NorMin Lawmakers Probe South Korea Trash Dumped in Misamis Oriental

Lawmakers from Northern Mindanao led by Rep. Juliette Uy (Misamis Oriental, 2nd District) of the National Unity Party (NUP) crossed party lines in urging the House of Representatives to probe deeper into the illegal entry and dumping of hazardous plastic garbage from South Korea in the Phividec Industrial Estate in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

Rep. Uy, in filing House Resolution 2317 called on the House Committee on Ecology to probe the illegal shipment of 51 container vans of garbage from South Korea that was offloaded from the vessel MV Affluent Ocean at the Mindanao International Container Terminal in the Phividec Industrial Estate in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental last July 21, 2019.

She was joined by Nacionalista Party (NP) solons Ma. Lourdes Acosta-Alba (1st District, Bukidnon) Frederick Siao (Lone District, Iligan City), Jorge Almonte (1st District, Misamis Occidental), Henry Oaminal (2nd District, Misamis Occidental), Rep. Rogelio Neil Roque (4th District, Bukidnon), PDP-Laban congressmen Rolando Uy (1st District, Cagayan De Oro City), Maximo Rodriguez, Jr. (2nd District, Cagayan De Oro City) Xavier Jesus Romualdo (Lone District, Camiguin), and Manuel Zubiri (3rd District, Bukidnon) of the Bukidnon Paglaum Party (BPP).

Citing Article II Section 16 of the Philippine Constitution stating that “the State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature,” the Region 10 solons who needed to exercise its oversight function to probe the alleged import and environmental law violations committed by Verde Soko Philippines Industrial Corporation – the consignee of the garbage shipment.

“It is now incumbent upon the House of Representatives to investigate how the illegal shipment of hazardous plastic garbage from South Korea was allowed entry into the Philippines by certain agencies of government when in fact we still are facing the challenge of managing our own solid waste in the country,” the solons said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Verde Soko was not an authorized importer of recyclable materials and therefore had no import license for the same.

Another report from the environmental quality division of the DENR’s Environment Management Bureau (EMB) said the shipment, aside from the declared plastics, contained 31.7 tons of trash classified as “special or hazardous waste.”

“The envisioned inquiry shall also help in coming up with the appropriate recommendations to hold parties accountable for this illegal garbage shipment, effect the immediate return of the trash to South Korea and come up with a new policy to ban the entry of foreign garbage and waste into the Philippines as our country is not a dumpsite for other countries,” the solons averred.

Reps. Florencio Flores, Jr. (2nd District, Bukidnon), Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo (1st District, Lanao del Norte), Abdullah Dimaporo, (2nd District, Lanao del Norte) and Peter Unabia (Misamis Oriental, 1st District) were to co-author the measure as of press time. (Vincent Borneo/2nd District Misamis Oriental)