19 trash shredders useless

CEBU, Philippines — Nineteen shredders, each purchased  at P468,888 by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office for use in the solid waste management programs of different local government units, are now sitting idle.

The Cebu Provincial Government said yesterday that they discovered that the shredders comply with a three-phase electric power system while the electric power transfer system adopted in the province is a single-phase system.

The construction of a three-phase transformer needed for each the shredders to function is estimated to cost P1.2 million, --more than twice the cost of a shredder.

The phase system is a transmission system of electric power from a source to a load. A three-phase electric system requires three live wires and is usually used for heavier electric loads. Meanwhile, a single-phase system only uses two live wires.

The shredders were procured by the Environmental Management Services Division of the PENRO as part of their solid waste management program for local government units in the province. The shredders, according to Jason Lozano, former officer in charge of PENRO, are multi-purpose, thus requiring a greater load.

They can shred different plastic trash and other kinds of solid waste.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia revealed that a mayor called her, asking what the shredders were for since they had no means of using it.

"So ang interest lang g’yud kay makapalit --way klaro if magamit pa," Garcia said.

The governor gave the PENRO staff involved in the procurement of the shredders 24 hours to come up with a solution on how to utilize the machines. She intends to filing a complaint with the Committee on Discipline and Investigation against the staff involved if they fail to propose a doable solution within the timeframe she gave them.

"This time nag-check mi sa supplier. Kung unsa ang ma-recommend nila kay technical man gud ni," Lozano said regarding the steps PENRO is taking towards solving the problem, "wala na man gud among staff na in-charge sa una kay JO (job-order) ra man gud."

According to Bernard Calderon, officer-in-charge of the Provincial General Services Office, it was not the contractor's fault because PENRO specifically requested for three-phase shredders.

"Once ato ning i-distribute sa cities or municipality, ang tendency ana is di magamit," he said.

The shredders were requested in 2018 but were procured and distributed only this year.

The LGUs that have received the shredders were Bogo City, Asturias, Bantayan, Ronda, Boljoon, Borbon, Cordova, Ginatilan, Madridejos, Pilar, Pinamungajan, Poro, San Francisco, San Remigio, Sta. Fe, Sogod, Tabuelan, Alegria, and Tudela. — BRP (FREEMAN)