SAN SIMON, Pampanga – A cattle farm in Barangay San Pablo here is the major supplier of beef products in the country.
Mario Ong, co-owner of the D’ Meter Fields Corporation, disclosed they are the top supplier of various beef products to Monterey of San Miguel Corporation, Fresh Options and SM.
Ong said they employ at least 381 people, including those working in their slaughterhouse.
The farm has some 3,200 cows as of June. He added they can handle as much as 4,000 cows.
Ong said their cows are all coming from Australia.
“We fatten the cows before we slaughter them that’s how we profit,” said Ong. He added that they not allowed to sell live cows.
D’ Meter Fields Corporation is just one of the two cattle farms in the country which imports cows directly from Australia. “We give out some P5 million a month for the salaries of our workers,”said Ong, who invited journalists in their 28-hectare farm here last week. Reports added that they pay some P5 million taxes annually to the municipal government.
Ong showed to the journalists the closed-loop wastewater treatment facility they developing in their premises in compliance to the requirements of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The treatment station is a seven-stage natural facility where all wastewater will pass through and be processed until properly broken down into fertilizer, added Ong. The facility has surpassed the recommended three-stage wastewater treatment facilities for livestock farm.
“The wastewater treatment facility usually used by farms only consists of three-stages, the digesting, settling and the final stage before it will be disposed. But on our case, we made it seven to ensure that our waste is clean and safe,” Ong said.
He added that the seven stages include a septic tank where the cow manure will directly go through from the farm, and what remains from the waste will be broken down in the settling tank.
Ong said that during the recent ammonia testing conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on their wastewater, it was revealed that the ammonia level is at the level 2. It is far better from the tolerance threshold of level 5.
The Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued to them by the DENR is also a manifestation of their commitment to ensure and sustain the orderliness and being environmental-friendly of their business. Ong said they will also comply with the requirements of the local government.
Ong said they hold corporate social responsibility programs regularly at the host barangay such as medical missions, feeding programs and other forms of assistance to the community.