Mandaue City reveals violations of Cebu City’s slaughterhouse

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City government has sent a letter to Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to inform the latter of violations it committed with regards to the operation of the Cebu City slaughterhouse and the construction of a footbridge, which are both under the territorial jurisdiction of Mandaue City.

In the letter dated October 21, Mandaue City legal officer Giovanni Tianero informed Rama of the result of the ocular inspections conducted by their monitoring task force at the Cebu City abattoir and the footbridge last October 17 .

The task force is composed of Tianero, City health officer Dr. Edna Seno and Placido Jakosalem, the chief of the Enforcement Unit of the Solid Waste Management of Mandaue City.

Based on the task force’s findings, the abattoir was unsanitary and that its wastewater treatment facility is non functional, which causes the wastewater to flow directly to the Mahiga Creek.

Cattle fats and hair were reportedly openly dumped in front of the abattoir building, producing leachate, the liquid that extracts solutes from other matter, which goes directly to the open canal.

The team also found out that the main slaughterhouse was under renovation and that the establishment did not have any mayor’s permit and sanitary permit the Mandaue City government. Its personnel also did not have any health cards issued by the Mandaue City Health department.

The Mandaue City government officials are now asking the Cebu City government to secure appropriate health cards, business and sanitary permits from them in pursuance of the city’s laws and regulations.

Mandaue City has also asked Rama to undertake corrective measures to address and remedy the said findings.  (FREEMAN)