• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
In compliance with National Meat Inspection Service regulations imposed by the government, the provincial government of Negros Occidental is set to operationalize the six newly constructed abattoirs, or slaughterhouses, stationed in various local government units (LGUs).
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson disclosed that the six abattoirs are located in Hinobaan, Cauayan, Binalbagan, Murcia, Toboso, and San Carlos.
“For this year, we will operationalize our newly constructed abattoirs. This is to assure the public of very clean products, especially for the exporter of meats,” Lacson answered when asked of the province’s priorities in the year 2026.
He added that the province will provide training to the LGU staff to manage the facilities in compliance with strict National Meat Inspection Service regulations and introduce breakthrough programs in food safety, quality control, and value-adding for meat products.
The province, which was considered to be one of the country’s top backyard swine producers, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), sought to establish a modern and climate-resilient agriculture and fisheries sector in the year 2022, leading to the construction of the six slaughterhouses.
Earlier reports showed that the project was jointly funded by the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) and the World Bank, the national government, and participating LGUs.
Under the PRDP, 80 percent of the project cost is funded by the World Bank, 10 percent by the Department of Agriculture, and 10 percent by the province.*
