By CESAR JOLITO III
The Bacolod City government has moved to address a weeklong garbage backlog by deploying a new private waste management consortium, with city officials confident the situation will ease within days.
Mayor Greg Gasataya formally signed a one-year contract on Thursday, January 1, with a consortium led by International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialists, Inc. (I-SWIMS), alongside D.C. Sandil Construction and Realty Development, Inc. and San Igmedio Builders Inc., to take over garbage collection, hauling and disposal in the city.
The agreement covers a P327.9-million contract for solid waste collection and disposal and a separate P109.08-million contract for environmental and sanitary services, including the operation and maintenance of the sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa.
Both contracts will run until December 2026.
City officials said the move was prompted by mounting waste left uncollected during the holiday period after the exit of the previous contractor.
Gasataya said the new operator has already begun rolling out measures aimed at fully clearing the backlog within the week.
“We are very hopeful that challenges with regard to our garbage problem will be resolved,” the mayor said, adding that the city is adopting innovative approaches to strengthen its solid waste management system.
During the ceremonial send-off at the Bacolod City Government Center, the consortium presented more than 60 units of heavy equipment, including garbage trucks and compactors, that will be deployed across the city.
Consortium president, Engineer Dennis Sandil, said the company is prepared to meet the challenge despite the volume of accumulated waste.
“It’s a big challenge considering the backlog, but we can handle it,” Sandil said, as he called on residents to cooperate by following proper waste segregation and collection schedules.
I-SWIMS currently services 18 local government units nationwide and is seeking to expand its operations in other parts of Negros Occidental.
City officials expressed optimism that the new partnership will not only resolve the immediate garbage problem but also improve long-term waste management in Bacolod./CJ, WDJ