Trash, trash everywhere

PILE of garbage in urban barangays that were hardly-hit by the flashflood brought by tropical storm Vinta remains uncollected.

Solid Waste Management division chief Elvisa Mabelin admits that the collection is difficult, pointing out that the trash are not the usual trash they are collecting everyday.

“We are now collecting debris, household materials, such as sofas, even the mud, clothes, these are not the usual garbage we collect everyday. This is why collection is affected because aside from the flood garbage, we also have to deal with the increase of garbage because of holiday parties,” she said.

Mabelin said not only did the volume of garbage doubled, but also tripled, after the Vinta onslaught.

To date, Burgos street is now 100 percent cleared of garbage, while clearing operations is still going on in Magsaysay, Del Pilar, Abellanosa streets, as well as in barangay Consolacion.

Because of the increase of garbage, Mabelin said they had to get additional open trucks apart from the 36 operational trucks they have to augment for the clearing operations.

“Karon definitely, ang segregation sa basura kay nawala tungod sa bagyo kay kung unsa lang na basura makita kinahanglan ilabay,” she said. (With reports from Crystel Ann Perpetua, Mary Ross Odguiche)