For the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the barangay (village) elections on Monday were “cleaner” compared to the ones held in May.
That is in terms of the litter left behind in schools used as polling precincts.
Francis Martinez, head of the MMDA’s Metro Parkway Clearing Group, made this observation on Tuesday, noting that the majority of barangay candidates and their supporters took the initiative of cleaning up their own mess.
“We got feedback that the barangay candidates led the cleanup drives in their respective areas. So there was no need for MMDA to do a massive cleanup across the metropolis,” he said.
“The candidates [probably] heeded the Commission on Elections’ earlier request,” he added.
According to Martinez, the MMDA clearing team on Monday night helped in the cleanup of only two schools—Commonwealth Elementary School and Ramon Magsaysay Elementary School in Quezon City—and managed to collect trash to fill up half a dump truck.
Most of the garbage consisted of small leaflets, plastic and styrofoam materials thrown away by voters.
Earlier, environmental groups such as EcoWaste Coalition called on barangay candidates to dispose of their campaign materials properly regardless of whether or not they win.
The group also called on Comelec to oblige all barangay candidates “to comply with their civic duty to conduct post-election cleanups.”