Construction work started Wednesday for a PHP15 million halal meat hub-cum-slaughterhouse facility in Maguindanao province.

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Agrarian Reform-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MAFRA-BARMM) Minister Mohammad Yacob said the project will rise on the border of Barangays Madia and Sambolawan in the towns of Datu Saudi Ampatuan and Datu Salibo, respectively.

Yacob said the groundbreaking ceremonies were held Tuesday in Barangay Madia.

The project will consist of a halal meat processing area, a training center, and an integrated halal slaughterhouse that can cater to 50 heads of animals daily.

Datu Saudi Ampatuan Mayor Edris Sindatok pledged to provide the needed help and logistical support, when necessary, for the project’s sustainability.

“We assure you that all the projects implemented in our town will be useful for our community,” Sindatok said during the groundbreaking, as he lauded MAFAR–BARMM for choosing his town as one of the project beneficiaries.

Datu Teng Sandigan, Datu Salibo environment, and natural resources officer, who represented Mayor Solaiman Sandigan in the groundbreaking program, also lauded MAFAR for the initiative.

“We are blessed to have this project that will be beneficial to our farmers and fisherfolk,” Sandigan said.

Dr. Daud Lagasi, MAFAR’s director general for agriculture services, said the project aims to help farmers avail of the meat processing center and slaughterhouse.

“We want this project to be successful and acknowledged as one of the sources of halal meat in the BARMM region,” he said.

The project is expected to be completed by March 2023. (PNA)