Iloilo targets rabies-free status by 2030

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Iloilo provincial government renewed its commitment to make the province rabies-free by 2030 during the World Rabies Day Celebration and Awarding Ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at Punta Villa Resort in Iloilo City.

Speaking on behalf of Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., Provincial Administrator Raul Banias stressed that animal bites remain a pressing public health concern.

He said an average of 200 Ilonggos are bitten by animals daily, mostly by dogs, with 35,522 cases recorded from January to June 2025 alone.

“We convene today on Rabies Day to remind us all of the gravity of this public health problem if it is not successfully abated,” Banias said in his keynote message.

The province has already achieved rabies-free status in 24 island barangays in northern Iloilo — 11 in Concepcion, four in Ajuy, one in San Dionisio and eight in Carles.

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease primarily transmitted through dog bites, and the province’s 2030 target aligns with national and global elimination goals.

Through the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian, the provincial government continues to allocate millions for anti-rabies vaccines and the operation of Animal Bite Treatment Centers in municipalities and district hospitals.

Banias emphasized that the 2030 rabies-free goal can be attained through a whole-of-province approach, urging local government units to step up policy-making, vaccination drives and public education campaigns.

“Let us do our share in making responsible pet ownership the norm, not the exception. Let us do our share to protect our people and our future. We can do this,” Banias added.