■ BUY NEW TRUCKS RATHER THAN SPENDING FOR RENT: COUNCILOR TO CEBU CITY GOV'T

The Cebu City Government should invest in new trucks instead of renting them. Opposition Councilor Eduardo Rama Jr. said it is better to buy rather than rent since it will allow the City to save public funds. The Department of Public Services (DPS) proposed a budget of P56 million to rent 15 trucks and heavy equipment, which will be used to collect garbage. The amount will cover rent for the next six months. “We will rent 10 compactor trucks and five open dump trucks, which will be used for the additional garbage collection under the Basura Mo, Sardinas Ko program of the mayor,” a DPS official said. Rama said the City will end up spending P112 million for the whole year, while buying 15 new trucks will only cost the City around P40 million.

Instead of renting, Cebu City Councilor Eduardo Rama Jr. said the City Government should invest in buying trucks.

Despite reports of the state of the city-owned trucks bought during the previous administration, Rama said it is better to buy rather than rent since the City can save that way.

Under the first supplemental budget of the executive department, the Department of Public Services (DPS) proposed P56 million for the rental of trucks and heavy equipment to improve garbage collection.

The P56 million will cover the rental for the next six months.

In an interview with SunStar Cebu, DPS assistant department head John Paul Gelasque said the City will rent each truck at P850 per hour, or P20,400 for 24 hours.

It will run 24 hours a day and 30 days a month, which means rental cost per month is P612,000 per truck. The City plans to rent 15 trucks.

“We will rent ten compactor trucks and five open dump trucks, which will be used for the additional garbage collection under the Basura Mo, Sardinas Ko program of the mayor,” Gelasque said.

As proposed, the owner of the trucks will provide the units and their maintenance while the City will provide for the driver and gasoline.

The same explanation was relayed by DPS during the budget hearing of their P214.3 million proposed additional budget last week.

Rama said the City will spend P112 million for the whole year rental if it will continue the program next year.

“The proposal of P56 million is only for six months. If they plan to make it regular for one year, the 15 trucks would cost us P112 million, plus gasoline and manpower. That’s unreasonable because we can buy trucks every year for that amount,” Rama said.

Rama said 15 trucks will only cost the City around P40 million.

In the last six years, the City bought 133 trucks for DPS, which cost P179.6 million.

Records from the General Services Office showed that only 69 of these trucks are serviceable, 37 are unserviceable, 19 under repair, four for disposal and four are disposed.