Pililla, Rizal Mayor John Masinsin expressed alarm Wednesday over the local government’s rising expenses on garbage collection.

In a Facebook post, Masinsin urged his constituents to reduce the volume of trash being collected so transportation costs could be allocated to other needs.

Municipal data showed that the local government is spending P9.5 million on garbage collection in 2024, up by P4.1 million from 2021’s P5.6 million.

The mayor noted that while the town’s population grew by only 5.8 percent in 2020, the volume of garbage collected has surged by 67.77 percent.

Of the total waste collected, 31.1 percent is biodegradable, 30.6 percent recyclable, 19.7 percent disposable, 8.4 percent residual, and 10.2 percent special waste.

Masinsin reminded his constituents of existing waste management laws and appealed for proper segregation, recycling, and composting to help address the problem.

The local government is enforcing measures such as the ban on single-use plastics, bottled water, and other products that rely on plastic. A hotline has also been set up for environmental concerns.