Japanese donate P30T in rabies vaccines to city

Japanese veterinary officers donated P300,000 worth of anti-rabies vaccines to Cebu City.

Katsumi Honma of Honma Pet Clinic based in Japan together with Cebu City veterinarian Alice Utlang conducted the "alis-rabies" campaign in barangays Guadalupe and Mambaling, barangays with high rabies cases.

Honma said the anti-rabies campaign has been going on for many years.

"You know in Japan we are very strict in implementing our laws. The last time we had a rabies case in Japan was in 1958," he said.

Last month two Japanese nationals were bitten by dogs in Manila, both later died in Japan.

The Japanese consular office has already issued an advisory to their citizens to be careful in handling dogs if they will visit the Philippines.

Honma is accompanied by four other veterinary officers in conducting anti-rabies vaccinations in Guadalupe and Mambaling.

Victor Atienza, director of Bureau of Animal Industry, said the Philippine government should follow the campaign of Japanese government.

"Talaga doon sa kanila mandatory 'yong vaccinations at house-to-house talaga, they are very strict when it comes to implementations," he said.

Atienza also congratulated Utlang and other veterinary officers in Cebu for removing the province from the list of 10 most rabies-afflicted provinces in the country. - Ramil V. Ayuman