Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Tuesday said he expects the city’s garbage situation to normalize within three days, following a waste collection backlog that affected multiple areas in the capital.
In a report by Jhomer Apresto on GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita, Moreno estimated that the city has already completed around 55% of the cleanup operations.
“I think naka-55% na kami. Ang tantsa naming mga three days babalik na sa normalization, hopefully,” he said.
The issue stemmed from the halted operations of two private garbage contractors—PhilEco and MetroWaste—who reportedly stopped collecting waste due to unsettled payments dating back to January. The city also still owes a separate amount to a former contractor, Leonel, whose services were previously terminated.
According to Moreno, the city owes nearly P400 million to PhilEco and MetroWaste, while an additional P561 million remains unpaid to Leonel. The suspension of collection services led to the accumulation of garbage in several districts, prompting concerns about sanitation and public health.
Since Monday, Moreno has been personally inspecting affected neighborhoods to monitor the garbage collection efforts and ensure that operations are proceeding as scheduled. City sanitation teams and available vehicles have been mobilized to clear the backlog while the local government works to address the financial disputes with the contractors.
The mayor initially considered declaring a health emergency due to the worsening garbage crisis but now says the situation is expected to stabilize within the week.