A Modern, Sanitary Slaughterhouse for the People

 

A Modern, Sanitary Slaughterhouse for the People

by Resty S. Odon

Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao recalls that, upon his assumption of office in July 2016, he immediately paid a visit to four sites in town. These are the Public Wet Market in the center of town, Materials Recovery Facility in Brgy. Dusoc, Public Cemetery in Zone VI, and Municipal Slaughterhouse in Brgy. Telbang. Hardly has he warmed his seat when he made sure his message resounded loud and clear so everybody knew he meant business: the expansion and makeover of these four crucial public facilities were among his top priorities.

Public abattoirs often have a reputation of being topsy-turvy places. Mayor Quiambao explains that he wanted to ensure that, under his watch, it would be different: the handling of livestock and processing of meat were to be made sanitary, so the people’s health would not be put at risk.

For the expansion and renovation project to be realized, however, funds must be made readily available, and it was fortuitous that they were at the time they were needed. According to the Engineering Office, from the LGU budget came P2,330,000 for improvement works on the building itself, and from the Department of Agriculture's 2016 bottom-up budgeting fund came P1,950,000 for the pigpen. The apparatus were separately purchased from LGU funds.

On October 2018, the first phase of renovation work was completed. Among the features of the new Municipal Slaughterhouse are refurbished holding pens, upgraded animal chutes, and starkly modern equipment in the stunning, bleeding, and scalding areas.

Much later, the Engineering Office also put up a perimeter fence to protect the property, plus an onsite water source, as the facility was obviously in dire need of one, owing to its nature.

Soon, a sewage treatment plant was added.

The Municipal Slaughterhouse, which is under the Office of the Special Economic Enterprise (S.E.E.), is under the direct supervision of Municipal Veterinarian, Dr. Catalino Tablizo, who was of course beaming with thanks at all these developments at his old turf.

When everything was in order, the National Meat Inspection Service, of course, had to make a visit to make sure the facility and its equipment were up to standards.

When the new facility was officially opened after a blessing ceremony on August 1, 2019, Vice-Mayor Raul Sabangan could not help but quip, "Ngayon lang talaga nabigyang-pansin ang Slaughterhouse, dahil sa pag-upo ng administrasyong Quiambao-Sabangan." (This is only the first time that the Slaughterhouse was given proper attention, thanks to the Quiambao-Sabangan administration.)

In his brief address, Mayor Quiambao advised the staff to keep the upgraded facility always clean and orderly.

The rest of the town’s top officials knew the import of the occasion not to miss it. Present to witness the winds of change blowing were Pangasinan 3^rd District Board Member Vici Ventanilla; Municipal Councilors Mylvin Junio, Philip Dumalanta, Joseph Vincent Ramos, Gerardo Flores, and Martin Terrado II; Telbang Punong Barangay Carlos Sta. Teresa; Municipal Administrator Atty. Raymundo Bautista Jr., S.E.E. head Gernalyn Santos, Municipal Engineer Eddie Melicorio, Municipal Agriculture Office OIC Artemio Buezon, and the Public Market’s Meat Section Association President Norman Duque.