00) on the second offense and one thousand pesos (P 1,000.00) on their third
offense;

7. Pet owners who refuse or fail to subject their pet to the 14-day observation period
shall be punished with a fine of one thousand pesos (P 1,000.00);

8. Pet owners who refuse to shoulder or at least augment the expenses of the person
bitten by his/ her dog shall be meted a fine of one thousand pesos (P 1,000.00);

9. Penalties shall be paid to the Barangay Local Government Unit to augment funds for
the implementation of the barangay rabies prevention and control program.

SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations- The barangay in coordination with the
Municipal Agriculture Office, Municipal Health Office, Provincial Health Office and
Provincial Veterinary Office shall issue the necessary rules and regulations within sixty
days (60) days from the effectivity of this Act.

Section 9. Repealing and Separability Clause - Any ordinance or regulation found to be

inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Ordinance and any provision of this
ordinance declared unconstitutional is hereby repealed or modified accordingly, the other
provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Effectivity - This ordinance shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
approval and in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991.

Unanimously approved and passed.

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