Newly-elected Manila garbage crisis Mayor Francisco Domagoso has issued a grave warning about a mounting garbage crisis in the Philippine capital, urging nearly two million residents to keep their rubbish indoors as the city faces a potential public health emergency.
Domagoso, also known by his screen name Isko Moreno, took office on Monday and immediately confronted the city’s worsening trash situation. With two garbage collection contractors—PhilEco and MetroWaste—abandoning their contracts over unpaid dues totalling nearly $7 million, garbage has begun to pile up on Manila’s streets, raising serious health and sanitation concerns.
“Delay Taking Your Trash Out,” Mayor Urges Residents
In a Facebook video that has since gone viral, Domagoso addressed the public with a candid plea: “If possible, delay bringing your trash out. Keep it inside your homes until we normalise the collection of garbage in Manila.”
The mayor described the accumulating rubbish as a “smelly eyesore” that poses risks especially to the elderly, the sick, and children. “Insects that fly over piles of trash can land on the food we eat,” he warned.
Domagoso hopes the city council will formally declare a health emergency to fast-track solutions. He also led the cleaning of Manila’s streets on Tuesday morning using water and soap from fire trucks to wash down public spaces Manila garbage crisis.
Manila’s Long Battle with Waste
Manila, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, has long struggled with Manila garbage crisis management issues. During Domagoso’s first term as mayor from 2019 to 2022, he prioritised urban cleanliness—an effort that gained him widespread popularity and a later presidential run in 2022, although he lost to Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Now back in office, Domagoso is again putting cleanliness front and center. On Monday, he revealed that the two companies terminated their contracts due to non-payment, while a third firm, Leonel Waste Management, claimed it was owed over 560 million pesos.
Contractors Quit, City Pleads for Help
With garbage collection at a standstill, Domagoso admitted to “begging” Leonel to resume its services—this time for free—until the city can restructure its contracts and payments.
“We continue bathing the streets and we won’t stop until the filth is gone,” Domagoso wrote on Facebook, sharing images of freshly cleaned roads. His post was widely shared, with many Filipinos expressing both sympathy and outrage at the dire state of public sanitation.
Read more stories on environmental and urban issues.
Health Concerns Rising
Public health experts are warning of a possible outbreak of diseases such as dengue, cholera, and gastrointestinal infections due to exposed waste. The city’s tropical climate and lack of immediate waste removal only amplify these risks.
Residents have taken to social media to report foul smells and increased sightings of rats, cockroaches, and flies. With the rainy season looming, the threat of contaminated floodwaters could further complicate the situation.
Looking Ahead
Domagoso has appealed to both the private sector and national government to help address the crisis. He is also lobbying for emergency funding to pay contractors and reboot the waste management system in the city.
“Let us not return to a Manila that stinks and makes its people sick. We need to act fast and stay united,” Domagoso said, ending his video message on a hopeful note.
