Senate bill seeks to establish public veterinary clinic in each city
Sen. Mark Villar has passed a bill that would establish a public veterinary clinic in every city and municipality in the country.
The measure, dubbed the Animal Medical Center Act and filed in the 20th Congress, seeks to provide pet owners and farmers with sufficient access to essential animal healthcare.
"By doing so, local government units would be protected from threats of existing and emerging animal diseases, including control and management of livestock infection outbreaks," Villar wrote in a Facebook post.
Under the proposal, the public clinics, established in coordination with the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Animal Industry and local government units, would provide animal vaccinations and low-cost medications.
The bill is also part of efforts to curb the spread of rabies. According to data from the Department of Health, rabies deaths have nearly doubled since the pandemic, with 436 recorded in 2024. From 2020 to 2024, 1,758 have died from the disease.
"Rabies-related deaths are deeply alarming. Many victims are only diagnosed once symptoms appear—by then, it is too late for any medical intervention," Villar said.
"Through this bill, we want veterinary services to be within reach of every Filipino pet owner. At the same time, we need to put systems in place to ensure stray animals are also vaccinated," he added.
Villar filed a similar bill in 2023, Senate Bill No. 2334 in the 19th Congress. In its explanatory note, he noted that veterinary clinics are usually privately-owned, which "many cannot afford."
Quezon City 5th District Rep. PM Vargas also introduced an equivalent measure in the 19th Congress of the House of Representatives. (with reports from The Philippine STAR)