Over 500 street cleaners to make sure city is tidy

CEBU, Philippines — Over 500 workers from the Cebu City Department of Public Services will be deployed to ensure cleanliness of the city during the Sinulog.

DPS acting head John Paul Gelasque said he will also coordinate with the barangay environmental officers, barangay garbage truck drivers, and barangay garbage loaders to assist his office on this matter.

“Including the street sweepers, garbage collectors, portalet boys, street lighting workers, tanan gyud, ma-total og 549 workers nga lainlain og trabaho,” he said.

Gelasque said the DPS will see to it that the city’s streets are clean immediately after the Sinulog revelries. He said the DPS collects an average of 100 to 200 tons of garbage every after the grand parade.

One of the challenges that the workers had to go through in the previous years was the weather condition, he said, adding that the rains delayed their work.

Gelasque said areas that are usually strewn with garbage are the surroundings of Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, Plaza Independencia, and the downtown where the night market is held.

Councilor David Tumulak, chairman of Sinulog Foundation, Inc.-Executive Committee, urged the public to help maintain cleanliness by throwing their garbage in the proper bins. He said the city government has installed eco-stations along the grand parade and procession routes where garbage can be thrown.

“Hangyo lang ta nga proper garbage disposal lang gyud ang ipatuman. Naa pod atong mga BEOs nga mo-apprehend sa mga violators nga mopataka og labay. Para dili madakpan ug makamulta, labay sa saktong lugar lang gyud (We asked that garbage should be thrown properly. We have BEOs to apprehend violators. To avoid being apprehended and paying fines, throw your garbage in the proper place),” he said.

CENRO head Ma. Nida Cabrera said the 200 BEOs will not only apprehend those who will be caught littering but also those who will urinate and smoke in public areas.

Cabrera said the office will strictly implement City Ordinance 1361 or “An establishing a system of garbage collection, imposing fees therefor, and appropriating funds and for other related purposes.”

The penalty for violating City Ordinance 1361 is P500 or community service.—  FPL (FREEMAN)