Celebrations meant to express faith, joy, and community too often end in scenes of neglect. When crowds disperse after holidays and special events, they leave behind mountains of garbage that must be cleared by government workers.

Every year, government agencies report massive volumes of garbage collected from public parks and event sites after Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and large religious gatherings such as the Pahalik at the Quirino Grandstand and the Traslacion or procession of the Black Nazarene held Jan. 9 and still ongoing yesterday morning.

This happens despite repeated reminders from local government units urging parkgoers and participants to bring bags for their trash, dispose of waste properly, or take it home. The reminders are clear and constant.

The recent Pahalik and Traslacion of the Feast of the Black Nazarene once again put this problem on display. At the Quirino Grandstand, several tons of garbage were collected —plastic water bottles, disposable cups, and styrofoam food containers— left behind by devotees who spent the night at the venue. As the procession moved on, employees of the Manila City Department of Public Services were left to clean up what had been abandoned. Last year, the department collected 382 tons of garbage during the Traslacion and Pahalik, a staggering figure that shows how quickly waste accumulates when discipline breaks down.

The same pattern can be seen elsewhere. In Baguio City after the Christmas break, authorities lamented that there were piles of trash in areas where visitors gathered, particularly where commuter vans and private vehicles were parked. These scenes have become familiar after long weekends and holidays, reinforcing the idea that littering is no longer an isolated act but a habitual response when people believe someone else will clean up after them.

These actions feed directly into the country’s broader solid waste management problem, which has reached alarming proportions. Government data show that the Philippines now generates about 61,000 to 62,000 metric tons of solid waste every day—more than 22 million metric tons annually. This volume continues to grow due to population increase, urbanization, and the widespread use of disposable products. If current trends persist, waste generation will rise even further in the coming years, placing more pressure on already strained local governments.

Solid waste management is not simply about collecting garbage after it has piled up. It involves reducing waste at source, proper segregation, recycling and composting, and safe final disposal. Yet more than two decades after the passage of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, many local government units still lack adequate materials recovery facilities and access to sanitary landfills. Public compliance with waste segregation and proper disposal remains inconsistent, and enforcement of anti-littering ordinances is often weak.

Improperly discarded trash ends up clogging drainage systems, polluting waterways, and contributing to flooding and health risks. The cost of cleaning up after large events—borne by taxpayers and government workers—could instead be spent on improving services or strengthening environmental programs.

Leaving garbage behind at public gatherings reveals a deeper problem: a mindset that treats public spaces as disposable and assumes that others will shoulder the burden of cleaning. This attitude shows little respect for shared spaces and for the workers who labor long hours to restore order once celebrations end.

Public spaces belong to everyone. Until people learn to clean as they celebrate and take responsibility for the waste they generate, the trash left behind will remain a telling measure of how far the country still has to go in solving its solid waste problem.