‘Hauling still best option in disposing Baguio trash’

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said temporary hauling of the city’s residual waste to the Capas sanitary landfill is still best option in getting rid of a potential garbage crisis while the city is working out long-term solutions to the decade-old garbage problem.

He said his administration lowered excessive hauling cost from previous P3,200 per ton to only a little over P1,400 per ton to this date because the city government looked for haulers who charge least cost in transporting trash.

“It will be far more expensive if it will be the local government that will do the hauling of garbage at source and then haul it to the Capas landfill. It is still best that we have qualified haulers who have waste transfer stations to haul the city’s residual waste to the accredited landfill,” Domogan said.

Domogan said the city’s garbage trucks will not be enough to do the hauling to the landfill, thus, the need for the city to purchase at least 15 more garbage trucks.

According to him, the local government will have to also invest in hiring of additional personnel to work on the trucks that will be purchased which will take some time because of the requirements in the hiring of personnel aggravated by the prescribed limit of 45 percent devoted for personal services enshrined in the provisions of the Local government code of the Philippines.

The city is daily hauling out some 155 tons of residual waste from the hauler’s waste transfer station to the Capas sanitary landfill.

Domogan said competition among haulers was encouraged on who can provide the city with the advantageous offer but during bidding, it was M.A. Camilo freight services that always came out as qualified hauler.

He said interested hauler wanting to dislodge the existing hauler can participate in future bidding provided that sole proprietor or the company has an established waste transfer station that is accredited by the environment department. -- Dexter A. See