City to pursue put up of modeern abattoir, cold chain

The local government will be pursuing the proposed put up of a modern abattoir with a cold chain facility that will be situated within a portion of the property of the agriculture department that was ceded to the city at the Baguio Dairy Farm to help in producing export quality meat products.

The proposed AAA modern slaughterhouse with cold chain facility will serve as among the local government’s development projects that will be constructed within the over 10 hectares that was ceded by the DA to the city at the Baguio Dairy Farm to help in decongesting the existing slaughterhouse and convert the same into a terminal and parking area for north-bound vehicles.

Earlier, the city’s Local Finance Committee (LFC) conducted a feasibility study on the viability of the local government providing the funds for the put up of the multi-million facility or for the same to be undertaken through the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.

Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong claimed that the completion of the proposed modern abattoir will pave the way for the city to be able to produce export quality meat products that will make the city and its neighboring communities self-sufficient in terms of the availability of supply of quality meat for consumption and possible export.

The city plans to relocate the slaughterhouse from its current site right in the heart of the central business district area to the portion of the Baguio Dairy Farm that had been previously identified by the local government’s technical personnel and planners as a suitable site for the facility.

Last year, city officials and personnel of the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) visited the modern abattoir of Tanauan and Lipa cities in Batangas to benchmark what will be the appropriate design for the proposed modern city abattoir that will be able to cater to the increasing demand for the3 production of quality meat products.

Part of the funds for the proposed construction of the modern abattoir and cold chain facility had been included in the annual budget of the local government for this year as processes for the conduct of the required public bidding for the project are now being undertaken to ascertain the contractor that will be chosen to prosecute the said endeavor.

The put up of the facility might commence before the end of the year after all the required processes in the selection of the contractor to whom the project will be awarded will be completed by the city’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC).

The former site of the slaughterhouse and the whole slaughterhouse compound will be converted into a terminal and parking area aside from providing a suitable place for the vendors that will be displaced to continue pursuing their vending activities without being unjustly disturbed with the commencement of construction activities in the area.

The local government envisioned the slaughterhouse compound to be the site for a terminal for north-bound vehicles to help in further decongesting the central business district from the monstrous traffic jams but the same had been delayed because of the lack of funds for such a project that dragged on to date. – Dexter A. See