Less ‘Undas’ garbage this year: MMDA

The agency was able to haul 5.25 tons of trash. (Pixabay photo)

MANILA — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has collected lesser volume of garbage from major cemeteries in Metro Manila for this year’s commemoration of All Saints’ Day.

The agency was able to haul 5.25 tons of trash from the Manila North and South Cemetery, Loyola Memorial Park, Libingan ng mga Bayani, San Juan City Cemetery and Bagbag Cemetery compared to the 27 truckloads or 162 tons of waste collected last year, according to MMDA supervising officer for operations Bong Nebrija.

“This could be attributed to the fact that we were only limited to cleaning outside cemeteries. There were lesser crowd in cemeteries as well because of the rainy weather,” Nebrija said in a text message to reporters.

The MMDA has activated its Oplan Undas from October 27 until November 2.

Around 2,886 personnel consisting of traffic enforcers and augmentation teams were deployed to conduct clean-up operations in various public and private cemeteries in Metro Manila.

The MMDA Road Emergency Group also set up tents which served as public assistance facilities with ambulances on standby at the Manila North Cemetery, Manila South Cemetery, Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City and San Juan Public Cemetery to immediately respond to any emergencies.

Members of the Reckless Driving Enforcement Team, Anti-Jaywalking Unit and Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group were likewise dispatched at the bus terminals in Araneta, Cubao, EDSA, Pasay-Taft, Sampaloc, Dangwa and Mindanao Avenue to prepare for the influx of passengers.