Returning Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko" Moreno Domagoso is wasting no time during his first two days in office, confronting an alleged P961-million garbage debt, signing 20 executive orders, and declaring a State of Citywide Health Emergency to address the capital’s waste crisis.

Moreno officially assumed office on Monday, 30 June, and immediately held a press conference at City Hall to announce that the city owed nearly a billion pesos to three garbage collection contractors — Leonel Waste Management Corporation, MetroWaste Solid Waste Management Corporation, and Philippine Ecology Systems Corporation (PhilEco).

He said Leonel, which completed its contract at the end of December 2024, had not been paid ₱561 million, while MetroWaste and PhilEco, which took over in January, ceased operations as of 30 June due to another ₱400 million in unpaid dues. Moreno blamed the former administration under outgoing mayor Honey Lacuna for the alleged financial mismanagement that triggered the collapse in waste collection.

“They didn’t pay Leonel, and now they haven’t paid MetroWaste and PhilEco either, which is absurd. No company will bear the brunt [of losses] because it’s their business,” Moreno said.

To prevent a potential health crisis, Moreno declared a State of Citywide Health Emergency on 30 June and requested immediate assistance from the national government and the MMDA. “I have begged Leonel to dedicate all their resources to the city of Manila to collect all the garbage... and we are very thankful it was positively received by them — for free,” he said.

The cleanup officially began at 2 PM on Monday and continued through Tuesday morning. In a social media post showing the state of Recto Avenue and Divisoria, Moreno vowed that the street washing would not stop until “the filth is gone.”

What's with the vaults?

Moreno has also revealed potential irregularities in the mayor’s office itself. On Monday evening, he posted on Facebook photos of two large cash vaults left behind, questioning their purpose. “Not one, but two vaults! What are these two big cash vaults doing here? When did the mayor’s office become the City Treasurer’s Office or a bank?” he wrote in Filipino.

In a separate post, Moreno invited residents to tune in to his Inaugural Address at 2 PM on Tuesday, 1 July. “Let us find out the real condition of Manila and the steps we will take moving forward,” he said.

Moreno announced on Tuesday morning that he had signed 20 executive orders to jumpstart programs in healthcare, education, public safety, and livelihood. “Through these executive orders, we can strengthen different sectors and improve public services,” he said. “We will make sure you feel the positive effects of these new policies and programs.”

Asked whether his administration intends to pursue legal action over the financial mess, Moreno said it was not his immediate focus. “I will go after maybe only two percent of their accountability, while the other 98 percent will be dedicated to servicing Manileños and resolving the mess,” he said.