Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 9) — At least 14 truckloads of waste were collected by the Manila City government along the trail of the Traslacion this year.
While still massive, this is significantly lower than the 44 truckloads of waste collected by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority in the last two years duringTraslacion.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said they are working doubly hard to make sure the procession routes are clean again.
He also warned devotees that they will face penalties if they do not follow the city’s ordinances on cleanliness.
Environment advocacy group EcoWaste Coalition, however, said signs reminding people not to litter were unheeded.
EcoWaste slammed what they dubbed as “Trash-lacion,” as devotees left “mixed garbage, including sleeping materials, food leftovers, urine-filled plastic bottles, dirty diapers, and hordes of single-use plastics” at the Quirino Grandstand.
“The repeated call by various sectors, including the Manila City Government, Quiapo Church and the EcoWaste Coalition, for an environmentally-responsible expression of piety and devotion again fell on deaf ears,” EcoWaste said.
The group, however, said it is confident that more devotees of the Black Nazarene will be more environmentally-conscious in the coming years.
CNN Philippines Correspondent Rex Remitio contributed to this report.
