Manila city gov’t promises to fix garbage collection

FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A detailed time and motion study is to be done by the Manila city government’s Department of Public Services next week to draw up a schedule and address complaints of irregular collection of garbage in Manila.

Lilybelle Borromeo, DPS chief, said the department’s staff will go with the garbage trucks to determine how long it takes them to sweep through each barangay in their area.

“Some people complain that their wastes are not collected regularly,” Borromeo said. “We will conduct a time and motion so we could commit what would be the latest time considering the route and traffic.”

A time and motion study is one that involves close examination of the amount of time needed to perform specific functions and methods or techniques to make work processes more efficient.

A resident of San Andres, Manila, for example, said garbage in the area used to be collected every day before 9 a.m., but now there are days when dump trucks do not come at all and trash bags pile up on the streets.

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said city has a new contractor after as the contract with longtime trash hauler, Leonel Waste Management, has expired and it did not participate in the bidding for a new contract.

On Jan. 21, the city council adopted the contract with IPM Construction and Development Corp. owned by Isabelita Mercado for a monthly fee of P42.708 million.

“There was a slight problem in transition in the first few days but everything’s OK now,” Estrada said.

Borromeo said complaining residents should inform their barangay officials who, in turn, would alert the DPS.