To remove the Philippines from the list of the top rabies countries in the world, the national government enacted Republic Act 9482, also known as the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007. This law led to the creation of the National Anti-Rabies Committee and the National Anti-Rabies Program, the framework that promotes cooperation among government agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs) and people’s organization (POs) for the prevention and control of rabies in the country.

“Cooperation is an essential strategy in the anti-rabies program. Without cooperation, the target to attain a rabies-free Philippines on 2020 may not be possible,” said Atty. Heidi Caguioa of the Animal Kingdom Foundation during the Quezon City Rabies Prevention and Control Summit held at Quezon City Hall on 22 March 2012.

Even though the law has been in place since 2007, only few violators have been penalized and imprisoned according to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA). “This is due to lack of cooperation and serious implementation of the law in some communities in the provinces and even in Metro Manila,” said Atty. Caguioa.