Many netizens online expressed their frustration and disappointment towards Mayor Honey Lacuna regarding the bulk of trash along the streets of Manila, with no one to collect them since the beginning of the year.
On Jan. 3, Mayor Lacuna stated on a Facebook post that the piles of trash were a result of negligence from former waste management contractor, Leonel Waste Management Corporation, who served the city for 25 years. The city’s officials were caught by surprise as Manila’s trash increased by 400% after the holidays, in which Mayor Lacuna explained that it was due to the city’s dense population.
“Yun pong huli dapat na araw na pagkokolekta ng dating service provider ay hindi po ginawa kung kaya’t yung mga basura po ng Dec. 31 magpahanggang Jan. 1 ay nagkatambak-tambak na,” Lacuna said.
The Mayor assured the residents of new contractors, MetroWaste Solid Waste Management Corporation and Phil. Ecology Systems Corporation with a contract worth P842.7 million for 2025.
“Nagbigay na po tayo ng malinaw na direktiba at deadline sa PhilEco at MetroWaste: bago mag-Enero 10, kailangang tapusin na nila ang koleksyon ng lahat ng tambak na basura mula Pasko at Bagong Taon,” Lacuna posted on her Facebook page.
Mayor Lacuna also acknowledged unpaid fees to Leonel Waste Management, stating that only the first four months of their service in 2024 were paid. She also shared that the budget for the months of May and June for Leonel’s service is already available and that these monthly payments undergo a process that may be affected due to the corporation’s negligence for the month of December.
Leonel Waste Management denied the accusations of negligence, stating they mandated their employees to continue doing their usual service until the end of their contract which is on Dec. 31, 2024. The corporation also shared that Mayor Lacuna was already informed last September that the corporation will no longer participate in the 2025 bidding due to the city’s unpaid obligations, amounting to PHP 561,440,000.
“Our company, Leonel, has always put our clients first and has never, nor will ever, abandon our duty of garbage collection,” Leonel Waste Management said.
With the incoming Midterm Elections 2025, Lacuna, who is vocal about reelection, claimed that this incident of chaos within the city’s waste management system might be motivated by politics—a sabotage attempt from inside or outside the City Hall as Leonel’s owner is seemingly connected to her rival, former Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno.
While political tensions remain, waste management continues to affect not just the city, but the whole country. In celebration of the new year, EcoWaste called on LGUs for the improvement of environmental laws, expressing its dismay towards the heaps of garbage on the streets of Metro Manila, following the New Year’s Eve revelry.
“The mixed garbage piled up along roads and sidewalks is a stark reminder of the need to step up efforts at all levels to counter the throw-away culture with a sustainable lifestyle that will, among other things, respect and care for Mother Earth, conserve resources, safeguard human health and, of course, prevent and reduce trash,” EcoWaste Zero Waste campaigner Jove Benosa said.
From then on, the local government has expressed its efforts in improving the environment state such as the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) Road to Zero Waste Summit 2024, featuring ideas and innovations on reducing garbage in hopes of addressing Metro Manila’s waste problem. With the proper implementation of these shared ideas, the city will gradually see environmental improvements.
As Manila continues to wrestle with the aftermath of the holidays, the waste piling up on its streets underscores a pressing need for effective and sustainable waste management. With political undertones adding complexity to the issue, residents and authorities must work hand-in-hand to ensure that the celebrations leave memories, not mountains of trash.
