Katrina Ponce Enrile: Above all, mom
This fur mom loves all 71 of her furbabies – let her count the ways.
SECRETARY Katrina Ponce Enrile with Willoughby, her long-haired miniature dachshund, ‘who travels with me and sleeps beside me.’ (right) Too cute: ‘Simone, my Corgi, was one of my favorites — she slept with me for over 14 years until she could no longer climb the stairs. She passed last 12 August 2025.’
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF KPE
CHORIZO and Willoughby.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF KPE
Among the many sides to Katrina Ponce-Enrile, her life as a fur mom has only been glimpsed on the surface.
Yes, she has winning pets competing abroad. Yes, she loves animals. And yes, she has 71 of them in her care.
“I have 71 fur babies,” she admits. “I can’t stop falling in love with each one of them.”
The number is far from comfortable, and Secretary Katrina Ponce Enrile, administrator and chief executive officer of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, certainly knows what it entails.
“Being an animal and nature advocate goes beyond affection—it is about responsibility and stewardship,” she tells DAILY TRIBUNE. “It means recognizing that we share this world with other living beings and that we have a duty to protect, care for and coexist with them respectfully.
“It is not only about loving animals, but about ensuring their well-being, preserving their habitats, and making conscious choices that do not harm the environment they depend on. Advocacy, in its truest sense, is living in a way that reflects that respect every day.”
Has she always been an animal lover, or is she partial to dogs in particular?
“I have always loved all kinds of animals —everything except perhaps rats,” she laughs. “Growing up, I was surrounded by them. I had guinea pigs, ducks, chickens, cats, dogs, aquarium fish and even horses. That connection never left me.”
As an adult, she continues, “I have 71 dogs and over 100 birds at home and in Cagayan. I also care for goats, lambs, deer, wild boars, guinea fowls, ducks and turkeys. So my love has never been limited — it has simply grown.”
But 71 dogs?
“There is something deeply special about dogs — their loyalty, their gentleness, and the way they love without condition,” she tells this writer. “They are not just companions; they become part of your emotional world. They sense you, they stay with you, and they give a kind of presence that is constant and sincere. I have always had dogs around me for as long as I can remember, so it was never really a decision — it was simply a continuation of something that has always been part of my life.”
