Garbage trucks from Cebu City’s barangays wait in line for their turn to dump their collected waste at the private landfill in Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
CEBU CITY, Philippines –Cebu City’s garbage collectors are not immune to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
With this in mind, Councilor Alvin Dizon is asking the Department of Public Services (DPS) to provide garbage collectors with personal protective equipment (PPE) to also ensure their safety as they continue to perform their tasks while the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) remains in effect.
Just like the other frontliners, Dizon said that these people also risk COVID-19 infection as they continue to visit the different barangays to collect trash.
Read: Cebu City breaches 100-mark in COVID-19 cases
“Due to the risky nature of their job given their continued exposure to pathogens from the different types of wastes they are exposed with, it is crucial and urgent to look into their welfare and safety by strictly requiring them to be fully equipped with personal protective equipment,” Dizon said.
If he were to have his way, Dizon said, he wanted each of the city’s waste collectors to have their own dust masks, safety coverall, safety footwear, eye protection, gloves, and hand sanitizers.
Dizon also wants them to be given a daily supply of vitamin C to boost their immune systems.
“Addressing this concern of our garbage collectors is beneficial not only for them but also for their families and the communities where they are residents since the safety and state of health of our environmental frontliners directly affects their families and the community,” said Dizon.
Read: Inayawan raises concerns over entry of garbage trucks from infected barangays
During the Council session scheduled on Monday, April 20, 2020, Dizon said he will introduce to the legislative body a resolution that will seek the distribution of PPEs and vitamin C to garbage collectors.
His proposed measure is in addition to an earlier request by Inayawan barangay captain Kirk Bryan Repollo to facilitate the disinfection of garbage trucks that are headed to the sanity landfill that is located in his barangay to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infection there.
Repollo said DPS already coordinated with them on the need to identify disinfection stations in their barangay. / dcb