ILOILO CITY — The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) on Tuesday has called the attention of the Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO) headed by Jose Ariel Castañeda to activate a task force and “campaign vigorously against hot meat.”
The call came after the local council approved the PHP6.961 million LEEO Supplemental Budget No. 1 during its regular session “with regrets”, containing among others personnel benefits, capital outlay, maintenance and other operating expenses and repairs of building (slaughterhouse).
Majority Floor Leader Eduardo Peñaredondo said it was passed with regrets because the slaughterhouse, which is under the LEEO, is besieged with problems. He added that he was not happy with the performance of the LEEO head.
“If you are the head of the LEEO, you have to be a cowboy. You must be very active; you have to campaign against the proliferation of hot meat,” Peñaredondo said.
Peñaredondo said it is a common knowledge that everywhere, livestock are being slaughtered “for business purposes without passing the slaughterhouse.”
On Monday, Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Regulations and the Visayas said that on a daily basis, Ilonggos eat meat that has failed to pass a slaughterhouse with standard specification.
The slaughterhouse was built when now Iloilo City Lone District Rep. Jerry P. Treñas was still mayor of this city. However, until now the facility was not given a classification or grade.
“The moment that NMIS (National Meat Inspection Service) and the Bureau of Animal Industry Quarantine Service impose that you cannot transport these meat products, it will have a big economic impact. Tons of meat is being shipped to Bacolod and Negros Occidental and even Boracay when it was still open,” he said.
He said that six months ago, together with Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Livestock Enrico Garzon Jr. and the LEEO, they inspected the slaughterhouse.
“After the meeting, we all agreed to ask for technical specifications of the slaughterhouse on what to be done,” he said. However until now no specs were submitted to his office.
“We cannot start funding it because there are no specifics. That is what we are waiting for now,” he added
Should the city government submit the technical specifications this year, they still will have to wait for 2020 for the upgrading funds.
In a phone interview, Castañeda said that as early as last year, he already sent a letter to Mayor Jose Espinosa to convene the task force on hot meat but has not received a feedback until now.
He, however, denied the proliferation of hot meat but admitted there are livestock that are slaughtered in backyards.
“That is wrong because that would encourage the spread of diseases due to improper disposal,” he added.
Among that needs to be repaired are the electrical connections and sewage treatment plant. The rehabilitation and upgrading of the slaughterhouse to at least AA standard requires more or less PHP100 million, he said. (Perla Lena/PNA)
