The Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Markets and Slaughterhouse will hold a public hearing today at the existing slaughterhouse in Barangay 35, Bacolod City to hear the demands of the Asosasyon sg mga Trabahador sang Slaughterhouse in Bacolod City .

The group headed by Samuel Cordova, held a protest at the Fountain of Justice last week opposing the privatization of the city's slaughterhouse. They also asked for the retention of the existing slaughterhouse and for its improvement, in a letter submitted to the Bacolod SP.

The group said they are opposing the privatization of the slaughterhouse under the AVM Bernardo Engineering and asked for the scrapping of the memorandum of agreement between the city and the contractor.

The MOA for the completion and operation of the Bacolod City Slaughterhouse in Brgy. Handumanan, Bacolod City , was entered into between the city represented by Mayor Evelio Leonardia and AVM Bernardo represented by engineer Antonio Valeriano Bernardo, in February 2007.

Councilor Alex Paglumotan, chairman of the Committee on Markets and Slaughterhouse, said the scrapping of the MOA between the city and AVM Bernardo will entail a legal battle. He said he will invite City Veterinarian Dr. Adelo Daroy to the public hearing he is conducting together with Councilors Celia Flor and Dindo Ramos.

Paglumotan said AVM Bernardo is planning to conduct a test run of the new slaughterhouse in Brgy. Handumanan this month and that their target date to operate will be on January.

AVM Bernardo is investing P54 million for the rehabilitation of the new slaughterhouse which was constructed in 2001 by former Bacolod Rep. John Orola.

The project which costs P19.5 million was turned over to the city in 2003.

AVM Bernardo will operate it for 20 years and will rehabilitate it under the Build-Operate-Transfer scheme.

The city is expected to earn P3.13 million in regulatory fees in the first year of operation of the new slaughterhouse, aside from the rental payment of AVM Bernardo. While at present, the city is losing P6.7 million a year in the operation of the existing slaughterhouse in Brgy. 35 since the regulatory fees it is charging was set in 1974 yet and had never been upgraded.

Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson said that because the property is donated by the Lizares family, the city is planning to retain the old slaughterhouse for poultry services.

Jocelyn Escanes, 48, a hog supplier at the Bacolod City slaughterhouse, said that if the privatization of the facility will push through, “small-time” suppliers like her will be greatly disadvantaged and may even eventually lose out from the private management that would take over on the operation of the slaughterhouse.

Glenda Arguelles, secretary of the Asosasyon sg mga Trabahador sang Slaughterhouse, said that the privatization of the slaughterhouse could have a domino effect on the existing economic systems between the suppliers, vendors, and other workers there.

She said more than 50 percent for the residents of Brgy. 35 are dependent on the operation of the old slaughterhouse for their livelihood. If they lose their livelihood, their barangay will be paralyzed, she said.*CGS

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