Magalong defends local garbage handling amid allegations

BAGUIO CITY — Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Tuesday rejected claims that solid waste management is an inherently corrupt enterprise across all local governments, asserting that Baguio City operates its garbage collection with strict oversight to prevent graft.

Magalong made the statement in response to remarks by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, who claimed that solid waste management has become a lucrative revenue scheme for several local government units.

While acknowledging that corruption exists in some localities, Magalong disputed the idea that only a single local government unit in the country remains untainted.

He cited that alongside Pasig City, other local governments, including Baguio City, operate without engaging in corrupt waste management arrangements.

Magalong highlighted known kickback schemes in other areas, citing instances where illegal cuts ranged from 27 to 30 percent per transaction. He recalled a prior offer involving a 6 percent cut, equivalent to roughly P120 per hauling trip.

Collecting 200 tons of garbage daily under such a scheme could net up to P50,000 per day in illicit earnings based on overall waste volume, he calculated.

Despite acknowledging the large sums of money involved in the waste management sector, Magalong stressed that such practices are strictly prohibited in the city, emphasizing that local officials do not profit from public waste services.

“There really is money in garbage. But here in Baguio, that is prohibited. We are not thieves here in the city of Baguio. We are not stealing anything here,” Magalong said.

Baguio City generates approximately 550 tons of mixed waste daily, with its General Services Office collecting around 300 tons of that total. Depending on the season, between 230 and 250 tons of the collected material consists of residual waste that cannot be processed locally and must be hauled out daily for disposal in commercial sanitary landfills in nearby areas, including Pangasinan and Central Luzon.

Meanwhile, the city government and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, alongside community volunteers, began site-clearing operations Tuesday at ground zero in Purok 2, Barangay Guisad Surong, where a deadly landslide previously struck.

Magalong and CDRRMO chief Charles Carame led the operations, which aimed to clear debris, eliminate remaining environmental hazards and restore road accessibility to the affected community.

Multiple local agencies participated in the response, including officials from Barangay Guisad Surong, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Baguio City Police Office and Philippine Army Reservists.

Personnel from the City Engineering Office, City Buildings and Architecture Office, City Environment and Parks Management Office, and the Public Order and Safety Division also worked alongside community volunteers to clear soil and debris from the slope.

The landslide occurred after intense monsoonal rains exacerbated by typhoons “Luis” and “Maymay” saturated the soil along the hillsides of Baguio City.

Also, heavy downpour triggered soil erosion and rock slides across several slope-prone areas, with Guisad Surong suffering significant casualties and property damage as mud and debris buried structures at the base of the hill.