LGUs urged to adopt inspection ordinance

MANILA, Philippines — The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) is seeking the adoption of  standards on local meat inspection to ensure that meat products sold to consumers are fresh and properly labeled.

“This is important because we need to regulate our meat distribution. We are talking about meat safety here and that is the problem in the provinces,” said Ernesto Gonzalez, executive director of NMIS.

Gonzalez underscored the LGUs’ responsibility to craft and implement such guidelines.

“We are now initiating the move that’s why we are calling for a meeting in all provinces. We submitted a letter to the mayors and their governments for them to give priority to establish the local meat inspection system ordinance,” he said.

“It’s about time that we empower our LGUs. This will also intensify our monitoring and confiscation. So far, majority of our LGUs are willing to cooperate. That’s the good news,” Gonzalez said.

The meeting with LGUs will be divided into three clusters starting next month - Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

NMIS serves as the sole national controlling authority tasked to implement policies, programs, guidelines, and rules and regulations pertaining to meat inspection and meat hygiene to ensure meat safety and quality from farm to table.

It aims to protect the meat consuming public through efficient and effective meat inspection service by adopting and implementing new technologies to assure food safety.