City Council prevents removal of senior citizens from abattoir

CEBU, Philippines - Despite some hesitations from the City Veterinarian and City Abattoir Administrator Dr. Alice Utlang, the Cebu City Council ordered her to hold off the removal of the senior citizens working at the slaughterhouse since the latter have established that they are still able.

But Utlang insisted that she was only following what was mandated by City Ordinance 2189 or the Meat for Public Consumption Regulatory Ordinance.

She said that if the senior citizens continue to work at the abattoir, it is like pushing them towards their own infliction.

Utlang admitted that she is not aware of the expanded Senior Citizens Act which protects the senior citizens from discrimination in the workplace, among other expanded benefits provided by the act to the senior citizens.

She said the law must have overlooked that not all workplaces are suitable for senior citizens.

“Tan-awon sad siguro nato ang environment kung diin sila nagtrabaho. Sa abattoir, just imagine that they have to wake up at dawn and do heavy works, (We should also look at their work environment at the abbatoir…)” Utlang said.

But the council instead proposed the amendment of the ordinance to set the maximum age to 65 years old, to increase the chances for senior citizens to work.

Councilor Raul Alcoseba said that these senior citizens need jobs to feed their families. They should be allowed to continue working as long as they can prove they are capable of doing so.

These senior citizens at the City Abattoir are detailed workers of private meat dealers in the city. There were 12 of them who were supposed to be barred from the abattoir last month but the mayor ordered a status quo.

Meanwhile, Utlang insisted that the city abattoir will be stricter in their implementation of policies in the transportation of meat products from the city abattoir to the public markets in the city.

The abattoir proposed the use of city-owned meat wagons to transport the meat products but she clarified that it is only to augment in the operation.

She said that registered and accredited meat transporters will be still be accommodated but she is letting go of those who remain unable to comply with the standards.

Utlang said that the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) has been relaxing its policies for a long time now but nothing can stop them from gradually upgrading their standards especially that the city government is to soon have a modern abattoir. (FREEMAN)