Government agencies and environmental advocates met at the Manila International Container Port on July 6 to discuss shipments of electronic waste entering the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
The Bureau of Customs said the interagency meeting was part of efforts to address concerns raised by environmental groups that the shipments violated the Basel Convention, a 1989 treaty that seeks to prevent the dumping of hazardous and electronic waste in developing countries.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the meeting brought together representatives from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Office of the Solicitor General, Department of Foreign Affairs and Philippine Economic Zone Authority.
Non-government organizations, including EcoWaste Coalition and BAN Toxics, also joined the discussions initiated by the BOC.
The meeting centered on possible legal, regulatory and policy measures to address the issue, with participating agencies and groups agreeing to submit position papers for further evaluation.
BAN Toxics said Task Force End E-Waste Imports was formed to stop what it described as waste dumping by the United States in Subic. The task force said it had monitored 234 containers of suspected e-waste and one container van of plastic waste allegedly shipped illegally from the United States to the freeport since March 2025.
SBMA officer in charge Deputy Administrator for Regulatory Amethya Dela Llana said the companies importing the materials had secured importation clearances from the DENR Environmental Management Bureau. She said SBMA was guided by DENR Administrative Order No. 2013-22, which allows the importation of certain recyclable materials, including electronic assemblies, scrap metals and scrap plastics, provided these are not contaminated with highly toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury or PCBs.
The BOC said the Port of Subic was bound by a Manila court ruling that recognized Subic as a separate customs territory and allowed private importers to operate under the DENR order. Nepomuceno urged agencies to continue performing their regulatory duties while legal proceedings remained pending, as participants committed to sustained coordination toward a lawful resolution consistent with environmental protection policies.