BACOLOD City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) committee on environment and ecology is set to push for a review of the garbage hauling contract with IPM-Construction and Development Corporation (IPM-CDC), following reports of uncollected garbage that allegedly contributed to the recent flooding in several barangays in the city.
Councilor Homer Bais, chairperson of the said committee, said he will file a resolution urging the SP to reexamine the P303-million contract between the city government and IPM-CDC, the city’s environmental and sanitary service provider.
The contract, which runs from February 1 to December 31, 2025, covers the daily hauling and collection of garbage on a volume basis, with a maximum cap of 400 tons per day.
Bais pointed out that despite the daily payments made to the contractor, piles of uncollected garbage were observed across the city — many of which clogged drainage systems and creeks, worsening the two-day flooding on July 11 and 12.
“We need to ensure that the city’s funds are not being wasted,” Bais said. “The contractor claims they have weighing scales, but we want to validate the accuracy of the volume being paid for. I want to see documentation — from the weighing to the actual dumping at the sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa.”
He also suggested that checkers take photos showing the time of dumping and the number of vehicles used daily to verify if the contractor is truly delivering on its obligations.
Bais noted that while there are penalty provisions in the contract, the fines are minimal, and the city may have the legal option to increase these penalties if warranted.
Mayor Greg Gasataya confirmed that the city collected around 39,000 tons of garbage during emergency dredging operations along the Mandalagan shoreline and Banago River as part of the flood response.
To improve efficiency in waste collection, the city will implement a route plan with a two-phase schedule: Phase 1 will cover markets, the downtown area, and major streets with daily garbage collection; and Phase 2 will cover subdivisions, with collection scheduled every two days.
The Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) and IPM-CDC will soon release hotline numbers to accommodate public complaints and concerns related to garbage collection.
Local and national government agencies have extended aid to families affected by the flooding, which submerged portions of 12 barangays, displacing 1,152 families or 5,312 individuals. Floodwaters reached four feet high, equivalent to two weeks’ worth of rainfall in just two days.
The city’s Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) distributed food packs and hygiene kits to affected evacuees, while the Office of the President provided 746 food boxes to nine barangays. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also gave support.
Mayor Gasataya said the offices of House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Sen. Bong Go have expressed intent to provide additional assistance to the flood-affected communities./PN
