GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/4 March) – Officials of nearby Koronadal City in South Cotabato are planning to establish a modern and international-standard slaughterhouse in a bid to improve the quality of meat products that are processed in the area.
Koronadal Mayor Peter Miguel said they are currently studying the viability of establishing a class “AA” slaughterhouse or abattoir that is stocked with complete and advanced equipment and facilities.
“We’re mainly looking at developing a slaughterhouse facility that would be able to process safe and quality meat products,” he said. The mayor said they are still drawing up the specific plans and other important details regarding the project but noted that the local government would make it as one of its priorities.
Earlier this week, Miguel and several city officials initially visited the class “AA” Municipal Sanitary Abattoir of Tampakan town in South Cotabato as part of their ongoing studies for the proposed project.
Based on the standards set by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), class “AA” abattoirs are those with facilities and operational procedures that are sufficiently adequate and that all livestock and fowls slaughtered in them are suitable for sale in the domestic and international markets.
“I think we’re (financially) capable of putting up that kind of facility,” Miguel said.
The mayor said they will make sure that the proposed new city abattoir would later qualify for the NMIS accreditation.
The Tampakan facility, which was built in 2007 through a financial grant from the NMIS’ Local Government Unit Meat Establishment Improvement Plan, is one of the only six abattoirs in Region 12 or Southwestern Mindanao that were currently accredited by the agency.
Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Cotabato and Kidapawan.
A report posted on the NMIS website cited that this city, South Cotabato province and Midsayap town in North Cotabato host at least two accredited abattoirs each.
The Matutum Meat Packing Corp. Abattoir, which is based in Barangay Glamang in Polomolok, South Cotabato, earlier received accreditation for the shipment of pork meat products to Singapore. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews)