I PROMISED myself I wouldn’t wade too deeply into politics — especially now, when it feels like everything around us is already drenched in it. I began writing with a simple, hopeful purpose: to uplift and to encourage. As someone who has a rescue dog of my own, this issue hits close to home. What I’m about to share won’t solve everything, but it is my honest and heartfelt take on the current tensions between an animal-rescue organization and the local government of Davao City.
I once followed a local NGO devoted to rescuing stray, wounded, or abandoned animals that many others had given up on. I admired them. Their work reminded me of when I was in a much deeper, spiritual way, I myself felt lost and hopeless, only to be rescued by my Lord and Savior. To me, that NGO was more than a charity. It was a lifeline. And I believed wholeheartedly in their mission. I prayed for more people like them, more hearts willing to care for what others ignore.
But over the past weeks, I noticed a shift. Their updates haven’t celebrated rescues or adoptions, but aired frustrations and disappointments. Their words spoke of “burned bridges,” of being failed by the City. I understood why. When you invest your heart in an institution, hope becomes fragile. Disappointment cuts deeper. It made me wonder: has the City really tried to help them? Is there a coordinated effort to support such NGOs that would, in turn, make Davao a safer city for everyone — animals and humans alike?
I also tried to see things from the City’s perspective. Davao City is not small. It is vast in both land area and population. When a city holds nearly 1.85 million residents scattered across hundreds of barangays, with varying needs from housing and healthcare to infrastructure, education, livelihood, the demand on its resources is enormous. City officials, including Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, have also mentioned that the national government has provided little to no support for some local projects because of alleged politicking. This lack of support can make it even more difficult for the City to push through with certain requests, no matter how valid or urgent they may be.
I was once a patient at Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC). I’m grateful I got surgery with zero billing. But I also witnessed many others waiting outside: family members or “watchers,” exhausted, with nowhere humane to rest, no beds, no waiting area. The city, like many public institutions, is stretched thin. If something as essential and urgent as a simple shelter for patients’ companions proved difficult to build, I can imagine how building a dedicated temporary shelter for stray animals becomes an even more complex task.
Everything feels urgent. Every need, human or animal, pulls at the same, limited resources.
So where does that leave us — the concerned citizen, the animal-lover, the believer in kindness? I believe there are steps both sides should take:
● The rescue organization should reach out directly and respectfully to the City. If prior attempts failed, perhaps an open letter, humble, honest, and grounded in urgency, could appeal for help. This isn’t about public shaming or posting for social-media drama. It’s about compassion in action.
● The City, in turn, should treat this NGO not as an afterthought, but as a partner. Because in many ways, rescuing animals, controlling stray populations, reducing health risks, their goals align with the City’s goals. They all want a safer, more compassionate Davao.
● More importantly: let’s remember who suffers when systems break. Too often, it’s not the institutions, but the vulnerable.
I love this city. I love the people here. I love the animals that wander its streets, that smell fear, that need a gentle hand to show them love. I don’t write this to point fingers. I write this because I truly hope that compassion will win. That misunderstandings will become conversations. That frustrations will become shared burdens.
Because if we, citizens, NGOs, and the government, can come together with humility and open hearts, we can transform pain into healing. We can give hope to the hopeless, whether they walk on two legs or four.
May this story, not just of the city and NGO, but of empathy and collective responsibility — remind us: we rise by lifting others.