CEBU CITY, Oct. 11 (PNA) — The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) 7 will provide financial assistance to local government units (LGUs) that want to develop their city or municipal abattoirs.
NMIS 7 Director Dario Canillas said the agency can provide a 50-50 financial counterpart scheme through the Meat Establishment Improvement Program (MEIP).
The LGU can source out its 50-percent counterpart through its annual appropriation while NMIS will use the fund from the Meat Inspection Development Trust Fund.
Canillas said the program is aimed to develop LGU-owned slaughterhouses to attain “double A” accreditation.
NMIS wants to develop slaughterhouses to meet international standards in preparation for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) integration next year.
Canillas said only Mandaue and Toledo cities have so far availed themselves of the MEIP.
One of the requirements to avail of the MEIP is for the LGU to provide its own lot, which is classified as agro-industrial.
Other requirements are the environmental compliance certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); certification from the local accountant or treasurer that the LGU has enough funds to support the project; and a resolution from the Sangguniang Panglungsod authorizing the chief executive to enter into contract with NMIS.
Aside from MEIP, the NMIS earlier offered a 100-percent financial assistance to LGUs to develop their slaughterhouse facilities through the National Abattoir Development Program.
Meanwhile, the modern slaughterhouse operated by the Talisay City Government was able to sustain its “double A” accreditation, based on the NMIS inspection earlier this year.
Dr. Alvin Lean, NMIS 7 Consumer Protection Division chief, said Talisay’s slaughterhouse was satisfactory when they inspected the facility last April.
But Leal said Talisay needs to fix the cattle line of its slaughterhouse and provide quarters and saws to eviscerate the carcasses.
“Its cattle line is not moving that’s why it takes some time to butcher a cow,” said Leal. (PNA)