The local government here has launched the 24-hour Task Force Basura (Task Force Garbage) to intensify garbage collection following widespread public concerns about uncollected waste.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mayor Rolando Uy said he personally led the briefing of the task force on Monday evening to oversee the collection process with the newly contracted third-party provider, Standard System.
The new contractor began collecting garbage in the last week of September.
“This is in relation to the two-week ultimatum that we imposed in the collection of the remaining garbage,” he said.
The urgency stems from a significant backlog in waste collection that began since December 2024 after holiday trash piled up.
According to former City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Armen Cuenca, the city produces an estimated 5.8 kilograms of waste per person per day, translating to roughly 45,000 cubic meters of garbage per month.
However, the city’s previous waste collection contractor could only manage 37,000 cubic meters monthly, leaving an 8,000 cubic meter backlog.
Uy said the task force is primarily tasked with collecting trash along the main roads round the clock beginning 10 p.m. Monday.
In addition, the task force is mandated to deploy garbage trucks and compactors assigned to District 1 and District 2, as well as 10 additional trucks stationed at the sanitary landfill for dumping operations. The goal is to clear backlogs and uncollected trash along the main roads.
Meanwhile, Second District Councilor Edgar Cabanlas proposed an ordinance to the City Council that would impose stricter penalties, including fines and a minimum of three months imprisonment, for those who do not follow the scheduled garbage collection. (PNA)
