WHAT ARE THE HIDDEN TRUTHS BEHIND THE OMBUDSMAN'S GARBAGE TRUCKING EXPOSE?

WHAT ARE THE HIDDEN TRUTHS BEHIND THE OMBUDSMAN'S GARBAGE TRUCKING EXPOSE?

For many years now, I have been writing about corruption in the hauling of municipal garbage. That is why I am glad that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has finally brought this issue into the national spotlight. In my opinion, the alleged corruption in garbage hauling could even be bigger than the much-publicized flood control scandals because it affects almost every city and municipality in the country.

According to the Ombudsman, garbage hauling has become the "biggest business" of many local chief executives. That is a very strong statement. While the Ombudsman did not publicly present specific evidence during his interview, his remarks should be enough to trigger serious investigations and institutional reforms.

His proposal to assign Resident Ombudsmen in local government units is certainly worth considering. However, I cannot help but ask: doesn't the Commission on Audit (COA) already assign resident auditors to LGUs? Isn't the municipal treasurer appointed by the Department of Finance? And since the DBM stands for the Department of Budget and Management—not merely the Department of Budget—shouldn't it also play a stronger role in ensuring that local budgets are managed properly? If these oversight mechanisms are already in place, why have these alleged anomalies continued for so long?

There is another perspective that deserves equal attention.

The more an LGU succeeds in reducing its garbage through segregation, recycling, and composting, the fewer truckloads will need to be hauled to landfills. If hauling contractors are paid by volume or by the number of trips, there is an obvious conflict of interest. Simply put, effective recycling reduces hauling revenues. This is precisely why I have always argued that recycling and garbage hauling should not be viewed as separate issues.

Fortunately, there are encouraging examples.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor D. Archival Sr., working with RU Foundry and Machinery, Inc. (RUFMI) President Ramon Uy Sr., has begun processing biodegradable waste from public markets using industrial shredders. Instead of sending organic waste to landfills, it is converted into compost and then fed to African Night Crawler earthworms to produce vermicast, a premium organic fertilizer. The vermicast is distributed to farmers, helping reduce their dependence on expensive chemical fertilizers while encouraging organic farming.

This approach deserves serious attention nationwide. Shredding biodegradable waste significantly reduces its volume before disposal, extends the lifespan of sanitary landfills, lowers hauling costs, and transforms waste into a valuable agricultural input. Imagine the savings if every LGU adopted a similar system. Funds now spent on excessive hauling could instead be redirected to education, healthcare, flood control, and other essential public services.

Mr. Uy has even expressed his willingness to allow interested LGUs to test RUFMI's shredders free of charge and visit existing installations to see how the technology works in actual operations. It is an offer worth exploring.

Ultimately, the solution is not simply to prosecute corrupt officials after the damage has been done. We must also redesign the system so that corruption becomes much harder to commit. Digital monitoring of garbage trucks, computerized weighbridges, transparent procurement, strict implementation of Republic Act No. 9003, and aggressive recycling and composting programs can work together to achieve that objective.

I hope the Ombudsman's expose becomes more than another headline. If it leads to cleaner governance and smarter solid waste management, every Filipino stands to benefit—not only through lower government costs, but also through a cleaner environment and healthier communities.

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

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