Pasajero told: Haul tons of garbage in Inayawan

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government has directed the Pasajero Motors Corporation (Pamocor), the city’s service provider for garbage disposal, to haul the tons of garbage at the transfer station in Barangay Inayawan within the week.

This was after the tons of garbage at the facility had caused stench in the neighboring areas and even in the South Road Properties.

The tons of garbage that are temporarily dumped in the area are causing the facility to look like a landfill already, not a transfer station, observers say.

But Department of Public Services head, former councilor Roberto Cabarrubias, said that it was not the fault of the new service provider that there are tons of garbage stored at the transfer station.

“Ang kanang mga basura nga naa sa transfer station karon kay mao na ang na-store katong walay hauling kay na-expire na ang contract sa Jomara, then ang city wala pa naka-declare og winning bidder,” he said.

He further said Pamocor only started rendering service to the city after they received the notice to proceed after being declared as the winning bidder last June 6.

In a press conference yesterday, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said that the service provider is still on its “adjustment” stage.

He said he is aware of the recent situation at the facility and the city government will give Pamocor a chance to cope with the hauling operation.

Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office Chief Nida Cabrera divulged that she already tapped the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)-7 to conduct an ocular inspection in order to know if the transfer station of EVO Ventures Incorporated Group had complied with environmental laws.

She earlier said that the private transfer station has only secured a Certificate of Non-coverage which means it can accommodate at least 30 kilos of trash.

The 7,000-square-meter transfer station has been operating for 20 years already.

Yesterday, Councilor Joel Garganera, who heads the City Council committee on environment, had sent a letter to EMB-7 asking for an inspection after he received a number of complaints that the transfer station nowadays look like a landfill already.

Since the controversial landfill was closed last December 15, the city government’s service provider contracted the transfer station of EVO Ventures Inc. Group.

Meanwhile, in a letter addressed to the Court of Appeals (CA), Garganera is asking the appellate court if the city has regularly sent monthly progress report on the city government’s compliance for the rehabilitation of the landfill.

The CA had earlier ordered the city government to submit a monthly report on the city’s progress of its rehabilitation when the court issued an order closing the landfill facility. (FREEMAN)