By Mae Singuay

The Bacolod City government is eyeing extending the service contract for the city’s garbage hauler.

Ma. Fe Tresfuentes, Department of Public Services officer-in-charge, said the City Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) passed a resolution that seeks to extend IPM Construction and Development Corporation’s contract for three to four months.

Tresfuentes said the resolution stated that the SWMB could not yet conduct bidding for garbage collection services in the city, as the annual budget for 2024 has not been approved by the city council.

She added that the city government should have a budget for solid waste management and hauling services.

IPM’s service contract will end on December 31 of this year.

The private firm was granted contracts for garbage collection and hauling services amounting to P156,399,150, and for the management of the sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa, worth P63,998,000.

The contracts took effect last May 1.

Tresfuentes said the city government is eyeing a public-private partnership (PPP) for environment and sanitary services.

“Based on experience, the contractor being awarded has an eight-month or one-year contract only. Then the following year, indi na siya sigurado kun siya pa gihapon ang contractor,” Tresfuentes said.

“What [Mayor Alfredo Albelardo Benitez] wants is, how we can require our contractor to invest more on solid waste management equipment and facilities, since they are not sure if they could still be the next contractor after their contract lapses. I think that’s the reason why the mayor wants it to be PPP,” she added.

According to Benitez, the city government will look for a longer solution in relation to garbage collection in the city./MS, WDJ