CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Northern Mindanao is working toward the national goal of zero
deaths due to rabies by 2030 through timely treatment, animal vaccination, and continued
community education on rabies prevention.

Dr. Abel Santini G. Permites, an RITM-DOH certified trainer on rabies and animal bite
management and a family and community medicine consultant, emphasized the importance of
early medical care and responsible pet ownership in line with the observance of World Rabies
Day.
He said rabies is preventable when people exposed to the virus receive appropriate post-exposure
treatment before symptoms develop.
“Once a person is symptomatic, it is basically 100 percent fatal,” Permites said, underscoring the
importance of seeking medical attention immediately after an animal bite or scratch.
Northern Mindanao recorded five rabies deaths from January to August 2026, lower than the 11
deaths recorded during the same period in 2025. Permites said the continuing cases point to the
need for sustained prevention, vaccination, and timely access to animal bite services.
He said more than 90% of human rabies cases in the Philippines are attributed to dog bites,
although cats and other mammals, including bats, can also transmit the virus.

Early treatment
Permites encouraged people who are bitten or scratched by dogs, cats, or other potentially rabid
animals to immediately wash the affected area with soap and running water for about 15 minutes
and seek assessment at an Animal Bite Treatment Center (ABTC) or Animal Bite Clinic.
“The most important thing for people who were bitten is to wash with running water for about 15
minutes, so that the infected saliva can be removed because the virus is still there. And
remember, don’t let it bleed because the transmission of the rabies virus is through the nerves and
not through the blood,” he said.
Animal exposures are assessed according to their nature and severity to determine the
appropriate treatment.
Category 1 involves contact with an animal on intact skin and generally does not require rabies
vaccination.
Category 2 includes minor scratches or abrasions without bleeding and requires rabies
vaccination.
Category 3 includes bites that penetrate the skin or exposure of saliva to broken skin or mucous
membranes. These may require both rabies vaccination and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG),
depending on the assessment.
“On that day, you should go to the hospital or Animal Bite Clinics,” Permites said.
Vaccinated pets
Aside from treatment after exposure, Permites emphasized that rabies prevention begins with
responsible pet ownership and regular vaccination of dogs and cats.
“Studies show that if ever 70% of dogs and cats in a community with endemic rabies are
vaccinated, we can actually prevent the spread of rabies in the community,” he said.
He encouraged pet owners to have their animals vaccinated and registered with a veterinarian
and called on local governments to continue animal vaccination programs, including initiatives
targeting stray animals.
Permites said the Philippines recorded 426 rabies deaths in 2024 and about 260 cases the
following year. He said achieving zero human rabies deaths by 2030 requires sustained
cooperation among government agencies, local governments, health facilities, communities and
pet owners.

The Department of Health provides post-exposure prophylaxis for people exposed to potentially
rabid animals, while pre-exposure vaccination may be provided to individuals whose work or
activities place them at increased risk.
In Northern Mindanao, the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) Animal Bite Treatment
Clinic provides rabies vaccination, immunoglobulin for qualified severe exposures, pre-exposure
prophylaxis, medical assessment, and referrals to other animal bite treatment facilities. The clinic
operates Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (JAKA/PIA-10)