Sinulog revelers leave behind 290 tons of trash

CEBU, Philippines — More attendees for this year’s Sinulog also meant more garbage collected by the Cebu City government’s Department of Public Services.

DPS head John Paul Gelasque, through the city’s PIO said they collected 290 tons of garbage from different locations in the city.

Gelasque noted that most of the garbage collected was from the surroundings of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, Fuente Rotunda area, Baseline area, and the night market of Colon Street.

Majority of the garbage collected are plastic items, especially bottles.

Last year, the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) introduced recycling and segregation to the revelers of Sinulog 2024, but this had not been sustained.

Street sweepers and cleaners and garbage collectors started to collect garbage at 6 P.M. last Sunday and finished off at 7 P.M. in cleaning up mainly the major thoroughfares of the city.

At the venue of the ritual showdown itself, hours before the limelight shut down at the Cebu City Sports Center, personnel from CCSC itself along with DPS, CCENRO, CESET, BEO and others cleaned up the area so it could already be ready for the awarding ceremony yesterday.

The rains that came right after the showdown at CCSC did not hamper the mood of all the personnel from doing their jobs well.

Gelasque said, they utilized 85 garbage trucks including those from the different barangays and the City Engineering Office to ensure that the collection of garbage will not be stalled. (CEBU NEWS)