EcoWaste Coalition Seeks Prompt Re-Exportation of US Waste Shipments in Subic

The environmental health and justice group EcoWaste Coalition is pushing for the prompt re-exportation of the intercepted waste imports from the US at the Subic Bay Freeport as soon as possible. 

In a press statement, the group expressed its optimism that all the parties involved, including the US government, will cooperate to get the garbage out of the Philippines immediately unlike what happened to the infamous Canadian trash, which took six long years to resolve.

Together with other civil society groups, the EcoWaste Coalition had vigorously campaigned for the re-exportation of the Canadian garbage, as well as the more recent cases of illegal waste imports from Hong Kong and South Korea in 2018-2019.

“We support the Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Port of Subic in exhausting all means to prevent the issue from dragging on to avert a repeat of the Canadian garbage dumping saga that led to an unprecedented diplomatic crisis.  We hope this matter is expeditiously and justly resolved,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Like the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), we strongly denounce waste smuggling, which is an affront to national dignity and a threat to our people’s health and the environment,” she added.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma had vehemently denounced the attempt to smuggle waste materials from the US and similarly deplored the use of Subic Bay Freeport as a transit point for the unlawful trade.

“We cannot, and should not, condone the dumping of wastes from any country into our shores,” Eisma said in a news release by SBMA last October 22.

Last October 17, the BOC at the Port of Subic led by Collector Maritess Martin raised an alert over probable illegal waste imports from the US comprising 30 containers based on information from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

On October 21, customs operatives intercepted two of the 30 containers declared as “old corrugated cartons for repulping” that were exiting the Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. 

Initial inspection of five containers by customs and environmental officials last October 22 found mixed wastes among the baled materials, including corrugated boxes, paper, plastic wrap, aluminum container and used face masks.

Authorities are investigating the case to determine a likely violation of DENR Administrative Order 2013-22, or the Revised Procedures and Standards for the Management of Hazardous Wastes, as well as Republic Act 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.