The Birth of a Meat Processing Industry

The big volume of Chinese hams imported yearly into the Philippines since the Spanish regime, prompted the government to look into the feasibility of a new industry on meat processing with emphasis on ham making and other meat products. A committee of three Youngberg, Fajardo, and Rotea were sent to China only to report that the Chinese method of ham making and other meat products cannot be applied here because hams are only made during the winter season. So, Dr. Rotea was sent to the Meat Packing Plants in Chicago and when he came back the Animal Products Division was created as an experimental pilot plant which later on was left to me to administer, Besides hams, experiments on bacon and different kinds of sausages, butter, and cheese were undertaken.

Meat processing was hitherto unknown before in the Philippines. Only “tapa” and native sausages are made from meat remaining unsold at the end of the day in the public markets.

What remains in my mind is: are the flourishing meat plants in the country today, the offshoot of that pilot plant?