DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / March 12) — The city’s rabies cases have doubled in 2025 from its record in 2024, with two new logged cases as of February of this year, amid the country’s declining rabies cases.

Dr. Yleona Ysabel T. Camelotes, Animal Bite and Treatment Center (ABTC) head, said during the iSpeak Media Forum Thursday at the City Hall of Davao that there were a total of six cases in 2025, up from the three cases in 2024, involving all adult male cases.

However, the most recent two cases, recorded from Marilog District in February this year, were children aged two and four. All were not vaccinated and died.

In 2024 alone, DOH Davao Region reported that there were 36 rabies-related deaths, a 50% increase from the 24 logged in 2023.

Despite this, Camelotes assured that anti-rabies vaccination remains in operation through their ABTC satellite offices. She said that through their continued efforts, anti-rabies vaccination totaled up to 48,360 in 2024, while 48,433 in 2025.

Dr. Abdullah B. Dumama Jr., Undersecretary of Health and DOH-Davao Regional Director, said in an earlier MindaNews report that the main reason is that the anti-rabies program is underfunded.

Camelotes noted that they were running low in supplies of rabies vaccine, but said that they are making a strategy to make the anti-rabies vaccine cheaper, including sharing a single vaccine to four people.

To avoid rabies-related complications, Dr. Gay Pallar, city veterinarian, urged the public to practice “responsible pet ownership,” which would include providing anti-rabies vaccines to their pets.

As of March 12, the city vet has reached 27,637 anti-rabies jabs to animals, she said.

Pallar said that should there be reports of rabid cases in a certain area, they will immediately conduct an anti-rabies operation to the animals within the area’s one-kilometer proximity.

She urged pet owners to avail of free anti-rabies vaccination for their animals, with schedules laid out on their Facebook page. (Razl EJ Teman / MindaNews)