At least 169 four legged pets (167 dogs and 2 cats) were given the anti-rabbies vaccine in three barangays in Victoria Tarlac by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and PSciJourn MegaManila on May 13, 2011.
At around 6 a.m. on May 13, 2011, a group of journalists called Philippine Science Journalists MegaManila (PSciJourn, Inc.) left for Victoria Tarlac to meet Victoria Tarlac Mayor Candido Guiam III for the anti-rabbies vaccination of dogs in his town. proceed
The van owned and driven by Dr. Ireneo Ramat of Bureau of Soil Water Management of DA with 12 PSiJourn MegaManila members arrived at the DA office in Victoria at 8:15 a.m. After taking breakfast, the group was divided into 3 and immediately proceeded to the assigned area, Barangay (Brgy) Sta. Lucia, Sta. Barbara and San Nicolas with the agricultural technologists of the town.
In Sta. Lucia 78 dogs were brought to the Brgy. Hall and given vaccine so with the 51 dogs in San Nicolas, unlike in Sta. Barbara where the 38 dogs and two cats were clustered in different accessible houses because of the distance of the houses from each other, so the team has to walk from one house to another.
At lunch time, the teams were met by the town Mayor Candido Guiam III at his office and then brought to their residence where everybody enjoyed a sumptuous lunch with his beautiful wife. Mayor Guiam III ( in his second term) is not a farmer but has become one in his own right planting fruits and vegetables to feel how a farmer feels and be responsive to their needs. Dr. Ramat, also an adviser of the PSciJourn MegaManila discussed organic farming with the use of carbonized rice hull and others with Mayor Guiam III and his Municipal Planning and Development Officer, and agreed to meet one day for a project.
The anti-rabbies vaccines were provided by the Bureau of Animal and Industry to contain the spread or contamination of rabbies from dogs most especially and give relief to dog owners that their dogs are protected from rabbies.
DA Agricultural technologists with PSciJourn MegaManila were Dr. Eden P. Valete, Natalie Sanchez, Marilou Bacusan, Victoria Lapira and Protacio Pascua and others.
Present and actively doing their job were the Brgy. Chairman of Sta. Lucia, Benjamin Velasco and his Kagawad Sabino Garpida and Brgy. chairmen of Sta. Barbara and San Nicolas.
This is the second project of PSciJourn MegaManila of this kind (anti rabbies vaccination), Amadeo, Cavite being the first with Mayor Benjie Villanueva on February 2011. Estrella Z. Gallardo (PSciJourn MegaManila)
