A CEBU City councilor wants the garbage fee that the City Government collects from private universities, colleges, pre-schools and kindergarten schools lowered because the rate is higher than that collected from hotels and restaurants, which generate more garbage than educational institutions.
Councilor Edgardo Labella filed an ordinance that seeks to amend City Ordinance 1361, which established the garbage collection system and set the fees for it.
From P10 per student per school year or a total of not less than P300,000 annually, Labella wants the garbage fee collected from educational institutions lowered to P6 per student per school year or a total of not less than P2,000 annually.
“I want to make the fees equitable. This (amendatory ordinance) is intended to correct a wrong and unfair collection of garbage fees,” Labella told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
He lamented that private universities, colleges, pre-schools and kindergartens are paying a higher garbage fee compared to hotels and restaurants.
He said hotels, restaurants and other amusement places generate more garbage than schools.
Under Ordinance 1361, hotels, restaurants and other amusement places only pay a maximum fee of P100,000 annually.
“In order fsr City Ordinance 1361 to be just and equitable to all, there is a need to amend the ordinance,” said Labella.
If the proposed amendment is approved, based on the total enrollment per semester in each school or campus unit, private universities, colleges, nursery, pre-schools and kindergarten schools will pay a garbage fee of P6 per student per school year.
The total garbage fee to be paid to the City should not be less than P2,000 annually.
Labella said the computation of the number of students shall be based on the semester immediately preceding the date of payment of garbage fees.
Payment of garbage fees is made on a quarterly basis, and is due within the first 20 days of the first month of every quarter.
Labella’s amendatory ordinance has been referred to the council’s committee on laws for comments and recommendations through its vice chairman Councilor Sisinio Andales.
