Friday, July 3, 2009 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
By Lydia C. Pendon
THE Iloilo City Government is thinking of selling the soon-to-be vacated old slaughterhouse in Molo district to investors interested in putting up a medium-rise hotel or similar business venture.
If not, the City could also heed the recommendation of Nathaniel Guillergan of the City Planning and Development Office to convert the structure into an extension building of City Hall.
For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said he is looking for ways to derive revenues from the area, which has ceased offering slaughter services after the completion of a new slaughterhouse in Quintin Salas in Jaro district.
Put up more than a year ago, the Double A slaughterhouse is now used for the slaughter of small animals. More than 300 pigs are slaughtered in Double A daily, generating income of P1 million for the City Government.
Recently, Treñas signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Agriculture for a grant of more than P11 million from the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (Acef) that will be used to upgrade Double A in Jaro and purchase equipment for slaughter services of big animals like cows and carabaos there.
The mayor said that with new equipment in place before the end of the year, the slaughterhouse income is expected to double by next year.
In his report to the mayor, Guillergan said the entrance to the old slaughter house is a road that has been encroached upon by a widened street and concrete bridge in the Molo and Mandurriao districts. Illegal settlers occupy the banks of the Batiano River and the old slaughterhouse perimeter.
The Molo slaughterhouse has a land area of 3,163 square meters with fair market value of P8,283 per square meter. Its total worth is P28.19 million.
He also said the plan to convert the old slaughterhouse into a wet market is problematic due to the constricted entrance that could be widened only by demolishing some houses of informal settlers.
Another observation is the tendency of liquid and solid wastes from the structure to flow to the Batiano River, resulting in environmental issues.
The existence of a nearby shopping mall and the Molo Public Market will make the wet market second choice for market goers, thereby reducing its viability and feasibility.
Finally, the cost of property and added improvements will make the wet market proposal a high risk in terms of cost vis-a-vis benefits.
____________________________________________________________________________________
