THE Cebu City Department of Public Service (DPS) will implement a new schedule for the collection of garbage from households and establishments starting Wednesday, July 3, 2019.
DPS head engineer Joel Biton said the collection of garbage will be from 4 p.m. to 12 midnight and 12 midnight to 8 a.m.
Last Monday, July 1, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella in his first day of office, asked DPS to come up with a solution to remove the garbage around the city, especially those that clogged rivers and creeks.
Clean streets
Biton explained the change of schedule was done so the streets are already clean during the day.
“Our target is that once people will wake up in the morning, no more garbage will be seen in our streets,” said Biton.
DPS has already collected 480 tons of garbage for the 24-hour collection since the office received the order from the mayor.
Biton said the major contributor of the garbage in the city are those from the big barangays such as Guadalupe and Lahug.
There are 20 garbage trucks which are used for the collection of garbage.
Fourteen of which are property of the DPS, while they borrowed five 10-wheeler trucks owned by the Cebu City Engineering Office and another four dump trucks owned by private contractors.
No garbage disposal yet
Meanwhile, ARN Central Waste Management Inc. president and executive director Sherwin Santos said they have not received garbage for disposal from Cebu City yet.
“As of now, Cebu City has not yet commenced their disposal with our facility,” Santos said.
The City is supposed to officially start disposing its garbage to the private landfill located in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City last Monday, July 1.
Santos said this might have something to do with the transition considering the City has a new administration.
“In any case, as the service provider, we are open to listen and consider whatever may be needed,” said Santos.
As of July 1, the operator of the private landfill confirmed they have already complied with the requirements of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 following the agreement during the technical meeting last June involving residents of Barangay Binaliw who filed a petition for its closure, EMB officials and ARN representatives.
The agreement includes the 30-day period to require its haulers to use compactor trucks and submission of their position paper and documents. (JJL)