BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The owner of a mini poultry dressing plant in Villa Lucasan, Barangay Mandalagan, Bacolod City is appealing to the city government to provide a poultry dressing plant so they could legally operate.
This came after about 317 kilos of “hot meat” was seized by operatives of Task Force Botagoy from their dressing plant Monday.
The owner, who requested his identity withheld, said they can only be considered operating legally if the city can provide a poultry dressing plant.
They could not be issued business and other necessary permits by the Bacolod City Government because there is an existing memorandum of agreement between the local government and the Bacolod City Slaughterhouse being operated by AVM Bernardo Engineering, which requires the slaughterhouse operator to provide a poultry dressing plant in the facility, he said adding that this is the reason there is a status quo.
Meanwhile, they had been expecting the Task Force Botagoy to conduct an inspection in their dressing plant because they were notified ahead of time, the owner of the dressing plant said.
However, because it was the highlight of the MassKara Festival, their personnel were not able to dispose the chicken meat immediately the next day because some of them stayed out late due to the celebrations. That is why the product was placed in a freezer filled with ice, so it won’t stink, he said.
The confiscated meat was burned and then buried at the city’s slaughterhouse grounds.
They had no intention of selling the commodity because they are also trying to protect their name having been in the business of distributing chicken for almost five years, and being aware of the guidelines and protocols of the business, he said.
It is not true that the residents in the area have petitioned or complained against their business operation. Their delivery van is also accredited with the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), he added.
He pointed out that about 30 percent of poultry products in market are supplied by backyard raisers.
The routine inspection Monday was conducted by the Task Force Botagoy, together with the City Health Office, City Legal Office and the Permits and Licensing Division.*
