It was the askals’ turn to shine, as 10 finalists in the Most Beautiful Native Dog Pageant were paraded before a delighted crowd of local officials yesterday.
The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) presented to Quezon City officials led by Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. the askals, Filipino slang for mongrels, after yesterday’s flag raising ceremony.
Dressed in casual wear, swimsuits and evening dresses, the fashion dogs put on a show, amusing the audience with their skills and talents ahead of the pageant, which in Filipino is dubbed Ang Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa to be held at the SM Megamall Atrium this Saturday.
"These dogs represent the best of the Filipino dog — their appearance, temperament, loyalty and intelligence," said Rich Ilustre, a volunteer for PAWS and director of the show.
Ilustre said the rapport between the dog and his owner will be one of the criteria for judging. This can be determined, he said, when they interact with each other as they go through the process of modeling.
He said the show will not only focus on the beauty of the native dogs but will, in effect, be showcasing responsible and loving pet owners especially among the guardians of common native dogs or mongrels.
PAWS is a non-profit organization that seeks to prevent animal cruelty through humane education and sheltering dogs and cats rescued from cruelty and neglect by its owners.
Jeffrey Chua, PAWS shelter manager, said their advocacy campaign also intends to correct prevailing discrimination between purebred dogs and the native kind.
"A lot of times we get comments like ‘askal lang yan (they are just mongrels)’ or that only purebred dogs — poodles, German shepherds and others - should be given proper care and grooming," Chua lamented.
He said that for years its has been an uphill battle for PAWS to raise respect for the native dogs that most often are victims of neglect and cruelty especially since in the country, it is common to see these canines end up as bar chow or pulutan in drinking sessions.
PAWS was also the primary group that lobbied for the passage of the Animal Welfare Act or RA 8485 which criminalized the slaughter of dogs and other animals classified as "companion animals."
PAWS director Anna Cabrera, however, lamented that despite the passage of the law, slaughtering dogs in the province is still rampant, thus there is a need for stricter implementation.
Cabrera said the native dog beauty pageant aims to educate the public about native dogs, and at the same time raise funds for the shelter of animals rescued in various parts of Metro Manila.