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[av_heading heading=’PPP for city abattoir?’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Monday, June 12, 2017
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ILOILO City – A joint venture or public-private partnership (PPP) could further improve this city’s slaughterhouse in Barangay Tacas, Jaro district, according to the city government’s Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO).
While the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) recommended privatization, the LEEO appeared not keen on totally relinquishing the abattoir to private hands.
LEEO is the city government office overseeing the slaughterhouse that has been hobbled by poor equipment in recent years. Its chief, Ariel Castañeda, considered PPP a “viable solution” for the abattoir’s sustainability.
The slaughterhouse is one of the city’s sources of revenues. For 11 months since December 2015, the city government lost around P17 million after the abattoir stopped accepting hogs due to malfunctioning boilers. It resumed slaughtering hogs only last November 2016.
Castañeda said a feasibility study may be conducted to determine “what type of modality or approach to take” in further improving the slaughterhouse.
NMIS evaluated the abattoir last month. It submitted its recommendations to Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog recently.
Aside from privatization, the Department of Agriculture-attached agency also suggested that the city government employ competent personnel to maintain the slaughterhouse’s equipment.
“We will collaborate with academe for the feasibility study. We want to know what options are available,” said Castañeda.
The city government running the slaughterhouse alone as a business is challenging due to inherent limitations such as in the procurement process, said the LEEO chief.
“Dapat madasig kag simple ang mga proseso, especially sa pagpatigayon sang procurement,” he explained, so a “joint venture or PPP is more appropriate for this kind of business.”
For this year, the LEEO aims to earn P77 million from the slaughterhouse and the public markets. Castañeda said they can achieve this by:
* increasing collection efficiency
* creating a task force or division to help in collection
* asking the city administrator to help convene the Task Force Hot Meat, which shall go after illegal slaughtering; and
* imposing fines on illegal slaughterers and confiscating meat products that did not undergo proper slaughtering procedures.
The city government wanted the slaughterhouse to be classified as an AA or AAA meat processing facility but for years it was hobbled with poor facilities.
Some meat vendors told Panay News they resorted to backyard slaughtering after the abattoir stopped accommodating hogs.
Under Executive Order 137 series of 1993, “A” slaughterhouses are those with facilities and procedures “of minimum adequacy” such that the livestock and fowls slaughtered in them are suitable for distribution and sale only within the city or municipality where the slaughterhouse is located.
“AA” slaughterhouses are those with facilities and operational procedures “sufficiently adequate” such that the livestock and fowls slaughtered in them are suitable for sale in any market domestic or international.
The highest classification is “AAA” – those with facilities and operational procedures “appropriate” to slaughter livestock and fowls for sale in any market, domestic or international./PN
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