The Cebu Provincial Government has strengthened its commitment to animal welfare, rabies control, and marine conservation with the issuance of Executive Order (EO) No. 59, Series of 2025.
Signed by Governor Pamela S. Baricuatro, the executive order institutionalizes these initiatives through the creation of the Provincial Animal Welfare Council (PAWC), which will serve as the province’s central policy-making, coordinating, and monitoring body for animal welfare, wildlife protection, and marine conservation programs.
The PAWC is mandated to ensure compliance with key national laws, including the Animal Welfare Act, the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, and the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, aligning provincial programs with national frameworks.
Baricuatro will chair the council, with the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) designated as vice chairperson and secretariat.
The council’s membership includes representatives from provincial offices, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, local government units, national government agencies, animal welfare organizations, and the veterinary academe.
Among its core functions, the PAWC will formulate and regularly update comprehensive policies and strategic plans on animal welfare, stray animal management, rabies prevention, and marine conservation, while monitoring LGU compliance with established standards.
Special attention will be given to the operation of dog pounds and impounding facilities.
The council will provide technical guidance to ensure humane treatment, proper shelter, and regular inspections, supported by quarterly compliance reports.
Public education is a key component of the executive order, with sustained information campaigns aimed at promoting responsible pet ownership, awareness of animal welfare laws, rabies prevention, and the protection of marine ecosystems.
EO No. 59 also authorizes the PAWC to assist in the rescue, rehabilitation, adoption, and rehoming of abused, abandoned, or stray animals, and to supervise and improve animal sanctuaries and dog pounds throughout the province.
Rabies prevention efforts are intensified through mandatory annual mass vaccination drives and the institutionalization of spay and neuter programs as humane methods of controlling the dog population, alongside the establishment of provincial animal and dog sanctuaries.
Marine conservation measures are likewise reinforced, with focused protection for thresher sharks, marine mammals, and other threatened species through coordinated rescue protocols, conservation programs, and public awareness initiatives in coordination with national agencies and the Philippine Coast Guard.
To support implementation, EO No. 59 allows the allocation of provincial resources for feeds, medicines, vaccines, equipment, and other logistical needs, with funding sourced from available appropriations and subject to existing government budgeting, accounting, and auditing rules. (SBA)
Photo from Change.org
