Garbage heaps dot Parañaque roads

MANILA, Philippines - Heaps of uncollected garbage lay along Parañaque City’s roads as the city government took over the collection of garbage yesterday.

“The contractor stopped the collection of garbage” two weeks ago, Mayor Edwin Olivarez said in his inaugural speech yesterday.

City administrator Ding Soriano told The STAR the contract for garbage collection expired on June 30 and they are looking for a new contractor to assume the job.

He said the city government is working overtime to clean up the heaps of garbage left by the contractor.

Olivarez also said his administration has inherited P3.8 billion in loans and payables left by his predecessor, Florencio Bernabe, but he promised that there will be no new taxes.

“The solution is… more efficient and effective collection,” he said.

Olivarez said the city treasurer told him the previous administration incurred a P1.8-billion loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines and around P2 billion in power and water bills as well as debts to contractors and suppliers.