DAVAOEÑOS are urged to check for an original Meat Inspection Certificate (MIC) before buying lechon (roasted pig) for the holiday feasts.
The City Veterinarian’s Office issues the certificate to lechon suppliers and sellers to ensure the pig is butchered in legitimate slaughterhouses, passed the antemortem and post-mortem inspection, and is safe for consumption.
According to the Dec. 20 Facebook post of the city government, the MIC check does not only apply when buying a whole lechon but also when purchasing per kilo. According to regulations, the MIC will be displayed in conspicuous places of lechon houses and stalls.
CVO officer-in-charge Corazon Sepulveda said stores that fail to display the MIC shall be subject to penalties or even closure. Meat and meat products of negligent establishments will also be confiscated and disposed of accordingly.
“Yong ating mga lechoneros, please lang po wag mag-ihaw sa atoang likod no, ipasulod sa atong slaughterhouses para mahatagan mog MIC (To lechoneros, don’t slaughter pigs in your backyard. Do it inside slaughterhouses so you can secure your MIC),” Sepulveda said during the iSpeak Media Forum, Dec. 14.
One of the regulatory services of the city vet office is quality control through ante- and post-mortem inspection of all meat and meat products.
“It primarily aims to protect the meat-consuming public from animal diseases that are transferable from animals to man by producing wholesome, safe, clean, and sound meat for the citizens of Davao,” the city vet’s guideline reads.
City inspectors regularly visit meat shops, public markets, and slaughterhouses to guarantee compliance.
If found illegally slaughtered, lechon sellers will be criminally liable and will incur penalties following RA 10536 or the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines and the City Ordinance 158-05 or the Revenue Code of Davao City.
