Canada’s red tape delaying trash reexport, says BOC chief

MANILA, Philippines — If not for the bureaucratic red tape in Canada, the Philippines could have shipped the remaining 69 containers of trash languishing in two of the country’s ports by the middle of this month, the Department of Finance (DOF) said on Tuesday.

Citing the recent report of Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the DOF said “all requirements and preparations on the part of the Philippine government have already been met to facilitate the reexport of the wastes back to Canada.”

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is an attached agency of the DOF.

Facing a May 15 DOF-imposed deadline to return the garbage, Guerrero met with the country’s interagency committee and Canada’s representatives to inspect the freight containers at the Manila International Container Port and the Port of Subic.

“[The three shipping lines] reported that all 69 containers are considered seaworthy, with one [needing] to be secured with a flat rack container … because it has already been infested by termites,” the BOC chief said after their inspection on May 3 to 6.

But the Canadian government said it might take weeks for them to arrange the necessary documents, Guerrero said, adding that Canada was willing to shoulder the costs of shipping the containers of garbage back to its shores.