DPS wants new garbage trucks and tricycles

CEBU, Philippines - The City Hall’s Department of Public Services requested the purchase of eight brand new garbage trucks and 15 tricycles worth P33.7 million to be used to improve the collection of garbage in the city.

DPS chief Dionesio Gualiza said he needs more garbage vehicles to augment the existing garbage trucks that always experience mechanical defects that hamper the prompt collection of garbage.

The city produces up to 500 tons of garbage daily, most of which are dumped at the sanitary landfill in Barangay Ina-yawan.

City Councilor Augustus Pe Jr. is scheduled to present a resolution during the city council’s session this afternoon requesting for the appropriation of P33,725,000 for the purchase of the vehicles.

According to Gualiza each brand new dump truck costs P3,970,000 or P31,760,000 for the eight units, while each of the tricycles with a garbage bin attached to it is worth P131,000 or 1,965,000 for the 15 units.

Gualiza explained that DPS sometimes lacks garbage trucks because some barangays always borrow their vehicles whenever their barangay garbage trucks will encounter mechanical defects.

“Smooth garbage collection services in the entire city can be achieved only by acquiring and maintaining enough number of garbage trucks every year,” Gualiza said.

He also explained that they will use the tricycles to haul garbage from the remote areas because these vehicles can penetrate areas with narrow roads.

“Ang mga drayber niining maong mga tricycles mga garbage personnel nila sila nga gidistino sa lainlaing lugar sa syudad,” Gualiza said.

The city already has 15 garbage tricycles but Gualiza recommended acquiring more tricycles to augment the existing ones.

The city has an existing ordinance that requires everybody to segregate their garbage before throwing them to the garbage receptacles, but it is not followed by many residents.

The waste segregation ordinance that prohibits the disposal of garbage not segregated either as biodegradable or non-biodegradable or bans the mixing of hazardous wastes with regular garbage was not fully implemented in violation to the provisions of the Solid Waste Ecological Management Act. - THE FREEMAN