Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - As we reported back in July, the city's acting mayor, Javier Pelayo Méndez, is actively working to provide a definitive solution to the garbage collection problem in many of Puerto Vallarta's colonias.

Since Proactive, the company that has the city's garbage concession, is not fully complying with the instructions given to them regarding its collection, last Friday, workers from several different municipal departments went out to pick up the garbage in colonias where municipal intervention was needed immediately.

Coordinated by Ephraim Alcalá, the director of Public Services, and Benigno Lara, the Chief of Public Sewage, a brigade of more than 70 workers from the city's Public Utilities, Public Sewage, Public Works, Social Development, the Women's Institute, Parks and Gardens and Building Maintenance departments, along with responsible citizens who volunteered to help, went out to provide the colonias with much-needed waste collection services.

Colonias that were served included Barrio Santa María, Primavera, Fluvial, Campestre las Palmas, Palo Seco, La Vena, Infonavit, Ex Haciendas, Centro, Emiliano Zapata, Guadalupe Victoria, Loma Bonita, Morelos y Pavón, Magisterio, Mismaloya and Calvario, among others.

Ten garbage trucks, one compactor truck and fifteen privately-owned pick-up trucks were utilized for Friday's collection.

The municipal government urges everyone to participate by keeping the sidewalk in front of their houses clean and not throwing garbage in the streets, because it is ending up in the sewers, rivers, and beaches. "This is how everyone can contribute in the effort to keep Puerto Vallarta clean, which will make our city better for locals and visitors," Pelayo Méndez said.