City's proposed loan for slaughterhouse faces objection
Iloilo City -- The city government might lose the opportunity to avail the P10.8 million from the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) of the the Department of Agriculture as additional funding for its class AA abattoir which is undergoing construction in Brgy. Tacas, Jaro.
This is manifested in the letter sent by Director Roberto G. Villa, officer-in-charge of the project Service and Head of ACEF's National Secretariat to City Secretary Diosdada Carado. The letter was dated April 5, 2006.
Villa in his letter stressed that the local government unit or the city "might be required to strongly justify its request for a class AA abattoir since there is already a similar National Meat Inspection Service-accredited facility at Brgy. Nabitasan, Leganes."
The letter was read in last Wednesday's regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Even Majority Floor Leader Eduardo Peñaredondo was surprised with Villa's letter as it already showed signs of disapproval.
Villa said the same project in Leganes is funded under the ACEF assistance and is proximate to the city. "The same facility is "underutilized" for lack of users facility, the same might be encountered by your proposed facility," said Villa.
Leganes is 10.9 kilometers away from Iloilo.
In the same letter, Villa said that project proposals applied for ACEF assistance are initially processed and evaluated at the regional level before these are endorsed to the central office for possible prequalification, prioritization and approval.
ACEF's communication was addressed to Carado since it was the city secretary who furnished DA Undersecretary Cesar Drilon a copy of the resolution passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod favorably endorsing the city's loan proposal to the Department of Agriculture under its ACEF program.
The loan is intended for the construction of larrage building, acquisition and installation of equipment and machineries and acquisition of meat delivery vans.
The resolution was in response to the request of Mayor Jerry Treñas to the Sangguniang Panlungsod to pass a resolution favorably endorsing the city's application for loan.The resolution was approved last March 8, 2006. No collateral is required in the ACEF loan and is payable in seven years.
On his part, Treñas said he has yet to read a copy of the ACEF's communication to the city government. However, he will look for funds or for another loan should the ACEF turn down the city's proposal. He said he could not understand why the department thru its ACEF program should deny the city's application since they have already contributed P11 million to the project.
He lamented that the city should not be compared to the town of Leganes. He said, he city has nothing to do on why the class AA abattoir in Leganes is underutilized.
"Even Secretary Yap has already informed me that the city will receive additional funds for the class AA abattoir," the mayor added.
The chief executive added that it was also the department that chose the site in Tacas to be the new site of the class AA abattoir of the city. It was also the department which bidded the project.
Earlier, City Councilor Ely Estante, chair of the committee on agriculture, fisheries and aquatic resources, pushed for the loan seeing the need for the immediate implementation of the project saying "it will greatly support the growth of the hog industry and also of the booming tourism industry in the region as Western Visayas has become a major tourist destination and convention site in the recent years."