Beyond the Ballot: EcoWaste Coalition's Bold Post-Election Clean-Up Challenges Candidates to Own Their Mess

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As the dust settles after the national and local elections, another kind of clutter remains—one not so easily swept away by ballots or political promises.

In a stirring display of civic duty and environmental vigilance, the EcoWaste Coalition took to the streets this morning, leading a post-election clean-up around Flora Ylagan High School along Malakas Street near the corner of V. Luna Avenue. More than just an effort to clear campaign trash, the initiative served as a symbolic call to arms—urging candidates to not just lead by words, but through action and accountability.

Volunteers from EcoWaste, in collaboration with sanitation workers from the Quezon City Department of Sanitation and Cleanup Works, worked side by side removing campaign posters, streamers, and other propaganda materials that had turned sidewalks and fences into canvases of political neglect. Their presence painted a stark contrast against the silence of those who once clamored for votes in the same streets now littered with their discarded promises.

“This isn’t just about picking up trash. It is about setting the tone for responsible leadership,” declared Cris Luague, Zero Waste Campaigner of the EcoWaste Coalition. “Candidates should not disappear after election day. The mess they leave behind speaks volumes, and the least they can do is clean it up.”

A Familiar Aftermath, A Forgotten Duty

Despite repeated reminders from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), campaign litter continues to deface communities long after polls close. The May 12 elections were no different. From tarpaulins hanging on lamp posts to posters plastered on walls, the remnants of the electoral battle remain, untouched and ignored by many of the very people who promised “change.”

This, Luague laments, is a pattern that persists—a blatant disregard not only for the law but for the communities and environment these candidates claim to serve.

“Win or lose, candidates must take the lead in post-election clean-ups,” Luague emphasized. “It’s not just about optics—it’s about owning the environmental footprint of their campaigns. This is leadership in its most basic form: being responsible.”

The Weight of Waste Shouldn't Fall on Volunteers Alone

While the EcoWaste Coalition and community volunteers once again rose to the occasion, the group made it clear: the burden of clean-up should not fall on the shoulders of ordinary citizens.

“We’re thankful for the public’s initiative,” Luague acknowledged, “but this responsibility belongs to those who benefited from the campaign. The ones who filled the streets with their faces and slogans should now be the first to take them down.”

A Clear Call for Action

The Coalition isn’t just cleaning—they’re demanding. Their appeal extends beyond candidates to include local government units (LGUs), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and COMELEC itself.

The call? Strict enforcement of post-campaign regulations. COMELEC’s Task Force Baklas 2025 had already laid down the law: All campaign materials should have been removed by 12:00 midnight of May 11, just hours after the campaign period officially ended.

Yet, violations are rampant—and mostly unpunished.

“This cycle of waste and neglect has to end,” the EcoWaste Coalition urged. “If candidates truly want to lead, they must show that they can also clean up after themselves and protect the environment while doing so.”

Toward a Zero Waste Democracy

The group is not stopping here. The EcoWaste Coalition has pledged to monitor post-election waste nationwide and advocate for electoral reforms that enshrine environmental responsibility into the very fabric of campaign practices. These include regulations limiting non-biodegradable materials, mandatory post-campaign clean-up plans, and incentives for eco-friendly campaign strategies.

Because at the heart of it all, this isn’t just a battle against litter—it's a battle for integrity, responsibility, and a livable future.

POST-ELECTION CLEAN-UP: Members of the EcoWaste Coalition conducted a clean-up drive around Flora Ylagan High School in Quezon City a day after the national and local elections to call on candidates to take responsibility for campaign waste and comply with COMELEC’s clean-up directive.

POST-ELECTION CLEAN-UP (Filipino): Nagsagawa ng isang clean-up drive ang EcoWaste Coalition sa paligid ng Flora Ylagan High School sa Quezon City isang araw matapos ang halalan upang hikayatin ang mga kandidato na panagutan ang basurang dulot ng kampanya at sumunod sa kautusan ng COMELEC ukol sa clean-up.

EDITOR’S NOTE: As the founder of Wazzup Pilipinas and a firm advocate for responsible governance and environmental consciousness, I commend the EcoWaste Coalition for not just picking up the trash—but picking up where our leaders often fall short. The time has come for our politicians to realize that real leadership does not end at the ballot box—it begins when the spotlight fades and the clean-up begins.

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