The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has returned to South Korea some 2,676 metric tons (MT) of waste materials that were stored at the PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority premises in Misamis Oriental since 2018, according to a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said in his report that the 2,676 MT was part of the 5,176.91 MT that the South Korean government officials have committed to help ship back to their country after these were illegally exported to the Philippines in July 2018.

The waste materials consist of plastic synthetic flakes that were unlawfully imported by the Cebu-based Verde Soko Philippines Industrial Corp.

Guerrero said the garbage was shipped back in 151 forty-footer containers.

The first batch of 51 containers was re-exported to Korea on Jan. 25, 2019, and was followed by another shipment of 50 containers on Jan. 15 this year.

A third batch consisting of 50 containers was shipped to Korea last March 21.

“The re-exportation took some time because the wastes have been exposed to natural elements of heat and rain, which made it difficult to re-bag and stuff inside the containers,” Guerrero said in his report to Dominguez.

He said 2,500 MT of wastes still need to be re-bagged and were originally scheduled to be repatriated to Korea by the end of March, but the imposition of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) set back the BOC’s timetable.

“Rest assured that the Bureau will undertake all the necessary means, within the bounds of law, in order to expedite the re-exportation of these wastes,” Guerrero told Dominguez.

An Order of Forfeiture and Order of Re-Exportation were issued by the Port of Cagayan De Oro City against these waste materials from South Korea, which had arrived at that port in bulk and containerized shipments.

Manila and Seoul are signatories to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal—more popularly referred to as the Basel Convention—aimed at reducing movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of toxic waste from developed to less developed countries.

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