Osmeña checks trucks city rents to haul garbage

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City officials yesterday inspected 11 dump trucks and 10 compactor trucks that the city is renting from Pasajero Motors Corporation, which has a garbage hauling contract with City Hall.

City Councilor Eugenio Gabuya, who heads the council committee of public services, said the city’s Bids and Awards Committee and its technical working group have actually already checked the equipment during post-qualification inspection.

But, he said, he and Mayor Tomas Osmeña wanted to see for themselves the condition of the trucks before the city starts renting them for garbage collection.

“Precisely naa gyud tay inspection kay rental man na. Tagaan unya ‘ta og dili maayo," he said.

Yesterday, Pamocor and the city held a ceremonial turnover of the trucks at Plaza Sugbo fronting City Hall.

"The turnover is not for owning (the trucks) but to inspect the equipment.  Na-inspect na sa BAC but sa nato and sa mayor wala pa," he said.

Though rented, the trucks bore the seal of the city, which Gabuya said was okay as they wanted that they are identifiable as being used by the city government.

This, he added, was also for the city’s Department of Public Services to easily monitor Pamocor's daily operations in bringing garbage to the city’s transfer station.

BAC Head Ronaldo Malacora said Pamocor already started using the trucks it rented out to the city by collecting garbage from the barangays to the private-owned transfer station last Tuesday.

He said that during the post-qualification evaluation last week, Pamocor complied with all the bidding documents, hence the awarding of the contract. Pamocor offered the price of P700 per hour, which was P133 lesser than Jomara Konstruckt Incorporated’s offer.

Malacora said that based on the terms of reference, the equipment must be running within 24 hours from the awarding of the contract.

The rental contract covers the months of October up to December this year.

Gabuya said that since Pamocor started its operation, no problem happened so far..

"I think maayo man sila, nakadaog gud sila.  So far wala ra ‘tay problema,” he said.

Then he was hopeful that with the leasing of trucks the garbage collection of the city will improve.

"Positive ko nga mosamot ka efficient ang collection of garbage,  nag-expect ko nga modaghan sad ato basura," Gabuya further said.

Osmeña said there will be an efficient collection of garbage knowing that the city has enough equipment.

"You will see that collection will be felt.  Half the Rama trucks are broken.  This will bring garbage collection to a much better level. I promise. Team Rama failed to block this program. Cebu wins," he told The FREEMAN.

Some compactor trucks will be used for the expansion of Basura Mo,  Sardinas Ko program  of Mayor Tomas Osmeña. (FREEMAN)