QC gov’t bans piggeries, poultry farms

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government has prohibited pig and poultry raising within the city, based on an enacted zoning ordinance.

The City Ordinance 2990-2020 was enacted to implement this as the city does not have any agricultural or rural zones that allow such activities as stated in the Quezon City Zoning Ordinance.

Mayor Joy Belmonte said only three out of 17 villages in the city, namely Payatas, Sta Lucia, and Old Balara, still have backyard piggeries and poultry.

“As of today, there are only three barangays with 26 piggeries. They vowed to close these down by November 2021,” Belmonte said in a statement.

Ana Marie Cabel, the city’s veterinary department head, said that livestock raising in the city also violates various environmental and sanitation guidelines.

The piggeries and poultries also tend to pollute waterways as they allow their waste to flow into riverways, according to the local government.

Cabel said that the city government has provided livelihood to piggery owners.

“As of now, there are 118 recipients of our livelihood programs through our Small Business Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office,” Cabel said.

In February, the city also turned over urban aquaculture starter kits to hog raisers to enable them to utilize empty pigpens and vacant lots as fish pens and backyard fishponds where they can grow tilapia and catfish, while some hog raisers received electronic tricycles as an alternative livelihood, according to the local government.

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JPV