RETURN OF TRASH. Man and machine both do the work to fast-track the re-bagging of trash from South Korea at the Phividec Industrial Estate in Sitio Buguac, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental in this photo taken Mar. 3, 2020. The trash is part of the 6,500 metric tons of garbage that arrived in Misamis Oriental in 2018 from South Korea, but is being transported back following public clamor. (PNA photo by Jigger J. Jerusalem)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak in China and the spread of the virus in other countries have been factors in the delay of the shipment of the remaining 2,000 metric tons of trash back to South Korea, a Bureau of Customs (BOC) in official said on Wednesday.
John Simon, BOC-Region 10 district collector, said the container vans that will be used for the imported wastes did not arrive on time as operations in Chinese ports have temporarily been suspended in the past weeks due to the threat of Covid-19.
“The coronavirus has disrupted the international trade supply chain in China. Even the ports of entry there have set up quarantine for the ships, so there was a delay. The containers were also delayed in arriving in the country,” Simon said.
He said the outbreak has also affected the revenue collection of the Customs as raw materials from China have not arrived as expected.
“Our target for collection for February was PHP2 billion to PHP3 billion, but our actual revenue was only PHP1 billion,” he said, adding that if the coronavirus threat drags on for months, they could expect a lower tax collection this year.
“The coronavirus has a domino effect on the shipping line. But we have to wait for the containers to be available again,” Simon said.
He added that the Customs needs at least 200 or more container vans in transporting the imported trash.
Simon said the Philippine Sinter Corp., a company based in Villanueva town, Misamis Oriental, has offered assistance to fast-track the re-bagging by donating some equipment designed to make the work faster.
Simon said they are hoping to finish the re-bagging of the remaining trash so it can be ready to be transported anytime this month.
In 2018, some 6,500 metric tons of garbage arrived in Misamis Oriental. In February last year, 1,500 metric tons of the 6,500, composed of unsegregated plastic materials that arrived in October 2018, were returned to South Korea.
A total of 150 container vans, containing about 3,000 metric tons, were also shipped back to South Korea in January and February this year. (PNA)
