IT has been a year since the Cebu City Government started leasing trucks to augment its garbage collection.
How is the implementation, so far?
In a letter to the City Council dated Sept. 27, Department of General Services officer-in-charge Ronald Malacora said that for the second time, Geo-Transport and Construction, Inc. has leased 21 of its trucks for the garbage disposal of the City.
Starting last September until this month, the construction company based in Talisay City will rent 11 dump trucks and 10 compactor trucks to the City that will be used to collect trash 24 hours a day.
The City has allocated some P47 million to rent 21 heavy equipment units that will be used to collect trash from Sept. 8 to Dec. 31.
The amount forms part of the approved second 2018 supplemental budget of P66.4 million.
But because the Department of Public Services (DPS) reportedly took two weeks after the budget was approved to submit its purchase request, the invitation to bid was published behind schedule.
Earlier, Malacora said the DPS requested for an emergency bid for September to October that is why Geo-Transport will only provide its service within that period for P12 million.
The remaining P35 million will be used to bid for another service provider that will lease its heavy equipment from November to December.
Geo-Transport first leased its heavy equipment to the City Government in July after Pasajero Motor Corps.’s (Pamocor) contract expired.
From 2017 to June, the City had been paying Pamocor around P65.5 million for the rental of trucks that operatied for 24 hours.
The City paid P678 an hour for every truck. This included fuel, driver’s salary and vehicle maintenance.
But after the election of Kasambagan Barangay Captain Franklyn Ong as president of the Association of Barangay Councils, Pamocor no longer joined the City’s public bidding.
Malacora’s letter is in response to an approved Aug. 8 resolution filed by opposition Councilor Joy Pesquera, asking for a list of the leased trucks and its corresponding plate numbers, registered owners and insurance coverage.
In the passed measure, Pesquera lamented that despite the rental of heavy equipment, household trash reportedly remains uncollected for weeks and may pose health hazards. (RTF)