Manila completes flood cleanup in 5 days

MANILA, Philippines - The Manila City government completed its cleanup within five days after tropical storm “Ondoy” flooded the metropolis, a city official said yesterday.

Caloy Baltazar, chief of the city’s department of public services, said Manila was severely affected by floods, but the city government and Leonel Waste Management Corp. – the city’s exclusive garbage contractor for the last 15 years – managed to haul all the trash in five days.

Baltazar said the city government collects about 1,600 metric tons of trash a day, but after the flood, the city government collected 15,000 metric tons for five days.

He attributed the city’s quick cleanup to 200 dump trucks, 150 of which has compactors, leased from Leonel as well as three backhoes and three payloaders to haul the garbage.

Baltazar also said the city loads the trash onto a barge at Pier 18, and the barge brings it to the Navotas landfill. He said it is more efficient since it bypasses traffic along major roads.

Despite the extra trips the city’s garbage contractor had to make, they were done without any any additional cost to the city government and the citizens of Manila, he said.             – Sandy Araneta