City won't terminate contract with garbage private hauler

CEBU, Philippines —  Despite several violations of its garbage hauling contract, the Cebu City government does not find it compelling enough to terminate Docast Construction/JJ & J Construction and General Supply as private hauler.

City Administrator Floro Casas Jr. said the city will not cancel its contract with the private contractor managing the garbage transfer station in Barangay Inayawan.

“Wala mi nakakita’g reason nga i-terminate, so unless there is a compelling reason to terminate, we will not,” said Casas.

“Ang atoang contractor magpabilin ni atong contractor hangtod mo-expire ang atoang kontrata,” he added.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama issued a memorandum on June 28, 2021, enumerating the requirements stipulated in the contract that the private hauler allegedly violated.

According to Rama, the contractor was required to have a property of not less than one hectare in land area that is suitable to serve as a motor pool; must be able to present its weight determination facility or weighbridge facility; and must have at least 50 units of garbage collection and hauling equipment specifically dump truck transporters with certificate of inspection from Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) and Department of Public Services (DPS), among others.

“After thorough inspection on the Inayawan Transfer Station, it has come to our knowledge that you have not complied with the above stated requirements,” Rama’s memorandum reads.

The memo also stated that to this date, there is only one waste transfer station existing in the south, not owned by Docast but somebody else, which is “undeniably substandard.”

There is also no transfer station in the north area considering the fact that this must exist prior to entering the contract.

There was also no proper monitoring as to how much garbage is disposed of in the landfill due to the alleged absence of a proper person to monitor the weighing process from ARN landfill in Barangay Binaliw as well as in the transfer station.

In the memo, Rama pointed out that the contractor is only providing 13 trucks, which is far less than the minimum requirement of at least 50 units they need to provide.

Since June 19, Docast was also barred from dumping garbage at the landfill in Binaliw after allegedly failing to pay the landfill operator, ARN Central Waste Management Inc., more than P18 million in dues, which consist of P1,027,386.60 for 2020 and P17,648,518 for the period covering March 16 to May 31, 2021.

The refusal by ARN landfill to accept the trucks of Docast resulted in the piling up of garbage at the Inayawan transfer station. Rama said these violations are grounds for termination of the contract.

Meanwhile, Department of Public Services (DPS) head John Jigo Dacua has assured that the uncollected garbage at the transfer station is being hauled slowly every day.

“So far, sige man ta’g collect everyday. Wa man ta moundang pag-collect buntag, hapon ug sa magabii everyday still collecting and disposing our garbage,” said Dacua.

“Wa’y problema, wala ma-hamper atong operations, padayon unya so far among gyu'ng gipaningkamutan everyday nga limpyo gyud ang dalan kay mao man gyud gi mando ni mayor nga dapat way makita nga basura sa pagbuntag ug kanang padulong na mutrabaho ang mga tawo kanang mugawas sa ilang panimalay sa gabii padung sa panguli dapat limpyo gyud,” he added.

Dacua said the contractor was able to comply with its obligation to the city government with regard the garbage collection. — FPL (FREEMAN)