Ondoy's lessons ignored in trash-filled Manila cemeteries

The lessons from tropical storm Ondoy, which brought epic floods in the nation’s capital partly as a result of garbage-clogged canals and drainage systems, seem to be lost on Manila residents who generated tons of garbage during the observance of All Saints’ Day over the weekend. Tony Dizon, a coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition, said parts of the Manila North Cemetery, Manila South Cemetery, and the Chinese Cemetery resembled garbage dump sites with mounds of trash piled up in many corners of the most populated burial grounds in the metropolis. “We are really saddened by what we have seen. It’s as if they didn’t learn from the floods brought by Ondoy and Pepeng. Parang walang nangyari," Dizon lamented in a phone interview with GMANews.TV on Monday. He attributed the massive flooding brought by Ondoy to the clogging of storm drainage and waterways due to plastic rubbish and other trash. Every year, the EcoWaste Coalition conducts information drives in Metro Manila’s main cemeteries by handing out leaflets on the hazards of improper waste disposal. But even though they had beefed up their campaign, Dizon said: “Marami pa rin ang nagtatapon ng basura kung saan-saan sa sementeryo (A lot of people still throw their trash anywhere in the cemeteries)." Dizon said their main goal is to minimize the amount of garbage in cemeteries, which he said could pose health hazards by emitting harmful fumes. He said data from Manila City Hall showed that from November 1 to 5 last year, about 180 trucks of garbage were hauled from the Manila North, Manila South and Chinese Cemeteries. The trash collected weighed approximately 1,145 tons. This year, Dizon said the group is hoping that the figures would go down. Calls unheeded Last week, Manila North Cemetery Administration officer-in-charge Peter Tamondong said the cemetery management and staff “can only do so much and we really need the people to help and be involved" in disposing of their trash properly. Even Manila Police District head Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay appealed to cemetery visitors to bring their own garbage bags. But their calls fell on deaf ears.

On Monday, garbage collectors started gathering heaps of trash left by hundreds of thousands who paid their respects to loved ones in Metro Manila’s most populated cemeteries. At the Manila North Cemetery, garbage trucks were loaded with trash left by an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people who flocked to the cemetery last Sunday. “Lagi namang tambak ang basura dito ‘pag ganitong mga araw. Wala naman kasing disiplina yung mga nagpupunta. Kung saan-saan tinatapon yung pinagkainan at basura nila," said Boy Legaspi in an interview with GMANews.TV. Legaspi visits his deceased parents and siblings at the North Cemetery. (Garbage always piles up here during this occasion. People have no discipline. They just throw their trash anywhere.) GMA News’ Kara David reported that other collectors made money out of the trash by sifting through the rubbish for items made of plastic, which they would sell at P5 per kilogram. Others also scavenged for melted candle wax, which they would sell at P12 per kilogram. Even as the crowd lessened at the Manila North Cemetery on Monday, security remained tight. Alcoholic drinks, sharp objects, bladed weapons, and even belts with big buckles are still prohibited within the premises. Largest burial grounds Sprawled across 54 hectares of land, the Manila North Cemetery is the country’s largest burial grounds. It is also home to at least 2,000 people who share living space with the deceased. At the South Cemetery in Makati City, radio dzBB reported that food wrappers and other trash were scattered on the grounds after people visited their dead over the weekend. The South Cemetery occupies a 25-hectare expanse. Not spared Even private cemeteries that are not densely populated were not spared. At the Holy Cross Memorial Park in Novaliches, Quezon City, families on picnic mode had to contend with the stench of garbage. There are ample garbage bins in the cemetery, but some people still threw their trash into the nearby creek. Plastic bags, juice cups, paper plates and spoiled leftovers lay on the ground, attracting flies. Meanwhile, some volunteer groups eased their clean-up operations in cemeteries Monday, anticipating a return to normal once All Souls’ Day ends. - with reports from Amita Legaspi and Joseph Holandes Ubalde, GMANews.TV