DESPITE some minor problems, the Department of Public Services (DPS) said that the first day of the newly imposed garbage collection schedule in Cebu City was efficient.
The new scheme’s first shift took effect at 5 p.m. last Sunday up to midnight. The second shift started from midnight to 7 a.m. the following day.
“Generally, it was successful. We also have to understand that we have an adjustment period. We’re going to have a meeting to address the concerns since this is just our initial assessment,” DPS operations head John Paul Gelasque said in an interview yesterday.
He said that by 7 a.m. yesterday, areas such as Sitio Maracas, Barangay Lahug, Barangay Guadalupe and Carbon Public Market have been cleared out by collectors as promised to avoid causing traffic.
As to the minor problems, some barangays had not fully disseminated the new schedule to their constituents.
Gelasque identified Barangays Barrio Luz, Pasil, Sawang Calero and Suba as among those who have yet to strictly enforce the new scheme.
The DPs monitoring personnel have observed that residents in these barangays still follow the old schedule’s first shift, which was from 4 a.m. to noon, he said.
To address the matter, DPS asked the barangays to collect the trash and wait until they can deliver it to the landfill in Barangay Inayawan on schedule.
Trucks
Aside from this, DPS deployed five six-wheeler compactor trucks to round the streets and collect trash disposed outside the designated areas and garbage thrown outside the scheduled time.
While giving time for everyone to adjust to the new scheme, Gelasque clarified that those caught red-handed will be apprehended accordingly.
“We have barangay environmental officers (BEO) who will be giving citation tickets worth P500 to those caught in the act. If they can’t afford it, they have to do community service,” he said.
There are more than 80 BEOs in the city, with each village having at least three monitoring the barangay’s dumping activity.
To fully enforce the new scheme, Gelasque urged all barangays to cooperate and coordinate with DPS, saying that the garbage situation in the city is everyone’s responsibility.
