ILOILO City – Around 82 tons of garbage were collected by the General Services Office (GSO) of the city government during the three-day highlight of the Dinagyang Festival 2025.
The collection began on Friday, January 24, during the fluvial parade, solemn foot procession, and ILOmination Philippine Light Festival.
It continued on January 25 with the Dinagyang festive parade, sponsors’ mardi gras, Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan, and the grand religious sadsad.
On January 26, events included the concelebrated high mass for the feast day of Señor Santo Niño de Cebu, the Dinagyang tribes competition, Sadsad sa Calle Real, and the Dinagyang awarding ceremony.
From January 24 to January 25, approximately 22 tons of garbage were collected.
On January 26, this figure surged to 60 tons, particularly along the routes of the Dinagyang tribes competition, which included the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, Iznart and JM Basa streets, Mabini-Delgado Streets, and Quezon-Ledesma Streets.
Areas hosting food festival, such as Delgado, Valeria, Quezon, Solis, and Ledesma streets, were also major collection points.
According to Engineer Neil Ravena, GSO head, clean-up operations commenced at 3 a.m. on Monday, January 27, to ensure the city streets were clean by sunrise.
The collected garbage was transported to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Barangay Calajunan, Mandurriao district, for sorting.
Plastics gathered from the festival will be processed into eco-boards.
Mayor Jerry Treñas expressed gratitude to the GSO for their efforts in keeping the city clean after the festival.
“Huge thanks to the City General Services Office for their tireless efforts in keeping our streets spotless after the Dinagyang event! Your dedication ensures that our city remains beautiful and welcoming for everyone,” Treñas said.
To aid the clean-up, Treñas announced that the food festival in the City Proper would close by 2 a.m. on January 27, allowing GSO personnel, street sweepers, and garbage collection teams to begin operations.
Clean-up efforts included garbage collection and street flushing, supported by fire trucks from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), ICAG, and the Iloilo Federation.
Meanwhile, food festivals in other areas, such as Gaisano ICC, SM City Iloilo, and Megaworld, operated under the discretion of their respective managements.
Treñas also thanked MORE Electric and Power Corporation for assisting in taking down the banderitas in preparation for the Chinese New Year Festival.
“Thank you to everyone who has contributed their time, effort, and resources to make Dinagyang 2025 a success,” said Treñas./PN
