MikeLigalig.com

Written by Rey Anthony Chiu
Bohol Correspondent
Philippine Information Agency

Even with only 30% of the towns ready or 16 towns of the island's 48, the provincial rabies prevention and eradication program starts in a ceremonial launching August 14.

The province-wide program is supposed to be simultaneous so that control could be effective and that unvaccinated dogs could not contaminate the vaccinated pets from sanitized towns.

But even then, the Bohol Rabies Prevention and Eradication Council (BRPEC) with the Provincial Veterinarian's Office gives the go signal to launch in two venues: Talibon and Tubigon.

In the launch set in Talibon at 8 am and in Tubigon at 1 pm, the program includes unveiling ceremonies of the Boholano dog in 2010, vaccine turn-over, ceremonial module turn over, free clinics and Alis itlog for dogs.

Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz said despite the glitches and the apparent lack of vaccines for bite victims, the program that is set to declare Bohol rabies free by 2010 starts.

Talibon and Tubigon launch is based on the degree of the preparation that both towns and its leaders did to get the program running, a preparation that demands a tough test of political will.

Alarmed local officials and concerned citizens immediately adopted the BRPEP upon learning that Bohol rabies cases topped Central Visayas. Moreover, tourism stakeholders fear that the spread of the virus here has the potential to destroy the image Bohol projects as tourism destination in the country.

In Bohol, the program could be a burden in as much as the island owns a big stray dog population and registering and vaccinating pet dogs may solve only a small portion of the problem, authorities at the BPRE Council said.

The program to run simultaneous all over the province includes crafting of a local ordinance, designing a program implementation handbook, adopting massive localization approach in dog population control measures and giving massive vaccinations.

Moreover, the program also includes drastic reduction of dog-to-dog and dog to man contact to lessen chances of rabies spread, strict surveillance and quarantine at ports of entry as well as institutionalization of responsible pet ownership. It also incorporates policy support and advocacy as well as research.

Now armed with the Anti-Rabies Provincial Ordinance, authorities out to implement the program pass on the burden to local governments who should have by this time organized the mechanism, disseminated and initiated the starting steps, Dr, Lapiz said.

It was however reported that in Bohol's 47 towns and a city, only 16 towns have set up the proper mechanism to locally implement the law.

In District 1, only Alburquerque, Antequera, Cortes, Maribojoc and Tubigon have set up the preparations needed to get the program running in the local levels.

The towns of Clarin, Dagohoy, Sagbayan, San Isidro and Talibon in Bohol's second District complements the efforts while of the third district, only the towns of Batuan, Dimiao, Mabini, Sierra Bullones and Valencia have also put up their preparations.

Local preparations include organizing the municipal rabies councils, orientation on the program, setting up of the bantay rabies sa barangay teams, municipal council meetings as well as localized information dissemination and municipal anti-rabies operations plan.

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