Dead animals get city dad's goat

Cebu City councilor Edgardo Labella is calling on the city's Department of Public Services to monitor, collect, and immediately dispose of dead animals left unattended along streets and highways in the city.

A proposed resolution to this effect was filed by Labella to the city council last Friday upon receiving complaints that dead animals such as dogs, cats, and rats ran over by vehicles are oftentimes left lying along city streets and national roads.

"Aside from being eyesores, the dead animals left on the streets undeniably pose health hazards to the general public especially in this rainy season wherein various forms of diseases easily spread," Labella's proposed measure read.

This is because uncollected dead animals are often found being swarmed by flies, infested by worms and even allowed to decay, the stench offensive to the residents as well as to commuters.

As such, his proposed measure is asking DPS to collect and dispose of dead animals along the city streets and highways, as mandated by City Ordinance No. 1361, otherwise known as "An Ordinance Establishing a System of Garbage Collection, Imposing Fees Therefore, and Appropriating Funds and for Other Related Purposes."

Further, Article 18 of the same ordinance mandates street cleaners to sweep and clean the streets, alleys, sidewalks and pathways within their designated zones and deposit waste materials in receptacles for garbage collection.

In relation to this, the same proposed measure is urging the City Health Department to initiate city-wide health information drive, emphasizing on the importance of maintaining basic cleanliness in the homes and surroundings to minimize, if not totally eradicate, the occurrence of any form of disease outbreak especially in this monsoon season.

He further stressed that under Article 3 of City Ordinance No. 1361, it is the citizens' primary responsibility to maintain cleanliness in their places of abode, including the cleaning of the area within 5 meters from the nearest wall or fence of the nearest residential building. - Cristina C. Birondo