City to keep trash hauler’s contract

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City government is keeping its contract with DOCAST General Contractor as the city’s garbage hauler even if the company has been barred from dumping at a private landfill in Barangay Binaliw since Saturday because of its more than P18 million payables.

 Department of Public Services (DPS) head John Jigo Dacua said the city government is not privy to the contract between DOCAST and the landfill operator.

“As long as the city's garbage hauled by DOCAST will be disposed properly to its final disposal and fulfill its obligation then I don't see any ground for termination of contract,” said Dacua.

ARN Central Waste Management Inc., the landfill operator, is demanding payment from DOCAST of its unpaid billings, which consist of P1,027,386.60 for 2020 and P17,648,518 for the period covering March 16 to May 31, 2021.

During its second quarter general assembly Monday, Liga ng mga Barangay president Franklyn Ong disclosed that the Binaliw landfill would no longer accept trash directly from the city as the trash must come from the transfer station starting last June 17.

Inayawan Barangay Captain Kirk Bryan Repollo was quick to air gripe over this development, saying residents in his barangay are made to suffer because of stench from the trash in the transfer station where garbage collected by DOCAST from the city’s 80 barangays were dumped temporarily.

With regard the transfer station, Dacua said they will meet again with DOCAST to check on other alternatives.

“With respect to Inayawan transfer station, we will meet with DOCAST once again to check on other alternatives. For now, we will continue to collect garbage to see to it that our streets are clean,” he said.

Dacua, however, said that garbage trucks owned by the city and the barangay may dispose at Binaliw landfill as they did not receive any communication from the management that they no longer allow the city to dispose in their facility.

“Our contract is with DOCAST and they have other options as to where they finally dispose the garbage hauled from the city,” said Dacua.

“We are not privy to DOCAST and Binaliw landfill's contract with each other that's why we are not in the position to comment on their contractual relations,” he added.

ARN’s legal counsel lawyer Elias Espinoza earlier said that because of the unpaid obligation, DOCAST’s garbage trucks have not been allowed entry to the landfill since Saturday, June 19.

He also confirmed that garbage trucks of the city government and its barangays are still allowed to dump there.

Espinoza said DOCAST should acknowledge their P18 million obligation, adding that it could offer to pay initial payment or settle the account via installment.

“We don’t mind. Basta mabayran lang unta ta. Dunay efforts to pay ba,” Espinoza earlier said.

He said unless DOCAST comes up with an offer to pay, its garbage trucks will not be allowed entry at the Binaliw facility.

Should DOCAST fail to meet its obligation after the given period, ARN plans to send a second and final demand letter before formally filing a collection suit in court.

The FREEMAN tried to reach DOCAST for comment regarding the matter but did not receive a response as of this writing. — FPL  (FREEMAN)