Albur LGU plans to take out a loan for heavy equip’t

The local government unit (LGU) of Alburquerque is planning to take out a loan to purchase a heavy equipment to be used in the operation of the Alburquerque Cluster Sanitary Landfill.
The plan was disclosed by Alburquerque mayor Don Ritchie Buatas in a radio interview in Open Forum on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020 hosted by The Bohol Tribune associate editor Dave Albarado.
The mayor said nothing is definite regarding the purchase of a backhoe. He also revealed that he has yet to get the approval from the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) to sign any loan agreement for the heavy equipment purchase.
He told The Bohol Tribune that the LGU has already some funds in the amount of P7million and this amount has already been earmarked for the town’s annual investment plan.
However, the mayor said that the P7million budget is not enough to purchase a brand-new backhoe.
Buates said that the LGU has a backhoe provided by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA). The sanitary landfill is a project backed by the TIEZA.
He added that the heavy equipment in current use has begun to show its age and its “wear and tear” effects a reason that it is frequently serviced for repairs.
He noted that it costs more to have the heavy equipment repaired every now and than to buy a new one.
The Alburquerque mayor also said that if the town will use its budget for the acquisition of a heavy equipment, it can only afford a reconditioned one, which may not provide the desired performance as needed to operate the sanitary landfill.
Moreover, Buates expressed justification in the plan to buy a new heavy equipment as this can also be used for road repairs and other town-initiated infrastructure projects.
The mayor said while it is okay that the town borrow the provincial government’s heavy equipment, yet, the process takes time and the waiting time will delay some projects of the LGU. Reports say that the LGU has to wait for several months before it can use the heavy equipment from the province.
The Alburquerque cluster sanitary landfill serves almost all LGUs in the first district of the province including Tagbilaran City whose residual wastes are dumped Albur for disposal.