THE Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) and police operatives raided an unlicensed slaughterhouse in Barangay San Nicolas Proper, Cebu City on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026 during the Sinulog Festival.
Authorities confiscated over 100 kilograms of pork carcasses and 40 kilograms of offals (the internal organs and other parts of a butchered animal) during the joint “hot meat” operation.
The raid was part of a city-wide effort to ensure food safety during the high-traffic holiday period.
The illegal facility was found to be in violation of Cebu City Ordinance 2189, which mandates the proper inspection, sanitation and documentation for all meat sold within the city, requiring vendors, including lechon and barbecue sellers, to possess valid permits, and Republic Act (RA) 8485, as amended by RA 10631, or the Animal Welfare Act.
Issues regarding the unhygienic slaughter and improper handling of carcasses and by-products were noted. DVMF Officer-in-Charge Jessica Maribojoc emphasized the importance of adhering to laws.
“Our concern here is food safety,” Maribojoc told SunStar Ccebu in a phone interview on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Public health risk
Illegal or unaccredited slaughterhouses pose a public health risk because illnesses from hogs can be transmitted to humans, according to Maribojoc.
The DVMF inspectors will conduct thorough ante-mortem and post-mortem checks before any products are displayed in public markets and supermarkets. Before making a purchase, consumers have the right to request a meat inspection certificate and that the time elapsed since slaughter should not exceed eight hours, Maribojoc said.
Among the requirements for vendors is to have a health card issued by the DVMF to ensure that handlers are free from communicable diseases such as tuberculosis.
Maribojoc urged the public to check on the quality of meat when making a selection. The meat should be free of any unpleasant odors and should not appear greenish or slimy.
She said imported meat must possess a Certificate of Meat Importation and should consistently be kept frozen in the chiller. / BKA