Cleaning city’s streets, declogging city’s waterways top Labella’s to do list

Uncollected garbage in Gorordo Street in Cebu City on June 18 caught the attention of the residents because of the bad smell. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella’s first marching order is for the Department of Public Services (DPS) to clean the streets in the city.

Labella was on his way to the Cebu City Hall from Barangay Talamban on his first day as mayor when he saw mounds of garbage along the streets uncollected and blocking the sidewalks.

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The new mayor said he had a lot to prioritize on his first one hundred days, but his number one priority would be to keep the city’s streets clean.

He immediately called the DPS on Monday morning, July 1, and instructed them to collect the garbage.

“I told them, ‘Go find a way. Remove all those rubbish.’ I think we will be doing that in the next few days,” said Labella.

He said that in the next few days he would want the streets clean from uncollected garbage, and the marching order would apply not only to the DPS but also to other involved departments such as the Department of General Services.

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Aside from the garbage problems, Labella also plans to tackle the declogging of the city’s waterways especially since the rainy season is here and flooding will be a common occurrence in the city.

Labella said he would be seeking the help of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Philippine Army for a ‘massive’ coordinated cleansing of the city’s waterways.

He instructed the City Engineering Office to provide a map showing all of the city’s river systems and waterways and their situations.

The new mayor wants the areas with the most garbage to be the point of focus of the declogging so floods can be prevented during the rainy season.

Soon, Labella plans to rehabilitate and restore the waterways, but for now, clearing of the garbage will do to prevent disasters.

He reported that the DPWH had allowed the city to borrow two excavating machines to be used in this declogging project.

Labella will also be meeting all barangay chiefs in order to discuss the long term rehabilitation of the rivers and how the local units can prevent its residents from throwing garbage into the rivers. /dbs