After two years, the remaining containers containing 6,000-tons of household hazardous waste were finally sent back to South Korea from the Port of Cagayan de Oro.
The re-exportation of the wastes resumed on Tuesday, August 4, after being halted for some time due the global restrictions caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic.
The waste shipment was sent back to its port of origin in Pyeongtaek City, South Korea onboard MV Mahia, The Bureau of Customs said Wednesday.
According to the bureau, 80 containers were scheduled for re-exportation Tuesday but 10 were left behind with the vessel already reaching its capacity.
These will be sent back to South Korea this Saturday, August 8.
Customs data showed that the waste shipment arrived in the country on July 22, 2018 at the Port of Cagayan de Oro on two separate occasions and was consigned to Verde Soko Philippines Industrial Corporation.
Both shipments were declared as plastic synthetic flakes but an inspection conducted by the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Region X revealed that the shipments contained household hazardous waste, Port of CDO District Collector John Simon said.
Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said the re-exportation of the wastes to South Korea is due to the failure of the consignee to secure prior import permit from the DENR and for its misdeclaration.
Guerrero added that the re-exportation order was pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act), Republic Act 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act), and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.