By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora | Philippine News Agency
MANILA — A Canadian official said Thursday the removal of the exported waste from the Philippines will be completed by end of next month.
“Canada is pleased to announce that it has awarded a contract to bring the waste back promptly and to ensure its safe and environmentally sound disposal,” Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, said in a statement.
“Canada has amended its regulations to prevent this from happening again and is looking at ways to hold the responsible parties to account,” she said.
McKenna said the Canadian government awarded the contract to Bolloré Logistics Canada to safely bring the waste back to Canada as soon as possible.
According to the official website of the Canadian government, the company will begin preparation for shipping in the “coming days.”
“The removal will be complete by the end of June, as the waste must be safely treated to meet Canadian safety and health requirements. The safe and environmentally sound disposal in Canada of the waste material will take place before the end of summer 2019,” it said.
Prior to this announcement, Malacañang said it is willing to shoulder the shipping expenses. As of posting, the Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to comment on this development.
According to Canada, its government will shoulder the costs of preparation, transfer, shipment, and disposal of the waste.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said she has already spoken with Foreign Affairs chief Teodoro Locsin Jr. last week, to reiterate Canada’s commitment to promptly repatriate the waste.
“As I mentioned to their Foreign Secretary last week, we are committed to resolving this issue as quickly as possible. Today is an essential step forward in accomplishing that,” she said.
Both McKenna and Freeland emphasized that Canada values its relations with the Philippines.
“Canada values its deep and longstanding relationship with the Philippines and has been working closely with Filipino authorities to find a solution that is mutually acceptable,” McKenna said.
Freeland, meanwhile, highlighted the people-to-people ties of both nations.
“Canada and the Philippines have a deep and valued relationship underpinned by the hundreds of thousands of Canadians of Filipino descent. The Filipino-Canadian community has made huge contributions to Canada,” she said.
In 2013 and 2014, Canadian company, Chronic Inc., exported containers labelled as recyclable plastics to two importers in the Philippines. It was found out that these also contained household wastes.
Following the repeated calls from the Philippine government to take back its trash, Canada said it issued a request for proposal from Canadian firms on May 10. After a “competitive process”, a contract was awarded to Bolloré Logistics Canada.
