Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 24) — The government is working on getting rid of another garbage shipment dumped into the country, this time tons of plastic wastes from Hong Kong.
Aileen Lucero, national coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition, said the trash was supposed to be a “trial shipment” of some 70 containers.
“Thanks to the alertness and resolve of local customs intelligence and officials, our nation succeeded in stopping a potential avalanche of plastic waste and e-waste,” she said.
Reports of shipments of trash from Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea have cropped up amid the Philippines’ row with Canada over nearly 2,500 tons of garbage illegally shipped to the country in batches from 2013 to 2014. President Rodrigo Duterte last month threatened to go to war with Canada if it fails to pull out the waste soon. Manila also recalled its diplomats in the North American country.
EcoWaste Coalition joined the BOC Northern Mindanao in the inspection of the shipment last Wednesday.
Lucero said the shipment was “ironic” as China has “taken the unprecedented move to protect its own environment by banning waste imports, including electronic and plastic scraps and remnants.”
The Canadian government earlier said the shipments to the Philippines were commercial transactions done without its consent. On Wednesday, it announced that it has secured a contract to safely bring back the waste to Canada and that the removal would be completed “by the end of June.” Panelo, however, said that timetable is “too late.” Panelo said Duterte has ordered that the waste be shipped back even at Manila’s expense and that it be dumped in Canadian waters should Canada refuses to take it back..
“We therefore request the Chinese government to seriously look into this matter,” she added.
EcoWaste Coalition said they are reiterating the call for a “comprehensive and immediate ban on waste imports and for the country’s rapid ratification of the Basel Ban Amendment.”
“We understand that the BOC (Bureau of Customs) would export this illegal shipment back to its port of origin. We call on concerned agencies of the government to continue exercising vigilance and hinder the entry of such shipments of garbage into our territorial jurisdiction at the first instance,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement Friday.
The Basel Ban Amendment prohibits the transboundary transfer of hazardous waste for final disposal as well as for reuse, recycling or recovery.
Port Collector John Simon said he was “appalled” by the shipment which he said violated Customs and environmental laws.
He added that the shipment, which was shipped to Misamis Oriental earlier this year, was misdeclared as “assorted electronic accessories,” when it was actually filled with “mixed plastic wastes.”
“As guardian of the gate, we cannot allow our country to be treated by others as a disposal or dumping site for world’s garbage,” Simon said.
EcoWaste Coalition said an alert order and warrant of seizure and detention was issued for the shipment for violating the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Environmental group EcoWaste Coalition is calling the Chinese government to look into the case, noting that the 40-foot container van containing 22 bags of mixed plastic waste has been at the Mindanao Container Terminal in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental since January 2. The cargo arrived on board SITC Fujian from the company Hin Yuen Tech. Env. Limited and was consigned to Crowd Win Industrial Limited.
EcoWaste Coalition also said Simon confirmed the Bureau of Customs will initiate the ” re-export of the illegal shipment to Hong Kong.”
