MANILA Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan replaced the city’s garbage collector after receiving multiple complaints about uncollected trash accumulating on the streets.
The city government announced that MetroWaste Solid Waste Management Corporation (MetroWaste) and Philippine Ecology Systems Corporation (PhilEco) would take over the waste collection operations, having won the contract through a transparent bidding process.
A “dry run” collection was conducted on December 30 to ensure a smooth transition.
The winning bids for the waste collection contracts were P412.9 million for Districts 1, 2, and 3 by MetroWaste, and P429.8 million for Districts 4, 5, and 6 by PhilEco, which fall within the city’s approved budget of P842.7 million for 2025.
Mayor Lacuna-Pangan explained that the city had experienced a 400 percent surge in garbage volume during the holiday season, which overwhelmed the previous contractor, Leonel Waste Management Corporation, who had been handling waste management since the past administration.
The bidding for the new contractors began on November 21, with submissions closing on December 3, and the contracts were quickly awarded afterward.
The mayor also addressed accusations that the failure of the previous contractor was a deliberate attempt to discredit the current administration, stating that Leonel Waste Management Corporation would be held accountable for any negligence or sabotage.
“We will not tolerate any form of corruption or incompetence,” said Mayor Lacuna-Pangan. “The negligence of the past contractor will be corrected, and we now have two contractors—MetroWaste and PhilEco—ensuring efficient waste collection throughout the city.”
To ensure a smooth transition, the mayor established Task Force Against Road Obstruction (TFARO), a 10-member team to oversee the shift from the old contractors to the new ones.
Although some initial adjustments are expected, Lacuna-Pangan assured that the transition would be quick and supported by the Manila Solid Waste Management Office to ensure efficient trash collection.
The mayor also warned against any attempts to sabotage the process and tarnish the reputation of the new contractors.
She urged barangay officials to support the new contractors and reminded residents to comply with proper waste segregation and follow updated garbage collection schedules.