March 14, 2024

The proposed abattoir project of the Municipality of E. B. Magalona, costing P55 million and to be constructed in Barangay Gahit, will receive funding from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

This, after the Western Visayas Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) approved the funding of the project, during a deliberation at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City Thursday.

During the deliberation, Mayor Marvin Malacon presented the feasibility study on the project. Assisting him were Sangguniang Bayan Member Joey Pugales, chairman of the SB Committee on Finance, Budget, and Appropriation; and Municipal Planning and Development Office head Engr. Erwin Poniado.

The RPAB panel was composed of Engr. Moises Mana-ay, deputy project director of the DA-Regional Field Office 6, who presided the deliberation; Lucenia Taberna of the Department of Agrarian Reform - Region 6, Jasten Aires Ledesma of the Department of the Interior and Local Government - Negros Occidental, Danilo Lorilla of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office - Region 6, Nelia Villeta of the Department of Public Works and Highways- Region 6, Engiemar Tupas of the Department of Trade and Industry - Negros Occidental, and Stephen Santillan of the Regional Agriculture and Fishery Council -Region 6.

An abattoir or a slaughterhouse is a place where livestock such as pigs, cows, chickens, and goats are brought to be slaughtered and processed for meat.

To be officially named the "E. B. Magalona (Saravia) Municipal Abattoir," the project aims to build an "accredited slaughterhouse that will provide a quality and high standard service in slaughtering animals that will produce safe and hygienic meat for consumers," the project briefer stated.

"This is to ensure that animals for slaughter and carcasses have been inspected by a certified meat inspector and follow the standards required by the law such as RA 9226 and RA 10536 (Meat Inspection Code) and RA 10611 (Food Safety Act)," the briefer added.

The proposed abattoir will be funded and implemented under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) of the DA.

RPAB is an interagency multidisciplinary team constituted and mandated to review and approved plans, feasibility studies, detailed engineering designs and program of works of proposed projects for PRDP funding.

Now that the RPAB had approved its funding, the abattoir project will be up for bidding next, Poniado said.*

E. B. MAGALONA PIO
Photos from Municipal Planning and Development Office