Garbage contractor to continue dumping in Aloguinsan landfill

CEBU, Philippines — The garbage hauling contractor of the Cebu City government, Pasajero Motors Corporation (Pamocor), will continue dumping trash in Aloguinsan even if its landfill has a standing cease-and-desist order (CDO).

Kasambagan village chief Franklyn Ong, owner of Pamocor, told reporters that the violation committed by the landfill will not affect his contract with the city government.

He said he complied with all the requirements set by the city government because the Aloguinsan dumpsite has secured an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

Among the conditions stipulated in the terms of reference, the garbage contractor of the city should provide a landfill which has an ECC from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“Wala man mi kalibotan ana (CDO) because atong contract man sa third party. When we submitted also the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to the city, apil man ang ECC nila,” Ong said yesterday.

The issue came up after opposition councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. said that Pamocor may have violated the terms of reference of their contract if it is dumping in Aloguinsan.

He said any violation is a ground for disqualification and he is asking the executive department to implement what is stipulated in the contract.

Environmental Management Bureau-7 earlier issued a CDO against Aloguinsan landfill due to non-completion of its water waste management facility.

In 2017, the same landfill was fined P27,500 for starting the project without an ECC. 

Alcover said the issuance of CDO already constitutes a violation of the conditions in the contract. 

For Ong’s part, he said that the violation of CDO has nothing to do with them as the concerned parties are the landfill and EMB-7.

“I think it’s between the landfill and the EMB na nga isyu. As far as we are concerned, I am fulfilling my contract with the city and then the landfill has to fulfill their contract with us,” he said.

Ong said Pamocor is not just utilizing the Aloguinsan landfill but they also dump the city’s generated trash in Consolacion town. Pamocor is the service provider of the city for garbage hauling operation from the month of January to June this year. Its hauling contract is P116 million.

At the press conference, Mayor Tomas Osmeña slammed Alcover by saying the opposition is doing nothing and just keeps on criticizing his administration.

He said Alcover is just good in questioning without proposing any alternatives that would solve the garbage problem.

“Kining mga tawo, they just want to make babag. They don’t offer any alternatives. So, what’s the alternative? Will let him eat it or will put it in his office,” Osmeña said.

Since the controversial landfill was shut down on December 15, 2016, the city government started to hire a service provider that would haul city’s generated trash to a landfill.

Meanwhile, the technical working group (TWG) of the Bids and Awards Committee is now reviewing the bidding documents of Jomara Konstruckt Inc. for the hauling contract of P136 million for July to December 2018.

BAC head Ronaldo Malacora told The FREEMAN that during the opening of public bidding yesterday, only Jomara submitted the bidding documents.  But he said being a lone bidder is not a guarantee that Jomara is a qualified contractor.

“Proseso man gyud na, dapat ipost-qualification gihapon,” Malacora said.

Malacora could not explain yet why Pamocor did not submit documents for the public bidding. — MBG (FREEMAN)