Dog eating in the Cordilleras and practices in Question?
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| Baguio old market place where dog are traded publicly for meat |
(Old practice and the modern thinking in regards with
animal rights? Is this really applicable in this country?)
There are practical question being asked by common cordilleran’s regarding the
implementation of the RA 8485 otherwise known as the Animal Welfare Act of the Philippines “is their really necessity for laws such as this?”.
Under
the law, several practices of cordillerans in preparing food particularly that of
poultry and that of dogs is now under-fire by this enacted law. The following
is the section of that law that describes the prohibition in performing several ethnic
and cultural practices of the cordillerans.
SECTION6: It shall be unlawful for any person
to torture any animal, or to neglect to provide adequate care, sustenance or
shelter, or maltreat any animal or to subject any dog or horse to dogfights or
horsefights, kill or cause or produce to be tortured or deprived of adequate
care sustenance or shelter, or maltreat or use the same in research or
experiments not expressly authorized by the Committee on Animal Welfare.
The killing of any animal other than cattle, pigs, goats,
sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos, horses, deer and crocodiles is likewise
hereby declared unlawful except in the following instances:
- When it is done as part of the religious rituals of an
established religion or sect or a ritual by tribal or ethnic custom of
indigenous cultural communities. However, leaders shall keep records in
cooperation with the Committee on Animal Welfare;
- When the pet animal is afflicted with an incurable
communicable disease/s determined and certified by a duly licensed
veterinarian;
- When the killing is deemed necessary to put an end to
the misery suffered by the animal as determined and certified by a duly
licensed veterinarian;
- When it is done to prevent an imminent danger to the
life or limb of a human being;
- When done for the purpose of animal population control;
- When the animal is killed after it has been used in
authorized research or experiments; and
- Any other ground analogous to the foregoing as
determined and certified by a licensed veterinarian.
In all the
above mentioned cases, including those of cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, poultry,
rabbits, carabaos, horses, deer and crocodiles, the killing of the animals
shall be done through humane procedure at all times.
For this
purpose, humane procedures shall mean the use of the most scientific methods
available as may be determined and approved by the committee.
Only those
procedures approved by the Committee shall be used in the killing of animals.
The
law is depriving the cordilleran’s of their ancient culture and practices that
have been with them ever since. The process of killing poultry animals
particularly chicken and ducks in the cordilleras is by means of beating with
the use of stick. The wings and neck of the bird is beaten until the animal is dead which does not
confer with the law. The process is locally known as “nilagetan” or as popularly
known as “pinikpikan”. For the cordilleran’s, they say that this process enhances the taste
of the meat of the chicken, and this process confers with the respect to the spirit of
the animal by providing its meat for nourishment to the people preparing the chicken.
The eating of dog is an old culture not only in the cordillera but in other regions of the country so much so with other countries in Asia or the world. Some people claim that dog meat contains live worms even after cooking it, and these worms can cause disease to anybody who eats it, but is it true? The answer is a big lie. No study had proved this and they are just using this as a bad propaganda to threaten people from eating the meat, or if the claim is true that dog meat contains a worm that is not good then dog's are dirty animals. Dog meat are considered as a delicacy by Igorots of Cordilleran's, and the meat is prepared specially during special occasions. Igorots who are not pretending to be somebody else are eating dog meat until now. Filipinos should not pretend to be foreigners, by acting like one. We should be making laws in consonance with who we are as Filipinos and not because of what other countries say we should be doing.
The eating of dog is an old culture not only in the cordillera but in other regions of the country so much so with other countries in Asia or the world. Some people claim that dog meat contains live worms even after cooking it, and these worms can cause disease to anybody who eats it, but is it true? The answer is a big lie. No study had proved this and they are just using this as a bad propaganda to threaten people from eating the meat, or if the claim is true that dog meat contains a worm that is not good then dog's are dirty animals. Dog meat are considered as a delicacy by Igorots of Cordilleran's, and the meat is prepared specially during special occasions. Igorots who are not pretending to be somebody else are eating dog meat until now. Filipinos should not pretend to be foreigners, by acting like one. We should be making laws in consonance with who we are as Filipinos and not because of what other countries say we should be doing.
This law was adopted from laws favoring western countries which eliminate our local ancient tradition. Foreign government are influencing us to copy what they are doing and
our politicians whom we give our trust to protect our values and culture rather
chooses to upheld this western practices. To treat animal within the level of
human is absurd and ignorant. Some learned
people think that they are sympathetic with animals but are not to other human.
They rather feed good food to their dog than give help to needy people and they
reasoned their act by saying that animals are rather good companion than other
people. I can not stop wondering what kind of reasoning this people has now. Several pornographic videos of a human girl having sex with a male dog is an example of absurd result of those foreign society. They think that dog are like human that having sex with them are accepted because they have rights like humans. This is the result of giving too much emphases of giving human like treatment to animals that some idiots think that dogs are already equal to humans. I am afraid and hoping that sometime or someday this thinking will not emerges to Filipinos who humanizes animals like dog.
In
a fast-food chain in Manila, a lady is holding a neatly groomed little dog, she
give hotdogs and spaghetti to her dog. The dog can not eat all of the food and
the food was wasted. Upon finishing her meal, the lady stands and left the
fast-food chain with her dog. On her way out a poor child approach her and beg for any help
from her, but the lady shooed the child away like an animal. I ask my self a
question, how many people who are like this lady who humanize animals and animalize
human? It is a fact that several of them are with us and around us here in the Philippines. It is a
shame that wealth are wasted in the protection of animals rather than using this
funds to helping other human. Their are many wealthy Filipinos who provide good things to their dog and they are commended for it for being a good pet owners, but if you ask them what they are doing to provide for the poor, no answers can be heard from them, they can even say poor people are not their responsibility. Worst is that our politicians who are voted
by majority of poor Filipinos support these laws. Maybe time will came when Filipino politician will pass a law that gives income tax cut to people who are responsible pet owners.
I
am not in favor and personally disagree with this law but because it is enacted, poor people like me can
not do otherwise but to follow and obey this suppressive kind of law. The only appeal
we can do to our politicians and wealthy people is that they should not to be hypocrites
of protecting the lives of dog but are not considering the life of people in
the streets.
Other readings for your information. Thank you!
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