Government agencies and environmental groups are set to meet on Monday, July 6, to discuss the alleged illegal importation of electronic waste into the Subic Bay Freeport, following claims that some of the shipments came from the United States.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said it has scheduled a coordination meeting with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
The meeting aims to clarify the responsibilities of each agency, ensure compliance with existing laws, and identify possible actions on the alleged illegal e-waste shipments.
The BOC also invited environmental organizations to join the discussions, including the Basel Action Network, Sustainable Electronics Recycling International, and the Ecowaste Coalition.
The agency said the meeting is part of efforts to determine the appropriate legal action over the suspected e-waste shipments.
The matter remains pending before the courts and is currently under appeal through the OSG.
Last week, the Environmental Task Force Against E-Waste Imports to the Philippines, also known as End E-Waste Imports, condemned the alleged entry of e-waste into Subic during a press briefing in Quezon City.
The group presented photographs that it said showed stockpiles of electronic waste outside several factories inside the Subic Bay Freeport.
The Basel Action Network, one of the 11 organizations under the End E-Waste Imports task force, said it had traced some e-waste shipments from the United States to several factories in Subic.