In time for the World Rabies Day celebration, which highlights the importance of a rabies-free community in ensuring the health and safety of the public, the City Health Office’s Animal Bite Treatment Center (ABTC), along with the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), is reminding Dabawenyos—who have been bitten by animals—to follow and complete their anti-rabies vaccination schedule.
Rabies is a deadly yet vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease that affects the central nervous system. Spread primarily through bites or scratches of an infected animal, this disease can infect any warm-blooded animal including but not limited to cats, dogs, livestocks, and even humans.
The CHO’s ABTC offers free anti-rabies vaccination to Dabawenyos who were bitten or scratched by cats, dogs, or any other suspected rabid animal. PhilHealth also covers fees for Category 3 bites.
Dr. Candace Fay Chua-Sanchez, SPMC’s Medical Specialist III, revealed during the ISpeak Media Conference on Thursday, that to date the CHO’s ABTC and SPMC have patients who do not complete their scheduled vaccinations.
She emphasized that completing the anti-rabies vaccine schedule is critical as rabies is 100 percent fatal once clinical symptoms appear.
Chua-Sanchez also highlighted the importance of first aid in animal bites. Once bitten or scratched by animals like cats or dogs, the patient must wash the wound under running water for 10 to 15 minutes and use an antibacterial soap. The wound must also be cleaned using Isopropyl alcohol or povidone iodine. This is a critical step because the rabies virus tends to stay within the bite area before it travels to the central nervous system.
“Kailangan pa rin talaga tayong magpunta sa ating Animal Bite Treatment Center or Animal Bite Center, and SPMC para ma-assess ng doctor. Always g’yud ‘yan siya. Hindi ‘yan siya pwede teleconsult. Kailangan talaga namin makita. We assess patients according to certain categories, paano siya nakagat, kailan siya nakagat, kamusta ang biting animal (The patient must still go to the nearest ABTC or ABC and SPMC for assessment. This needs to be done face-to-face so that we can assess the patient according to certain categories, how they were bitten, when, and the status of the biting animal),” she emphasized.
Dr. Yleona Ysabel T. Camelotes, Head of the CHO’s ABTC, also shared that they have observed an increase in the number of human rabies cases in the city.
“Mas concerning ang pag saka sa atoang human rabies cases. We recorded 3 cases in 2024, and 6 cases in 2025. As of the 2nd quarter sa tuig 2026, naa na ta’y 5 ka kaso na nakaplagan (We are more concerned with the increase in human rabies cases. In 2024, we recorded 3 cases, and 6 cases in 2025. As of the 2nd quarter of 2026, we already recorded 5 human rabies cases),” she said.
“This is why we do lectures, media conferences, and other health education because we are very alarmed due to the increasing trend of rabies,” Camelotes added.
She also said that the rabies cases in 2024 and 2025 involved adult males. This is due to poor health-seeking behavior among the male population. Although they are aware of the deadly nature of the disease, they skipped vaccination. Meanwhile, the five recorded rabies cases in 2026 ranged from young children to older age groups.
The CHO, SPMC, and the City Veterinarian’s Office continue to intensify their call for Dabawenyos to be responsible pet owners by having their cats and dogs vaccinated against rabies and making sure that their pets do not roam the streets without supervision.
In line with this, the SPMC, in coordination with the CHO ABTC and the CVO, is set to conduct an activity on September 22 at the Buhangin Gym, where Dabawenyos may avail themselves of free pre-exposure prophylaxis vaccines for the high-risk sector, learn about human and animal rabies prevention, get free anti-rabies vaccinations for cats and dogs, and receive other freebies. CIO
Written by: J. Villaluz
Edited by: A. Nawal