Re-exportation of remaining trash from S. Korea to be completed this week: official

MISAMIS ORIENTAL - Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Port Collector John Simon of the Bureau of Customs in Northern Mindanao assured that the re-exportation of South Korean trash dumped in Misamis Oriental will be completed this week.

At least 70 containers of trash were loaded to cargo vessel BF Mahia on Tuesday, making up the fourth batch of trash to be sent back to South Korea.

This coming weekend, an estimated of 20-30 containers will also be transported by another cargo vessel, completing the re-exportation of the more than 6,000 tons of misdeclared trash dumped in this province since 2018.

"From January to July this year, 200 [container] na yung ating natanggal. Plus previous year of 50, so 250 lahat. So yung 250 [containers] natanggal na, nasa Korea na," said Simon, the OIC of the Customs bureau in the region.

(From January to July this year, 200 [containers] have been removed. Plus the 50 the previous year, so, the total is 250. All the 250 that were removed are already back in South Korea.)

"Ngayong araw na 'to, ini-expect natin is 70," he added.

(Today, we expect to clear 70.)

But Simon said the issue is still not over even though all the South Korean trash are returned.

The government will still demand for damages, citing the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal.

"I-determine natin ang extent ng damage pagkatapos ng paglalagay ng pagtatapon ng basura. Kakausapin natin ang DENR at ibang ahensya, tingnan natin ano ba ang damage na nagawa sa atin ng basura na 'to," Simon said.

(We will determine the extent of the damage after all the trash are loaded for re-exportation. We will talk to the DENR and other agencies, and find out the damage caused by the dumping of these trash.)