Pililla, Rizal Mayor John Masinsin has urged residents to segregate their waste amid concerns over the rising expenses in garbage collection each year.

In a recent interview with members of the PaMaMariSan-Rizal Press Corps, Masinsin said he has already called on residents to reduce the volume of garbage collected in their town so that government funds could be saved and allocated to other important needs.

“Lingid sa ating kaalaman, sa tuwing tayo po ay nagtatapon ng basura at kokolektahin po ng inyong barangay o ng pamahalaang bayan [ay] tayo po ay naglalaan ng pondo o gumagastos po tayo para itapon po 'yun o ilagay sa mga landfill (Unknown to many, every time we throw garbage and it is collected by the barangay or the local government, we are actually allocating funds or spending money just to dispose of it in landfills),” he explained.

“So essentially, tayo po ay nagtatapon ng pera para tayo ay magtapon ng ating mga basura (So essentially, we are throwing away money just to throw away our garbage),” the mayor added.

Data from the municipal government showed that garbage collection increased from 472 truckloads in 2020 to 583 in 2021, 644 in 2022, 691 in 2023, and 792 in 2024.

Along with the growing volume of waste, expenses for garbage collection have also continued to rise. Masinsin said the local government spent P5.6 million in 2020, P7.7 million in 2022, and about P9.5 million in 2024 for waste hauling.

The mayor expressed concern that while Pililla’s population grew by only 5.8 percent, from 68,400 in 2020 to 72,500 this year, the volume of garbage collected surged by 67.77 percent over the same period.

Data also showed that the collected waste consisted of 31.1 percent biodegradable, 30.6 percent recyclable, 19.7 percent disposable, 8.4 percent residual, and 10.2 percent special waste.

“Nakakalungkot po isipin na malaking [bahagi] ng ating pondo ay nauubos lang para itapon ang ating mga basura (It is disheartening to think that a large portion of our funds is being spent only to dispose of our garbage),” he said.

Masinsin also reminded residents that a law on waste segregation is already implemented, as he appealed for diligence in recycling and composting to help reduce the town’s garbage problem.

He said that with proper waste segregation, almost 60 percent of the town’s garbage could be reused. Recyclables may be collected by barangays and sold to junkshops to provide extra income for garbage collectors, while biodegradable waste can be used for composting to produce fertilizer for farmers.

As part of the initiative to reduce waste, the municipal government began enforcing a ban on single-use plastics, bottled water, and other plastic-packaged products among its own employees.

The mayor added that a telephone hotline has also been set up for residents to report issues related to solid waste management.

“We also decided to establish a telephone hotline where our constituents can report issues related to solid waste management,” he stated.