P28.7 M for garbage collectors approved

MANILA, Philippines - The Cebu City Council approved the spending of P28.7 million for the payment of the year-long honoraria for the 482 barangay garbage collectors in 70 of the city’s 80 barangays.

The money, though, will be released on the condition that each worker will work eight hours a day.

City Councilor Eduardo “Edu” Rama, chairman of the City Council committee on public services, said the City would be spending P2,395,000 every month as additional monthly honorarium of the barangay garbage workers.

Because there is only P25 million left out of the budget for the “Aid to Barangays,” the City Council still approved the resolution of Rama but requested Mayor Michael Rama to augment the needed amount of P3,740,000.

The city officials decided to grant additional honoraria to the barangay garbage collectors to ensure that each of them can get a take home pay of at least P5,000.

The barangays that have many garbage collectors are Basak-San Nicolas and Guadalupe at 20 each, Mambaling and Tisa with 17 each; Luz with 15 garbage collectors; Capitol with 13 and Apas with 12 collectors. Other barangays have fewer garbage workers like Banilad which only has five; Kalubihan, Day-as, San Antonio, and San Roque with four each.

Many of the barangays, particularly those in the mountains, cannot afford to give enough amount of honorarium to their garbage workers.

The City Council advised Department of Public Services (DPS) chief Dionesio Gualiza to closely monitor the attendance and performance of the barangay workers because the city legislators approved the granting of additional honorarium on condition that they render at least eight hours a day.

Mayor Michael Rama wants that the collection of garbage be made 24 hours everyday to keep the city always clean.

City Hall officials received reports that the collection of garbage in some barangays is done only during daytime that is why early in the morning, garbage pile up in the streets.

The volume of garbage that are collected in the city everyday went down from 400 tons to about 350 tons after Rama ordered the strict implementation of segregation of garbage.     - (THE FREEMAN)