Republic of the Philippines

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NINETEENTH CONGRESS \e.
First Regular Session

1510

House Bill No.

Introduced by Honorable Florida P. Robes

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Itis the policy of the State to promote the welfare of animals as well as protect their owners
and the public from undue injury and illness, including rabies.

There are about 10 million dogs in the Philippines and despite the passage of Republic Act
9482 or the Act Establishing for the Control and Elimination of Human and Animal Rabies (Anti-
Rabies Act of 2007), the country remains to have one of the greatest numbers of rabies cases all
over the world.

RA 9482 was enacted in 2007 with the aim to control and eliminate human and animal
rabies by 2020, However, the Department of Health has reported that there are still around 200 to.
300 Filipinos who die of rabies every year.

Concomitant to the issue of rabies as provided in RA 9482 is the mandatory registration of
dogs in the city or municipal Agriculture and Veterinary Office. However, the registration of pet
dog remains low. Furthermore, a survey conducted by the private dog company, Royal Canin, on
responsible pet ownership in the Philippines, showed that pet medicalization remains relatively
low with only 20 percent of local pet owners who bring their pets to veterinarians at least once a
year while the rest would only bring in their pets when there is already medical emergency

As a result of the low implementation of pet registration, local governments continue to
struggle with the issue of stray dogs which are the main sources of rabies.

A large portion of these stray dogs comes from pet owners who have lost them. Because
of lack any system to trace their whereabouts after their pets go astray, their owners fail to find
them and they end up as stray dogs who are usually gathered in a pound and are eventually killed
through euthanasia when no one claims or adopts them.


There is therefore a need to put in place a system to identify our dogs in order to
immediately find them when they go astray

Microchipping has been endorsed my animal rights groups all over the world as the best
way to register and identify a dog or pet.

According to the Philippine Canine Club Inc., microchipping is the process of implanting
a small, electronic chip approximately the size of a grace of rice into subcutaneous layer of the
skin of a dog located at the back of the neck. It is a permanent identification of a pet that cannot
be lost, altered or destroyed. Its implantation is done like any other injection of vaccination and
no anesthesia is required. PCCI said the microchip is inert, smooth and biocompatible and there is
virtually no chance of the body developing an allergy or trying to reject the microchip.

The microchip is affordable usually costing between P100 to P200 which includes the
process of implantation.

This bill likewise includes cats in the registration and microchipping requirements because
cats are likewise vulnerable to rabies and are also sources thereof, and they likewise greatly
contribute to the problem of stray pets.

The process of microchipping will not only address the problem of stray dogs and cats and
help pet owners in locating their lost pets but also help in the thrust of the government to eliminate
rabies cases in the country

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “(t)he greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be
judged by the way its animals are treated.”

In this regard, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought,

FLORA P. ROBES


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

INETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1510

House Bill No.

Introduced by Honorable Florida P. Robes

AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9482 OR AN ACT ESTABLISHING FOR THE
CONTROL AND ELIMINATION OF HUMAN AND ANIMAL RABIES, PRESCRIBING
PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS.
THEREFOR (ANTI-RABIES ACT OF 2007)

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled

Section 1. Section 5 of Republic Act No. 9482, otherwise known as the Anti-Rabies Act
of 2007”, is hereby amended as follows:

“Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - For the purpose of this Act, the following terms shall
mean:

XXXX

d) Dog refers to a common quadruped domestic animal belonging to the order carnivora (male or

female), scientifically known as canis familiaris WHILE CAT REFERS TO THE DOMESTICATED

SMALL CARNIVOROUS MAMMAL (MALE OR FEMALE) BELONGING TO THE FAMILY OF

FELIDAE, SCIENTIFICALLY KNOWN AS FELIS CATUS.

200%

(g) Owner refers to any person keeping, harboring or having charge, care or control of a Dog AND/OR:
CAT including his/her representative.

(m) Rabies Vaccination of Dogs AND CATS refers to the inoculation of a Dog
AND CAT 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 in Dogs AND CATS and only during government mass vaccination

campaigns

(R). MICRO-CHIPPING REFERS TO THE ACT OF IMPLANTING A
MICROCHIP ABOUT THE SIZE OF A GRAIN OF RICE SUBCUTANEOUSLY
BETWEEN THE SHOULDER BLADES AT THE BACK OF THE PET’S NECK
AS A MEANS OF PERMANENT IDENTIFICATION.”

Section 2. Section 5 of Republic Act No. 9482 is hereby amended as follows.

“Section 5. Responsibilities of Pet Owner. All Pet Owners are required to:

XXXX,

“(b) Submit their Dogs AND CATS for mandatory registration AND
MICROCHIPPING AT THE CITY/MUNICIPAL VETERINARY AND
AGRICULTURE OFFICE IN WHICH THE FOLLOWING DETAILS
ARE ENCODED:

1

3
4.
5.

NAME OF THE PET, BREED, SEX, COLOR AND OTHER
VITAL INFORMATION;

THE OWNER’S NAME, ADDRESS AND CONTACT
DETAILS;

DATE OF RABIES VACCINATION/EXPIRATION;
VACCINES ADMINISTERED; AND

NAME AND SIGNATURE OF VETERINARIAN.

IN CASE OF CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP OR DEATH OF THE
REGISTERED AND MICROCHIPPED DOG AND/OR CAT, THE
OWNER SHALL INFORM THE CITY VETERINARY AND
AGRICULTURE OFFICE WITHIN TEN (10) DAYS FROM CHANGE
OF OWNERSHIP OR DEATH, RESPECTIVELY THEREOF.”


Section 3. Section 11 of Republic Act No. 9482 is hereby amended as follows:
“Sec. 11. Penalties. —

(1) Pet Owners who fail or refuse to have their dog AND/OR CAT
registered, MICROCHIPPED AND immunized against Rabies shall be
punished by a fine of FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (P5,000.00) [Two
thousand pesos (P2,000.00)];

Xxx

Section 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of Agriculture shall
promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of
this Act

Section 5, Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees and executive issuance or parts thereof
which are contrary to or consistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

Section 6. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected shall thereby remain valid and
subsisting.

Section 7, Effectivity Clause. ~ This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation

Approved,