BOC reships last batch of South Korea garbage

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will finally complete the reshipping of the 6,500 metric tons of garbage that arrived in the country from South Korea almost two years ago.

The BOC was set to reship the remaining 100 containers of garbage yesterday and on Feb. 23, according to John Simon, BOC-Cagayan de Oro district collector.

“If these would push through, this would bring the total number of re-exported containers to 201,” Simon said.  

 In January last year, the BOC sent back 51 container vans of waste to South Korea. It was followed by another 50 in January this year.

Simon said a commercial vessel, M/V Vivaldi, departed Cagayan yesterday, carrying 50 container vans of garbage back to South Korea.

Another vessel, the M/V Nordmarsh, will be used to re-export the last batch of garbage on Feb. 23.

 The shipments were declared as plastic flakes and found to contain non-biodegradable wastes. 

 A warrant of seizure and detention was issued against the shipment for alleged violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and Republic Act 6969 or “An Act to Control Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes.”

Records showed the shipments were sent by Green Soko and consigned to Verde Soko in the Philippines. 

The first batch of the shipments consisted of 5,000 metric tons of garbage that arrived at the Villanueva Port in Misamis Oriental in July 2018.

The second batch, containing 1,500 metric tons, arrived at the Mindanao International Container Terminal, a sub-port of the BOC-Cagayan district.

Simon coordinated with the South Korean environment officials for the return of the garbage to its port of origin. – With Gerry Lee Gorit