Trash hauling contract under review by city

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Public Services (DPS) is waiting for the directive of Mayor Edgardo Labella whether or not to allow ARN Central Waste Management Inc. to haul city’s generated trash for the months of July to December this year.

DPS acting head engineer Joel Biton said that the executive department is now reviewing the hauling contract of ARN with the city government.

To recall, last May, ARN won the public bidding for the garbage hauling contract amounting to P65 million after offering a tipping fee of P647 per ton of trash.

“Nagpaabot ta og resulta sa meeting sa atong tag-as nato, nagsige karon (og meeting) kay naa’y emergency nga mahitabo kung asa ta molabay puhon, gitrabaho na karon kung duna bay extension or emergency purchase,” Biton said.

In a separate interview, city attorney Rey Gealon said they are going to examine the contract of ARN, including their special land use permit that was approved by the City Council last August 2018.

The City Council at the time was dominated by Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) councilors and the administration councilors have been questioning the application of ARN.

In addition, Partido Barug-PDP-Laban councilors questioned the validity and legality of its approval as the session was adjourned after they left the session hall.

However, Gealon said they are securing a copy of the contract since it is nowhere to be found. Other related documents are now also being reviewed.

“We are looking into it. That is why we are coordinating with Office of the Mayor and the office of the administrator, as to those contracts. As mentioned earlier, we have not secured all the documents and papers, so we have to consolidate it, in order for us to come up with an intelligent action, we have to know the terms and conditions of those contracts,” he said.

At present, Jomara Konstruckt Inc. is hauling the trash from the private transfer station to the private landfill.

The contract of Jomara was extended because it needs to haul the remaining 3,000 tons of trash which is expected to be accomplished five days from now, as provided in the contract.

“Na-extend siya tungod kay per ton man na, so wala pa man niya nahurot ang pila ka tonnage, gamay nalang og sobra, hapit na nahuman,” Biton said.

Supposedly, the hauling contract of Jomara, which started in January with a contract amount of P130.8 million, ended last month.

After the contract of Jomara ended, Biton had to wait for the decision of the executive department for the garbage disposal scheme of the city.

He denied reports that there is ongoing dumping in the controversial Inayawan landfill.

Biton said after it was shut down in December 2016, the city government was barred from disposing of trash in the facility. He said the garbage disposal scheme of the city right now is contracting service providers to haul city's generated trash.

“Naa ma’y transfer station sa EVO, mao na ang gigamit sa city karon, unya ngadto mosulod sa gate sa landfill kay ang pultahan tua man sa luyo, pero wala sila maglabay sa landfill. Magtimbang man sad ta, anha sulod sa landfill,” Biton said.

The P2.5-million weighing scale of the city government was installed within the service area of the Inayawan landfill.

Before city’s garbage trucks will dump the collected trash to the transfer station, each load of trash will be weighed for monitoring purposes.

Biton, who assumed office last June 30, said the garbage collection is manageable. Every day the city generates 450 to 550 tons of trash. (FREEMAN)