MANILA — Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan announced that the government has allocated ₱10 million in the 2026 national budget for the inaugural Animal Welfare Supervision and Accreditation Program, aimed at strengthening animal welfare enforcement and supporting legitimate organizations caring for rescued and sheltered animals.

In a statement, Pangilinan said the program was included in the budget following deliberations of the bicameral conference committee. “Layunin ng programang ito ang mapalawak ang pagtingin at pag-alaga sa mga animal rescues o nasa shelters ng makatao at sa ligtas na paraan. Susuportahan nito ang mga legit at gumaganang animal welfare orgs,” he explained.

The senator emphasized that the ₱10-million allocation will help professionalize animal welfare enforcement by funding standards, inspections, and accreditation of shelters and organizations. He added that the measure is a first-time allocation in the national budget, signaling stronger government support for animal rights and welfare.

Pangilinan, a member of the bicameral conference panel that finalized the 2026 budget, said the program will ensure that rescued animals are treated humanely and that shelters are properly supervised. “This program would start expanding the way we look after rescued and sheltered animals, while also backing legitimate and functional welfare organizations on the ground,” he noted.

Animal welfare groups welcomed the announcement, saying the funding will provide much-needed assistance to shelters that often struggle with limited resources. Advocates also stressed that the program could help curb cases of animal neglect and abuse by ensuring stricter compliance with welfare standards.

The allocation comes amid growing calls for stronger animal protection policies in the Philippines, where shelters and rescue groups have long relied on donations and volunteer work. Pangilinan said the initiative is part of broader efforts to institutionalize animal welfare programs and integrate them into government priorities.

At Last, Animal Welfare Is Being Treated as a Public Responsibility

This funding matters, and not just on paper.

In a year marked by disasters where pets were left behind on rooftops, tied to fences, or abandoned during evacuations, the lack of institutional animal protection was painfully clear. Rescue groups stepped in where systems failed, often with empty pockets and exhausted volunteers. For animals subjected to cruelty, neglect, and silence, help depended almost entirely on private compassion.

The ₱10-million allocation for an Animal Welfare Supervision and Accreditation Program is a long-overdue acknowledgment that animal welfare is not a side issue. It is a public responsibility.

Accrediting shelters, setting standards, and enforcing humane treatment can finally separate legitimate rescue work from neglect disguised as charity. It can also give rescuers support instead of suspicion, and animals protection instead of luck.

This will not fix everything. Funding must grow, enforcement must be real, and disasters will keep coming. But this is a start, and starts matter.

How a society treats animals reflects how it values life. After a year of suffering that included those who had no voice, this decision sends a clear message. Compassion now has a place in policy.