Garbage trucks plan : Dad: Outsource proposal unfair

Inayawan landfill

THE executive department’s proposal to outsource garbage trucks to do 24/7 garbage collection next year at a cost of P102 million is facing some opposition at the City Council.

During yesterday’s continuation of the series of budget hearings for the city’s proposed P7.2 billion annual budget for next year, the Department of Public Services (DPS) presented the plan to the council.

But Councilor Eduardo Rama Jr., who heads the council’s committee on public services, found the proposal “unfair.”

Rama recalled that sometime last year, when he was still the head of the “Gubat sa Basura” program under former mayor Michael Rama, he was convincing the previous city council to approve additional budget for garbage disposal.

Back then, the budget they asked was for P1,500 per ton of garbage which will be hauled by private haulers and dumped into the private landfill in Consolacion. The rate already included the P700 tipping fee for the private landfill.

“Some members of the august body were saying that we spend too much at P1,500 per ton. But that already included the tipping fee, transfer station and fuel. Efficiency is also better since it was at a per ton basis. I find it unfair that before, they said it’s expensive. Now, the proposal is P1,000 per hour. That would cost P24,000 a day excluding gasoline,” Rama said during the budget hearing.

He also said that the previous P1,500 rate proposal would mean that the city’s garbage would be brought outside the city while the new plan would mean that the city’s garbage would be thrown in its backyard at the Inayawan landfill where city residents could smell the stench.

Roberto Cabarrubias, DPS chief, said that the outsourcing plan would still have to undergo public bidding which would mean the proposed hourly rate of P1,000 could still be lowered, and that the city would not have to worry about maintaining the trucks.

DPS currently has 52 dump trucks but only 30 units are running. Cabarrubias said 18 units are under repair while while 4 others are beyond repair.

Councilor Joy Pesquera, who heads the council’s committee on budget and finance, also said that with a P102 million budget, the city can already purchase brand new trucks.

“Sumo, which is the biggest brand, if it’s only P3.5 million or P5 million, you can buy at least 20 trucks already. So why are we going to lease that number of trucks?” she asked.