SINCE his return as mayor of Manila, Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has tackled garbage woes, delayed infrastructure projects and unpaid benefits of city personnel. Domagoso said that the city incurred P10.2 billion in debt under former mayor Honey Lacuna. “We are not just cleaning the streets — we are cleaning the system,” he said during his inaugural address, citing unpaid debts to garbage collection firms amounting to nearly P950 million. Domagoso said the garbage crisis was so bad that he was forced to declare a public health emergency. In his State of the City Address, Domagoso revealed a 10-year development plan that includes “Street Smart Governance,” which promotes cleanliness, traffic management and public safety. He added that fighting crime has also improved under his watch. “The crime solution efficiency of the Manila Police District increased by 9.2 percent. This means that we are catching more perpetrators of crime now compared to previous months,” the mayor said. After the flood control scam involving Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, contractors and politicians was uncovered in August, Domagoso urged the national government to transfer the operation and maintenance of flood control facilities to local government units. According to the government’s sumbongsapangulo.ph website, Manila has the highest number of flood control projects in the National Capital Region at 215. However, the city is one of the most flood-prone areas in the region. “Every now and then, the people of Manila suffer, sad to say. We will also reveal to the people the districts that have large flood control projects in a matter of time,” Domagoso said. “If you give the mayor the authority, you get action and accountability. We face the people every day, and when we fail, there’s no one else to blame,” he said. He added that the DPWH left several nonfunctional or unfinished pumping stations across the city, including the Sunog Apog facility in Tondo. Despite being newly built, the station remains unusable due to poor construction. Domagoso also pointed to DPWH-built stations in Estero de Abad, Remedios and Padre Faura as examples of substandard infrastructure. Domagoso joined Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, former special adviser to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, in inspecting the Sunog Apog Pumping Station. Nearly P1 billion has been spent on the project, which was intended to ease flooding in District 2, but it made conditions worse. Domagoso called it “the greatest scandal.” Manila, Domagoso said, has collected P93.64 million in contractors’ taxes from firms involved in flood control projects, with 140 projects compliant from 2022 to 2025. However, he added that contractors still owe the city P127.28 million.