Asia loves animals

MANILA, Philippines - It was a great honor for me, as pro-gram director of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), to be invited as a speaker to the Asia for Animals Conference in Singapore, recently.

With 390 people in attendance, representing 26 countries and over 200 organizations, it is the largest Asian animal protection conference ever.

AfA is close to PAWS’ heart because it was the brainchild of PAWS president Nita “Tata” Hontiveros-Lichauco.

 In 2000, while the PAWS shelter was being constructed, Tata had a conversation with Sally Wilson in which she wished out loud that there would be an affordable gathering of animal advocates in Asia. Tata believed that the conditions often cited in animal welfare conventions in western countries were not applicable to developing countries in Asia, like the Philippines.

Wilson, who was then with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), agreed with Tata and broached the idea to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the Hong Kong SPCA (HKSPCA), who were both willing to sponsor such a conference.

AfA was first held in Manila in May 2001 because we were the first Southeast Asian country to have a national anti-cruelty law passed in 1998.

At the time, I was a volunteer for PAWS and worked with Tata and former PAWS director Oscar Lei at the Afa conference.

AFA today

I was one of the presentors scheduled to speak on two topics, how to conduct simple humane educational programs using songs; and to discuss the Philippine anti-Greyhound racing campaign and other PAWS trail-blazing campaigns.

The anti-Greyhound campaign presentation was very well-received. Many of those in the audience approached me after the talk offering to help with the letter-writing campaign, one of our main tools to stop Greyhound racing.

The other PAWS campaigns, which I presented, were “See Beauty Beyond Breed” to uplift the image of the native dog; the first animal welfare billboard featuring PAWS celebrity spokesperson Karylle; the “Homeless Not Worthless” TV commercials and the Dog Fight short movie aired in all Ayala Cinemas last December.

The strength of AfA lies in the similarities of the situations among the Asian nations and how we are expected to overcome the same hurdles of poverty, lack of resources and the bureaucracy in our government systems.

I was amazed at the passionate dedication of many grassroots animal welfare groups that undertake rescue, education and campaign work to fight cruelties such as the dog and cat meat trade, the bear bile farms, wildlife trafficking, and the industries that use wild animals for entertainment such as dancing bears and performing circus and marine animals. 

Nepal animal advocates, in particular, had the difficult task of unsuccessfully trying to stop the biggest animal sacrifice in the name of religion last October. Images of animals weakened with hunger as they were made to travel long distances before they were killed at the sacrifice site broke the hearts of those who saw the video.

But, in spite the odds, it was energizing to see so many animal welfare groups pushing forward with their campaigns and encouraging one another.

This year also marked the biggest number of Philippine delegates. Among them were Ilocos Norte provincial vet Loida Valenzuela; city vet of Dumaguete Lourdes Socorro; Cavite State University representative Eugene Principe; MYZOO’s Lester Louis Lopez; Compassion And Responsibility towards Animals (CARA) president Nancy Cu Unjieng and Gia Robertson and Animal Kingdom Foundation’s Luis Buenaflor. Other PAWS representatives were Gwen Protasio, Heidi Guzon, Dr. Wilford Almoro and Rich Ilustre.

ACRES, the host and organizer for AfA 2010, showed us their very creative campaigns and their innovative ideas for humane education. They have a humane education room made to look like any ordinary room until you get to see what is written on the cards beside the seemingly commonplace items. The plastic fried egg on the table explains the cruelty behind battery cage systems for most hens who give us these eggs. The puppies bought from puppy millers help support the cruel trade. Wild animals such as monkeys, which are kept as pets, also encourage more people to hunt them and take them from their natural habitat.

The Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) cattery helped give us a few colorful ideas to improve the PAWS cattery.

I am back with a feeling of renewed hope that the fight for animal rights is a battle that can be won, because of the seeds that the AfA attendees have planted and continue to plant today.

PHILIPPINE RESOLUTIONS at AFA

The Philippine animal advocates call on the government to:

1. End the dog meat trade.

2. Work closely with animal protection NGOs to improve the enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, which prohibits dog and horsefighting.

3. End the exploitation of animals in zoos.

4. Ensure that all animals in zoos and captive animal facilities are provided with requirements that fit their species’ specific needs.

5. End the exploitation of animals in the tourism industry.

6. End the trade in wildlife.

7. Integrate humane education in the national education system.

8. Make spay-neuter programs of companion animals a government policy.

9. Make government pounds animal-friendly.

10. Ensure that humane slaughter policies for food animals are strictly followed.

11. Not allow Greyhound racing to take place in the Philippines.

12. Aim for a rabies-free Philippines by 2015 through vaccinations and education.

13. Ban the importation of elephants.

14. Ban the importation and exportation of dolphins.