City warns fake garbage collector solicitations rampant
The city government has issued a warning anew to the public against individuals posing as garbage collectors who are soliciting money under false pretenses.
Assistant General Services Officer Margie Della released the advisory after receiving inquiries and complaints against individuals asking for cash contributions for a supposed Christmas party of city garbage collectors.
“They are at it again. Please do not entertain them. Any solicitation done in the name of the cityβs garbage collectors is not authorized by the General Services Office (GSO),” Della said.
“Our garbage collectors have clear instructions not to solicit in any form. They are strictly prohibited from asking for cash or gifts from the public, especially during the holiday season,” she said.
She encouraged the public to report such incidents to their office.
She said some people are capitalizing on the job’s perceived lowly status to gain sympathy and collect money.
But the truth is that the city is doing its best to compensate the garbage collectors including the volunteers, some of whom have been absorbed as job order employees.
Della also called on the public to cooperate in proper waste management in the city by properly segregating waste, securely packaging trash and observing the prescribed garbage collection schedule.
The GSO currently has around 60 regular waste collectors, supported by approximately 140 volunteer waste pickers, who collectively manage the cityβs daily waste output of about 550 tons. This volume significantly increases during peak tourism months. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
