Council probes waste contracts, tipping fees

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city council is now investigating the city government’s contracts covering hauling out of wastes.

The body last week directed submission of all contracts and documents related to the garbage disposal services and tasked the committee on laws to determine the legality of said deals within 30 days.

The general services officer was also tasked to submit a report on the comparative weights of the wastes being hauled out from the staging area in Benguet to the receiving point in Urdaneta City.

This is to determine if there are discrepancies in the tonnage during delivery and if these are being recorded properly.

The body also sought the creation of a position devoted to monitoring the garbage disposal activities to ensure transparency.

The council committee on health was also asked to submit a summary of all the discussions on garbage concerns for submission next month to guide the body on the past concerns and agreements reached and on whether or not these were fulfilled.

As this developed, the body also threatened to declare hauler Mark Anthony Camilo, manager of M. A. Camilo Freight Services persona non grata for failing to attend the city council session on several invitations.

A check on the council records was sought to validate Camilo’s snub before the body decides whether or not this would merit such declaration.

The city council tasked the City Solid Waste Management Board (CSWMB) to look into the alarming increase in the volume of city wastes being hauled out to the landfill facility in Urdaneta City and tipping fees.

The body approved the resolution proposed by Councilor Peter Fianza who said the board should check and investigate the drastic hike in the volume of wastes from a daily average of 127 tons in 2013 to 155 tons during the first half of the current year representing an increase of 22 percent.

City general services officer Romeo Concio said he will check on accuracy of the reported amount of increase albeit he affirmed that the city normally experiences a significant rise in the volume of wastes usually at 15 percent during peak tourist months, opening of classes and the rainy season.

He said this is caused by the slackening of collection operations for recyclable wastes due to the rainy season and the added weight of the wet refuse.

Fianza said the increase was deduced from the record of payment of hauling services to Urdaneta waste facility for the period January 1 to June 30 this year amounting to P24,318,986.35.

“Unless remedial measures are immediately instituted, the city may have to supplement the budget allocation for the current year for hauling services of garbage that will include tipping fees with an additional amount of P20,000,000,” Fianza noted.

He said it should be “encouraging to interpret that the payment of hauling services for the month of December 2013 with a low of 100 tons per day will suggest possible and attainable increase of waste diversion targets as mandated under section 20 of Republic Act 9003.”

He said the solid waste board should be on hand to look into this being tasked to monitor and oversee the implementation of the city’s solid waste management plan and to adopt measures to promote and ensure the viability and implementation of waste programs in the component barangays.