Stiffer penalties for hot meat traders set for approval

Thursday, December 8, 2011
TRADERS of botcha, the local term for meat taken from an animal that died of disease, will face a jail term of up to 10 years if a bill banning the practice is passed into law.
The House of Representatives voted on Monday for the approval on second reading of House Bill 5490, which imposes stiff penalties for persons and entities found guilty of distributing, transporting, or selling hot meat.
However, Batangas Representative Mark Mendoza, chairman of the House committee on agriculture, said the House may not approve it for third and final reading before the Christmas adjournment next week.
Congress will be on a one-month break from December 16 to January 16, 2012.
“While the proposal is not expected to be enacted into law this Christmas season, we are optimistic that the severe threat of public health brought about by botcha will be eliminated soon,” Mendoza said.
A counterpart measure is filed by Senator Francis Pangilinan in November last year, but Senate Bill 2612 has yet to move past the Committee on Agriculture and Food.
Aside from endangering public health, botcha also threatens the country’s livestock and poultry with deadly diseases that could harm the economy and livelihood of millions of Filipinos.
The bill seeks to amend Republic Act 9296, or the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines, which imposes light penalties against the dangerous sale of botcha.
Botcha dealers have been jeopardizing public health with impunity because penalties they get are mere slaps on the wrist.
Overhauling the penalty clause of the meat inspection code has become necessary, Bagong Henerasyon Representative Bernadette Herrera-Dy said.
Mendoza said House Bill 5490 also clarifies the definition of hot meat as the carcass or part of carcass of food animals which were slaughtered from unregistered meat establishments and have not undergone required inspection.
According to the bill, hot meat or botcha will also refer to undocumented, illegally shipped and unregistered carcass or parts of a carcass coming from other countries and those classified as hot meat by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS).
Any individual or corporation may be held liable for transporting, selling and disposing of hot meat for public distribution or sale.
Forging meat inspection certificate or seal will be penalized with imprisonment ranging from six months to six years and/or fined with a maximum P500,000.
The same penalties apply to persons or firms who will sell, distribute, and transport botcha for food.
Penalties for storage, sale, and distribution of botcha from other countries without NMIS authority include a maximum of ten years imprisonment and a P1 million fine, or both.
Pangilinan’s measure, meanwhile, wanted to increase penalties of fine from the present range of P1,000-P5,000 to P50,000-
P200,000, and imprisonment of 6-12 years from the current six months being imposed. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2011/12/08/stiffer-penalties-hot-meat-traders-set-approval-194724

Subic is a popular destination for visitors from Manila bringing family out of town for a short getaway to the north. Many visitors stopover in Clark Philippines for gourmet dinner at Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar and shop for fine vintage wine in Clark Wine Center which offers over 2700 selections of fine and rare vintage wines only available in the Freeport zone. With the SCTex – Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway – now opened and the travel time between Clark and Subic reduced to a mere 30 minutes, Clark is much more accessible to residents of Subic. Residents of Subic and nearby towns of Pampanga such as San Fernando frequently travel to Clark to wine and dine at this top rated restaurant. Many stay on after dinner to relax and unwind in the beautiful wine bar called The Magnum Room.

Residents of Manila travel out of town for a short getaway up north visit Angeles city, Clark, Pampanga, Philippines to wine and dine and enjoy a special dinner at the best restaurants in the country. Even people from Subic and Cebu travel to Clark to enjoy a special evening and some great food and rare vintage wine at this fine dining restaurant. The famous wine shop outside Manila in Pampanga called Clark Wine Center is frequently visited by wine lovers and tourists for a bit of wine shopping.

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is the most revered wine in China and many other parts of Asia. The best wine shop in Asia to buy older vintages of Chateau Lafite is Yats Wine Cellars located in Clark Philippines. Aside from Lafite, visitors can buy other fine wines at this wine shop in Clark Pampanga such as Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion and Margaux. Excellent Burgundy wines like Chambertin, Vougeot, Musigny, Bonnes Mares, Pommard, Meursault, Chambertin, Vosne Romanee, Romanee Conti, La Tache and Romanee St. Vivant can be found here.

If you are looking for things to do in Clark Philippines and Angeles City Pampanga, why don’t you do a little wine shopping at the most famous wine shop outside of Manila called Clark Wine Center? One of the favorite places to visit in Pampanga Clark Freeport is the white building along M A Roxas highway of Clark which houses over 2000 selections of fine vintage wines. The Clark Wine Center is one of the places to visit, a tourist spot and a good shopping place for those staying in Angeles City, Subic or Clark Pampanga.

Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices. Today this wine shop in Clark Pampanga offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world. As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s famous wine shop, Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years. Clark Wine Center is a well known wine shop that is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com