Irked by reports that waste from other countries are being dumped in the Philippines, Senate Minority Leader Frank Drilon is asking Congress to pass a law that will “ban importation of waste into our country.”
After meeting with Eco Waste Coalition and other non-government organizations advocating proper waste disposition, Drilon filed on Monday Senate Bill 18 banning imported trash.
“Waste of other counties being imported into our shores prompted me to file Senate Bill No. 18, which will ban the importation of waste into our country,” says Drilon.
In pushing for a total ban against importation of waste, he asked the Senate Committee on Environment to conduct public hearings “so that all the issues will be addressed.”
“We will see how well the present laws are being implemented,” the minority leader said, adding the Senate hearing will ascertain “what are the shortcomings and how do we address them in order that the flow of waste from other countries will be stopped.”
Drilon declared “it is not good for us to be the recipient of waste materials. We are not the wastebasket of the world. We will look at it and view all the arguments.”
He pointed out that other countries are already imposing a ban on importation of waste, citing China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and India.
“So, we will look at the laws there. We will also examine certain practices in LGUs which have led to a good waste management practice, like Tacloban, Leyte, San Fernando in Pampanga,” says Drilon, adding: “We will look at their practices and see what they were able to do that we may adopt nationwide in terms of legislation.”
Citing data from the EcoWaste Coalition dating back to 2016, the Senator reported that “we were importing from plastic waste scraps around 4,000 tons annually. In 2018 it shoot up to 11,000 tons. It’s not as much as in other countries but a lot of the waste that entered the country is illegal. That is why we find the bill strong in terms of banning all sorts of waste.”
Image credits: Public Relation and Information Bureau – Public Relation and Information Bureau, Senate of the Philippines