ENVIRONMENTAL group EcoWaste Coalition called on the Bureau of Customs (BoC) to press for the immediate return of the Korean garbage dumped in the country to its origin.
The group held a protest action at the BoC compound in Port Area, Manila, Wednesday on the heels of South Korea’s confirmation “it would take measures to have the wastes in question be brought back to Korea as soon as possible.”
“In line with the expression ‘strike while the iron is hot,’ we call upon the BoC to act with urgency, rush the removal of the dumped wastes in Misamis Oriental, and send them back where they belong,” said Aileen Lucero, national coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition.
“We hope the Korean garbage will be out of our territory before Christmas and not beyond December 31, 2018. Huwag na po sanang patagalin pa,” she added.
Lucero said BoC’s rapid action will send a clear and unequivocal signal to waste traffickers that the Philippines is taking a strong stance against illegal waste export to the country.
He said the move aims “to protect public health and the environment and uphold the national dignity and sovereignty.”
The BoC Region 10 noted some 6,500 tons of Korean garbage misdeclared as “plastic synthetic flakes” arrived on July 21, 2018 at the port of the Philippine Sinter Corporation in Villanueva, and on October 20, 2018 at the Mindanao International Container Terminal in Tagoloan.
The shipments consigned to Verde Soko Philippines Industrial Corp. arrived with no prior importation clearance from Department of Environment and Natural Resources and were found to contain bales of plastic waste with hazardous materials such as used dextrose tubes, diapers, batteries, bulbs and electronic equipment, thus considered illegal. (Chito Chavez)
