CEBU, Philippines - Garbage collection and disposal in different barangays in the city is now being affected by the delay in the approval of the P2.8 billion Supplemental Budget-1, according to Cebu City Acting Mayor Edgardo Labella.
However, City Councilor Sisinio Andales was quick to say the city’s executive department is using the issue on garbage collection and disposal as propaganda to pressure the City Council into approving the additional budget for this year.
“Dili man siguro na i-associate ang pag-atubang sa basura, we can still collect garbage sa atong barangay kay naa ‘tay garbage truck. Dili nila himuon og rason nga dili makolekta kay dili makolekta ang SB-1. Sayop man na,” Andales said.
The Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan-dominated Cebu City Council deferred the approval of the P2.8-billion Supplemental Budget-1, which carries the funding for items like the P87 million for the garbage tipping fee, P77 million productivity enhancement incentives to employees, and the P2.3 billion prepayment of the SRP loan, among others.
Labella said the barangays in the south district are the ones affected most by the situation since they are located farthest from the landfill in Consolacion town where Cebu City is dumping its garbage.
“Nagkaproblema kay wala tay transfer station maong atong gihangyo atong mga kaigsuonan sa City Council nga unta tagaan gyod ni og serious consideration kining pag-deliberate sa supplemental budget kay maluoy ta nga daghan og basura,” Labella said.
During two regular sessions of the City Council, Labella and Councilor Gerardo Carillo appealed to the BOPK councilors to lift the suspension of the deliberation of SB-1 to address the looming garbage crisis and to render the public service that the city residents deserve.
But BOPK-allied members of the City Council would not act pending the resolution of the court on the civil case filed against them.
A certain Romulo Torres has sued the city government, including the council, to stop it from using the proceeds from the sale of lots at the South Road Properties. The city has collected over P8.5 billion from the sale of a 45.2-hectare area at the SRP.
Andales said the City Council will not pass the supplemental budget until the court resolves the case, even though the city’s executive department has been “pressuring” them.
“Atong gi-defer tungod sa kaso, besides naghimo pod ta og remedy para maka-allocate og other funds for the tipping fee,” he said.
Councilor Margarita Osmeña suggested using the P1.1 billion continuing appropriations from previous years as source of fund for SB-1 so that there will be an immediate release of the “urgent and necessary” items under the additional budget, including the garbage tipping fee and the productivity enhancement incentive to employees.
“Consider our suggestion. It’s not that we are telling him what to do, we are just requesting,” Osmeña said.
Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board chairman Janesis Ponce said the problem behind garbage collection is the financial support of the waste transfer station operation since the garbage tipping fee is not being paid to the private hauler. This, as the city’s budget allocation has been depleted.
The first time the city government had a problem in the tipping fee this year was during the first quarter when it used up the P51 million budget allocated by the City Council. The second was when the additional P50 million budget for the tipping fees ran out in August. Last year, the executive department originally proposed P120 million for garbage services for the 2015 annual budget. The amount, however, was slashed by the City Council to P51 million.
Ponce said barangays in the south district and north district have been clamoring for help in terms of collection, particularly barangays Sambag 1, Guadalupe and Lahug.
“Common storya aning mga barangays is problematic ang trucks kay guba. Some are valid and some are in question of management. Kay dili man na ingon nga kay naguba, palit bag-o nga garbage truck,” he said. He said that the garbage in the transfer station has already accumulated because the city has no money to pay the private haulers.
He said the city is borrowing four trucks from the Department of Engineering and Public Works to transport garbage from the transfer station to the landfill in Consolacion, but the four trucks are also being used for the projects of the department like asphalting.
“One trip a day kay makatabang unta if naay transfer station because if you have a transfer station, the barangay trucks has more time to go around the barangay and collect garbage but if there is no transfer station and private haulers, ang mahitabo is ang mga garbage collector mo-travel pa sa Consolacion,” he said.
“The longer time you spend on the road going to Consolacion means the less time that you will have shorter time to collect garbage in your barangay,” he added.
With this, Labella urged Association of Barangay Councils to advise the barangay garbage collectors and loaders to double their efforts in the collection of garbage since the city government is in a predicament in matters of financial support.
“Maong kailangan og transfer station, mao ni ang nitubag sa mga south district barangays kay layo man gud sila. Pero kasagaran sa north district barangays nidiritso sa Consolacion kay ang i-haul gikan sa south barangay idala didto sa Consolacion layo kaayo then mobalik nasad. Maong naay transfer station para kanang contractor mao na’y in bulk modala didto,” he said.
He added that he received complaint that residents are complaining of flies because of uncollected garbage.
“Kaniadto makakuha sa basura three to four times a day, karon ika usa nalang tungod kay ila ng idiritso sa Consolacion unya layo man kaayo ang Consolacion especially ang barangays sa south district kay layo man,” Labella added.
However, Andales said the members of the City Council will not be pressured by the propaganda of the executive department.
“Dili magpa-pressure kay naa may kaso. Ila man gud nang gamiton ang rason para ma-pressure mi pag-approve sa SB-1. Nagtuki gyod mi ana kay naa’y kaso. Bisan og gi-deny ang TRO (temporary restraining order), ang merit sa kaso wala pa ma-resolve. So, dili gyod na madali-dali na. Gigamit na nila. Kunohay nga mabati mi,” he added. —/BRP (FREEMAN)