An Act Creating an Animal Utilization Service in the Bureau of Animal Industry and Appropriating Funds for its Establishment, Equipment, Maintenance, and Operation

June 21, 1938

COMMONWEALTH ACT NO. 340

AN ACT CREATING AN ANIMAL UTILIZATION SERVICE IN THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR ITS ESTABLISHMENT, EQUIPMENT, MAINTENANCE, AND OPERATION

SECTION 1. For the purpose of facilitating the marketing of livestock and of accelerating the industrialization of animal products in the Philippines, there is created in the Bureau of Animal Industry a unit to be known as the "Animal Utilization Service," the functions and duties of which shall be to establish, equip, maintain, and operate modern slaughterhouses in Pandacan, Manila, and other convenient places in the Philippines, where animals belonging either to the Government or to private parties may be slaughtered; to establish, equip, maintain, and operate in connection with said slaughterhouses refrigeration plants where carcasses of animals may be chilled and stored, tanneries for tanning hides and skins of the animals slaughtered in said slaughterhouses, and rendering plants for the utilization of condemned carcasses and animal waste products; and to receive consignment of livestock and handle the sale of the same or of the meat and other products upon their slaughter, under such regulations as may be issued by the Director of Animal Industry with the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce.

SECTION 2. The Animal Utilization Service herein created is empowered to collect reasonable slaughter fees for animals slaughtered in said slaughterhouses and storage fees on carcasses kept in the refrigeration plants and to impose such other charges as may be deemed reasonable for services rendered. Such fees and charges shall be fixed by the Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce, upon the recommendation of the Director of Animal Industry.

SECTION 3. Out of the funds in the Philippine Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there is hereby appropriated a revolving fund in the amount of one hundred thousand pesos for the establishment, equipment, maintenance, and operation of the Animal Utilization Service, to be expended by the Director of Animal Industry, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce, for the payment of salaries and wages of personnel; for the purchase and installation of machinery and other needed equipment; for the purchase of supplies and materials; for the purchase, rental, or reservation of the necessary land; for the construction, maintenance, and repair of buildings, sheds, pens, fences, corrals, and other necessary structures; and for such other expenditures as may be deemed necessary for the proper carrying out of the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on its approval.

Approved, June 21, 1938.