Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan replaced the city’s garbage collector after receiving numerous complaints about uncollected trash piling up along city streets.
In a statement, the city government announced that MetroWaste Solid Waste Management Corporation (MetroWaste) and Philippine Ecology Systems Corporation (PhilEco) have taken over waste collection operations after winning the contract through a clean and transparent bidding process.
It added that a “dry run” collection was conducted on December 30, to ensure a smooth transition.
"Nanalo ang MetroWaste at PhilEco sa bidding sa halagang pasok sa approved budget ng Lungsod na P842.7 milyon. Ang kontrata ay para sa buong taon ng 2025, para sa anim na distrito ng Maynila. Nasa P412,931,706.32 ang winning bid ng MetroWaste para sa Districts 1, 2, at 3 ng Maynila habang P429,786,061.68 ang winning bid ng PhilEco para sa koleksyon at disposal ng basura sa Districts 4, 5, at 6 (The winning bids of MetroWaste and PhilEco, amounting to P412.9 million and P429.8 million respectively, were within the city's approved budget of P842.7 million. These contracts cover waste collection for all six districts in Manila throughout 2025)," Mayor Lacuna-Pangan explained.
She revealed that during the holiday season, the volume of garbage in Manila surged by 400 percent, overwhelming the city's former contractor, Leonel Waste Management Corporation, which had been handling waste management since the previous administration.
Lacuna-Pangan also said that the bidding process for the new contractors began with an invitation issued on November 21 and the submission deadline set for December 3.
The bidding took place on the same day, and the contracts were awarded shortly after.
Mayor Lacuna-Pangan also addressed allegations that the previous contractor’s failure was a deliberate move to discredit the current administration.
She vowed to hold Leonel Waste Management Corporation accountable for any negligence or sabotage.
“Makakaasa po kayong hindi ko palalampasin ang pananabotaheng ito at mananagot ang mga sangkot dito. Katulad po ng una nating sinabi, ang kapabayaan ng nakaraang garbage collector ay aayusin natin, kung kaya’t dalawa na po ngayon ang humahakot ng basura sa lungsod: ang MetroWaste at ang PhilEco (I assure you that we will not tolerate any form of corruption or incompetence. The past garbage collector’s negligence will be corrected, and we now have two contractors – MetroWaste and PhilEco – to ensure efficient waste collection throughout the city),” the mayor said.
To help manage the transition, Lacuna-Pangan formed a 10-member task force called Task Force Against Road Obstruction (TFARO), composed of various local government units.
The team will ensure that operations shift smoothly from the old contractors to the new ones.
“Asahan pong may kaunting adjustments sa simula, mabilis naman ang magiging transition dahil aalalay ang Manila Solid Waste Management Office sa mga bago nating contractors upang matiyak na mahahakot ang mga basura nang mabilis at maayos (While there may be some initial adjustments, the transition will be quick and supported by the Manila Solid Waste Management Office to ensure trash is collected efficiently),” Lacuna-Pangan explained.
The mayor also warned against attempts to disrupt the process and damage the reputation of the new contractors.
“May mga gumagawa ng hakbang para guluhin ang proseso at sirain ang reputasyon ng lungsod at bagong contractor. Kilala namin sila – ang iba'y nag-ooperate sa gedli-gedli, habang ang iba nama'y tila mga bampirang kayang maglalakad sa liwanag ng araw. Pakaway-kaway pa. Zero tolerance tayo sa anumang uri ng pananabotahe, mula man ito sa loob o labas ng city hall (We know who is behind these efforts to destabilize the waste collection system. We will not tolerate any form of sabotage, whether it comes from within or outside City Hall),” she emphasized.
Mayor Lacuna-Pangan also called on barangay officials to support the new contractors, reminding residents to adhere to proper waste segregation and follow the updated garbage collection schedules.