As Kadayawan celebrates agricultural abundance, street sweepers deal with trash

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / August 17) – There is more than agricultural abundance in the month-long Kadayawan Festival: the celebration also produces an abundant amount of daily garbage.

A street sweeper in Magsaysay Park says there are instances when they run out of large trash cans to contain the load of garbage they collect everyday despite its regular collection schedule around noon and around 6 p.m.

At the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s food bazaar, a sweeper told MindaNews on Sunday that while they do not run out of large trash cans, they usually end up with trash cans filled to the brim. 

The city’s street sweepers are among those who hope festival goers dispose their trash responsibly. 

^{Street sweepers and personnel from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) pick up trash left after the 2025 Kadayawan parade on Sunday, 17 August 2025. Streetsweepers say that plastics are the main rubbish items that they had to dispose of. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO}

An elderly sweeper in Magsaysay Park narrates that there are visitors who litter anywhere despite the availability of trash cans near them.

From late noon to 8 pm, she maintains cleanliness in her almost one-hectare land assignment despite the scorching heat.

Another sweeper challenged the city’s “discipline” campaign. “Where is Dabawenyo DCplinado if they don’t throw their garbage properly?” the sweeper asked. 

On the driveway of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s food bazaar, a sweeper said littering is “hindi maiwasan” (inevitable).

The street cleaners sweep items, usually plastics used in food packing, straws, paper cups, plastic cups, and paper plates.

Lakandiwa Orcullo, City Environment and Natural Resources Offices, had earlier said that during Kadayawan season, the amount of garbage spikes up to a thousand tons a day, from the daily average of 700 to 800 tons. (Razl EJ Teman / MindaNews)