Friday, October 05, 2007 Millions worth of equipment in Mandaue City abattoir missing
MILLIONS worth of equipment were discovered missing inside the Mandaue City slaughterhouse, even as the City Government is now in the process of putting the plant back in operation.
The technical working committee (TWC) created by Mayor Jonas Cortes, in a report, also advised that the City must run after those liable for the missing equipment.
Officials have yet to establish the exact cost of the missing equipment but one of them, a hog splitting saw, is worth P500,000.
AVM Bernardo Engineering constructed and operated the slaughterhouse through a 15-year lease, starting in 2001. But the company left before its lease term expired and the City took over.
Inventory
The same firm was also involved in the construction of the Talisay City slaughterhouse, where government auditors noted the plant’s deficient equipment.
Lawyer Hedelito Pascual, TWC member, said it was not known who took over the plant’s management.
No clear inventory of equipment was made after Bernardo Engineering left.
The TWC found that the City needs P14 million to put the plant back in operation. The amount includes rehabilitation and purchase of equipment.
Earlier, the City sought the release of P11.5 million, in two tranches, for the rehabilitation of the plant’s roof, boiler and water system.
But the TWC found that the damage may be more, so they asked help from FNC Food and Beverages Machinery Technology and Services to evaluate the plant’s condition.
Slaughterhouse
It was confirmed that the P11.5 million is not enough.
The TWC stressed that the P14 million is only for hog processing, excluding poultry and other livestock.
Francis Celones, ENC Food president, reveraled in his evaluation report that there are six major slaughterhouse equipment missing. Some 10 processing systems also need rehabilitation.
Stunner
The missing equipment include breast bone opener; Hog splitting saw; rail weighing scale for hog and cattle line; beef splitting saw; electric hog stunner and hog trolleys with gambrels.
The TWC believes that the equipment were taken away because COA, in its 2005 report, only cited few items that the meat processing section did not have at that time.
These were linker, cooking vat, blast trolley, meat boxes and crates.
Aside from putting the plant back in operation, the city is also moving to identify those liable for the missing city properties.
The TWC already asked City Veterinarian Daisy Penetrante, who now heads the plant, to submit a report on the plant’s operation and how it was turned over to succeeding heads.
Engineering
AVM Bernardo constructed and leased the plant for 15 years at P150,000 a month for the first two years and P544,000 on the third year until the end of the contract. The company later asked the City to lower the rent from P150,000 to P75,000.
AVM Bernardo eventually left and the city took over the plant’s operation in July 2005.
But its name again appeared in the news on the Talisay City slaughterhouse, wherein COA cited the plant’s defects and equipment it lacks in a 2007 report.
Commissioning
Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez said AVM Bernardo Engineering project was done during the term of former mayor and now Rep. Eduardo Gullas.
COA noted that the plant lacked steel gate-guard house, perimeter fence, freight and delivery, installation, testing, commissioning and training.
The plant also lacked equipment such as the hog-line-splitting saw with balancer and meat processing gadgets such as meat grinder, mixer, patty former, bowl cutter, stuffer and linker.
Auditors ordered Talisay to claim the non-existing items and correct the deficiencies, otherwise, the overpayment of P5.8 million will be made a personal liability of the approving officials. (OCP)
