Bambi eyes ‘recycling’ Sokor trash

While Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Emano supports the return of garbage shipment back to South Korea, he is also looking into whether the hazardous wastes could be recycled and processed into plastic chairs through the Villar Sipag Foundation.

Emano said he would try to bring the staff of Senator Cynthia Villar to visit and check the 5,100 tons of garbage stored in the plant site of Verde Soko in Sta. Cruz, Tagoloan town.

“Gusto nato mabisitahan lang ug ma-check if it might work for the recycling program of Senator Villar,”Emano said.

“Paningkamotan nato nga madala ang mga tawo ni Senator Villar sa Tagoloan kay basin og dili na kinahanglan ibalik sa Korea ang basura ug magamit pa para himoon sa bangko,”he added.

But, the governor maintained that he favors the return of the shipments to South Korea because “we are not a dumping site for garbage.”

Emano also lauded the efforts of the provincial board and other government agencies who all worked together from the discovery of the garbage until it is scheduled to be shipped back to South Korea.

The second shipment containing 1,400 tons of garbage and placed in 51 container vans is set to be sent back to South Korea today, while the return of the first shipment which contained the 5,100 tons

of garbage has no definite schedule yet.

Emano said the provincial government has been urging residents in the province to actively collect plastic wastes for conversion into plastic chairs through the Villar Sipag Foundation.

These chairs, he said will be distributed to elementary schools in the province.

However, Customs collector John Simon of the Mindanao International Container Port, said the hazardous wastes must be returned to South Korea because of the violations on customs and environmental laws.

“Ang sinasabi sa batas ang household wastes kung saan karamihan ay laman ng basura na yan ay di pwedeng papasukin sa bansa dahil may batas nga alinsunod sa Basel Convention,” Simon said.

Simon said the law must be amended first before anyone wants to make use of the garbage shipment for recycling or whatever purpose.

“Baguhin muna ang batas saka tayo mag-usap about recycling. Hanggat ang batas ay nandyan susunod tayo dahil kaya nahuli yan dahil may batas tayo and ang role namin is to implement the law,”Simon said.