Entrepreneurial Farmer

Mapeso: I Do Not Eat Dinuguan In Aklan

Most Aklanons were shocked in the revelation of Dr. Modesto Mapeso regarding the deplorable sanitary condition of the slaughter house of the Municipality of Kalibo. The disclosure of Dr. Mapeso was made during the recent session of the Kalibo Sangguniang Bayan (SB).
Dr. Mapeso is a practicing Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, the first Provincial Veterinarian of the Province of Aklan. He served in that capacity for almost half a century. He retired as Regional Director of the National Meet Inspection Service, Region VI.
According to Dr. Mapeso, the process of meat handling from slaughtering up to transporting meat to the market is most antiquated and worst for it is unsanitary in Kalibo.
For one thing, Mapeso pointed out, there is no stockyard. The animals are being butchered right where the livestocks are stocked. The animals are butchered on the floor which has mudded water, as drainage is poor if there is any. “I never eat ‘dinuguan’ in Aklan as I remember meat handling in the slaughter house of Kalibo,” Mapeso added.
During the said SB session, nobody denied the deplorable condition in the abattoir of Kalibo located in Barangay Tinigao. One reason advanced as cause of poor meat slaughtering and handling of livestocks and meat products in the abattoir of Kalibo is lack of fund.
Learning of the present resources available in support for food production in the municipality, particularly to follow protocol on the recommended method of meat handling will not demand more resources. What is needed is a qualified personnel to guide if not impose compliance to proper sanitation.
According to Ms. Eleanor Isada, Human Resource Manager of LGU Kalibo, it is not possible to hire a qualified Dr. of Veterinarian for assignment in the abattoir. But upon inquiry, the Office of the Municipal Agricultural Officer has 18 personnel, two (2) of whom are graduates of Dr. of veterinary medicine. Even if the 14 barangays are assigned one agricultural technologist each, there are four without assignment. If two technologists are assigned in the Kalibo Municipal Office, the two Dr. of veterinary graduates can be assigned to the abattoir; their positions maybe re-classified into appropriate title for assignment in the slaughter house. When fund is available their salary grade can be upgraded.
Around the slaughter house, there are available land area which can be used as stockyard. If it is a private land, it can be rented, payment of rental fee will come out of the income from the abattoir.
Meanwhile, if money is not available for facilities acquisition, used lumber maybe constructed as tables or stands for butchering animals so that its meat may not touch the ground and be free of any contamination.
In the transport of meat from the abattoir to the market, it is loaded in tricycles which are opened to dust and other contaminants. More often, meat touches the ground. If LGU Kalibo cannot provide appropriate vehicle to transport meat, it may negotiate with private sector or individual who maybe contracted to haul the meat like pork and beef from the slaughter house to the markets. Kalibo does not need much money to improve the quality of products from its abattoir considering its present resources. It only needs recognition of the problem, proper solution to the problem, and the will to do it.

STL Money For Mendicants

Mayor Antonio T. Mameng of Banga – the beautiful is pushing for the approval of a resolution requesting the PCSO to conduct Test Run for Small Town Lottery (STL) in Aklan. During the public hearing on the resolution, Mayor Mameng urged the Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan to approve it so the municipal mayors will have a sure source of money to give as alms for the mendicants. According to him, there are several mendicants visiting his office daily to seek alms. “There are about 20 of them now in my office,” Mameng stressed. He also challenged those presents to “tinguha ninyo nga mag mayor agud hitun-an ninyo.”
Banga claims to be the center of culture in Aklan. Is this the culture, the culture of begging. Aklanons wish to emulate from Banga? What a shame!
I am very sure several Banganhons triumphed over poverty through honesty, hard work, patience, perseverance and frugality. How many conquered poverty in Banga by gambling? This is a very good study for students and professors in the fields of social, economics and culture.
Who are the most depressed families in the 1950’s of Banga who have conquered poverty and now living in a life of dignity? What did they do and how did they do it in the conquest of poverty?
On the other hand, a question maybe also asked, who are the Banganhons who lived the lives of plenty in the 1950’s but now they are living in scarcity? ASU can conduct this study.
I expect Mayor Mameng to lead a life of honesty, hard work, and frugality. I expect Mayor Mameng to lead in the reinstatement of Banga as the beautiful. I expect him to lead a life of morality and maintain Banga as the center of culture in the Province of Aklan.

Computer At P240,000 Each

According to a very reliable informant, some 48 units of computers were distributed to the different public schools in Aklan. Each school or district received 1–2 units. In the memorandum receipt the recipients signed, each computer cost P240,000. Wow! Ha?
Window shopping in the computer shops in Kalibo tells that kind of computer distributed cost between P20,000–P25,000 each, add P5,000 for transportation and handling; it makes P30,000 or at a total cost of P1,440.000. However, the value in the memorandum receipt is P240,000 each or a total of P11.52 million for the 48 units distributed in Aklan. Subtracting P1.44 million from P11.52 million gives P10.08.
Ahay - -a! This is the P10.08 million price difference in Aklan alone. How about those distributed in other provinces and cities of Western Visayas?…of the whole Philippines?This is worst than the National Broadband Network deal. This computer deal, by all means, must be investigated and the culprit be given penalties she/he/they deserve. /MP