By Betheena Unite
Liberian-flagged cargo vessel Bavaria carrying all 69 containers of Canadian waste had finally left the Philippines Friday morning, a Customs official confirmed.
MV Bavaria arrives at New Container Terminal at Subic port where 69 containers of Canadian trash will be loaded for repatriation to Canada. More than 100 containers of Canadian trash illegally arrived in 2013-2014. (JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Port of Subic District Collector Maritess Martin reported the ship carrying the waste departed the port at 7:18 a.m. yesterday.
Martin said the loading of all 69 containers of waste was completed at around 3:20 a.m. also yesterday.
The Canadian waste which had been dumped in the country since 2013 and 2014 was finally on its way back to its country of origin after being delayed several times.
It was actually delayed one last time on Thursday as the vessel that would ship the garbage arrived late.
Originally, a total of 103 containers were dumped into the country on separate dates in 2013 and 2014 but 34 containers were previously disposed of.
It can be recalled that upon the order of President Duterte, a team composed of representatives from the Port of Subic, Bureau of Customs, the Canadian Embassy, the Environment Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Ecology Department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority was formed to conduct an on-site inspection on the shipment at Subic New Container Terminal in April.
The reshipment of the garbage to Canada cost P10 million and was shouldered by the government of Canada.
It was earlier reported the unresolved issue on who will handle the cost of its return prevented the garbage shipment from being shipped back to Canada.