City to buy 21 new garbage trucks

Department of Public Services assistant head John Paul Gelasques answers questions from Cebu City councilors during the executive session discussing the city’s budget for its garbage disposal program. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

The Cebu City government is planning to buy at least 21 compactor trucks worth P232 million to boost the city’s garbage collection in 2019.

The purchase of new garbage trucks was the highlight of yesterday’s Department of Public Services’ (DPS) budget hearing for next year.

This meant that the city will do away with renting garbage trucks, and instead buy for their own with the cost pegged at P232 million.

Rental cost of garbage trucks this year alone totaled P133.67 million.

With the city-owned brand new compactor trucks, DPS assistant director John Paul Gelasque told the council’s committee on
budget and finance that the cost for garbage hauling and disposal next year will be much lower than this year.

The department requested the council’s committee on budget and finance for P265 million for 2019.

This year, the city has allocated a total of P420 million as payment for the garbage tipping fees as well as rental of garbage trucks needed to collect the 600 tons of garbage Cebu City generates every day.

“We are aiming that next year, between January to March, we will be able to finally purchase the 21 compactor trucks so that by July to December we won’t have to pay for the rental,” said Gelasque in a follow-up phone interview.

Shortly after Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña was elected into office in 2016, the city has started renting garbage trucks to help collect and dispose trash.

This is because Osmeña deemed as illegal the transaction between the previous administration and the Asian Energy Systems Corp., which was tasked to collect the city’s garbage.

The DPS is asking a total of P629 million for next year covering not only garbage collection and disposal services but also street lighting and street cleaning.