LGU Naga to sign pact with NMIS over district abattoir’s services

NAGA CITY --- The city government here is set to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Agriculture-National Meat Inspection Service (DA-MNIS) on Friday, Oct. 23, that will define the terms and conditions regarding the operations and services of its district abattoir.

The MOA tackles, among others, the handling of slaughter and transport services needed by the municipalities of Camaligan, Canaman, Magarao, Bombon, Gainza, and Milaor with payment of reasonable fees.

The conversion of Naga’s slaughterhouse into Triple A district abattoir came following the approval by the DA-NMIS of the LGU Naga’s application to modernize, rehabilitate and expand the butchery.

RECOGNITION. Mayor Nelson Legacion (2nd from right) holds the plaque of recognition given to LGU Naga on Oct. 18, this year by the NMIS. The agency recognizes the city government’s effort in the establishment of its district abattoir, the first-ever slaughterhouse in the country with capability to cater to the butchering needs of nearby towns. Photo also shows Vice Mayor Cecilia de Asis, an NMIS official and NMIS OIC Regional Technical Director Alex Templonuevo (2nd from left). CEPPIO photo

The speedy submission of documents required by DA-NMIS e.g. letter of intent, resolution that authorizes the city mayor to enter into contract, project brief, certificate of landownership and executive order creating a technical working group, was one of the bases why the government agency awarded the project to the Naga LGU.

Also considered was Naga’s capability to provide a P10-M counterpart to the P50-M grant from the national government and P10-M additional fund from DA.

Dr. Alex Templonuevo, NMIS OIC regional technical director, said with the six Metro Naga towns benefitting from the services of the district abattoir, it is seen that the proliferation of hot meat in the area will finally be stopped.

“Sad to say, these municipalities have become contributory to the proliferation of hot meat due to the operations of their unaccredited slaughterhouses,” the NMIS official said.

In the plaque of recognition, which was presented to LGU Naga on Oct. 19, the DA-NMIS lauded the city for the establishment of the “country’s first district slaughterhousel which has the full capacity and compliance to national standards of a food-safety meat establishment.”