Garbage flood city after holidays

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

THE General Services Office (GSO) scooped 50 tons of garbage on the first day of 2019.

GSO assistant department head Engr. Niel Ravena said they collected the trash in just three hours.

On the average, the GSO hauls 300 tons of garbage daily.

“In just three hours of garbage collecting, naka-collect kita 17 trucks or around 50 tons of garbage around the city,” Ravena said.

He particularly highlighted Iloilo Terminal Market or “Super,” where the volume of garbage almost tripled.

“Compare to an average of 10 tons or four truck trips daily, nagdugang kita six more trips sa Super alone last Jan 1, 2019,” he said.

Ravena added that most of the garbage collected in the Terminal Market are rotten fruits.

“Super” is considered the go-to place for consumers looking for fruits needed for New Year’s Eve celebration.

On the other hand, four trucks hauled garbage at Delgado Street in City Proper district. The trash were mostly Styrofoam and plastics, according to Ravena.

The GSO lodged five trips of garbage trucks in Jaro Big market, also higher compared to the usual one trip on a regular basis.

Ravena said the increase in the garbage is due to the opening of the sidewalks to vendors during the holidays.

Around 300 vendors were able to sell their products in the open sidewalks of City Proper, La Paz, Arevalo, Villa, Mandurriao, and Lapuz.

The annual policy, which is practiced every December, provides opportunities for vendors to sell their products and earn extra income, especially in the holiday rush.

The GSO, meanwhile, said that garbage collections are still ongoing in other public markets in the city.