DPS: Garbage collection in city has improved

CEBU, Philippines — After over a week of garbage collection using the rented trucks, the Cebu City’s Department of Public Services (DPS) has noted an increase of 150 tons of trash compared to the previous months’ collection.

DPS Head Roberto Cabarrubias said the city has recorded an average collection of 620 to 650 tons of garbage per day because of the 24-hour collection of garbage of the rented 21 trucks.

“Dili lang gyod na dinha kutob. Mag-expect pa mi nga mosaka pana nga tons of garbage nga atong makolekta kay intensified naman atong operation,” he told The FREEMAN.

He said the increase of the volume of garbage collected is a positive sign that the city is doing an efficient way of addressing the problem.

Because of the intensified garbage collection, Cabarrubias said his office received lesser complaints of uncollected garbage along the major thoroughfares of the city compared to the previous months.

He said the city’s priority is its cleanliness despite criticisms that the city spent so much for garbage collection.

“Makita man siguro sa mga tao ang difference karon compared sa previous months nga daghan kaayo’g uncollected nga basura,” he said.

Pasajero Motors Corporation started operating the 21 garbage trucks that the city rented in the first week of October.

City Councilor Joel Garganera is one of the members of the Barug Team Rama who has been expressing his sentiment over the “expensive” rental of 21 trucks.

The city government has set aside P51 million for the rental of 21 trucks from October to December this year, or a fee of P700 per hour per vehicle.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña, for his part, said several issues have been brought about the city’s expenses of its garbage collection.

“What we’re doing is we’re leasing 21 trucks. Technically speaking, it’s doing the performance of 60 trucks because it is run on three shifts, plus Saturdays and Sundays,” he said.

Because of the rentals of trucks for garbage collection, the mayor said the city is able to keep up with the garbage thrown by anyone in the city’s streets.

Osmeña, however, vowed to cut down the cost of the garbage collection once everything is stable from the household trash, to disposal, to collection and to the city’s implementation of the waste-to-energy facility.

“First, we will collect garbage and we are accomplishing that. After that, we’ll try to cut down our cost little by little. With a recycling facility, we could reduce our garbage by 21 percent and then we will be able to save money,” he said.

The mayor said he has to do something innovative in preparation for the Christmas Holiday and the upcoming Sinulog celebration.

He said there are garbage trucks that are roaming around the main roads of the city and collect dumped garbage.

Osmeña assured that the city will be monitoring the operation of the new system, especially it is 24 hours, adding that the city will not be paying those trucks that are not running. (FREEMAN)