CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Some residents here are still experiencing garbage problems owing to the new collector’s failure to penetrate inner areas in some villages. The situation led the residents to urge the city’s garbage collector to bring back the previous practice of penetrating even the villages’ inner areas so they can collect the garbage in front of their houses. *Several garbage bags were being gathered beside the street along Ilaya, Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, on March 21, 2023 (File photo courtesy of Nestor Mesias Banuag, Jr.)*
Engr. Armen Cuenca, head of the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO) acknowledged the concerns of the residents from inner areas in some villages. However, he said most of the garbage trucks’ drivers are not from the previous contractor and are still not familiar with some of the places in the city. "Our recommendation is that if there are concerns, they can be relayed to the media, on Facebook, or to our office in order for us to identify the areas and address the concerns," Cuenca told the Manila Bulletin in vernacular on Wednesday, May 17, adding that residents can also report their concerns to their respective barangay. The CLENRO explained that the new collector is still adjusting as there are garbage trucks that cannot penetrate the inner areas due to their size. The residents have also raised their concern on the schedule of garbage collection, which is allegedly not being followed. "The garbage collection schedule at Xavier Heights has not been observed. Our garbage has not been collected since Monday, May 4, 2023," said Linda Manalo in her comment on the same CLENRO’s post pertaining to the garbage schedule. Another resident named Ryan Motante said: "Mas maayo pa man tong sauna kay wala gayud sipyat, consistent Tuesday and Friday, naa gayud sila unya layo pa lang, sige na sirbato. Kaning karon, shy type (Before was way better because it never missed, was consistent, Tuesday and Friday they were there, and from afar, they were signaling." The city’s previous collector — IPM Waste CDO — ended its contract on January 31 this year after the local government did not renew it. The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the city government awarded the contract to the new collector, the joint venture of Jomara Konstruckt Corporation and Tencil Construction Incorporated, on March 23. It manages the garbage collection in the city in collaboration with CLENRO. Meanwhile, Cuenca urged the residents to display their garbage until 9 a.m. before the arrival of the garbage trucks to maintain the cleanliness of the surroundings. Cuenca at the same time made it clear that the garbage that they are collecting now is the newest garbage, as they had already resolved the garbage backlogs during those times when the local government was still searching for a new collector.