Parañaque to blacklist garbage firm

MANILA, Philippines - The Parañaque City government is considering blacklisting a private contractor that allegedly stopped collecting garbage two weeks before its contract ended on June 30, an official said yesterday.

City administrator Ding Soriano told The STAR they are reviewing the contract with Corinthian Hauling Services to determine their course of action, including possibly blacklisting the company from an upcoming bidding for a new garbage collection contract.

During the term of previous mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr., the contract was worth P300 million per year.

Officials of Corinthian Hauling refused to issue any statement.

In his inaugural speech Monday, Mayor Edwin Olivarez accused Corinthian Hauling of stopping the collection of garbage two weeks before its contract expired on June 30.

Bernabe earlier said the garbage pileup – insiders say around 5,000 tons of garbage accumulated along the city’s roads during the second week of June – is limited to certain areas because Corinthian Hauling slowed down its collection of garbage as an offshoot of the expiration of the contract, but did not abandon the job.

He said the garbage problem was fully discussed by his transition team with Olivarez and among the team’s recommendations is to extend Corinthian Hauling’s services for 30 days. Olivarez reportedly rejected the recommendation.

According to records, Parañaque’s 16 barangays generate an average of 362 tons of garbage a day.