CITY OF BATAC—The Regional Project Advisory Board 1 (Ilocos) has approved a modern slaughterhouse project in this city , under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Scale-Up, paving the way for its construction.
Worth approximately PHP166.6 million, the construction of the Double A slaughterhouse in Brgy. Colo will ensure a safer and high-quality meat processing facility in the city, according to Batac City Mayor Mark Christian Chua.
“This will ensure food safety and support to local producers,”
Chua said in an interview as he thanked the PRDP.
A World Bank-funded program originally implemented in 2014, the PRDP aims to increase rural incomes and enhance farm and fishery productivity in targeted areas.
PRDP Scale-Up, meanwhile, is the continuation of the original program designed to respond to the needs for investment beyond what was in the original PRDP.
Government data show Ilocos Norte as having a strong livestock and poultry industry, recording more than 2.25 million livestock heads in the first quarter of this year. It, however, remains reliant on outdated slaughtering facilities.
The City of Batac has more than 8,000 livestock raisers who will directly benefit from the project, according to the City Agriculture Office.
The new slaughterhouse is expected to complement the Batac public market and the soon-to-becompleted PHP30 million agricultural trading center. (Leilanie G. Adriano)
