ProTech waste collection extended until January 15

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Pro Tech Machinery Corp. (Pro Tech) will continue collection of non-biodegradable wastes from pick-up points in barangays here after Mayor Mauricio extended the authority granted to the waste company until Jan. 15.

The mayor said the direct collection scheme which ran on experimental basis last month helped improve the waste collection efficiency of the city.

It also helped lessen the use of the Irisan dumpsite as a transfer station for nonbiodegradable wastes.

“It is the direction of the City Government to discontinue utilizing the dumpsite as sorting and transfer area and the city government is earnestly trying to locate a possible permanent transfer station for the biodegradable wastes,” the mayor noted in Administrative Order No. 146.

He said the city needs all the help it can get in improving the waste management system and Pro Tech’s direct collection agreement which is free of charge is a welcome move.

Meanwhile, the mayor asked residents to be prepared for the implementation of the mandatory collection of garbage fees in the barangay through a barangay-based collection system.

The mayor said the census of households and computation of present and back fees are now underway so the collection will start anytime soon. Concerned barangay officials have also undergone the necessary training to undertake the collection.

The mayor said the barangay-based collection system will streamline the collection process to make it more efficient with the end in view of helping the barangays generate resources to support their own waste management programs.

The collection will be based on guidelines pursuant to the provisions of the city’s tax ordinance.

As per the guidelines, barangays will be empowered to collect garbage fees from households availing of the solid waste management service on a monthly basis.

The collected fees will be subject to a sharing scheme between the city and the barangays at 70-30 percent. Incentives will also be given to barangays with high collection levels. Proceeds can be used by the barangays in their waste management programs and other related projects.

“A household refers to a core family that includes parents, minor and unmarried children and limited extension to househelp and grandparents… Doubled up households include married children living with their parents, married brothers/sisters and boarders living with the landlord. Each married child, brother or sister will be treated and charged as separate households. Every four boarders shall be considered a household and also to be charged separately,” according to the guidelines.

The billing dates will be during the first ten days of each month subject to discounts for early payers.

Barangays will also be required to monitor the compliance to the city’s non-segregation-no-collection policy, indiscriminate dumping and anti-littering laws with the following penalty; warning for first offense; P500 for second offense and P1,000 third offense.