P700 rent for trucks too high

For Barug Team Rama councilors, the P700 per hour the Cebu City government is paying to rent heavy equipment to haul garbage is too expensive.

“Look at these trucks, I was checking OLX some of them cost P858,000, the city is spending P504,000 a month given sa P700 per hour. P504,000 a month libre pa ang gasoline, loader pa, dawat limpyo. In less than two months bawi ang investment sa supplier,” Councilor Eduardo Rama Jr. told reporters yesterday.

To recall, the city government leased at least 11 dump trucks and 10 compactor trucks from Pasajero Motors Corp. to collect garbage from the barangays and bring them to the transfer station in Inayawan.

To add insult to injury, Rama said it is possible that the city government might be paying the contractor for hours even when the trucks were not running.

“Based on experience, dili ka kahibaw sa productivity sa driver, matulog ba, or maflatan ba. While gapatak ang oras alkansi ka. Unsaon nato pagkahibaw, may’g naay gatan-aw nila nga mata sulod sa 24 hours. If mamahuway sila og 1 ka oras, gibayran nato sila ana. Mao nay issues diha kay wala may mosunod nila padulong Consolacion,” he said, adding he doubts there are City Hall employees diligently monitoring the daily operations of these trucks.

Rama said instead of paying per hour, it is better that the basis of payment be made per ton of garbage collected by the trucks from the transfer station or per trip to the private landfill in Consolacion.

Councilor Joel Garganera, former city council chairman on environment and a vocal critic of Mayor Tomas Osmeña, said it is impossible for a driver to run a truck for 12 hours.

“Kanang 12 hours duty impossible na, grabe na, drive pa. Nagtuo mo nga dili mamahuway? In the previous (administration), P125 million (garbage collection budget) lang, this year P300 million excluding the rental. And they are accusing the previous admin of corruption kay grabe ang gasto, but look karon times four or times five,” he said.

With the P55-million rental contract, which is intended for this month up to December this year, the city government can buy at least 15 brand new trucks that can augment the existing garbage trucks of the city.

Barug Team Rama councilors said they tried to raise the concerns about excessive rent but they were not able to convince the other members because of their minority in the city council.

“We raised several concerns during our council sessions and it fell on deaf ears. Most of our concerns are logical and reasonable but then we don’t have the numbers,” Rama said.

He also asked why some garbage loaders have not received their allowance for nine months now, adding that during the term of former mayor Michael Rama all barangays were treated fairly disregarding party affiliations.

The two also commented on the earlier statement of Osmeña that the purpose of putting a city seal on these rented trucks was for monitoring purposes.

“Kana nga statement alone nga ang public monitor, dili g’yud sila ka-monitor maong they will let the public to momonitor,” Rama said.

In a press conference, Osmeña said the city government will not pay the service provider if the trucks are not running. He added Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr. and the Department of Public Services were tasked to closely monitor the operations of Pasajero Motors Corp.

It was stipulated in the terms of reference that the service provider will coordinate with DPS on the operation time schedule from the point of origin to the destination. Aside from Gabuya and DPS, the barangays were also tasked to check the operation.

Osmeña said the opposition councilors cannot question the management of executive department on this matter because these councilors are incompetent.

“You cannot lecture these people about management because they are incompetent. Garganera? What can he manage?” he said.

Osmeña also said the delay in the releasing of honorarium for garbage loaders is because a number of them are not doing their job efficiently, adding the city government is not obligated to pay them if that is the case.

O. Leyson/BRP