P10M for Inayawan landfill deferred due to ‘non-submission’ of permits

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu City Council has deferred the allocation of P10 million to purchase limestone for the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill until the city's Department of Public Services can provide the body a copy of permits for its reopening.

Then mayor Michael Rama padlocked the landfill last January 15, 2015 and had the city's garbage sent for a fee to a sanitary landfill in a northern Cebu town.

During their regular session last July 26, City Councilor Jose Daluz III also asked the DPS to explain the charging of the account under "material for sanitary landfill".

John Paul Gelasque, DPS assistant head, however, said last Friday that they already submitted copies of the permits the council has asked for.

"Ang DPS ni-pass nami sa requirements nga gipangayo sa council. Number one requirement, naa na bay pagtugot sa Department of Natural Resources-7. Okay, ni pass nami sa 'Authority to Reopen' the landfill," he told the FREEMAN.

In a separate interview, City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera said that her committee already received the the explanation letter of DPS Head Roberto "Bob" Cabarrubias, which she said would be discussed in the council's regular session Tuesday.

Aside from the June 28 authority to reopen issued by the Environment Management Bureau-7, the city also signed a commitment on solid waste management sent to Engineer William P. Cuñado, EMB-7 regional.

"I am submitting herewith the commitments of the Cebu City Government for the establishment of a new solid waste management system pursuant to the mandate under Republic Act No. 9003, otherwise known as the "Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000," read the commitment.

The said commitment was signed by City Councilor Margarita Osmeña when she was the acting mayor.

The commitment also stated that the city has a conceptual master plan for the landfill, has established a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and created a Multi-Partite Monitoring Team.

Gelasque also said the will be used to maintain the landfill's service road, particularly when it rains.

"Kanang anapog, mao na siyay gamiton pag-maintain sa atong service road kay kanang dalan kada minuto, kada-adlaw nga moagi ang mga six-wheeler trucks, ten-wheeler trucks madaot gyud ang dalan. So at a certain point of the day, kanang atong gi-allot from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. , mao na atong gi-allot nga time para magbutang ta'g anapog. Atong i-buldozer, atong i-pison para mogahi nasad og balik. Para naa gihapon atong service road," he said.

DPS had 23 six-wheeler trucks, five compactors and 10 ten-wheeler trucks collecting garbage every day. Each truck has two to three trips a day collecting garbage of the different barangays of the city.

Gelasque said the P10 million will be for limestone good for the whole year already, admitting that he does not have any idea yet how many cubic meters of limestone would be needed as he had just been appointed to the job.

"Ngita lang mi then mangutana mi sa General Services Office then sa Bids and Awards Committee kung asa ta maka-purchase," he said.

Gelasque said that after the council approves their request, they will come up with a purchase order to be submitted in the Bids and Awards Committee for the bidding process. —/RHM (FREEMAN)