Wednesday, January 24, 2007 Sinulog ‘07 gathers 100 tons of waste; parties delay cleanup
ONE hundred tons of garbage has been collected hours after the Sinulog revelry but as of 5 p.m. Monday, Cebu City’s street cleaners have yet to get the work done.
Some 600 street sweepers were deployed as early as 9 p.m. last Sunday but leftover food, buntings and other garbage left by the revelers were still waiting to be cleared Monday.
Councilor Edwin Jagmoc, chairman of the City Council committee on public services, admitted the clearing of the streets and the garbage collection after last Sunday’s Sinulog was not as efficient as last year.
Food booths
The heavy traffic, street parties and the food booths that were left on the streets kept them from finishing their job early, he said.
Trucks that were used as bleachers along the parade route also have yet to be picked up by some companies on Monday, making it difficult for the Department of Public Services (DPS) to clean the entire street.
Despite the delay, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said Monday that he will give an incentive to the street sweepers, as he has done in the past Sinulog celebrations.
“They did an excellent job. This is the biggest Sinulog so far so that should also be the biggest amount of garbage they’ve had to collect. I think we should give them an incentive,” he told reporters yesterday.
The mayor didn’t say, though, how much he is willing to give the street cleaners.
Parade route
Jagmoc said they already covered most of the parade route but the sweepers still have to go back to some areas where parties were held Sunday night, including Gen. Maxilom Ave. and the vicinity of Plaza Indepencia.
“Wala pa gyud nato nahurot ug limpyo kay human sa grand parade, nakasugod unta ta dayon apan naa pay mga street parties nga wala nahuman ug dugay sad kaayo napull-out ang mga booths ug bleachers,” he said.
In an interview after the Sinulog awarding ceremony Sunday, Jagmoc said the street cleaners will work overtime to clean the whole city before the day ends.
“I admit we finished earlier last year because there were fewer activities that time, unlike last Sunday when there were parties and concerts everywhere,” he added. (LCR)
