Devolution of Meat Inspection to LGUs

Legal basis and policy purpose

Republic Act No. 7160 underpins the authority of LGUs to establish public slaughterhouses and enact ordinances regulating slaughterhouses, markets, and the sale of foodstuff.
Republic Act No. 7160 also provides for the appointment of local veterinarians to advise on slaughter and regulation of slaughterhouses and veterinary services.
Republic Act No. 7394 governs agricultural consumer product inspection and provides for inspection, analysis, and collection/retention of inspection-related fees to cover costs.
The National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC)—created under Presidential Decree No. 7 and Letter of Instruction No. 16—is tasked with policies and procedures governing livestock and livestock product flow, preservation, and inspection.
The Order’s purpose is to maintain uniform sanitation standards, prevent wastage in time and logistics, harmonize local and national roles, and organize technical supervision and control of meat inspection and transport.

Definitions and slaughterhouse classification

Slaughterhouses are classified and accredited by the NMIC based on established standards for production, plans, designs, and specifications.
“AAA” slaughterhouses are those with facilities and operational procedures appropriate to slaughter livestock and fowls for sale in any market, domestic or international.
“AA” slaughterhouses have facilities and operational procedures sufficiently adequate so that livestock and fowls slaughtered therein are suitable for sale in any market domestic or international.
“A” slaughterhouses have facilities and procedures of minimum adequacy so that livestock and fowls slaughtered therein are suitable for distribution and sale only within the city or municipality where the slaughterhouse is located.

Slaughterhouse construction and operation devolved

Cities and municipalities must establish and operate a public slaughterhouse by ordinance, and must conform to applicable local and national policies, standards, and guidelines.
Cities and municipalities may seek assistance from the NMIC and other government agencies for construction, improvement, and expansion of public slaughterhouses.
Cities and municipalities, upon approval by a majority vote of all members of the sangguniang panlungsod or sangguniang bayan, may grant a franchise to any person, partnership, corporation, or cooperative to establish, construct, operate, and maintain slaughterhouses as allowed by applicable laws.
Cooperatives must be given preference in the grant of such franchises.
Cities and municipalities must sell, lease, encumber, or otherwise dispose of their slaughterhouse by ordinance to ensure active participation of the private sector in local governance.
Cities and municipalities must authorize the establishment and operation of private slaughterhouses, whether for public use or exclusively as part of a meat processing complex.
Provinces must ensure that the establishment and operation of slaughterhouses of component cities and municipalities comply with national and provincial policies, standards, and guidelines.
Provinces provide technical supervision and may give financial assistance for slaughterhouses owned by component cities and municipalities.
Provinces must review ordinances of component cities and municipalities on establishment and operation of slaughterhouses and on the granting of franchises, including the imposition of taxes, fees, and charges.
The NMIC must formulate national policies, guidelines, rules and regulations governing the establishment and operations of slaughterhouses.
The NMIC must exercise technical supervision over slaughterhouses and may recommend sanctions and closure to local chief executives for noncompliance with requirements and standards.

Meat inspection duties by government level

All livestock and fowls slaughtered for food and their meat products are subject to veterinary inspection and examination before distribution and sale.
The NMIC must formulate national policies, guidelines, rules and regulations, and quality and safety standards governing marketing, marketing preservation, and inspection of meat and meat products.
The NMIC must formulate and implement rules and regulations governing the import and export of meat and meat products.
The NMIC must exercise technical supervision over local meat inspectors in Class “AAA” slaughterhouses, and in Class “AA” where there is regular distribution of meat outside the province or of the independent city.
The NMIC, in coordination with the LGU, must provide direct technical supervision over operation in Class “AAA” slaughterhouses and in Class “AA” in cases where distribution extends as described for technical supervision.
The NMIC must certify the fitness for human consumption of meat and meat products intended for export and for distribution outside the province or of the independent city.
The NMIC must provide laboratory support to the meat industry.
The provincial government, through its provincial veterinarian, must regulate the flow of meat and meat products within provincial jurisdiction according to national policies, guidelines, and standards.
The provincial veterinarian must exercise technical supervision over meat inspection work and operation in Class “AA” slaughterhouses in component cities or municipalities when there is regular distribution outside the local area but within the province.
The provincial supervision described for Class “AA” may be vested to the NMIC alone when meat distribution extends beyond the province.
The provincial government must certify fitness for human consumption of meat and meat products in the Class “AA” scenario where supervision is exercised as described for intraprovincial but outside-local distribution.
The city or municipality must regulate the preparation and sale of meat for human consumption within territorial jurisdiction based on national policies, guidelines, and standards.
The city or municipality must directly supervise operation in Class “A” slaughterhouses and, in Class “AA”, when meat distribution is limited within the locality only.
The city or municipality must conduct meat inspection in all classes of slaughterhouses.
The city or municipality must certify fitness for human consumption of meat and meat products intended for distribution within the locality only.

Transport, post-abattoir control, and disease movement

Only transport vehicles accredited by the city veterinarian may be used to deliver meat/meat products within the city.
For transport within the municipality, accreditation is exercised by the municipal veterinarian; if none exists, accreditation is done by the provincial veterinarian.
Transport from one city or municipality to other localities within a province must use transport vehicles accredited by the provincial veterinarian.
Transport to destinations outside the province must use transport vehicles accredited by the NMIC.
Meat suitable for transport must come from livestock or fowl dressed in an accredited slaughterhouse and must have undergone ante and post mortem inspection.
Transportable meat must be certified and marked “INSPECTED” and “PASSED” for food by the controlling authority prescribed under the transport accreditation rules.
Post-abattoir control is exercised by the concerned LGU/NGA.
LGUs may organize a task force composed of one or more concerned local government units, headed by a higher local government unit, to strengthen checking of illegal slaughtering and meat distribution.
Additional post-mortem inspection and examination may be conducted when deemed necessary by the city, provincial, or NMIC veterinarian, depending on the applicable case.
Licensing and registration of butchers, meat vendors, meat dealers, and meat stalls/shops must be exercised by the city or municipality.
The NMIC, together with the LGU concerned, must control movement of meat and meat products from priority reportable diseases endemic areas to free zones in the country.
Meat and meat products from such endemic areas must not be allowed to enter free zones in support of the Livestock Priority Diseases Eradication Program of the Philippines and international animal health commitments.

Monitoring, evaluation, training, and accreditation

The NMIC, in coordination with the LGU concerned, must monitor, conduct field inspection, and require those involved in slaughterhouse operation to submit periodic and special reports to the NMIC.
The NMIC must design a training program on slaughterhouse operation and must train local personnel involved in slaughterhouse regulations and operations.
The NMIC must provide access to information for LGUs, slaughterhouse operators and workers, and those engaged in livestock propagation and meat preparation, including LGU regulations and impositions, slaughterhouse management and facilities, and supply-demand information about meat products here and abroad.
No person may be employed in livestock and meat inspection without undergoing training and accreditation of the NMIC.
No person may work inside a slaughterhouse without proper training and a license.

Fees, revenue sharing, and ordinance authority

The concerned LGU may impose fees and charges related to meat inspection through an appropriate ordinance, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Local Government Code.
For Class “AAA” slaughterhouses, twenty five (25%) percent of the veterinary inspection fees (ante and post mortem) collected by the city and municipalities must be shared and remitted by the city or municipal treasurer to the NMIC on a quarterly basis.
Remittance to the NMIC must occur no later than five (5) days after the end of each quarter for the Class “AAA” sharing arrangement.
For Class “AA” slaughterhouses, the twenty five (25%) percent veterinary inspection fees accrue to the entity directly supervising the inspection service as mentioned in Section 3.

Implementation and governing effect

The Order implements the devolution framework by assigning national policy-making and technical supervision functions to the NMIC, and inspection, supervision, licensing, and local regulatory functions to cities, municipalities, and provinces.
Compliance responsibilities are allocated by meat inspection class (AAA, AA, A) and by meat movement scope (within city, within municipality, within province, and outside province).
Technical supervision and certification duties are assigned to the appropriate level of government based on distribution and destination.
The remittance of the 25% inspection fee share and LGU imposition of inspection-related fees operate within the ordinance-based authority under the Local Government Code and coordinated oversight under the NMIC.