• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya has issued an executive order creating a technical working group (TWG) to evaluate and recommend the most strategic option for the operation, modernization, or establishment of the city slaughterhouse.
The directive addresses the expiration of the city’s existing Public-Private Partnership and Joint Venture Agreement with AVM Bernardo Engineering, which is scheduled to end in 2028.
City Councilor Homer Bais will chair the panel, with City Administrator Mark Steven Mayo as vice chairperson.
Through the order, the city government aims to conduct an early, evidence-based review of its legal and financial choices to guarantee an uninterrupted meat supply chain and safeguard public health.
The executive order mandates the TWG to analyze multiple operational paths, such as the renewal or amendment of the current contract, competitive bidding for a new private operator, a fully city-owned and operated model, or a Department of Agriculture-assisted transition.
Mayo said that the mayor is considering the renovation of the current slaughterhouse, noting that the existing facility lacks an adequate section for poultry slaughtering.
He said that the city government will wait for the TWG’s direction and will keep the public updated on the status of the evaluation, describing the entire process as essentially a feasibility study.
Gasataya noted that the creation of this group does not alter or impair the existing contract with the current operator, and the order takes effect immediately.*
