• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod is pushing for an investigation into the operations of the AVM Bernardo Slaughterhouse in Barangay Handumanan, following complaints about its services, and its failure to upgrade into a Triple A abattoir.
The SP approved Nov. 22 the proposal of Councilor Em Ang to urge the City Legal Office, City Health Office, City Vet, and other concerned offices to conduct an investigation on the slaughterhouse’s operations.
Ang said the failure of AVM Bernardo to upgrade the slaughterhouse into an AAA category could be one reason to rescind the contract.
AVM Bernardo Engineering has been operating the city’s abattoir since early 2000. The contract is set to lapse in 2028.
Aileen Grace Aldeguer, plant manager and representative of AVM Bernardo Slaughterhouse, in her letter to Councilor Celia Flor, chairperson of the SP Committee on Markets and Slaughterhouse, said “the upgrading of an abattoir to an ‘AAA’ category entails substantial amount of investment”.
She also attributed the delay in the upgrading “to the long period of the pandemic affecting the international community, and inflicting to businesses unprecedented economic devastations”.
“The owner is in a dilemma on how he can recover his investment, considering that the contract between the City and AVM will lapse in year 2028,” Aldeguer said in the letter.
AVM Bernardo is asking the City for authorization to increase its slaughterhouse and delivery fees.
Flor, who led a series of committee meetings since August, said in her report to the SP Wednesday, that AVM “justified this request (with) the increase in expenses and wages of their personnel,” adding “it has been a while since they have implemented an increase to their slaughter fees, thus the request”.
But she noted that city meat vendors expressed their dismay and complained about the services of AVM Bernardo, including not having a proper storage, not complying with the Triple A accreditation as required in their contract, and of animal blood getting diluted.
“Vendors are amenable to the increase as long as AVM can address their complaints and improve their machines and services,” Flor said.
She also said that AVM still has delinquencies in rentals, amounting to P8.9 million, and has entered into a deed of undertaking with the city government to resolve this deficiency.
The SP said these issues should be taken into consideration in the conduct of the investigation. | CGC
