CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City government has required all City Hall workers to register their pet dogs and cats as part of the city’s initiative to implement the mandatory registration of pets to prevent the spread of rabies and control the growing number of stray animals.
The Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) directed all Cebu City Hall employees who own pets to register them with the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF).
However, DVMF head Dr. Alice Utlang clarified that the ordinance applies to all residents of Cebu City—not just government workers.
The registration fee is P200 per pet and comes with free services such as anti-rabies vaccination, deworming, and spaying or neutering.
The initiative is part of the city’s Mandatory Registration of All Pet Dogs and Cats ordinance, which aims to reduce the stray animal population.
Utlang said the registration is still ongoing, and pet owners may inquire with their barangays or visit the DVMF station at Plaza Sugbu, where free vaccinations are also available.
She added that their team prioritizes areas with the highest number of rabies cases.
“So kung ang barangay naay kaso sa rabies ug taas ang kaso sa paak sa iro, didto nato unahon,” she said.
Based on the city’s 2020–2024 comparative report, Barangay Guadalupe continues to record the highest number of rabies cases, followed by Barangay Mabolo.
When asked about the overall rabies situation in the city, Utlang said the numbers are improving.
“So far it’s going down, dili alarming,” she said.
She attributed the decline to sustained vaccination drives in the barangays and the city’s house-to-house services.
“Ang atong cases karon ninaug, it’s because ang mga barangay namakuna man sa rabies, unya katong wala naka-reach ug 70–80 percent nga nabakunahan sa ilang dog population in their area, mao to nga gitabangan sa atong office.”
She emphasized the goal of vaccinating at least 80 percent of the dog population to effectively manage rabies cases.
However, Utlang also reminded pet owners that they should not wait for vaccinators to come to their homes and should take the initiative to ensure their pets are registered and vaccinated.
“It should be a concerted effort, kung moingon ko’g concerted effort, sila sad mga tag-iya sa iro og wala pa mabakunahan sa rabies ila gyud pabakunahan. Not necessarily nga ang tig bakuna ma’y moadto sa ilang barangay,” she said.
The registration period runs from January to September. Pet owners who fail to register within this period will have to wait until the next cycle in 2026.
In addition, the city is continuing its Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (CNVR) program for stray animals. Cebu City is the first in the country to implement this approach, which involves capturing stray animals, neutering and vaccinating them, then releasing them within three days to avoid shelter overcrowding.
Pet owners are also reminded that failure to register and vaccinate their pets will result in a P200 fine.
“So atong mga kaigsuonan, kung mobuhi gani ta’g iro aduna tay responsibilidad,” Utlang said, urging owners to vaccinate and properly care for their pets. — Caren Itolle, and Joseph Adrian Leyson, CNU Journalism Interns (FREEMAN)