City readies for 300-ton Dinagyang garbage haul

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City is preparing for a massive waste management operation during the Dinagyang Festival, with the General Services Office (GSO) projecting garbage collection to exceed 300 tons over the weeklong celebration.

Dinagyang, the city’s signature religious and cultural festival held every January in honor of the Santo Niño, draws thousands of spectators to street dances, food fairs, and religious activities across Iloilo City.

GSO chief Engr. Neil Ravena said the city collected about 260 tons of garbage during last year’s Dinagyang festivities, and waste volume this year is expected to increase by 40–60 tons due to higher attendance and expanded activities.

“The trash that we will collect will be a big stress to our sanitary landfill; however, we will operate the material recovery facility,” Ravena said Tuesday, Jan. 13.

“My instruction is that all plastics that will be recovered from Dinagyang will be brought to our MRF [Materials Recovery Facility],” he said.

“I want to document the journey of plastic waste and the celebration of Dinagyang for our circular economy project,” Ravena added.

Ravena said the opening salvo over the weekend served as a simulation exercise, allowing the city to adjust and improve its waste management measures ahead of the festival highlights.

During the two-day opening salvo, the GSO collected two truckloads of garbage from the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand alone.

He said six garbage trucks will be mobilized to cover major activity areas, while 327 street sweepers will be deployed citywide during peak festival days.

Additional teams will also be assigned to maintain cleanliness in the Garden of Love and Barangay Magsaysay, based on issues observed during the opening salvo.

Ravena said the GSO will deploy 80 portable toilets across food festival areas, judging sites, Sunburst Park, and the Freedom Grandstand.

Personnel will be assigned specifically to maintain the portable toilets throughout the events.

“In the Freedom Grandstand, we will add eight local portalets for that area only, on top of the public toilet in the area,” Ravena said.

He added that GSO personnel have already inspected comfort rooms at the Iloilo Sports Complex to ensure they are fully functional.

A 20-cubic-meter garbage truck will be stationed at the complex, which is expected to accommodate a large number of spectators.

The GSO is projecting 5,000–6,000 kilograms of waste in the area, which can be handled by a single truck.

Ravena said waste bins have been increased to more than 100, with additional bins possibly installed along the parade route after littering was identified as a “problematic” issue during the opening salvo.

Water tankers will also be stationed in key areas for flushing, particularly along Valeria Delgado Street, Ledesma Street, and the Freedom Grandstand, he said.

For beautification sites, temporary fences will be installed to protect plants, especially along Ledesma Street and Muelle Loney Street.

Ravena said ecoboards made from recycled plastics used in previous years will be reused for this year’s festival.

No new ecoboards were produced because the facility that processes low-density plastics for the boards has suspended operations.