NegOcc dog owners organized to aid anti-rabies campaign

BACOLOD CITY — The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) in Negros Occidental has organized dog owners to assist its initiatives to bring down rabies cases in the province.

Dr. Renante Decena, provincial veterinarian, said Thursday that in organizing a dog owners club, their main goal is to strengthen responsible pet ownership and create more awareness of the anti-rabies campaign.

“The organization of dog owners club is a province-wide initiative. Through the organization, educating the members, as well as the community about responsible pet ownership, would be easier,” he said.

Members of Hinigaran Dog Owners Club with personnel of the
Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office District Field Unit V led by veterinarian Ma. Regina Gawan during their recent meeting.
Photo courtesy of PVO-Negros Occidental

Decena noted there is already a dog owners club in each of the six congressional districts of the province, but not in all local government units.

In the 5th District, the Hinigaran Dog Owners Club held an organizational meeting at the PVO District Field Office in the town recently.

The activity was led by district veterinarian Ma. Regina Gawan in coordination with the municipal agriculture office of Hinigaran, in line with the 2019 Rabies Control Action Plan formulated by the PVO’s Animal Health Division.

Gawan said the participants were reminded of responsible pet ownership and the government’s rabies control and prevention program.

Owning a dog requires time and commitment in taking good care of the animals, and aside from provision of shelter, food and obedience training, dogs should also be given regular vaccination to protect them from diseases, she added.

Records of the PVO showed that in 2018, canine rabies cases in Negros Occidental increased by 50 percent, totaling 33 from only 22 in 2017. There were seven human deaths in the past year.

The PVO has stepped up its efforts to reduce, if not eliminate rabies, with the implementation of the Rabies Control Action Plan for 2019, which includes the formulation of a risk-based map for rabies vaccination based on the occurrence of recorded rabies cases. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1061371

Land Bank taps NegOcc Vet Office as partner for financing program

BACOLOD CITY — The Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) is partnering with Negros Occidental’s Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) for the implementation of a financing program for backyard animal raisers.

Dr. Renante Decena, provincial veterinarian, said Wednesday their office is the bank’s partner, specifically in the evaluation and implementation of the program in the province.

“The evaluation will start this week and will focus on the capability of the raisers to produce, as well as pay the acquired loan,” he said.

Dr. Renante Decena (2^nd from right), provincial veterinarian of Negros Occidental, and LBP-Bacolod assistant vice president Vivian Cañonero (4^th from left) during their meeting at the Provincial Veterinary Office in Bacolod City on Monday (Feb.4, 2019).
*Photo courtesy of PVO-Negros Occidental*

Decena, who met with officials of LBP-Bacolod led by assistant vice president Vivian Cañonero on Monday, said the initiative is under the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) lending program of the Department of Agriculture (DA), coursed through the state-owned bank.

The program was initially intended for commercial farming, but eventually expanded to small-scale rice and other crop production, as well as livestock.

Through the program, the LBP will provide financial assistance to qualified raisers subject to a certain interest rate.
Decena said the PVO is pushing for the provision of financing support, particularly to animal raisers with production gaps, such as those for layers and goat in southern Negros.

He noted that the lack of financing is one of the reasons some raisers failed to sustain their production. The LBP is amenable to such proposal, he said.

“Aside from the production aspect, financing would also help raisers in terms of marketing,” Decena said, noting that most of the raisers being assisted by the PVO are also clients of the bank.

According to the DA, the ACEF lending program aims to increase productivity of farmers and fisherfolk by providing them and their cooperatives and associations and micro and small-scale enterprises the necessary credit for the acquisition and establishment of production, post-harvest, and processing machinery, equipment and facilities, and farm inputs, among others.

A maximum of PHP5 million can be availed of by farmer and fisherfolk cooperatives, associations, and MSEs and PHP1 million by individual farmer and fisher.

The LBP shall manage the credit facility funded and shall determine the eligibility requirements and set the required loan security or collateral and reasonable interest for the loan, it added. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1061149

NegOcc vet office collects P10.9-M in revenues

BACOLOD CITY — The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) in Negros Occidental collected a total of PHP10.9 million in revenues in 2018, which is 6.7 percent higher than the PHP10.2 million in the previous year.

The PVO’s earnings came from farm income and collection of laboratory and veterinary fees.

Dr. Renante Decena, provincial veterinarian, said on Wednesday the increase can be attributed to the effective implementation of Provincial Tax Ordinance No. 2017-001.

A client applies for a veterinary health certificate required for animal shipment at the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) in Bacolod City.
*Photo courtesy of PVO-Negros Occidental*

He noted that they have strengthened the implementation of its provisions, particularly on information dissemination and delivery of technical services among commercial farm owners and backyard gamefowl farms.

“We have been campaigning for them to register their farms,” he said.

Decena added that the higher income also reflects the interest of stakeholders to avail of the PVO’s services.

Reports of the PVO showed that regulatory services, including veterinary health certificate issuance, livestock and gamefowl registration, and traders’ license application mostly contributed to the revenues, totaling almost PHP7.2 million.

Income generated from farms and sale of various products reached about PHP3.5 million while collections from laboratory services and dairy training fees totaled PHP222,424 and PHP50,060, respectively.

Decena said this year, the PVO targets to increase its collection by improving its products and services. (PNA)

Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1059105