MANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso returned to office on June 30, facing a mounting trash crisis and nearly P1 billion owed to garbage collector contractors that had stopped services.
In a Facebook livestream on Monday at noon, Domagoso announced that two waste collection firms, Philippine Ecology Systems Corp. (PhilEco) and MetroWaste Solid Waste Management Corp., had informed the city they were ceasing operations due to unpaid obligations.
“Sumulat po sa atin ang PhilEco, MetroWaste Management, at nakasaad po sa kanilang sulat ngayong araw na ito ay humihinto na po sila o titigil na po sila ng pagkolekta ng basura sa ating lungsod,” Domagoso said.
The contractors pulled out of their services due to the city’s failure to pay for services rendered from February 2025 to the present.
In January, then-Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna alleged negligence on the part of Leonel Waste Management Corp., the city’s former garbage contractor, which she blamed for the city’s mounting trash.
Leonel denied Lacuna’s allegations, stating that the city owed it P561 million — a claim Domagoso affirmed. The mayor added that the total arrears owed by Manila now amount to roughly P950 million.
“Ang bayaring kakaharapin natin — at hindi na kinaya rin ng mga naturang kumpanya — ay tumataginting na P950 million. Para sa simpleng arithmetic, umalis ang Leonel dala ng hindi nabayaran nang walong buwan na P561 million,” he said.
“May nagsinungaling, may nagkubli, may nagtago, pero lumabas ang katotohanan: Hindi sila bayad.”
The withdrawal of the garbage contractors left the city with piles of uncollected waste, prompting complaints from residents.
“Kung kahapon, noong isang araw, noong isang linggo, at ilang linggo na ang nakararaan ay tambak ang basura — saan mang sulok ng ating siyudad — ay malamang sa hindi titriple pa iyan dahil wala nang maghahakot ng basura,” Domagoso said.
“Ang lahat ng inireklamo ninyo sa akin patungkol sa nangyayaring tambak ng basura, ito po ay hindi natin tutulugan — aaksyonan po natin.”
Domagoso added that he reached out to the former contractor, Leonel, requesting their assistance in clearing the city’s trash with help from local agencies.
“[B]uong kababaang loob ako na nakiusap sa Leonel Waste Management, for old times’ sake, tutal matagal naman sila nagserbisyo at nag hanapbuhay sa Maynila,” he said.
“[N]akiusap ako sa mga may-ari nito [Leonel] na kung pwede, hakutin muna nila ang basura ng Maynila ngayong araw na ito nang libre, nang walang gastos sa taxpayers’ money.”
Shortly after the request, cleanup operations were underway in parts of Taft Avenue, Quiapo and Tondo. Photos shared on Domagoso’s page showed cleared streets.
By afternoon, teams from Leonel, along with personnel from the Department of Public Services and the Department of Engineering and Public Works, began clearing the city’s streets.
Domagoso also proposed declaring a state of public health emergency due to the worsening sanitation issue, a measure he plans to present to the city council during his State of the City Address on July 1.
“‘Yon po’y kailangan nating gawin para sa mga darating na araw, tayo po’y magkaroon ng sapat na kapangyarihan upang legal na tugunan ‘yong suliranin natin sa kalusugan, sa masamang magiging epekto at naging epekto na ng tambak na basura,” Domagoso said.
“This threat to our health — the imminent danger brought by this garbage in our city will be confronted.”
Domagoso returned to city hall after defeating ally-turned-opponent Lacuna in the 2025 polls, securing a second term as mayor. The actor-turned-politician, who previously served from 2019 to 2022, won with 560,338 votes, well ahead of Lacuna’s 197,572. Justin Jacob S. Urag
