Santa Barbara town misses boat

ILOILO CITY— SANTA BARBARA TOWN, 15, kilometers north of this capital city, has just missed the boat. The Department of Agriculture decided instead to build its “AAA” or “triple A” abattoir elsewhere. The deal was, the DA shoulders the cost of building the facility; the town provides the site or the land to build it on. Had that plan materialized, Santa Barbara will be the only one on Panay Island to boast of having an “AAA” slaughterhouse.

The DA, wanting to stay away from the bickering elders that delay the project, decided instead to pick Passi City, 56 km from here, as recipient. The town’s elders quarrelled where to build it, who the real estate agent to deal with. And that still rages to date after the town lost the opportunity to host the “AAA” abattoir. 

Passi City’s existing “AA” abattoir has attracted Monterey, one of the country’s biggest, to process its hogs that the company transports in refrigerated vans to other provinces in Western Visayas and beyond the regional border.

 The “AAA” facility, replete with blast freezer, will enable Passi City, 56 kilometers north of here, to process cattle and hogs into frozen choice cuts. The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS)  will also qualify it to export to other countries.

Mayor Rema B. Somo was excited last year when informed of the Department of Agriculure’s (DA’s) offer to erect an “AAA” slaughter house in the municipality.  The town has an existing “A” facility, which by the NMIS classification, is licensed to sell the carcasses it processes to other towns. Its neighbor Pavia town having no slaughterhouse, incidentally, sends its hogs to Santa Barbara for butchering.

On the side, Oton town, 12 km. from here is making money from its “A” slaughterhouse; aside from processing its own livestock, it also bags the contract to slaughter cattle sent by Iloilo City whose facility has failed to qualify for an “A”.  For its unrated abattoir, Iloilo City is not licensed to sell its pork and beef  to its neighbors.

Back to Santa Barbara, that poor town that just missed the boat and all the business opportunities that go along with having a “AAA” abattoir. The latest news is that, Mayor Somo instead is settling for a “AA” only, that is, one that allows it to sell meat beyond its orders. Even that plan has a rough sailing. They are still debating where to erect it. 

Back to Santa Barbara, that poor town that just missed the boat and all the business opportunities that goes along with having a “AAA” abattoir. The latest news is that, Mayor Somo instead is settling for a “AA” only, that is, one that allows it to sell meat beyond its orders. Even that plan has a rough sailing. They are still debating where to erect it.