Canada dumps tons of garbage in Philippines

The Philippines will file a third diplomatic protest with Canada for exporting tonnes of solid waste two years ago, the foreign ministry said on Friday, asking Ottawa to take back the shipment of household and street garbage.

Customs officials discovered that 48 containers, designated as carrying plastic scrap, contained solid waste when they were opened in May.

The shipment was left unclaimed after arriving at the Manila International Container Port in 2013.

"The protest was to underscore the government's objection and to reiterate our request to the Canadian government to take appropriate action," Charles Jose, a foreign ministry spokesman, told local broadcaster ANC.

"We wanted Canada to take back the shipment or help us with the garbage problem. Canada has informed the Philippines it has no domestic law to compel local exporters to take the shipment back."

This is the third diplomatic protest after Canada's embassy in Manila did not take action on two earlier note verbale, saying the shipment was a commercial transaction and was not backed by its government.

Neil Reeder, Canada's ambassador to Manila, has said the two states are working together to resolve the garbage issue and denied the shipment contained toxic materials.

"It was not our choice to bring that waste here," Reeder has said. "We have found a solution which is local processing of that waste."

Several containers were dumped at a landfill north of the capital Manila weeks ago, resulting in protests by the local community.

In 1999, Japan sent 124 containers of hospital waste to Philippines but took them back after Manila invoked the Basel Convention, an international treaty to reduce the movement of hazardous waste. The Japanese company which shipped the waste was fined and officials imprisoned by Japanese authorities.