Wastewater discharge just ‘minimal’, says slaughterhouse chief
Cebu City’s slaughterhouse is dumping only a minimal volume of wastewater into the Mahiga Creek, its operations chief Dr. Pilar Romero said yesterday.
“Our solid wastes are being collected. Kana rang binanlas ang maadto sa sapa (Only the runoff water goes to the creek),” Romero said.
Some animal hair, drops of blood and animal feces may have also been included when personnel from the abattoir clean their facility, she said.
The Cebu City abattoir slaughters 70 to 90 heads of animals in a day.
Approved budget
But Romero said they’re only “contributory” to the pollution in the creek and informal settlers in the area cause more pollution.
“People there just throw their trash into the creek. Toilets are also a concern there. Where do their wastes go? There are no septic tanks there,” Romero said.
The Cebu City slaughterhouse has an approved P5 million budget to build a wastewater facility in their area, but until now it hasn’t been realized.
Romero said the wastewater facility would cost only P2 million, so with the approved budget, two wastewater facilities can be built.
The Mandaue City Treasurer’s Office recently went after the Cebu City slaughterhouse for failing to pay its taxes since 2001.
Post mortem
The Mandaue City Health Office will also check on the pollution caused by the abattoir.
Romero denied that the city’s slaughterhouse is built mainly for revenue.
“Ang ato sa abattoir, serbisyo lang gyud mainly also because of the clamor sa mga tao nga nangita ug ihawan (Our purpose in the abattoir is service mainly because of the clamor of the people looking for a slaughterhouse),” she said.
The abattoir charges P147 per head and P195 for large animals like cows, carabaos and horses.
Rama administration presents P18.9-B ‘people’s budget’ to City Council
Renovation
The fee includes ante-mortem assessment and even post-mortem or after the animal is slaughtered, Dr. Romero said.
The fee doesn’t include the labor for the actual slaughtering.
The slaughterhouse earn an average of P600,000 a month or lower than last year’s earthquake in which they average P1 million a month.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the city’s proposed 2015 budget would include renovation and improvement of the abattoir.
He said he’s not interested in transferring the facility yet.
Dr. Romero said it’s difficult for them to relocate since they haven’t found a strategic location that’s accessible.
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