Netizens fume over Manila’s uncollected post-holiday garbage

Manila’s uncollected post-holiday garbage —Contributed photo

MANILA, Philippines — Several Manila residents expressed frustration about the local government’s garbage collection problems, as piles of trash were seen along the city’s streets after the New Year celebrations.

Reviews left by residents on Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna’s Facebook page, along with photos and videos from supposed residents, showed that garbage collectors have not picked up waste since January 1 — leading to piles of trash over each corner of San Andres to Paco districts and other areas.

“Since January 1 no garbage collector arrived to get our waste. There were mountains of trash at each corner from San Andres to Paco. If the previous garbage collector’s contract has ended, it’s your responsibility to be prepared — instead of merely saying that you were sabotaged,” a Facebook user told Lacuna in Filipino.

Other netizens also posted photos of garbage piling up along San Marcelino Street in Barangay 659 and along Peñalosa and Juan Luna Streets in Tondo, Manila. Some netizens tagged Lacuna and asked if their trash could be collected already.

“Happy New Year, Mayor Honey Lacuna. Could you ask someone to get the garbage in our village, we have mountainous garbage,” another netizen said in Filipino.

Post-holiday uncollected garbage in Manila —Contributed photo

Manila’s trash up by 400% last holiday

City officials were caught by surprise during the yuletide as trash in Manila rose by 400 percent.

Currently, the local government is transitioning from the previous contractor to MetroWaste Solid Waste Management Corporation and Phil. Ecology Systems Corporation, which was tapped to collect the city’s trash for a contract worth P842.7 million for 2025.

The sabotage attempt that Lacuna was referring to was a supposed plan to create confusion and chaos within the city’s waste management system.

In another post on her Facebook page, Lacuna said the city government would not tolerate sabotage attempts from inside or outside the city hall.

“Manila residents, while we continuously strive for a clean and orderly Manila, our goal is clear: There is no room for sabotage in our city. Starting this December 30, we have initiated the dry run of our new contractors in collecting and disposing of garbage: the MetroWaste Solid Waste Management Corporation and the Phil. Ecology Systems Corporation,” Lacuna said in Filipino.

“It is not a secret to us that people are taking steps to create disarray within this system. We know them, some operate on the sidelines, while others are like vampires who can walk even in daylight. But my directive is clear: We will have zero tolerance for whatever kind of sabotage, whether this is coming from inside or out,” she added.

Manila’s uncollected post-holiday garbage —Contributed photo

MetroWaste Solid Waste Management Corp. is the same trash collecting contractor dragged into allegedly problematic waste collection in Parañaque City during the 2022 holidays.

READ: Parañaque mayor, 13 others face graft raps

In February 2023, Parañaque resident Genaro Clemente, Jr. filed graft raps against several city officials, including Mayor Eric Olivarez before the Office of the Ombudsman, for supposedly railroading a contract worth almost P415 million.

Olivarez awarded the contract to Metrowaste last December 27, 2022, or 25 days after the Bids and Awards Committee published its call for bidding on the PhilGEPS website on December 2, 2022.

Clemente said Metrowaste failed to acquire the necessary documentary requirements of the bid, which resulted in garbage piling up in the streets of Parañaque during the holidays.