EcoWaste observes less litter inside voting centers during 2025 polls

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MANILA, Philippines — The EcoWaste Coalition reported a notable decrease in littering inside voting centers during the 2025 midterm polls.

In a statement on Friday,  the  Quezon City-based waste and pollution watchdog said the organization’s Garbage Patrollers described the voting centers as “generally litter-free.”

“For sure, there were bits and pieces of trash in the school premises.  But it was unlike past elections when littering was more evident as if litterbugs were having a party,” said EcoWaste Zero Waste Campaigner Cris Luague.

EcoWaste said their observation was based on field reports provided by their Garbage Patrollers who visited at least 40 schools in Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Manila, Navotas, Quezon City, as well as in Orani, Bataan; Batangas City, Batangas; Marilao, Bulacan; Calamba City, Laguna; San Antonio, Nueva Ecija; San Mateo, Rizal; and Koronadal City, South Cotabato.

Included in the schools monitored are eight of the country’s top 20 voting centers, such as the Bagong Silang Elementary School in Caloocan City, Dr Alejandro Albert Elementary School, Rosauro Almario Elementary School, Epifanio de los Santos Elementary School, Fernando Ma. Guerrero Elementary School and T. Paez Integrated School in Manila City, and Bagong Silangan Elementary School and Commonwealth Elementary School in Quezon City.

READ: MMDA collects over 11 tons of campaign materials days after polls

According to the group, factors that may have contributed to the reduced littering in most voting centers were the following:

• The active campaign of the Commission on Elections towards an eco-friendly electoral exercise
• The prohibition on campaigning on May 11 and 12, including the ban on the distribution of sample ballots
• The availability of trash bags or bins in high-traffic spots
• The constant sweeping by school janitors and the deployment of waste and sanitation workers by local government units
• The retrieval of discards such as plastic bottles by informal waste workers

However, despite the voting centers being generally litter-free, the group still lamented that areas surrounding some schools were littered with campaign materials, as well as single-use beverage and food plastic packaging.

“Outside Rosauro Almario Elementary School, for instance, sample ballots were found scattered on the ground for personnel of Manila’s Department of Public Services to pick up. People literally walked on discarded sample ballots before government personnel uncomplainingly swept the area clean with their broomsticks,” said Luague.

READ: Election day violations? Sample ballots litter Manila polling places

In a separate report released Wednesday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said 11.18 tons, which translates to 23,452 pieces of campaign materials, were collected by its Metro Parkway Clearing Group from May 13 to 14.

Most of the campaign materials collected were from Manila with 8,498 pieces, followed by Quezon City with 4,218, Muntinlupa (3,479), and Pasay City (2,549), among others. /jpv