The Cagayan de Oro City Council is studying the possibility of providing garbage trucks to every barangay to address garbage collection problems.

The city’s legislative body is currently reviewing possible amendments to the Integrated Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance.

Councilor Eric Salcedo, chairman of the Committee on Environment, said one of the possible amendments is the allocation of garbage trucks to each barangay.

Salcedo said the initiative could help address the problem on garbage collection while the city has yet to award a final contactor for its garbage collection service.

“Para kung magkaproblema ta, ang barangay mao’y mangolekta para ma-sustain pud sa barangay kung pila’y gibayad sa private contractor, mao pud ibayad sa mga barangay,” Salcedo said.

At present, garbage collection remains a challenge, particularly in larger barangays, due to the volume of wastes and the limited number of trucks available.

“Tan-awon sa atong committee meeting kay sa atong pag-revisit o pag-amendar sa ordinansa kay imbitaron man nato ang atong Local Finance Committee kung makaya ba sa siyudad kung tagaan og dump truck ug kung pila ang kinahanglan nga amount,” Salcedo added.

The proposal gained support from the barangay council of Lapasan, one of the largest barangays in the city’s second district, where garbage collection is a major concern.

All available trucks in the barangay, including, the barangay chairman’s personal truck, are being utilized to collect garbage from its 28 sitios.

Barangay Lapasan spokesperson, Jeoffrey Baconga, welcomed the idea but cautioned that having trucks would require maintenance.

“Of course, kinsa ba’y dili ganahan pero mao lagi tagaan ka og truck, unya sa primero ra mayo, unya ang truck, pag magamit, madaot baya na, no matter how expensive, kung dili nimo gamiton, madaot, kung gamiton, madaot,” Baconga said.

The first committee hearing on the proposal is scheduled for September 30, 2025.

CDO struggles with trash in absence of new collector

Uncollected garbage continues to pile up along the streets in Cagayan de Oro City due to the ongoing problem with garbage collection.

According to the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO), the city needs 40 to 60 garbage truck trips per day to haul garbage to the landfill completely, something that could not be achieved yet because the local government has yet to award a new garbage collection contract.

At present, only city-owned garbage trucks, trucks of Mayor Rolando Uy, and a few trucks from the previous contractor that are still operational are being used for collection.

This has caused delays in garbage collection across barangays.

“Challenge gyud tungod sa usa ka adlaw gani nga ma-delay daghan na, how about more ang atong collection limitado tungod kay volunteer na lang man gud si Tencil unya pila na lang ka truck ang iyang gipadagan,” CLENRO Chief, Engr. Armen Cuenca, said.

CLENRO added that illegal dumping is making the problem worse, as some residents are reportedly disposing of bulk waste in vacant lots that are not designated as dumping areas.

“Pwede ra gyud (isumbong sa amoa) unya naa lang makita nato nga plate number sa iyang sakyanan nga gigamit aron sayon nga pagpangita,” Cuenca added.

CLENRO said that the problem may be solved next week once the new garbage collection contractor chosen by the Bids and Awards Committee starts to operate.

The bidding is set on September 20, 2025 for the garbage collection contract for 2025. Another bidding will take place in October for the 2026 garbage collection contract.

“We hope nga once nga mahuman ang bidding among ihangyo kung kinsa ang mudaog nga magsugod na diretso bahala og ongoing pa ang processing,” Cuenca said.