The Mandaue City Hall. | CDN Digital file photo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu- The Mandaue City government has decided to take back two garbage trucks that were assigned to Brgy. Guizo due to the failure of local officials to ensure efficient collection of garbage.
Atty. Jamaal James Calipayan, the Mandaue City Administrator, said numerous complaints have reached City Hall on the presence of garbage in parts of the barangay that have remained uncollected for days or at least a week.
Calipayan said that he can also attest to the veracity of the complaints because his parents live in the barangay and were among those inconvenience by the presence of uncollected garbage.
READ: Garbage left piling up near Guizo barangay hall
“Nabuhat gani na niya (brangay captain) nga knowing nga naa dinhi nagpuyo ang ginikanan sa usa sa mga opisyales nga mareklamohan. Iyaha’ng i-neglect samot na ang mga ordinaryong mga tawo. Nakahibaw sad gyud mi kay nangreklamo man amo silingan. Makita man sad na ninyo sa dalan ig agi ninyo kung unsa kahugaw ang Brgy. Guizo,” Calipayan said.
Moreover, the Mandaue City Environment and Natural Resources Offices (MCENRO) has issued an environmental citation to local officials, led by barangay captain Jesus Neri Sr., for causing and/or permitting the disposal of mixed wastes.
READ: Guizo dumpsite?
This was contrary to the city’s garbage segregation policy.
Recurring problem
Archt. Aracelli Barlam, the MCENRO head, said that her office has issued citations to the barangay because of its garbage problem.
READ: 16 Mandaue City brgys get brand new garbage trucks
Barlam said that the garbage problem in Guizo is an old ad recurring problem that started in 2018.
She said that based on the Local Government Code, it is the responsibility of the barangays to ensure efficient garbage collection within their respective jurisdictions.
The city government, on the other hand, is tasked to ensure garbage collection in government, regional, and national offices, and in government properties.
Just recently, Calipayan said that acting Mayor Glenn Bercede has decided for the city to temporarily take over garbage collection duties in Brgy. Guizo because they are not seeing any improvements in the way that they handle waste segregation and collection.
One operational truck
Neri said he will return the two garbage trucks to City Hall on Monday.
He said that they are trying their best to collect garbage, but the volume is just too much for them. Also, there are undisciplined residents who continue to leave their trash on the streets even after the designated collection schedule.
Making matters worst, they only have one operational truck for now. The two trucks that were given by the city government are currently unserviceable.
Neri said that Guizo has 10 sitios. Their jurisdiction also includes the “Pasilong sa Paradise,” the city’s transitory housing for fire victims and informal settlers that used to occupy the compound of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
He said there also also instances that business establishment would request for the collection of their garbage.
“Gipaningkamutan gyud. Apil man gud nang segregation. Tungod sa kadaghan, labi nang bombing nga basura nga ig talikod sa truck naa poy molabay, mao nay hinungdan pero makuha gyud na siya. Atoa gyud tang giam-aman. Ang driver dili man na nato yano-yanuhon og kasaba labi na kuno panahon nga dugay ang sweldo. Ang ila man sad gud picturan ang katung wala makuha pero og makuha na dili man picturan,” said Neri.
“Naa gyud [time nga dili ma-segregate] bisan unsaon pa nato og pahimangno. Sige man ta og pahimangno sa atong lumulopyo nga atoang mga basura atoa gyud i-segregate. Naay [madugay] pagkuha kay matud pa sa driver human collection ugma ana lahi naman sad ang kuhaon,” Neri added.
Meanwhile, he denied allegations that they prioritize collection for those who pay the garbage collectors, who are job order employees of the city government.
Garbage trucks
Calipayan said that the city government gave two garbage trucks to each of the 27 barangays, together with garbage collectors.
He said he could not understand why Brgy. Guizo would fail to ensure efficient garbage collection, something that the 26 other barangays have been able to do.
Also, Guizo officials were already given more than enough time to improve their garbage collection system.
Neri said their barangay will continue to collect garbage despite their lack in garbage trucks. He was even planning to borrow garbage trucks from some of his ally barangay captains.
The Guizo barangay captain is not an ally of suspended Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.