Canadian reps meet PH officials to discuss trash issue

FILE: Compacted trash (Photo by darius norvilas/Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)

Amid garbage woes in the country, officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) met with representatives of the Canadian embassy on Tuesday, November 13, to discuss the still unresolved waste problem with them, DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management Benny Antiporda said.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Antiporda said the meeting had a “positive” outcome even though they are not yet certain on when the garbage illegally shipped to the Philippines will be returned to Canada.

“As of the moment, we have a positive development on the issue. Ang ganda ng nangyayari (What is happening is good),” the DENR official said.

“Kahapon, nagpadala rin ng mga tao ang Canadian embassy para makipag-usap din sa atin kung paano nga masosolusyunan ito, wherein may nakikita tayong positibo na malaki ang tsansa na maibalik ito sa point of origin (Yesterday, the Canadian embassy sent their representatives to meet with us to discuss how are we going to solve the issue, wherein we are able to see a big chance that these will be returned back to the point of origin),” he added.

It was between 2013 to 2014 when about 103 container vans containing wastes like plastic bottles, plastic bags, newspapers, household garbage, and used adult diapers, were brought to the Philippines from the Canadian soil.

Antiporda said the Philippine government is exerting all efforts to return back to Canada the trash which has been in the Philippines for five years; however, an ongoing trial is prohibiting them from doing so.

“Naghihintay lang po tayo ng desisyon ng korte. Ito po ‘yung ikinalulungkot po namin na sa kasalukuyan. Meron pong existing na kaso kung kaya’t hindi po natin magalaw itong mga ebidensya pero rest assured na ang taumbayan po, kung ano po ‘yung gusto nilang mangyari na mailabas sa ating bansa, ito din po ang ipinaglalaban ng DENR (We are just waiting for the decision of the court. This is what we feel sorry about at present. There is an existing case that is why we cannot move these evidence, but rest assured that whatever the public is wishing for which is for it to be taken out from the country, that is also what the DENR is fighting for),” he explained.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a press conference after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Canada Summit in November 2017, said it was “theoretically” possible for Canada to retrieve the 103 container vans of trash from the Philippines.

Explaining the long delay in addressing the trash issue, Trudeau stressed that it was his country’s own legal regulations that prevented them from taking back their garbage.

[READ: Trudeau on getting Canada trash back: Theoretically possible]

Garbage shipped from SoKor

Regarding the issue on the trash shipped to the country from South Korea about four months ago, Antiporda said the DENR will be working with South Korean company Verde Soko II Industrial Corporation, the shipment’s consignee, to find solutions to the problem.

“Meron po kaming nakikitang medyo obstacle dito dahil hanggang sa kasalukuyan, lumalabas na ito po’y nasa ilalim pa rin ng pangangasiwa ng Bureau of Customs (BOC) (We are seeing a possible obstacle here because up until today, this matter is under the care of Bureau of Customs),” the DENR official said.

“But basically, we will coordinate with [the importing firm and Bureau of Customs] para madesisyunan na po at para ho magawan ng hakbang paano ito maibalik naman sa Korea (to decide on what action we should take to return these trash to Korea),” he added.

Some 5,100 tons of waste onboard MV Affluent Ocean, arrived at the Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) in Misamis Oriental on July 21.

According to the initial findings, the DENR said the shipment, misdeclared as “plastic synthetic flakes,” contained used dextrose tubes, used diapers, batteries, bulbs, and electronic equipment.

If found to be hazardous once the result of the agency’s waste analysis and characterization study (WACS) on the shipment is out, Antiporda had said they will recommend the return of the garbage to South Korea, as well as the filing of administrative and criminal charges against involved individuals.

[READ: DENR vows to find solution over garbage shipped from S. Korea]