By Mariela Angella Oladive
The Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) of Calinog, Iloilo, led by Municipal Agriculturist Gelmina P. Cartel, recently launched an anti-rabies vaccination drive in collaboration with the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) and Barangay Jamin-ay.
The ceremonial kick-off was spearheaded by Dr. Darel Tabuada, Provincial Veterinarian, alongside municipal officials from the Calinog local government unit (LGU).
The campaign aims to raise awareness about rabies prevention as part of the province’s ongoing efforts to control the disease.
Dr. Tabuada announced that the PVO will continue its mass vaccination campaign from February to April, targeting 70% of the province’s dog population, which has risen to 367,907. This translates to an estimated 257,523 dogs to be vaccinated.
In 2024, the PVO vaccinated over 283,000 dogs—87.37% of the total population of 324,764—exceeding its initial 70% target.
For this year, the PVO has allocated PHP9 million for vaccines and supplies. The procurement includes approximately 21,000 vials of vaccine, enough to immunize 210,000 dogs across Iloilo province.
