Metro Manila All Saints’ Day observance generates 934 tons of trash

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) yesterday finished clearing 26 cemeteries in Metro Manila and collected 934 tons of trash.

Francis Martinez, chief of MMDA’s Metro Parkway Clearing Group, said the Manila North Cemetery had the most trash collected.

Martinez said the volume of trash collected from the metro cemeteries this year is lower compared to last year’s 1,884 tons.

He attributed the low volume of trash collected to the government’s decision not to declare Nov. 2 a holiday.

Martinez said the garbage was mostly styrofoam food containers, scrap paper and newspapers and plastic cups.

The MMDA started its clearing operations on Monday, using personnel and equipment from its Metro Parkway Clearing Group.

Cleared of garbage were the La Loma Cemetery in Caloocan City; Mandaluyong Cemetery and San Felipe Neri Catholic Cemetery in Mandaluyong City; North and South cemeteries in Manila; Barangka Cemetery in Marikina City; Loyola Memorial Park, Manila Memorial Park and Palanyag Public Cemetery in Parañaque City; Sargento Mariano Public Cemetery in Pasay; Roman Catholic Cemetery in Pasig; Aglipay, San Joaquin and San Roque cemeteries in Pateros; Bagbag and Baesa cemeteries in Quezon City; San Juan Cemetery in San Juan City; Hagonoy Cemetery and Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig; Arkong Bato, Palasan and Karuhatan cemeteries in Valenzuela; Soldiers Hill Cemetery in Muntinlupa City; St. Joseph Public Cemetery in Las Piñas, and Tugatog Cemetery in Malabon.