Mandaue City has shifted its post-typhoon cleanup operations to interior neighborhoods after successfully clearing the city's major thoroughfares, according to city officials.
City Administrator Gonzalo "Sally" Malig-on confirmed that cleanup teams have now penetrated deep into residential sitios, moving beyond main barangay roads to address debris accumulation in smaller communities.
From Highways to Households
The cleanup expansion follows Mayor Thadeo "Jonkie" Ouano's directive to focus on interior roads after completing work on Mandaue City's primary transportation routes. Malig-on provided a specific example from Barangay Paknaan, where a particular interior road was expected to be fully cleared within the day.
City personnel have observed an encouraging trend as residents begin actively participating in the cleanup efforts. "People now know that the city is picking up debris, so they've started removing what's inside their houses and sitios and placing it outside," Malig-on explained.
The Positive Problem of Reappearing Debris
This increased community participation has created an interesting phenomenon - debris continues to appear in areas that were cleared just days earlier. Malig-on addressed public comments about previously cleaned areas like UN Avenue showing new piles of trash.
"We receive comments saying, 'This portion of UN Avenue was already cleaned, but there's trash again.' So we checked, and it's because residents are now able to throw out garbage they couldn't dispose of for several days," he said.
Rather than viewing this as a setback, city officials see it as a positive development. Malig-on described the continuous appearance of debris as "actually a good thing because it means people are now clearing out their garbage."
Damage Validation for Fair Aid Distribution
Simultaneously with the cleanup operations, the City Government has launched a comprehensive house-to-house validation process for flood damage reports. This initiative, which began on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, aims to ensure accurate and fair distribution of assistance to typhoon victims.
The City Social Welfare Services (CSWS) is conducting physical verification in partnership with barangay officials, with initial focus on the hardest-hit areas of Paknaan and Umapad. Teams are visiting sitios to inspect homes and conduct interviews with residents.
Malig-on emphasized the necessity of this validation process, noting that initial damage reports compiled during the typhoon's peak were "hasty." The verification particularly targets reports of fully washed-out homes to prevent individuals not genuinely affected from receiving assistance.
To maintain objectivity and avoid bias, CSWS staff have been assigned to validate damage in barangays other than their own. The complete validation across all affected barangays is expected to take two to three weeks.
As cleanup operations continue to reach deeper into Mandaue City's neighborhoods, daily debris collection remains ongoing to accommodate the steady stream of household waste being brought out by residents finally able to clear their properties.
