Manila’s garbage is now being hauled as far as 70 kilometers away following the closure of the Navotas landfill by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in August, forcing the city to adjust its waste disposal operations.
The city’s Department of Public Services (DPS) said it has been four months since it began adjusting to the new setup to manage the estimated 1,800 tons of garbage generated daily by Manila residents.
In an interview, DPS Executive Director Kenneth Amurao said that even before the landfill closure, Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno had ordered preparations for the transition.
These included the installation of a transfer station and the deployment of about 100 long-haul trucks to prevent garbage from piling up across the city.
Amurao said the potential garbage crisis was averted after Moreno ordered the immediate construction of a transfer station.
Garbage collected by smaller trucks operated by contractor Leonel Hauling is now transferred to larger trucks that transport the waste to San Mateo, Rizal.
“The mayor acted quickly and made sure there would be no repeat of a garbage crisis, even though the new dumping site is much farther. Before, garbage was hauled by barge from the port area, which was just a short distance away and had no traffic. Now, the challenge is the long travel time and traffic,” Amurao said.
The Navotas landfill was closed on 26 August 2025. Since then, the city government has continued to collect and transport garbage using long-haul trucks despite the increased distance.
Amurao said the DPS has also been instructed to brace for higher waste volume during the Christmas season through the Traslacion of the Black Nazarene.
He sought to allay concerns raised by some community leaders over the closure of the old dumpsite, assuring residents that garbage collection will remain efficient despite the longer hauling distance.