By CESAR JOLITO III

The Bacolod City Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) has issued a public warning against individuals and groups falsely posing as garbage collectors to solicit cash donations from residents.

BENRO officer-in-charge Allyn Luv Dignadice said the city government, together with its newly contracted private garbage hauler, has not authorized any person or organization to collect money or seek donations on behalf of waste collectors or sanitation workers.

The warning followed a complaint received by BENRO involving a group identifying itself as the “Garbage Collector Association Bacolod City,” which allegedly approached residents to ask for financial contributions, claiming the funds would help a hospitalized member.

“We highly discourage the giving of cash donations to individuals claiming to be garbage collectors. A lot can happen, and there are scammers the public must be wary of,” Dignadice said.

Residents were urged to immediately report suspicious individuals or groups soliciting money while posing as garbage collectors to BENRO or other city authorities.

Dignadice acknowledged that while garbage collection schedules have largely been normalized across Bacolod, reports of uncollected garbage continue to surface in certain areas.

She also called on the public and barangay officials to help curb illegal dumping, noting that improper disposal further strains the city’s waste management system.

The city’s new waste contractor, International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialist (ISWIMS), has already started operations to clear garbage backlogs and address lingering concerns from the previous contractor.

BENRO reported that daily waste collection in the city now ranges from 1,700 to 2,500 cubic meters, with all collected waste properly disposed of at the sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa./CJ, WDJ