11/10/2026
OPINION | From Anito to Aso: When Our Respect Went Astray
Before modern society settled our archipelago, pre-colonial Filipinos practiced animism as the foundational spiritual belief system: the worldview that non-human entities like animals, plants, rocks, rivers, and weather systems possess a distinct spiritual essence, soul, or personal agency. It is a heritage that makes the prevalence of animal cruelty in our time all the more heartbreaking—a betrayal of the respect our ancestors once held for every living being.
Abandonment and neglect leave countless dogs and cats wandering Philippine streets, vacant lots, and highways—often sick, starving, or injured. Nationwide, an estimated 12 to 13 million stray cats and dogs have no home, with 100,000 to 500,000 more joining their ranks every year. Nearly 41% of the country’s total cat and dog population is homeless, and without reliable food, shelter, or medical care, countless fall victim to disease, injury, and prolonged suffering.
But the harm extends far beyond abandonment alone.
Illegal slaughter and consumption continue to plague the country: the dog meat trade persists in certain regions despite being outlawed, while wildlife is poached for exotic dishes, traditional medicine, or the illegal pet trade. On July 17, 2026, a restaurant in La Trinidad, Benguet, was exposed after government employees suspected unusual meat; DNA testing by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) confirmed it was dog meat—the second such verification in the area. That is only one of the many incidents reported; now think of the ones that go unnoticed.
Animals are also exploited for entertainment and profit. Horse‑drawn carriages, or kalesas, in cities frequently work their creatures to exhaustion, and cockfighting remains widespread; its legal status often masks the profound and ongoing suffering it inflicts.
Deliberate violence manifests in cruel acts ranging from intentional poisoning and beatings to abuse filmed and shared widely on social media—most notably in September 2026, when a Batangas content creator livestreamed himself ordering dogs to be beaten and killed over chewed slippers, footage that spread across platforms before animal welfare groups intervened to rescue the animals.
Even at an institutional level, systemic neglect persists: stray animals are frequently rounded up and killed inhumanely through mass shooting, starvation, or pesticide injection under the pretext of “population control,” despite Republic Act No. 8485 and Republic Act No. 10631—the Animal Welfare Act of 1998, which prohibits cruelty, maltreatment, neglect, and abandonment, and requires proper care and humane treatment—mandating humane management.
Yet these persistent failures of enforcement and humane management are not isolated; they grow from deeper societal and systemic roots that allow cruelty to take hold.
Poverty does not excuse cruelty, but it does explain why compassion is often the first thing people cannot afford. Poverty and limited education shape harmful attitudes in many communities, where animals are seen as property or tools rather than sentient beings—compassion often feels like a luxury when daily survival itself is urgent. Deepening this, cultural normalization can shield cruelty: practices inflicting suffering are sometimes defended simply as long‑held tradition passed down through generations. Uncontrolled animal overpopulation further compounds the crisis, as widespread lack of accessible spay‑neuter programs fuels a relentless cycle of breeding and suffering with no humane relief. Finally, weak enforcement and impunity allow these patterns to persist.
Our ancestors did not see themselves as separate from nature; they believed animals shared the world as equals, bearing spirits worthy of respect. Today, cruelty to animals reflects a deeper erosion of empathy: how we treat the most vulnerable among us, human and non‑human alike, defines our character as a nation.
The government must replace cruel culling with free, widespread spay‑neuter programs, and strictly enforce RA 8485 and 10631. Schools and communities must teach compassion, distinguishing true tradition from cruelty. Each of us can report abuse, refuse exploitative businesses, and adopt instead of buying pets. We cannot claim to honor our ancestors while failing the beings they once revered. Let us choose to be the generation that heals the rift, honors the bond, and makes compassion not just a value we speak of, but a heritage we live by.
References:
Animal Kingdom Foundation. (2026, June 18). Stray animal crisis in the Philippines: What needs to change? https://www.akfrescues.org/post/stray-animal-crisis-in-the-philippines-what-needs-to-change
Animal Kingdom Foundation. (2026, September 23). Three dogs saved from a vlogger’s cruelty over a pair of slippers. https://petsnewsnetwork.com/three-dogs-saved-from-a-vloggers-cruelty-over-a-pair-of-slippers-one-is-pregnant/
CARA Welfare Philippines. (2025). Stray animal population estimates. https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/575007/who-protects-the-animals-nobody-owns/
Daily Tribune. (2026, September 20). Animal foundation in Tarlac adopts dogs in viral abuse video from vlogger. https://tribune.net.ph/2026/09/20/animal-foundation-in-tarlac-adopts-dogs-in-viral-abuse-video-from-vlogger
Expat Focus. (2026, May 1). Philippines – Animal welfare and cultural issues. https://www.expatfocus.com/philippines/guide/philippines-animal-welfare-and-cultural-issues
Our Brew. (2026, April 20). Faith without harm: Rethinking the use of animals in religious celebrations in the Philippines. https://www.ourbrew.ph/faith-without-harm-rethinking-the-use-of-animals-in-religious-celebrations-in-the-philippines/
PhilNews. (2026, July 19). Confirmed! Dog meat found in food served at Benguet restaurant. https://philnews.ph/2026/07/19/confirmed-dog-meat-found-in-food-served-at-benguet-restaurant/
Philstar. (2026, July 21). Benguet eatery ordered to explain sale of dog meat. https://qa.philstar.com/nation/2026/07/21/2543474/benguet-eatery-ordered-explain-sale-dog-meat
Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). (2024). The Animal Welfare Act of 1998 as amended (RA 8485 / RA 10631). https://paws.org.ph
State of Pet Homelessness Project. (2024). Philippines country profile. Euromonitor International / Mars.https://cms.stateofpethomelessness.com/s3media/2024-01/soph-philippines.pdf
Supreme Court E‑Library. (2013, October 3). Republic Act No. 10631 — Amending the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 (RA 8485). https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/2/58330
World Animal Protection. (2020). Animal Protection Index 2020 — Republic of the Philippines. https://api.worldanimalprotection.org/country/philippines
// written by Edene Gercan
// pubmat by Eu Espino