- INTERVIEWER:
Of eating dogs...
- NEREZ:
Eating dogs.
- INTERVIEWER:
Right. That’s something that
Americans, New York is taking on. Is that a
cultural difference? Is that something
Americans just need to understand when they come
here and see your works that ah...
- NEREZ:
Yes, yes. That is a cultural
practice of natives here in the Cordillera.
They are fond of eating dog meat. But of
course, there is a law now that prohibits
slaughtering of dogs. That’s why the
habit of eating dogs in the Cordillera has somehow... is now being discouraged by the…
some of the people… most especially that
group that protects animals.
- INTERVIEWER:
Okay. So is that… does that practice
exists here in Baguio?
- NEREZ: In
Baguio, it exists in Baguio and actually there
are restaurants that really offer dog meat to
their clients.
- INTERVIEWER:
Is there an attempt by the Baguio Police to stop
it or is it just kind of accepted as a practice?
- NEREZ: There
is a unit that focused its effort on this particular
enforcement of or implementation of the, of this
law. It is an Animal Act, I think.
- INTERVIEWER:
Right.
- NEREZ:
Yeah. And in the previous months, there
were lots of operations, successful operations in
the implementation of this law.
- INTERVIEWER:
Okay.
- NEREZ:
And we, we observed, that, ah, the restaurants
that offer meat, the dog meat are now dwindling,
they are not dwindling, the supply is dwindling
and of course, it is, it
has been a habit of the natives here in the
Cordillera and that is that is one burden in
the successful implementation of this Animal Act.
- INTERVIEWER:
And so the Baguio Police Department is trying to
actively stop…
- NEREZ:
Oh, yes, yes. We are coordinating with
other law enforcement agencies, and actually I
think, I ah, there is a task force
created for this purpose and I hope that ah, with the support of all
the law enforcement agencies and the people of Baguio, the implementation of this Animal
Act would be successful.
- INTERVIEWER:
Okay. Now, you know, 'coz I know there was
a councilor who told me where I could go, a
restaurant I could go to and try it.
- NEREZ:
Yeah, yeah.
- INTERVIEWER:
And so you say, obviously like there were issues
like that in America where there’s something
that’s against the law and prostitution is
very mounting in there. If there’s
against the law, the local police kind of like a
slide. Is that the kind of way the issue is
here? I mean, something for example, if an
American tourist come over and they go to a
restaurant and searched dog and they run off to a
police station to report it, should they just
inspect its _____. Is that the normal thing
here?
- NEREZ: I
think in the Animal Act there are parameters
where a dog can be slaughtered.
- INTERVIEWER:
Right.
- NEREZ:
But not indiscriminate slaughtering of dogs,
it’s prohibited.
- INTERVIEWER:
Okay. Oh, okay. So, if a tourist came
over, I mean to a restaurant reported it, they
have to act.
- NEREZ: I
think at this time. As I have said, the
supply of the dog meat is now dwindling because
some of our residents, some residents of Baguio
City are now realizing the noble intentions of
that Animal Act.
- INTERVIEWER:
Right.
- NEREZ:
And most of us really don’t eat dog meat.
- INTERVIEWER:
Now, it does have health benefits?
- NEREZ:
Oh, yes, yes. They are telling that
if you eat dog meat you will become more
energetic.
- INTERVIEWER:
Okay.
- NEREZ:
Yeah.
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