The Manila Times
AS the government begins its annual budget planning cycle, the Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF) is calling for an urgent overhaul of national laws to ensure that the country’s animal population will not be left behind during catastrophes. Interviewed in the Alerto Siete-Tres-Ocho program at Radyo Pilipinas, AKF Project Director Heidi Marquez-Caguioa said they are leading a legislative push to amend the Animal Welfare Act and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act. The proposed amendments aim to institutionalize animal protection mechanisms, mandating that the welfare of livestock, pets and working animals be integrated into all phases of disaster response. The cost of neglect Caguioa pointed to the 2020 Taal Volcano eruption as a grim case study in logistical failure. During the crisis, thousands of animals — including horses vital to the local tourism industry — were abandoned in the danger zone because evacuation protocols lacked provisions for animals. "The Taal disaster exposed a massive gap in our emergency framework," Caguioa said. "We saw farm animals and working horses left to fend for themselves, not due to lack of compassion, but due to a complete lack of policy-driven rescue infrastructure." The AKF proposal seeks to institutionalize animal welfare by requiring the mandatory inclusion of LGU agriculturists and veterinarians in local DRRM councils. By granting these professionals regular membership, AKF said that local governments can ensure dedicated funds and resources specifically for animal rescue, establishment of pre-identified evacuation zones for companion animals (pets) and farm animals (livestock) ahead of the rainy season and policy shifts from reactive response to systematic, prepared rescue operations. Beyond legislative changes, Caguioa identified a persistent administrative problem: the abrupt turnover of government personnel. AKF research showed that training local government employees in animal handling is often rendered futile by the nature of their employment. When skilled workers leave their posts due to the expiration of Job Order or Contract of Service agreements, or when coterminous appointments end, the institutional knowledge is lost. "Every time a trained worker leaves without a transfer of knowledge, our capability-building efforts are set back to zero," Caguioa explained. "We are effectively wasting time and public funds by training people who are structurally discouraged from staying in their positions long-term." With the rainy season approaching, the AKF urged lawmakers to expedite these amendments. The foundation maintained that if the country intends to build a truly resilient society, the protection of animals must shift from being an "afterthought" of non-government organizations to a mandatory government function. "We have to consider these measures now," Caguioa added. "Disasters do not discriminate between humans and animals, and our policies should reflect that reality."
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