NewsNationby Ashley Manabat - July 17, 2015 0 36 By Ashley Manabat / Correspondent CLARK FREE PORT—Tarlac officials, led by Gov. Vic A. Yap, are seeking a wider investigation into the dumping of waste illegally shipped from Canada in the sanitary landfill operated by the Metro Clark Waste Management Corp. (MCWMC) in Barangay Kalangitan, Capas, Tarlac. Their call was supported by Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who is seeking a Senate investigation, after a meeting at midweek at the Tarlac provincial capitol. Other officials at the meeting were Vice Gov. Enrique Cojuangco, Liberal Party Rep. Susan Yap of Tarlac and Gerona Mayor Dennis Go, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Tarlac chapter. Cojuangco said the provincial government would formalize the complaint and request for a wider investigation through a provincial board resolution that they will send to Marcos. “We object to any kind of illegal dumping of waste, be it local or foreign. But this seems to be one of the worst cases that we have heard about na parang lumalabas na nagii-smuggle tayo ng basura papasok sa Pilipinas. Saan ka naman nakarinig ng ganoon?” Marcos said. Following reports that 26 out of the 50 container vans of waste shipped from Canada in 2013 had already been dumped in the Capas landfill, the provincial government ordered a stop to any further disposal of the imported waste. Another batch of 48 container vans of trash shipped by the same exporter was discovered in the Subic port in Zambales. Marcos stressed the need to ensure the welfare of Tarlac residents and also to prevent the Philippines from earning the dubious reputation as garbage importer. He said, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, he can ask for a Senate investigation into the dumping of Canadian garbage based on the provincial board’s resolution. “We also heard reports the dumping is being done in secret, during the night. We don’t even know the content of the trucks hauling the waste, whether it is ordinary household garbage, medical waste or toxic waste. That’s something we have to look into,” Marcos said. He is alarmed that with more stringent regulations on waste disposal in other countries, particularly in Europe, similar shipments could find their way into Philippine ports in the future. “Waste disposal in Europe has become very expensive that it would be cheaper to ship the garbage anywhere where it would be accepted. But why should we accept garbage, and who is making money here, notwithstanding the health risks this may pose to our people?” Marcos asked. “Before the situation gets worse, we should investigate this issue. If necessary, we must amend our laws and impose more stringent regulations so that we won’t be known all over the world as a garbage importer,” he added. The Philippines and Canada are signatories to the 1992 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes that prohibits the export of toxic or hazardous waste. As of January 2015, 182 states and the European Union are parties to the convention. Aside from the dumping of Canadian waste, Marcos said the Senate investigation will also tackle the growing problem of waste disposal in the country. “I think this will serve to highlight the problem that we have around the country on waste disposal. We have to address this issue now, because it’s not only the big cities having this problem but even the small towns,” Marcos added. The senator said there is a need to strictly enforce Republic Act 9003, or The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and formulate a cohesive national strategy on waste disposal, one which would require the participation of every local government. Sen. JV Ejercito, meanwhile, slammed the Aquino administration’s indecision on the Canadian waste issue, causing the shipment to rot and stink at the Port of Manila since 2013. At the same time, Ejercito sought the Senate to investigate why the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), respectively, both failed to thoroughly inspect imported shipments and to file a diplomatic protest against Canada for its illegal off-loading of waste in the country. “I just find it hard to believe that the BOC was hoodwinked by Chronic Inc. [the Canadian waste disposal company] in its declaration that all 50 shipments simply contained materials for recycling. I am sure Chronic Inc. has a ‘backer’ behind all these transactions given its audacity on this issue,” the lawmaker said. “Surely, the DFA also didn’t just heedlessly decide to neglect its duty by treating this transaction as purely ‘commercial.’ I am convinced that someone intervened for Canada’s case, and this is what we will probe in the Senate hearings.” With Recto Mercene http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/tarlac-execs-ask-senate-to-investigate-dumping-of-canadian-waste-in-landfill/