TWELVE barangays in Cebu City have received brand-new dump trucks to boost their garbage collection operations, with Mayor Nestor Archival clarifying that the nearly P95-million project was funded under the Local Development Fund (LDF) of the previous city administration.
The ceremonial turnover was held at Plaza Sugbo in front of City Hall and was attended by city officials and
barangay captains.
Only 10 of the 12 intended recipients were present during the event.
The total budget for the 12 dump trucks amounted to P94,946,320, translating to roughly P7 million per unit.
Archival stressed that the procurement was not initiated during his term.
“This is not my time when the request was made. The budget for this came from the LDF of the previous administration,” Archival said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
He explained that the dump trucks were given only to barangays that had applied for them and did not yet have their own hauling equipment.
“The barangays that did not receive any already have dump trucks,” he said.
The recipient barangays are Duljo Fatima, Mabolo, Labangon, Tinago, Day-as, Kinasang-an, Pahina Central, Basak San Nicolas, Pasil, Guba, Basak Pardo and Malubog. Each barangay is assigned a specific unit, complete with corresponding plate numbers, as reflected in the official turnover list.
Archival said the primary goal of the distribution is to strengthen barangay-level waste management by ensuring that communities have reliable equipment for garbage collection and transport.
He noted that some barangays have struggled with irregular collection schedules due to a lack of vehicles.
Archival said for proper documentation and accountability, the City Government and the 12 barangays agreed to course the transfer through the City Council, which will prepare and approve a deed of donation to formally convey ownership of the dump trucks to the barangays.
Based on the agreement, the barangays will be responsible for operating expenses, such as fuel, vehicle upkeep and personnel costs, including one driver and three loaders.
The projected cost is P1 million for labor and maintenance and an additional P500,000 for fuel. Funding will come from the barangays’ Local Disaster Funds, drawn from the P8.5 million provided by the City.
He said the move is expected to ease the burden on the City’s central garbage collection system while empowering barangays to respond more quickly to waste management concerns in their respective areas.
Although two barangay captains were unable to attend the ceremony, Archival assured that the dump trucks for Mabolo and Pahina Central will still be turned over after proper coordination with the concerned barangay officials to align with the City’s waste management direction. / CAV