By JM Samidan – Baguio PIO

The city government warns the public against giving in to solicitations from individuals pretending as garbage collectors of Baguio.

City General Services Officer Eugene Buyucan issued the advisory after receiving a report from a concerned citizen sent to the Public Information Office about certain individuals in motorcycles soliciting for garbage collectors’ supposed Christmas Party.

However, Buyucan said a lot of dishonest individuals are using the term “basurero” to solicit from the public.

“We have instructed our garbage collectors to never ask for Christmas gifts or solicit in cash that is why we are sure that these individuals are fake basureros,” Buyucan said.

“A lot of individuals are falsely representing themselves as garbage collectors to solicit, please don’t give any and report them to the police instead. Hindi po tama na magamit ang ating basurero sa (solicitation) kanilang gawain,” he added.

Aside from solicitation for Christmas parties, some individuals are also soliciting for “abuloy” to the family of a supposed dead garbage collector or sick one.

All of these were said to be untrue by the GSO and barangay officials whose signatures were also faked in some of the solicitation letters.

Meantime, the city appeals to the public to treat garbage collectors with dignity by properly segregating waste, packing discards securely and to obey the prescribed schedule of bringing out garbage.

The GSO only has around 60 waste collectors in its plantilla who are only augmented by some 140 volunteer pickers attending to daily total waste production at 400 tons. The amount of waste almost doubles during the peak tourism months.