By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Manila’s garbage collection operations remained fully on track Monday despite days of relentless habagat rains, with city sanitation crews continuing to clear waste and fallen trees as flooding and strong winds disrupted normal activity across the capital.
The Department of Environment and Public Services (DEPS) reported that the city’s solid waste management system remained operational as of Monday morning, ensuring that garbage collection did not grind to a halt even as frontline workers confronted hazardous conditions on the streets.
DEPS Director Kenneth Amurao said garbage trucks continued their regular operations, while the Manila Transfer Station remained open to receive collected waste before it is transported to its final disposal site.
The San Mateo Sanitary Landfill also continued normal operations, allowing the city’s waste-disposal chain to remain uninterrupted despite the prolonged spell of heavy rain.
The assurance came as Metro Manila remained under the effects of the enhanced Southwest Monsoon, which has dumped persistent heavy rains over the region since Saturday, August 8.
While garbage trucks kept moving, DEPS personnel were simultaneously deployed in areas affected by fallen trees and storm debris.
Workers were clearing toppled trees and other obstructions from roads to restore safe passage for motorists, commuters and pedestrians.
The continuing operations underscore a critical but often overlooked challenge during prolonged flooding: even as residents are told to stay safe indoors, sanitation and emergency crews must remain on the streets to keep the capital functioning.
For Manila, the objective is to prevent the weather emergency from creating a second crisis—one involving accumulated garbage, blocked roads and compromised public sanitation.
With the habagat still affecting the metropolis, city officials said frontline operations would continue as conditions permit, keeping the capital’s waste-management system moving despite the punishing weather.
ia/xf
