The management of the Puerto Princesa City slaughterhouse in Barangay Tagburos refuted allegations of bad odors coming from their facility, claiming their workers ensure that all wastes generated is adequately handled before disposal.
This came after nearby residents complained on social media over the weekend regarding an alleged foul-smelling air coming from the facility. The complaint also showed photos of dead small fish floating in the creek near the slaughterhouse, implying that the facility was also dumping toxic wastewater.
Slaughterhouse manager John Theodore Santiago said on Wednesday that personnel and staff have not reported anything unusual about smells coming from the facility. He added that the dead fish floating in the creek might have come from a different source.
“Every day kasi andito kami. Maaaring may amoy, dahil sa dumi ng hayop, normal lang ‘yan sa slaughterhouse. Pero hindi naman sa sinasabi nilang nakakasulasok,” Santiago said in a phone interview.
“Kung sakaling totoo ang report nila, additional load kasi sa waterways natin ‘yong mga [nakatira] dito sa paligid na nagdu-dump din doon. Ang iba, walang mga proper septic tank. Pero hindi ko sila pinagbibintangan,” he explained.
He also said the facility only dumps filtered wastewater into the canal leading to the creek.
“Talagang ang wastewater lang ang tinatapon doon sa kanal, pero fini-filter namin ‘yan dito. Ang mga solids, dinadala sa landfill,” he said.
Santiago also stated that one possible cause of the dead fish could be the effect of typhoon Odette’s aftermath, which caused debris to disrupt the natural flow of water.
“Napansin ninyo kasi na after ng bagyo nagkaroon ng mga posts sa Facebook,” he said.
Santiago also said the city government is working to improve the current slaughterhouse to make operations more efficient and compliant to environmental standards. The facility is undergoing additional construction, with a second building being built to accommodate higher animal meat demand.
