Heavy traffic affecting garbage collection

CEBU, Philippines — The traffic problem in Cebu City’s south district has affected the collection of garbage in the area.

Roberto Cabarrubias, head of the city’s Department of Public Services, said garbage personnel can only collect trash in the south about five or six times a day due to traffic. In the past, they could collect at least 10 times.

Aside from existing garbage trucks, the city is renting 24 other trucks for garbage collection.

“Delayed na atong collection of garbage kay tungod sa ka-grabe sa traffic. Magsugod gud ta og 4 p.m. hangtud 12 midnight pero bisan og gabii, naa gihapon ang traffic,” he told The FREEMAN.

Cabarrubias assured, however, that garbage deposited in sidewalks is all collected. In fact, he said, there are fewer complaints this time.

The traffic congestion in the south started when the Department of Public Works and Highways-7 began constructing the 700-meter underpass at the corner of N. Bacalso Avenue and F. Llamas Street.

Construction of the P638 million underpass is expected to finish in 18 months.

“Kitang tanan, ni-suffer sa problema sa trapiko pero naninguha gyod mi nga mominus gyod ang hugaw sa kadalanan,” he said.

He said even garbage trucks that service the north are affected because they, too, have to go to the transfer station in the south.

With the limitations in the city’s services, Cabarrubias called on the public to cooperate by disposing and segregating their garbage properly.

Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia said the current situation may be the reason for the reported delay in the collection of garbage at the North Reclamation Area.

In a resolution he passed during the City Council’s regular session last March 6, Garcia said, “An alarming amount of uncollected garbage being dumped along the sidewalks of the streets located in the NRA has consistently been reported.”

Garcia said the DPS should look into the possible losses the city may be incurring in renting 24 garbage trucks for 24 hours.

Under this year’s annual budget, the city allocated P313 million for garbage collection and disposal and another P65 million for rental of heavy equipment for garbage disposal.

“Ato gyod nang ipa-monitor if nagsige ba ni og dagan 24/7 tanang trucks labi na ang atong gi-rentahan kay kon wala na gadagan unya sige ta og bayad, alkanse ang syudad ana,” Garcia said.

DPS Assistant Head John Paul Gelasque said the trucks have a tracking device installed so their movements can be monitored.

“Mailhan pod na nga wala gadagan kay daghan kaayo og tawag nga moreklamo ana nga area kon asa na-assign ang kana nga area,” he said. —JMO (FREEMAN)