Cebu City gov’t employees haul over 80 tons of garbage

CEBU City government employees, including barangay officials and volunteers, collected more than 80 tons of garbage during the 16th City Wide Clean-up Challenge held in the City’s major waterways on Saturday, June 22, 2024.

Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office head Reymarr Hijara said the clean-up drive covered six rivers, including Mahiga, Butuanon, Kinalumsan, Guadalupe, Estero de Parian, and Lahug.

Hijara said they collected a total of 87 tons of segregated plastics. A total of 70 sacks of wastes were collected from northern barangays, while 70 other sacks were hauled from the barangays in the South. Cebu City has 80 barangays.

In a text message, Paul Gelasque, assistant head of the Department of Public Services said the majority of the garbage collected came from Guadalupe and Mahiga rivers.

The clean-up drive started at 6 a.m. until 8 a.m. Several volunteers from civic groups and national agencies, including the Philippine Coast Guard Station Central Cebu also participated in the clean-up drive.

The City Wide Clean-up Challenge is a quarterly initiative of the City Government to help prevent flooding by clearing waterways of garbage and other obstructions.

Robert Barquilla, head of the Office of the City Markets, in a separate phone interview, said they, with the City Planning Department, hauled around 100 sacks of garbage from the Estero de Parian Creek near the Cebu Technological University.

They started a bit early at 5 a.m. and wrapped up at 10 a.m.

“I had all my employees at the Office of the City Markets join the clean-up drive,” he said in Cebuano.

Barquilla also emphasized that their objective extends beyond simply cleaning the rivers. He said they aim to educate residents on proper waste disposal, despite the City Environmental Sanitation & Enforcement Team being responsible for apprehending individuals who litter in public spaces.

“There are indeed houses along the riverbanks, and we remind the residents not to throw trash into the river because it will eventually come back to us,” said Barquilla in Cebuano. / JPS