The city government plans to relocate the slaughterhouse in Barangay Sto. Nino to Pinsao to help decongest the already overcrowded site of the city’s abattoir.
The City Veterinary Office reports of a city-owned property having a total land area of over 85,000 square meters in Barangay Pinsao which is suitable to host the city’s abattoir in a 1-hectare portion of the property in the future.
City Planning and Development Officer Engr. Evelyn G. Cayat disclosed the city-owned property was previously identified by the City Land Needs Identification Committee for public needs to accommodate any expansion projects of the city government.
However, she said the city government will have to perfect the titling of the property so that the same can proceed in the preparation of the comprehensive master development plan for the site that will include the relocation site for the city’s existing abattoir in Barangay Sto. Nino-Slaughterhouse Compound.
The proposed relocation site of the city’s abattoir is around 800 meters away from the Tacay-Longlong Road with a bypass road currently being constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways–Baguio City District Engineering Office.
The city’s abattoir is currently situated within the property of the Department of Health (DOH) administered by the city government was designated but has reportedly been invaded by informal settlers.
Aside from relocating the city’s abattoir in the city-owned property in Pinsao, the city government also seeks to expand the coverage of the same to accommodate more corrals to meet the needs of increasing requirements for meat among the city’s population.
Further, the city government is also eyeing the Pinsao property as an alternative site for the proposed waste-to-energy project if the area ceded to the city by the agriculture department within the Baguio Dairy Farm will not be enough to host the facilities of the renewable energy plant that will be established to convert the city’s generated waste to renewable energy.
Cayat disclosed the terms of reference for the survey of the property was already submitted to the city chief executive for approval for bidding towards titling of the property in the name of the city.
According to her, the city government needs to perfect its ownership over the property, although it was already previously identified for city needs, to allow the utilization of public funds for the development of the area to accommodate the city’s expansion projects.
The development of the city’s abattoir has been stalled over the past several years due to the absence of a suitable property that can accommodate the expansion plans of the said facility towards helping decongest the central business district area and increase the economic activities in other parts of the city.
By Dexter A. See
Photo by: Armando Bolislis