NMIS, LGUs to lead in the observance of the 19th meat safety consciousness week

by Claro A. Lanipa PAGADIAN CITY, 12 Oct. (PIA) -– The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), in close collaboration with the local government units (LGUs), will spearhead the observance of the 19th Meat Safety Consciousness Week on October 17-21, 2011 with the theme “Matatag na Batas, Ligtas na Karne ang Katumbas.” NMIS-IX Regional Technical Director Dr. Arturo De Jesus, Jr. in yesterday’s PIA weekly Media Forum held at New Roxan Hotel, this city said various activities has been prepared for the weeklong celebration such as; the hanging of streamers to be participated in by the different stakeholders, thanksgiving mass, stakeholders/meat inspectors forum, distribution of IEC materials and feeding activity of street children among others. De Jesus said, since the functions of meat inspection has long been devolved to the local government units (LGUs), NMIS is task to strengthen our local government counterparts. The national government thru the NMIS conducts regularly training courses to enable our local meat inspectors to be technically equipped and capable in doing their work in their respective area of assignment. The national and local government units should help each other because there are level of responsibilities that they need to focus, de Jesus said. Local meat inspection unit is being tasked to monitor the meat being sold in the local market and they must be aware of the meat use for “sorizo” and other by products, de Jesus added. NMIS will only come in, if there will be a problem or inter-provincial movement of meat coming from other areas without the necessary supporting documents, de Jesus clarified. Meanwhile, Olympio Yecpot, chief Accreditation Registration Enforcement Division (ARD) also encourage the public during their special occasions to have their hogs be slaughtered at accredited slaughter house to ensure clean and safe meat for human consumption. This year’s celebration of the 19th Meat Safety and Consciousness Week and at the same the 39th anniversary of National Meat Inspection Service calls for a strong collaboration between the national and the local government, de Jesus stressed. We can not do it alone, we lack the necessary manpower but we need also the cooperation of our local counterpart to really implement the law, employ meat inspectors and see to it that the laws on meat inspection is being implemented. And they should enact an ordinance for that matter, in their respective local government units so that there will be a basis for them to implement such law, said de Jesus. We should safeguard public health because it is the only treasure we have in this world. If we are not healthy it is difficult for us to do our usual task or activities, for all we know when we eat meat it nourishes us, but in the process if the meat came from a questionable origin it will also harm or endanger us, de Jesus concluded. (JPA/CAL/PIA9/ZamboSur)