Iloilo City Maintains Zero Human Rabies Deaths for Two Straight Years
According to the latest report from the City Health Office (CHO), Iloilo City has achieved a remarkable milestone in public health by recording zero cases of human rabies deaths since 2024. This positive development underscores the effectiveness of ongoing prevention efforts in the city.
Vaccination as the Key to Prevention
Florence Joy Atinado Rubido, the CHO rabies coordinator, confirmed that no human rabies-related fatalities were documented in both 2024 and 2025. The last recorded cases of human rabies in Iloilo City were in 2023, with a total of three deaths. All of these cases involved patients who were not vaccinated, Rubido emphasized. She highlighted that vaccination remains the only effective prevention against rabies and must be administered immediately following an animal bite through Department of Health (DOH)-certified Animal Bite Treatment Centers (ABTCs).
Animal Bite Treatment Center Statistics
In 2025, Iloilo City's three government-run Animal Bite Treatment Centers (ABTCs) catered to a total of 3,254 animal bite patients. The breakdown of cases across the centers is as follows:
- Sto. Rosario District Health Center attended to 1,078 cases
- La Paz District Health Center handled 1,150 cases
- Mandurriao District Health Center recorded 1,026 cases
However, Rubido noted a current challenge: vaccines are temporarily unavailable in the three public ABTCs due to an ongoing procurement process. In the meantime, residents are advised to seek treatment only from DOH-licensed private Animal Bite Centers to ensure proper care and monitoring.
List of Certified Private Centers
At present, 12 DOH-certified private Animal Bite Centers are operating in Iloilo City:
- Medicus (General Luna)
- Healthway QualiMed Hospital
- Doctor Jack (Ortiz)
- Shot ABC (Mandurriao)
- Medzz ABC (Mandurriao)
- Medzz ABC – Jaro Branch
- Lyssa Animal Bite Aid (Mandurriao)
- RavAlert (Molo)
- SaveLife ABC – Jaro Branch
- SaveLife’s ABC – Avanceña, Molo
- MAL ABC – Gaisano Mall La Paz, 2nd Floor
- Prime Vax – Tagbak, Jaro
The CHO strongly advised the public not to seek treatment from animal bite centers not included in the official DOH-certified list, as these facilities have not yet undergone technical assessment and monitoring.
Lessons from Past Cases and Future Steps
Based on CHO records, all three rabies-related deaths in 2023 occurred in barangays So-oc (Arevalo), Calumpang (Molo), and San Juan (Molo). These cases involved bites from unvaccinated animals, including both stray dogs and household pets. This highlights the importance of immediate vaccination after an animal bite and the need for responsible pet ownership, Rubido said. She also urged pet owners to ensure that dogs and cats are vaccinated annually against rabies. Vaccination data and schedules may be obtained from the Office of the City Veterinarian (OCV), headed by Dr. Fernando Abulencia.
The Iloilo City Government continues to strengthen its rabies prevention campaign through public education, vaccination programs, and close coordination between the CHO and OCV to maintain Iloilo City's rabies-free status. This collaborative effort aims to protect residents and promote a healthier community environment.
