The hundreds of tons of garbage piling up daily at the Inayawan transfer station are an eyesore to many but for the city’s scavengers, they bring in their next meal as they sift through the trash looking for recyclables that they can still sell to earn a living.
CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Department of Public Services (DPS) will be calling the contractor of the transfer station in Barangay Inayawan to discuss the sordid state of the area.
This after a document surfaced that the contractor of the transfer station, DOCAST, has failed to fulfill its obligations to ARN Waste Management Inc., which manages the Binaliw Landfill, causing the trash from the transfer station in Inayawan to pile up undisposed.
Allegedly, DOCAST owes ARN Waste Management Inc. P18 million for the year 2020 and March 16-31 to May 16-31, 2021, combined.
The Binaliw landfill operators have sent a letter to DOCAST regarding the unsettled bill. CDN Digital tried to reach DOCAST representatives but they are yet to answer queries.
The city has an existing contract with DOCAST which stipulates that the service provider will be disposing of the trash of the city through the transfer station and the city has not failed in its payment to the company for such contract.
It is not clear yet if DOCAST is negotiating with ARN on the settlement of the bill.
The Liga ng mga Barangays (LNB) recently raised concerns that the garbage of the city could not be thrown in the Binaliw Landfill causing barangays to throw all their garbage to the Inayawan transfer station.
READ: Rama: We need to put back sanity in White Road
Barangay Inayawan in particular has seen mountains of trash thrown in its jurisdiction. Problems on drainage and road damage at the White Road where the transfer station is located has also been brought to light because of the issue.
DPS said that despite the alleged unfulfillment of payment, DOCAST has been disposing of Cebu City’s trash to a landfill in Consolacion town, a much farther landfill where it takes more time for garbage trucks to travel to.
The piling of the garbage has been caused by this delay in the disposal and Barangay Inayawan residents have already complained about it
DPS head, Lawyer John Jigo Dacua said that the city government has no hand in the contract between DOCAST and ARN, but it is concerned with the state of the transfer station in Barangay Inayawan.
“Our contract is with DOCAST and they have other options as to where they finally dispose the garbage hauled from the city. We are not privy to DOCAST and Binaliw landfill’s contract with each other that’s why we are not in the position to comment on their contractual relations,” he said.
Although DOCAST seemingly has a problem delivering its promised service to Cebu City, the DPS said it is not a ground for termination yet.
“As long as the city’s garbage hauled by D OCASTwill be disposed properly to its final disposal and fulfill its obligation, then I don’t see any ground for termination of the contract,” added Dacua.
Still, DPS would like to hold a meeting with DOCAST to find a solution to the growing pile of trash in the Inayawan transfer station.
READ: Repollo to DPS: Look at the situation at the Inayawan transfer station
Dacua said that they will discuss alternative solutions to the problem especially on the hauling of the garbage to its final disposal.
“With respect to Inayawan transfer station, we will meet with DOCAST once again to check on other alternatives. For now, we will continue to collect garbage to see to it that our streets are clean,” he said.
Acting Mayor Michael Rama has already ordered the fixing of the White Road as a way to resolve the issue of garbage delivery in the transfer station.
He has decided to leave the issue on the city’s contract with third-party service providers to Mayor Edgardo Labella upon his return on July 2021 following a three-week leave. /rcg