CAGAYAN de Oro City Engineering Department has been forced to step in and assist with garbage collection due to continued delays and equipment failures by contractor Tencil, City Engineer Joel Mongmongan said Wednesday.
Speaking at a “Meet the Press” forum on May 21, Mongmongan explained that the city could no longer wait for Tencil to repair its defective garbage trucks, prompting the engineering office to coordinate with the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (Clenro), headed by Engineer Armen Cuenca, for emergency augmentation.
“Nakita nato nga dili na gyud puwede hulaton,” Mongmongan said, referring to the worsening garbage situation across several areas in the city.
According to Mongmongan, the engineering department deployed additional heavy equipment, including payloaders and dump trucks, to assist in collecting uncollected waste piling up in the city.
He expressed optimism that the issue could be resolved within the week, with garbage collection operations expected to return to normal soon.
Mongmongan also noted that the city generates an average of 40,000 metric tons of garbage daily, based on 2023 figures.
The engineering department’s augmentation efforts will continue until the backlog is cleared, he said.
Efforts to reach Engr. Cuenca for comment were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls seeking his input on the continuing garbage crisis in the city.
