Leah Cole Durban

DVM-1A

1:00- 3:00 S

Animal welfare according to RA 10631 Section 1 “For purposes of this Act, animal
welfare pertains to the physical and psychological well-being of animals. It includes, but not
limited to, the avoidance of abuse, maltreatment, cruelty and exploitation of animals by humans
by maintaining appropriate standards of accommodation, feeding and general care, the
prevention and treatment of disease and the assurance of freedom from fear, distress, harassment,
and unnecessary discomfort and pain, and allowing animals to express normal behaviour”.
Anyhow in the livestock setting the animals are primarily used and it is never an issue, for
humans need food animals as long as the producers or farmers met the standards. However, we
can never deny that for somehow in the livestock setting the welfare of animals is not able to
suffice, commonly the freedom of the animals to express normal behaviour, in particular the
sows are caged as well as the hen layer. One of the freedoms that an animal welfare have is the
freedom from hunger and thirst, but there are cases that were reported, particularly the several
cattle were confiscated for they were forced to drink water for them to have heavier weight and
would have higher price in the market. In this case, the freedom from hunger and thirst was not
met regardless the presence of water for the cattle were forced that would translate to cattle’s
suffering, exploitation and did not met the appropriate standards of feeding and accommodation.
The producer violated the Animal Welfare Act RA 8485 which is punishable by “imprisonment
of (6) months to one (1) year and/or a fine not exceeding Thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00) for
subjecting any animal to cruelty, maltreatment or neglect but without causing its death or
incapacitating it to survive on its own” as found under Section 4 of RA 10631. The Consumer
Act RA 7394 was also violated under 2.b “protection against deceptive, unfair and
unconscionable sales acts and practices”. These practices which is very common in the livestock
setting for the farmers or the producer, majority of them prioritized the earnings rather than the
welfare of their animals, whereon prioritizing the animals welfare have a lot advantages
particularly on increased production.