Garbage woes

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

Credit it to President Duterte, now the Canadian government is listening to complaints regarding the tons of garbage a Canadian company dumped on this blighted republic.

Last week, Duterte made threats of going to war against Canada concerning an issue that’s been plaguing the Philippines since 2013 —2,500 tons of trash dumped by the company at a port near Manila.

The feisty President, grown tired of the complaints against the trash may have been joking, but then, it’s hard nowadays to know if what he is saying is serious or not.

Even then, according to reports, in 2013 and 2014, more than 100 shipping containers were sent to the port, labelled as plastics meant for recycling.

But after an investigation by Filipino customs officials, the containers were found to hold garbage with items like dirty diapers and spoiled foodstuffs.

***

The rotting Canadian trash is a well-known issue in the Philippines and has led to protests in the country, with activists pleading with Prime Minister Trudeau to finally take out the garbage.

Reports said in January, the EcoWaste Coalition wrote a letter to Trudeau asking him to address the trash, as he had previously promised to get rid of it in 2017.

The letter noted that South Korea took back 50 containers of garbage that were dumped by accident in 2018.

“The stark contrast between South Korea’s actions and Canada’s indifference to its dumped waste has captured public attention and stoked anger at what is viewed as both disrespectful and illegal conduct by Canada,” the letter stated.

In 2014, the Filipino government suggested the Basel Convention, which prevents developed countries from shipping waste to developing nations, could be used to send the containers back to Canada.

***

While on a visit to Manila in 2015, Trudeau was asked about the situation and he said a “solution” was in the works.

Ottawa has been trying for years to convince the country to dispose of the garbage in the Philippines, to no avail. A Filipino court ruled in 2016 that the trash must be returned to Canada, creating a standoff.

What happened last week? The garbage issue found a larger international profile after Duterte made comments about the trash that captured global attention.

"I'll give a warning to Canada maybe next week that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail," said Duterte in a video broadcast through his office.

"I will declare war against them. I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way. Prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to. Your garbage is coming home,” he said.

***

Within 48 hours, reports said, Environmental Minister Catherine McKenna announced that in the coming weeks, the government will be looking for a solution to finally get rid of the tons of garbage.

McKenna said threats from Duterte don’t help the situation. "We also need to do this in a positive way. That's certainly the way we're going forward. It has been a file that's been going for a while. We're very close to finding a solution,” she said to media.

It’s unclear what a real solution will look like, but the profile of the issue has certainly been raised due to Duterte’s threats of war over the trash.

The President had shown political will when he closed Boracay Island after saying it had become a “cesspool.” The government is also now cleaning up Manila Bay. Let’s see what will happen to the Canadian trash.

***

In the local front, it seems government units under this administration have started programs to clean the environment and dispose of trash properly.

Closer to home, the Balili River which traverses Baguio City going to La Trinidad had really not been cleaned even with several clean-up activities and government funds allotted for the purpose.

It is still polluted with trash and the water is still dirty. As pundits say, cleaning up the river is easy if people take to heart their share of making it pristine where marine life could thrive.

They say the drive should start from homes of both localities. Sewer lines should be fixed so that these would not go directly to the river and garbage should not be thrown into the river. The slaughter area along Magsaysay Road in Baguio is a main contributor to the river’s pollution, residents say.

Among Baguio and La Trinidad candidates for the coming May polls, who are talking about addressing the problem that is Balili River among other problems on trash?