CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government will distribute two pedal-operated tricycles commonly known as “trisikads” to 16 barangays in the city for the improvement of the collection of garbage in their territorial jurisdictions.
City Legal Officer Joseph Bernaldez said there are no legal impediments on the plan to purchase brand new trisikads and distribute them to the barangays but it needs the approval of the City Council allowing the mayor to sign the deed of donations with the barangay officials.
Councilor Nida Cabrera, head of the City Council’s Committee on Environment, said the city government, through her committee, has a program to strengthen solid waste management in the barangays.
Cabrera said one of their plans is to purchase trisikads to collect the biodegradable waste for the barangays recovery facility or composting centers.
Some persons are wondering if these pedal-operated tricycles can be useful in Adlaon, Budlaan and some other mountainous barangays, which are included in the list of beneficiaries.
Aside from Barangays Adlaon and Budlaan, the other barangays that will receive two trisikads each are Hipodromo, Kamagayan, Kamputhaw, Kasambagan, Ermita, Day-as, Cogon-Ramos, Carreta, Capitol Site, Cambinocot, Busay, Apas, Bacayan and Agsungot.
Some persons reacted to the plan to buy trisikads by saying that while Mayor Michael Rama bought brand new expensive vehicles for the barangay captains and selected councilmen, the city will only purchase trisikads for the collection of garbage in the barangays.
The documents show that the trisikads will be used by the barangay personnel to collect the biodegradable wastes from the households and transport them to the barangay recovery facility in compliance to the provisions of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
The law encouraged barangay officials to set up a recovery facility in their respective barangays to separate the recyclable garbage and to possibly make a compost facility for the biodegradable wastes. —MIT (FREEMAN)