The Philippines on June 3 sent back to Hong Kong a shipment of waste products that came into the country through Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT).
In a statement, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Cagayan De Oro said the re-exportation of the waste products, which are prohibited in the country, was coordinated with the Environmental Protection Department of the Hong Kong government, which also shouldered the costs.
The shipment, consigned to Crowd Win Industrial Ltd. Corp., arrived in the sub-port of MCT in Misamis Oriental on January 2, 2019. On February 18, an alert order was issued by BOC Cagayan De Oro district collector Atty. Floro G. Calixihan against the shipment for an alleged violation of Section 1400 (Misdeclaration) of the Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Upon examination, BOC found 22 sling bags of mixed plastic waste inside the forty-foot container contrary to its declaration of assorted electronic accessories.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency was also invited to inspect the container to determine the possible presence of illegal drugs but turned out to be negative.
The goods were seized on March 5 and subjected to forfeiture proceedings.
On May 28, Calixihan issued a decision forfeiting the shipment in favor of the government. Last June 3, the shipment was finally re-exported on board MV SITC Negoya.
BOC said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mindanao International Container Terminal Services, Inc., PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority, and officials and members of the Ecowaste Coalition were present during the conduct of re-exportation.
BOC also recently helped facilitate the re-exportation of 69 containers of wastes to Canada from Subic port.
