Question & AnswerQ&A (BAI ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 09, S. 2004)
The main objective is to regulate the establishment, operation, management, and accreditation of all stockyards in the Philippines engaged in temporarily stocking/keeping animals for slaughtering, marketing, or shipping, or serving as hotels for livestock.
The order was issued pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 7, series of 1972, which prescribes the orderly marketing of livestock and animal products and regulations on animal feeds.
Priority considerations include: a centrally located area with good transport facilities, a yard originally holding animals, the interest and willingness of the operator to develop the livestock industry, and a site of at least 300 square meters for small animals and 1,000 square meters for large animals.
Facilities must include a dial-type or digital weighing scale, sheds, pens, tie rails, corrals with water and feeding troughs, office space, perimeter fence, and loading and unloading ramps.
Personnel include a stockyard manager, livestock inspector/veterinarian from the local government unit, livestock grader, livestock weigher, yardman/helper, and security guard. The number depends on workload.
There are fees on entrance, yardage (use of facilities), and corral (including cost of feeds per day) that vary by animal species, e.g., P10 entrance fee for cattle, P5 for hogs, etc.
Bio-security measures include requiring proper animal documents before acceptance, inspecting animals, disinfecting trucks, providing footbaths, separating animals from disease-free and endemic areas, and prohibiting feeding leftover foods.
Applicants must submit a completed application form, proof of business structure (e.g., special power of attorney for single proprietorship, articles and certificates for partnerships or corporations), ID pictures, business and municipal permits, Tax Identification Number, and Environmental Clearance Certificate.
The accreditation may be revoked, the stockyard may be closed, and the operator may face penalties of a fine of P1,000 to P10,000, imprisonment from two months to one year, or both, per Article 19 of RA 7394.
Stockyards are inspected twice a week by Veterinary Quarantine Officers at the municipal, city, or provincial level. In NCR, the National Foot and Mouth Disease Task Force regularly monitors stockyards.