Sinulog leaves 219 tons of garbage

CEBU, Philippines — At least 219 tons of trash were collected by the Department of Public Services in Cebu City after the Sinulog Grand Parade last Sunday.

DPS assistant head John Paul Gelasque said that the volume of garbage was collected along the parade route and at the Cebu City Sports Center where the grand stand was located.

Gelasque said the garbage this year is 54 tons more compared to the volume of garbage generated in the Sinulog 2017.

"I think mora’g sa volume sa tawo, nagkadaghan ang devotees nga nianhi gyud," Gelasque said.

According to Gelasque, the 586 street cleaners of DPS started cleaning at 5 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next day.

Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office chairperson Nida Cabrera said most of the Sinulog revelers throw their garbage anywhere.

She said the Barangay Environmental Officers who were deployed to ensure proper garbage disposal could no longer monitor everyone indiscriminately throwing their garbage on the street because of the massive crowd.

"Daghan kaayo but ga-tabulate pami wapa manghatod ang uban kay nabuntagan sa pagpanghipos," Cabrera said.

She said violators will have to either pay a fine amounting to P500 or render a community service. There were 221 BEO and volunteers deployed last Sunday to issue citation tickets to violators.

Cabrera said even if there were 50 eco-stations distributed along the parade route, there were still tons of garbage thrown on the street. She, however, said that the eco-stations still helped minimize the garbage on the street.

"Dako gyud kay kon wala katong among nahipos adto to sa dalan, " she said.

Meanwhile, at least five vendors were caught violating the ban on selling bottled drinks during the Sinulog.

Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor operations head Genevieve Alcoseba said they have confiscated at least 20 cases of bottled drinks sold along Colon Street.

"Ako gyud ang nag-decide sa confiscation personally then nagtawag ko sa PROBE (Prevention,  Restoration,  Order,  Beautification,  and Enhancement)  team,”  Alcoseba said.

Vendors were not allowed sell drinks in glass bottles during the Sinulog as part of the security measures.

Some of the vendors were also occupying too much space and were not cleaning their surroundings.

"Hugaw kaayo ang area,  daghan kaayo sila og tables. Ilang gihimo og banggera ang Osmeña Boulevard then nagamit sila og tent, " Alcoseba said.

Alcoseba said the vendors were issued citation tickets and will be asked to pay a fine.

"Then ako sila pabayron sa Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office sa ilang mga violation sa basura ug kahugaw.  Napuno ko nila kay wala ko nagkuwang og orientation ana nga group of vendors... So we have to implement political will, " Alcoseba added. (FREEMAN)