By Cong B. Corrales
Editor-in-Chief
and Shiela Mae Butlig
Correspondent
CAGAYAN de Oro has extended the contract of Tencil Environmental Management for 90 days.
Amid growing criticism over service performance and contractual obligations, Tencil Environmental Management — a joint venture under Jomara Konstrukt Corporation and Tencil Construction Inc. — was recently granted a three-month extension to its multimillion-peso garbage collection contract.
The extension, dated May 14, 2025, allows Tencil to continue with the “collection, hauling and disposal of municipal solid waste including street sweeping” in the city. The original contract expires on May 24.
The contract, originally signed on March 24, 2023, was extended under PR No. 24-0180 and SN 55a-2024, covering a projected P67,597,128.11 at a unit cost not to exceed P600 per cubic meter.
The extension was issued under the authority of Republic Act No. 9184 and the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations governing procurement and service renewals and signed by Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy.
During a committee hearing this afternoon, May 23, City Councilor Joey Abbu questioned Engr. Armin Cuenca of the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (Clenro) regarding the recent 90-day extension granted to Tencil Environmental Management, the city’s contracted garbage hauler.
Cuenca explained that Clenro submitted the project for bidding to the Bids and Awards Committee in the first week of April.
However, the process was delayed due to a recommendation from the Local Finance Committee.
“They suggested that the terms of preference for Cagayan de Oro be compared with those of other cities,” Cuenca said.
To prevent disruption of services, Cuenca said they requested and approved an extension of Tencil’s contract.
“We requested for an extension of the contract so services would not be disrupted,” he said.
During the same hearing, Tencil operations manager Jermie Danuco clarified that while the company has 65 trucks as stated in the contract, only 45 are currently operational.
Ten units are under repair, while the remaining 10 are reserved for emergency response during calamities.
Danuco defended the company’s capacity to fulfill its garbage collection duties.
“As far as we’re concerned, any delay has occurred only during critical days. On regular days, we complete our collections on time,” she said.
Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez expressed her stance that garbage should be collected regardless of whether it is segregated.
“I want the garbage collected—segregated or not,” Rodriguez said.
Tencil’s continued involvement in Cagayan de Oro’s waste management comes as the Office of the Ombudsman announced that it has found sufficient grounds to file charges against former Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and five former members of the city’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), earlier this year.
The officials are accused of bypassing competitive bidding procedures when they awarded garbage collection contracts to Jomara Konstrukt Corp., ACM Hauling Services, and ARN Central Waste Management Inc.
The complaint, filed by Jundel Bontuyan on Aug. 11, 2023, alleged serious procurement violations that could potentially have national implications for how local governments handle garbage contracts. The BAC members named include Leizl Calamba, Lyndon Bernardo Basan, Conrado Ordesta III, Janeses Ponce, and Dominic Diño.
Here, tensions continue to rise as Councilor Joey ‘Pepe’ Abbu and others allege breaches in Tencil’s performance contract, claims the company vehemently denies.
Tencil Operations Manager Jermie Danuco has maintained that the company not only complies with its contractual obligations but often exceeds daily collection quotas.
“We are delivering the waste volume stipulated in our contract. Therefore, we cannot be penalized for any supposed breaches,” Danuco said.
The situation is further complicated by what the company describes as noncompliance with segregation laws by residents and barangays, which, they argue, hampers waste collection efforts.
The city’s garbage woes, now intertwined with a national procurement scandal, have amplified calls for transparency, accountability, and long-term solutions in solid waste management.
Officials are urged to revisit and strictly enforce Ordinance No. 13378-2018, and residents are reminded that cooperation is critical in maintaining cleanliness and upholding environmental policy — particularly under the “No Segregation, No Collection” policy implemented in March 2024.
As legal proceedings begin against Rama and his former BAC members, and as Cagayan de Oro grapples with service and policy challenges, residents await clearer direction and more sustainable waste management strategies.
