NAGA CITY — On or before September, this year, the local government here will be operating a modernized slaughterhouse well-equipped with apparatuses that can cater to the butchering needs of the city and 6 neighboring municipalities daily.

The Naga City Abattoir with its district slaughterhouse status projected to accommodate around 500 to 600 heads of pigs daily. In 2019, the facility butchered around 5 million kilos of pigs and less than a half of the figure was recorded for year 2020, when African Swine Fever outbreak was at its height.

Frank Mendoza, head of the City Budget Office, said the bulk of P55-M intended for the project will go to the procurement of various equipment to capacitate the facility. Although he estimated that the funds will be readily available within the 2nd quarter of the year, the LGU has to spend 2 months more for the procurement procedures.

Mayor Nelson Legacion said with the replacement of old equipment, delays in the slaughtering processes will be avoided and the facility’s efficiency in its operation is assured.

The facility will also serve as regional training cum assessment center of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Roberto Acabado, head of the Naga City Abattoir, said leading the abattoir’s array of equipment that needs replacement is the 23-year-old steam boiler that takes a longer time now to heat up, thereby causes delays in the conduct of butchering procedures and the delivery of carcass to the market. A hang-up elevator which is needed for pig’s vertical bleeding will also be procured.

The 2 aforementioned equipment will finally resolve the primary concern raised by the Naga City Meat and Chicken Vendors Association regarding delays in the delivery of their products and the small amount of blood drain from a slaughtered swine.

Mendoza said the old meat processing plant of TLC Beatrice located adjacently to the slaughterhouse will be developed as storage area. Acabado said the plant’s blast chiller and blast freezer will also be replaced with new ones.

The abattoir’s physical development includes the conversion of its office spaces to records room, viewing area, and conference room as the Department of Agriculture requires that the slaughterhouse is separately located from its office.

A quarter for butchers fixed with locker, dressing, and comfort rooms, and hot and cold shower faucets will be constructed also inside the compound.

Acabado said the facility’s wastewater treatment plant will also be rehabilitated to suit for bigger number of clientele and longer hours of operation.

In scalding, the district abattoir will adopt the singeing process wherein the butcher will use blue torch as part of the slaughtered hog’s de-hairing procedure.