Tracking trash costs: Which Metro Manila cities spent more or less

MANILA, Philippines – The combined environmental and sanitary services contracts of 16 Metro Manila’s cities rose from P8.2 billion in 2023 to P8.5 billion in 2024, showed financial statements submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA).

Caloocan, Las Piñas, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Parañaque, Pasig, Valenzuela, Malabon, Taguig, and Muntinlupa reported higher expenses compared to the previous year.

Others recorded lower spending: Makati, Manila, Navotas, Quezon City, and San Juan.

Pasay City’s expenses were almost the same, from P484.84 million to P484.91 million.

Caloocan City’s spending rose to P894 million from P874 million; Las Piñas to P215 million from P208 million; Mandaluyong to P358 million from P348 million; and Marikina to P182 million from P168 million.

Parañaque’s expenses increased to P453 million from P423 million; Pasig’s to P509 million from P431 million; and Valenzuela’s climbed to P298 million from P227 million.

Muntinlupa City spent over P323 million in 2023 and more than P354 million in 2024.

Malabon City posted the biggest jump, nearly doubling its environmental and sanitary services expenses from P38 million to P69 million, showing an 81.77% increase. Its officials said the amount covered clean-and-green programs, garbage and hospital waste collection and disposal, and payments for services rendered by sweepers and environmental enforcers hired by the city.

A large gap in spending was seen between Taguig and Makati following the 2023 transfer of 10 barangays from Makati to Taguig, a boundary shift that also reassigned responsibility for the waste generated by roughly 300,000 residents.

Taguig City’s garbage hauling expenses jumped from P640.97 million in 2023 to P920 million in 2024, or an increase of about P279 million after it assumed jurisdiction over the former Makati barangays.

Makati posted a steep drop in costs over the same period, with garbage hauling expenses falling from P695.54 million to P497.95 million, translating to savings of roughly P197 million.

The barangays transferred to Taguig, which are Enlisted Men’s Barrios (EMBOs), include Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Rizal, Post Proper Northside, and Post Proper Southside. Their transfer followed a final Supreme Court ruling that resolved the long-standing boundary dispute between the two cities.

Meanwhile, other Metro Manila cities reported declines in environmental and sanitary services spending.

Manila spent P969 million in 2024, slightly lower than the P972 million recorded the previous year, even as the city government imposed higher collection fees to help defray hauling costs.

Navotas City’s expenses dropped to P63 million from P64 million, while Quezon City cut its expenses by P105 million to P2.118 billion from P2.223 billion in 2023.

San Juan City also reduced its expenses, spending P167 million in 2024, down P2.4 million from the previous year. – Rappler.com