City deploys leased trucks to pick up barangay garbage

Pamocor trucks are now deployed to collect garbage from Cebu City barangays.
/CDN file photo

Garbage trucks that the Cebu City government leased from Pasajero Motors Corporation (Pamocor) at P700 per hour are now deployed to collect garbage in the barangays.

Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr. said the trucks are especially deployed to respond to calls for assistance on uncollected garbage.

“So far, it has been okay. If you look at it, our garbage collection really increased. Before the leasing, our average collection is at 500 tons a day. Now, it could reach up to 620 tons,” he said.

Gabuya, the deputy mayor on public services, said the city has become more responsive to requests for garbage collection including those coming from individuals who call City Hall to report the presence of uncollected garbage in their areas.

City Hall leased a total of 21 trucks from Pamocor last month for use 24 hours a day.

Leased trucks will augment the city’s existing garbage trucks, Gabuya said.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said on his Facebook post that City Hall has established a garbage pick up hotline to ensure immediate response to Cebuanos’ concerns on uncollected garbage.

Calls or text messages may be sent to cell phone number 0912-444-5555.

“I am putting up a hotline so people can text City Hall directly. If you still have a problem with garbage pickup, you can contact us directly and we will handle it with or without the barangay’s help,” the mayor said on FB.

Osmeña lamented the lack of cooperation of some barangays in the effort of the Department of Public Services (DPS) to establish a regular garbage pickup schedule.

Gabuya said City Hall is trying to set up a system wherein city trucks will be deployed to collect garbage on major thoroughfares while barangay trucks take care of garbage collection in the interior of barangays.

But unlike the Pamocor trucks, government-owned trucks are deployed from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day.

“If we find a problematic area, we will station two people there for two weeks. They will be talking with the residents in the area in order to teach them the proper schedule for garbage disposal,” he said.