Corporate social responsibility

UPPERCUT
By Albert B. Lacanlale

=== With the slaughterhouse, Angeles City, too, is expecting a larger share of revenue from meat merchants===

Kudos to the City Government of Angeles City, led by Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan for the successful inauguration of the Dealco Farms-operated slaughterhouse of the city. Not only are the Angelenos now assured for high-quality meat, they have somehow lessen the possible pollutants to the Sapang Balen creek.

Bishop Pablo Virgilio David is all smiles when he officiated the Mass for the blessing and inauguration of the slaughterhouse. While Apung Ambo reminded the slaughterhouse management to be consistent in their environmentally-safe technology, he was obviously elated knowing the abattoir, with a “Triple A” rating, would not be contributory to the degradation of the Sapang Balen creek.

The slaughterhouse has constructed a P2-million waste water treatment facility to ensure that its effluent towards the creek contains no undesirable substance that would pollute the waterways. A bio-digester included in the system collects methane from the sludge then channels it to a stove where they boil water used for cleaning butchered animals.

This is in addition to at least P7 million invested to upgrade the slaughterhouse facilities.

That is the essence of corporate social responsibility, Apung Ambo explained. When one does not abuse the resources entrusted on him, then he could be entrusted with bigger responsibilities and, along with it, great success in the future.

With the slaughterhouse, Angeles City, too, is expecting a larger share of revenue from meat merchants. The abattoir’s clean surrounding is now attracting bigger volumes of slaughtering jobs everyday, providing additional income for the city coffers and more employment opportunities to the “mataderos.”

Even the conventional mataderos are starting to get the all important revolution on how they treat their occupations. Gone are the days when butchers would take the process of slaughtering animals for granted sacrificing hygiene, thereby jeopardizing the health of meat consumers.

Joyce Alcoreza, executive vice president of Dealco Farms, who also happens to operate the Sta, Rosa Slaughterhouse in Laguna, said their firm conducts regular trainings to butchers and closely monitors hygiene of their staff, particularly those handling the meat.

“We are promoting culture change in the way we are dealing with meat,” said Alcoreza, whose comes from the fifth generation of slaughterhouse operators.

To date, the Angeles City Slaughterhouse processes 350 to 500 heads of hogs and about 25 heads of cattle/carabao everyday. Even large supermarkets, groceries and meat-processors in Pampanga are lining up for their stocks of meat to meet growing demands for clean and fresh pork or beef.

Mayor Edpam thinks Dealco’s example should all be followed by other firms in the city, while at the same time lauded the advocacies of Bishop David who he called “Vanguard of Sapang Balen Creek.”

Right was Pamintuan pointing out that disposal of waste comes with urban sprawl and that everybody should participate in ensuring that the environment, especially bodies of water, are saved from pollutants.