BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – The city government has expressed concern over the large volume of waste on the streets generated by lanzones fruit dealers and resellers.
Engr. Neil Ravena, General Services Office (GSO) head, said metro aides recently collected close to one ton of waste from lanzones.
This prompted Ravena to issue the call to lanzones dealers and fruit vendors about their practice of throwing their waste such as crates and baskets along major streets in the city such as General Luna and City Proper.
He appealed to lanzones dealers and vendors to properly dispose of their garbage by bringing them to the garbage collection point.
Ravena said he would coordinate with the barangays and the city’s anti-littering team, pollution control, and monitoring team to stop such practice of improper waste disposal.
Ravena voiced concerns that such an issue could lead to clogged drainage systems, unsanitary conditions, and an increased burden on the city’s waste management services.
He noted the accumulation of organic waste from the sale and distribution of these fruits can also pose environmental and public health challenges, including attracting pests and contributing to urban waste management issues.
This metropolis has been implementing stricter guidelines on waste disposal practices to address similar growing concerns and maintain cleanliness in the city.
The city government has recently increased by 100 percent garbage fees to cover the expenditures of the local government, which has been subsidizing over 80 percent of solid waste management expenses.
In January 2024, the city government stopped paying for the salary of street sweepers, payment for garbage collection, and operation of the landfill.
A study conducted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on the cost-of-service analysis (COSA) showed that in 2022, the city government collected PHP55.92 million but spent over PHP365.65 million on solid waste management, showing that 84 percent of the cost was subsidized.
In 2021, the city government spent over PHP332.8 million but collected PHP55.8 million, with the local government subsidizing around 82 percent of the expenses.
The 2021 Waste Analysis and Characterization Study showed Iloilo City generated 496 tons of waste daily. The study also indicated the city government did not adjust its garbage fee rate for 16 years before the recent hike./PN
