Oplan Alis Rabis sa UP Diliman

     submitted by Yay Topacio, from UP Newsletter

A showcase of an effective collaboration between the academe, government and private sectors is the recently concluded OPLAN Anti-rabies Vaccination Drive conducted in the various barangays in and around the UP Diliman campus sponsored by the UP Beta Sigma Alumni Association, Inc. and fully supported by resident as well as alumni brods in the US.

Held on the first three Saturdays of March and the first Saturday of April, the vaccination drive was implemented in collaboration with the UP Diliman administration under Chancellor Michael Tan and the barangay officials of the target communities. Major partners of the activity from government/academe are the College of Veterinary Medicine- UPLB, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and the Office of the Mayor and the Veterinary Office of Quezon City.

Launching Programme at Brgy. UP Campus Hall

       Right to left: Brgy. Captain Isabelita Gravides, National Scientist Dr. Ted Topacio, UP Diliman Chancellor Dr. Michael Tan,

                          UPCVM Professor Dr. Vera Matawaran, OIE Sub-Regional Representative for Southeast Asia Dr. Ronel

                          Abila, DVM and Rotarian Mr. Butch Madarang as emcee.

Dr. Ted Topacio with lady Rotarians
 

Dr. Matawaran introducing Dr. Unson, PVMA member to Dr. Topacio
 

From the private sector, the following non government and civic organizations were active partners and sponsors: Beta Sigma Alumni Association, Inc., Rotary International District 3780 through the Rotary Club of Q.C. Circle represented by its Past President, Brod Renato "Butch" Madarang, the Quezon City Cubao Lions Club represented by its past president Brod Dr. Rollie Encarnacion, the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA), Philippine Animal Hospital (PAHA) and Stop Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses (STANDZ) through its President, Dr Ronel Avila.

Several international organizations also lent valuable support towards the success of the project. These include the Global Alliance Against Rabies (GARC), Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Corporate sponsor is Merial Phils.

Alumni brods Dr. Arturo Martin, Dr. Eduardo Cornelia and Dr. Carlo Magno Taguinod sent generous donations that were used to purchase additional supplies particularly the locally manufactured dog tag/ collars put on the vaccinated dogs for reporting and documentation purposes.

Dog collars donated by the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity Alumni members from the USA

Dr. Michael Tan injecting the first dog that came to the site.
 

National scientist and one of the pioneer brods in the UP college of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Teodulo M. Topacio Jr., through the Teodulo M. Topacio Foundation, Inc. (TMTJF) which he chairs, is the initiator and main proponent of this Anti- Rabies Vaccination program in the UP Diliman campus. According to Dr. Topacio, he proposed the implementation of this activity several years ago to address the growing concern on the spread of rabies in the country. He was particularly alarmed by the report that there were cases of human deaths from Rabies in the UP Diliman campus particularly in the residential communities surrounding the llways be at a risk in falling victim to this 100% fatal disease as there is no cure once symptoms appear.

On his initiative, Dr. Topacio invited partners with whom he has worked before particularly in the drafting, lobbying and the eventual passage of the Anti- Rabies Law of 1997 to give him invaluable support to back him up in proposing to and getting the approval of the UP Diliman administration to implement the vaccination project in the campus. The project finally took off in the summer of 2012 and has been conducted every year thence.

This year's vaccination drive was launched last March 7, 2015 in the Barangay UP Campus. The launching was graced by Chancellor Michael Tan, himself a professional veterinarian having passed the Board exams for the profession after obtaining his DVM from the CVM while it was still in UP Diliman. Chancellor Tan administered the "ceremonial" first injection of the Rabies vaccine to a dog brought by a pet owner from the barangay. He was joined by Dr. Topacio and Barangay UP Campus Chairman Isabelita Gravidez in the simple launching ceremony. The partner organizations were also represented by their heads and officers.

In his report to UPD Chancellor Michael Tan, Dr. Topacio listed the number of dogs, and even cats, that were vaccinated in the following Barangays: UP Campus, San Vicente, Pansol, Krus na Ligas, Botocan, Culiat and Old Capitol Site.

Dr. Topacio's report states that a grand total of 3,215 animals were vaccinated and tagged by the teams of veterinarians from the CVM and the other partner organizations. The BAI and the QC Veterinary Office procured the vaccines and other supplies while the other sponsors provided logistical and technical support. Dr. Topacio made it a point to be present all the days of the activity as it is his"baby", after all.

Dr. Topacio said that this year's vaccination drive is the last of this activity held every year since 2012, but he revealed that with the backing of the partner organizations, he is proposing to Chancellor Tan that the vaccination drive be made a permanent annual activity in UP Diliman and its surrounding barangays as the following years will definitely see a continuing increase in the dog and other animal population in the campus. He stressed that it is only by the continuous vigilance against Rabies on the part of the government in partnership with the private sector through vaccination and other preventive measures will see the effective control and eventual elimination of this fatal disease.

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