Private landfill eyed for Cebu City trash

The Cebu City government is planning to enter into an agreement with a private landfill operator in order to lessen its garbage hauling expenses this year.

Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Chief Ronaldo Malacora said the Department of Public Services will finalize the scheme so BAC can schedule it for public bidding.

If the city government directly disposes its trash to the landfill, he said, it would only spend P700 per ton in tipping fee.

The city would no longer hire a private hauler to dispose of the city’s garbage, saving millions of pesos, said Malacora.

DPS records showed that the city government spent P300.4 million from December 2016 to December 2017 for the hauling operations.

Of the amount, P7.5 million was allotted for December 2016, P125 million for January to May 2017, P67 million for June to August 2017, P99 million for September to December 2017.

In 2018, the city spent P420 million for garbage hauling and for rental of heavy equipment for garbage disposal.

From January to June this year, the city has appropriated P130.8 million for garbage hauling services.

“The city will save half of the amount if we dump our garbage directly to the landfill,” Malacora said.

After the Inayawan landfill's closure, the city began transacting with a service provider that will haul trash from a transfer station in Cebu City to a private landfill in Consolacion.

Meanwhile, the opening of bids for the procurement of 21 brand new trucks is scheduled by last week of January.

The winning bidder is required to deliver the heavy equipment not later than May this year.

Malacora said the city government will terminate its rental contract with Geo Transport and Construction Inc.

The city has contracted Geo Transport for the rental of heavy equipment, such as 10 compactor trucks and 11 dump trucks, needed in the hauling of the city’s garbage.

The contract is P64.5 million which is set aside for the months of January to June 2019. —