Team Rama to review garbage collection budget

THE opposition Barug Team Rama bloc is adamant against approving the proposed P400-million budget for garbage collection next year.

“The budget is four times as big as the one we have before (at P120 million) but if you try to look at it, is it really that efficient?” Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia said.

Garcia was referring to the 21 trucks rented by the city from a private contractor.

“I don’t mind spending because we want to collect the garbage, but the question is whether or not we are optimizing the money,” Garcia said.

City Councilor Joel Garganera said Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s pride raised the price of garbage collection to exorbitant levels.

“The stumbling block why we spend so much for garbage is his pride. We could have just continued dumping in Consolacion, but since he mentioned before that our agreement with the landfill is anomalous, he does not want to continue that,” Garganera said.

“If you are from Binaliw, you will just need to travel six kilometers in going to Consolacion and spend P700 per ton. But you are traveling 44 kilometers spending P1,300 per ton. Isn’t that wasting money?” Garganera said.

Garganera also questioned why the mayor allegedly deployed the drivers of the existing city-owned garbage trucks to act as loaders of the rented trucks.

“They could have driven the city-owned trucks and collect garbage, but the mayor hated the trucks that the previous administration procured that he does not want them to run,” Garganera said.

Osmeña earlier reiterated that his main priority is effective garbage collection which he said is being provided by the 21 trucks that run three shifts per day.

The mayor said renting the trucks is more advantageous since the city has no maintenance responsibility over the vehicles.

Garcia said the council will look into the breakdown of the proposed budget for garbage collection during their budget hearing.