Barangay Anolid owes nearly P2 million to the local government of Mangaldan due to unpaid garbage collection fees.
Of the total debt, over P800,000 was carried over from the previous administration, while the remaining P1.2 million accumulated over the past year.
Barangay Chairperson Marissa Honsayco attributed the problem to poor garbage fee collection from residents.
She said inconsistent payments have made it difficult to settle their dues.
“Sa more than 2,000 households namin, nasa 20-30 percent lang ang nagbabayad. Sobrang hirap namin maningil,” Honsayco added.
The barangay has proposed several solutions, including raising the garbage fee, implementing a no-payment-no-collection policy, or withdrawing the resolution with the local government altogether.
If the latter option is adopted, the barangay will no longer collect or dispose of residents' trash, leaving them to manage waste individually.
Residents like Mercy Corpuz suggested targeting non-paying households instead.
“’Yung mga hindi nagbabayad, sila nalang ang huwag kolektahin ang basura,” she said.
According to Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer Pedrito Rivera, Barangay Anolid is not the only village struggling to pay garbage fees.
“Regular ang issuance namin ng billing statement, and palagi namin silang sinasabihan to settle their payments, ang madalas nilang sinasabi talagang hirap sila sa paniningil,” Rivera said.
While garbage collection continues across Mangaldan, the local government has urged barangays to settle their debts promptly to avoid further financial strain.