The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Monday reported collecting 12 truckloads of trash from various cemeteries in the National Capital Region before, during, and after the observance of Undas (All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day).
This despite appeals from the MMDA, local governments, and various environmental groups urging people to avoid dumping and leaving waste at cemeteries during the annual observation.
At least 380 personnel from the Metro Parkways Clearing Group (MPCG), the MMDA’s team responsible for maintaining cleanliness around cemeteries and memorial parks, collected 2,347 garbage bags or 50 tons of trash from October 26 to November 4, covering more than 20 cemeteries in Metro Manila.
Earlier, the Ecowaste Coalition urged cemetery visitors to observe a healthier and safer way to remember loved ones during the solemn occasion.
On November 1, the group’s “Basura Patrollers” visited 29 public and private cemeteries, including 17 in Metro Manila, four in Cavite, three in Laguna, two in Rizal, and one each in Bataan, Bulacan, and Pampanga.
“While littering inside the cemeteries has remarkably decreased, mixed waste bins, plastic bags, and other improvised receptacles were overflowing in most cemeteries,” Ecowaste Coalition national coordinator Aileen Lucero said, emphasizing that visitors tended to throw their waste into bins and expect staff to haul it away.
Commonly discarded items included single-use plastic bags, disposable food containers, plastic water bottles, paper and plastic cups and plates, snack packs, and food leftovers such as donuts, pizza, and pancit boxes.
“As most cemeteries lack proper solid waste management systems, it would be better for visitors to take their trash home. Biodegradable waste, like food scraps, can be fed to animals or composted, while non-biodegradable items can be reused, repurposed, or recycled,” Lucero said.
Some cemeteries do not have designated waste bins, leading to scattered piles of trash in various areas, even in spots marked with “no dumping” signs.
Outside cemeteries, street vendors experienced brisk sales due to the crowds, but many people carelessly dropped litter—particularly food wrappers, plastic bottles, cups, and bamboo skewers—on streets and sidewalks, as noted by the Basura Patrollers.
