Thesis (BA Communication Arts) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, June 2015

It was estimated that about 290,000 dogs are killed and eaten in the Philippines each year (Dacanay, 2012). With these, laws were implemented to protect the animals and the public health. Animal Welfare Act of 1998 which states that it is unlawful to kill animals for human consumption and the Anti-Rabies act of 2007 which strengthened the penalty for those who violates the Animal Welfare Act. In the year 2004, ?No to Dog Meat? campaign was established in Koronadal City, South Cotabato in response to the aforementioned laws. Lectures in the barangay was done to educate the parents and students about the health risks of eating dog meat, however, due to the inaccessibility of the other barangays in the city, the city Veterinary Office as the implementer of the campaign decided to use audio-visual materials such as posters, tarpaulins, flyers and radio. With this, the researcher intended to know the reception of the residents of Koronadal City, South Cotabato towards the campaign, specifically in Barangay Zone IV. The researcher followed three steps in getting the reception of the residents, (a) Communication Audit, (b) determining the accessibility of communication tools and (c) getting reception of the residents. The method of data gathering included Key Informant Interview (KII), Questionnaire Survey and FGD. Data were then processed and analyzed with the five (5) stages of Diffusion of Innovations Theory. After the study was conducted, the results showed that residents rejected the message of the campaign. This is due to the cultural factors that influenced the decision of the residents.