ILOILO City – Mayor Raisa Treñas threw her support behind the Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Release (CNVR) program to manage the stray animal population in the city but warned that the initiative must be implemented with caution and proper safeguards to avoid sanitation and public health problems.
“Suportado ko ang CNVR program, pero indi ini puwede ipatuman basta-basta sa tanan nga lugar,” Treñas said. “Kon sa barangay level mo ni ipatuman nga wala sang kontrol, mahimo ini maglapta sang problema sa katinlo kag sanitation.”
The CNVR strategy, led by the City Veterinary Office, involves the humane catching of stray dogs and cats, followed by sterilization and rabies vaccination, and finally releasing the animals back to where they were found. While the program is internationally recognized as a sustainable and ethical solution to stray overpopulation, Treñas underscored the risks of implementing it indiscriminately across the city.
She pointed out that stray animals are often linked to cleanliness issues such as scattered garbage and feces in public areas. Without proper monitoring, she warned, the program could inadvertently increase such issues in high-density barangays.
To mitigate this, the city has so far limited the CNVR implementation to enclosed and manageable locations like the University of San Agustin, West Visayas State University, and Iloilo Science and Technology University.
As of July 17, the City Veterinary Office has vaccinated 6,130 animals and performed 185 neutering or spaying procedures since the start of the year.
Treñas also acknowledged the efforts of animal welfare advocates and pledged collaboration moving forward.
“Ma-meeting gid ako sa aton animal advocates. Nakita naton nga may ara sila sang dedikasyon sa pag-atipan sang mga layaw nga sapat, kag gusto ta sila mangin ka-partner sa sini nga programa,” she said.
The city government, according to Treñas, remains open to expanding the CNVR program to other parts of Iloilo City — but only if it can be done with sufficient infrastructure, oversight, and community support./PN
