MANILA — Residents in several barangays in Manila called for urgent cleanup as piles of uncollected garbage posed potential health hazards to their communities.

On Sagrada Familia Street in Barangay 767, piles of post-holiday trash have become a breeding ground for pests, causing problems for business owners like Lourdes Viñas, 50, who runs a small eatery in the area.

“Ilang taon na ako nagtitinda dito pero ngayon lang naman nangyari ‘yan. Kaya lang dumadami nang dumadami kasi yung mga basura sa bahay-bahay nilalagay dyan. Ayun nababawasan (ang customers) dahil naaamoy nila,” said Viñas.

(I’ve been selling here for years, but this is the first time this has happened. The garbage keeps piling up because people from nearby houses throw their trash here. Customers avoid eating here because of the smell.)

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Gloria Tom, 69, said the smell outside the eatery was unbearable. She said she was worried about its potential harm to her grandchildren’s health.

“Bago magbagong taon, may mga basura na diyan… kumakain ako diyan tapos makikita mo tambak na basura… di ba nakakawalang gana?” Tom said. 

(Before the New Year, the garbage was already there. You sit down to eat, and you see mountains of trash. You'll lose your appetite.)

Mountains of trash have also piled up on Onyx Street in Barangay 787, but Danny Rosales, councilor of Barangay 787, said he has spotted a garbage truck collecting waste around midnight. 

“Nag-away-away na nga kami dito kaninang umaga. Tinatambak na dito sa amin ito punong-puno ito. Buti may dumating ‘yon… sakit ang aabutin mo diyan kung hindi makuha agad,” said Rosales.

(We actually had a heated argument here earlier this morning. The place was getting piled up with trash. Thankfully, a truck came... it would have been a real problem if it hadn’t been picked up immediately.)

'FORMER CONTRACTOR DIDN'T COLLECT TRASH'

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna attributed the issue to the failure of the city's former garbage contractor to collect trash on its last scheduled day.

“Yun pong huli dapat na araw na pagkokolekta ng dating service provider ay hindi po ginawa kung kaya’t yung mga basura po ng December 31 magpahanggang January 1 ay nagkatambak-tambak na,” said Lacuna.

(The last scheduled day of collection by the former service provider was not carried out, which is why the trash from December 31 to January 1 piled up.)

She added that due to the city's dense population, the volume of garbage accumulated was four times more than the usual daily collection.

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Leonel Waste Management Corporation denied that it abandoned its duty to collect the city's trash before its contract ended on Dec. 31. 

"Our company, Leonel, has always put our clients first and has never, nor will ever, abandon our duty of garbage collection. We have faithfully served our contract until December 31, 2024 despite the City of Manila’s total debt to our company amounting to PhP561,440,000," it said. 

"Our fulfillment of our obligations is well-documented with timestamped photos and Barangay Certifications signed by their representatives. Ultimately, the residents of the City of Manila can attest that Leonel did not abandon its duty."

It said it informed Lacuna last September that it would not participate in the 2025 bidding for  garbage collection services "because of the City’s mounting unpaid obligations to Leonel." 

The firm added that it had provided "reliable and consistent" services to Manila and other areas since 1993. 

"We are proud of the work that we do and  will not do anything to tarnish our track record and reputation. We are grateful for the continued trust of the public and the people we serve," it said. 

Meanwhile, Lacuna assured Manila residents that the new contractors, MetroWaste Solid Management Corp. and Phil. Ecology Systems Corp., together with other city departments, were working 24/7 to resolve the city's waste management backlog.

“Nagbigay po ako ng timeline sa kanila na hanggang ngayong araw po, matatapos ang lahat para bukas po, Lunes, ay nasa regular collection na tayo,” the Manila mayor said.

(I provided them with a timeline, and by today, everything should be completed so that starting tomorrow, Monday, we will return to regular collection.)

The mayor also apologized to residents whose daily lives have been disrupted by the public health concerns caused by the uncollected trash.