MANILA - The groundbreaking of the new slaughterhouse facility at the Valencia Satellite Public Market in Ormoc City, Leyte is vital in bolstering the meat industry in the city, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Friday. In a speech delivered during the groundbreaking ceremony, Pangandaman said the construction of the slaughterhouse would ensure that Ormocanons will be provided with good quality of meat products. "So with the construction of the new slaughterhouse, we hope to revitalize the meat industry of Ormoc. It will also ensure the standard of meat na nanggagaling dito sa (coming here from) Ormoc," Pangandaman said. Pangandaman said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. puts a premium on the agriculture sector, given its huge impact on food security. She added that it was only during the Marcos administration when the agriculture was included as one of the country's priority expenditures. "'Dati po wala po dito [sa priority expenditures] 'yung agriculture support. Pero nung nagsimula po ang administrasyon, nilagay po natin 'yung support sa agriculture sa ating priorities (Before, agriculture support was not among the priority expenditures. But under this administration, we included the support for agriculture in our priorities)," Pangandaman said. 'Alam naman nating lahat na ang mahal nating Presidente, ang priority po niya ay ang agriculture sector. Pagpunta ko po dito, o kapag pumupunta po ako sa mga probinsya, nakikita ko na ang Pilipinas po, talagang maraming lupain (We all know that the agriculture sector is the priority of our beloved President. When I went here or whenever I go to other provinces, I notice that the Philippines has large agricultural land areas). And sana po (I hope), we are able to use it, make it more productive para high-yield po tayo (so we will get high yield),' she added. Recalling the city's difficulty in securing funds for their projects, Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez thanked Pangandaman for giving the greenlight to the new slaughterhouse construction project. "In my job as Representative before and as Mayor now, I've met a lot of Secretaries who say 'No, cannot be (or) no budget yet,'" Torres-Gomez said. 'But in the world of many 'nos,' thank you, Sec. Mina, for being a 'yes' and for making this happen for us.' The 2023 National Budget, under the Marcos administration's Medium-Term Fiscal Framework of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, prioritizes an Eight-Point Socioeconomic Agenda that includes food security. The administration has allocated an approved budget of PHP20 million for the slaughterhouse facility under the Local Government Support Fund. Designed to be a progressive meat-processing hub in Ormoc City, the facility will feature technologically advanced equipment. Upon completion, it will operate in compliance with regulations by national and international regulatory agencies. The construction of the facility is a significant step for the community's development and reflects the national government's ongoing commitment to socioeconomic development. The milestone project is a testament to Ormoc's resiliency following the extensive damage wrought by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, destroying 95 percent of the city. (PNA)
Source: Philippines News Agency