Construction of Halal lab to start this year

A LOCAL investment company, Escider Inc. is targeting to start the construction of the P10 million Halal slaughterhouse in Toril, Davao City this year.

The proponent of the project originally sought for the establishment of the facility last year.

“There was a slight delay in putting up the facility because another private company showed interest in venturing with the project,” Mims Ayunan, president of Escider Inc., told Sun.Star Davao in an interview.

She refused to disclose the identity of the other private company.

She said they intend to conduct the groundbreaking of the Halal abattoir in Toril before the opening of the 2nd Mindanao Halal Festival slated in May.

“We have envisioned that at least we can do the groundbreaking ceremony before or on the opening of the 2nd Mindanao Halal Festival,” Ayunan said.

In a previous interview, Ayunan said that they are investing roughly P5 to P10 million for the facility.

“We are investing roughly P5 to P10 million including the assistance that we will be providing to our target communities in Sirawan, Toril and Ilang to assist us with the raising of Halal cattles, chicken and goat,” she said.

The Halal-certified abattoir will have a floor area of 5,000 square meters, with a capacity of 1,000 kilos per week during the initial operations.

"We intend to become the source of halal products in Mindanao by establishing this (slaughterhouse)," Ayunan said.

Escider is eyeing Malaysia, Indonesia and the Middle East countries as export markets. The company will focus on Halal processed meats of beef, chicken and goat.

Meanwhile, The Department of Science and Technology is planning to establish this year a halal laboratory here in Davao City to be housed in the DOST Davao office.

The agency is targeting to open the city’s halal facility by 3rd or 4th quarter of this year.

The department will pour some P47 million for the establishment of the halal testing laboratory.

At present, the country has only two DOST-operated Halal testing laboratories, both located in Cotabato.