Abattoir found unsafe, closed

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City abattoir at the North Reclamation Area was closed yesterday after the  City Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) found it unsafe for it to continue operations.

 City Veterinarian Pilar Romero, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) officer-in-charge, said water tanker is about to fall they were afraid it might cause injuries to people and the animals.

 â€œGi-ingnan nako si (I informed) Mayor (Michael Rama) nga i-close kay alangan naman (because it cannot be that) we will sacrifice the safety of our people,” Romero told The FREEMAN, in a telephone interview.

Romero, together with Cebu City department heads, presented updates on their respective offices during a command conference the mayor called at Plaza Sugbo yesterday. 

 DEPW has declared the abattoir unsafe but its office, with only minor cracks, is still structurally sound and operational.

 Romero said the temporary closure would not affect the supply of meat in the city because they have not being using it for one month already due to on-going renovations.

She said they have been slaughtering pigs at different private abattoirs in Barangays Talamban, Poblacion Pardo and San Roque.

“Timing lang sab jud kay gipa-ayo pa sab namo ang (It so happen that we had renovations at the) abattoir, so bisan wa mi nag-ihaw diri dili g’yud maapektuhan ang (we are not affected even if we are not using it in our) operations kay naa man ihawan ang mga (because there are the) private abattoirs,” Romero said. 

There are 32 DVMF-accredited private abattoirs in the city.

 Also, Romero said they are doing a 24-hour mo-nitoring of the abattoirs for the meat inspections before transporting the meats to the markets and malls.

 Meanwhile, Raquel Arce, Cebu City market administrator, said Pasil Fish Market Phase 1 and 2 are also not safe for occupancy and need immediate repair, as advised by DEPW.

She said, though, that the 11 city public markets are safe and operational after being inspected and assessed by the city’s structural engineers and by the Office of the Building Official.—(FREEMAN)