MANILA, Philippines — All of the 69 remaining containers of garbage from Canada have arrived in Subic for fumigation before being shipped back to its place of origin.
On Sunday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Foreign Teodoro Locsin Jr. posted photos of the containers arriving in Subic.
Related Stories
The Canadian government later on announced that it has awarded a contract to a private company to take back the garbage from the Philippines.
Trash to be loaded on ship after fumigation
In a separate tweet on Saturday, Locsin said the 69 containers of garbage will be loaded to the ship contracted by Canada after being fumigated.
The photos uploaded by Locsin only showed the container vans, which were closed and did not show its contents.
According to DFA Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Fernandez, the containers were closed and will remain closed until they are shipped. The fumigation was done through holes in the conyainer vans.
20 fumigated, 40 GARBAGE containers plus to go. Now joint US-Philippine ops will shut down Subic and stop fumigation. Hey! Fumigators are not getting in your way. Appealing to both to let fumigation continue. ?@USEmbassyPH? ?@dndphl?. pic.twitter.com/EaYzrfjuvM
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 24, 2019
Hi ho hi ho. We’re still fumigato. But all 69 containers are in Subic yo. Don’t get in my way or I’ll screw yo. Dry. pic.twitter.com/u2FS4XxaAX
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 26, 2019
The Canadian overseeing the fumigation. pic.twitter.com/NYfInaKpF7
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 26, 2019
Earlier arrival of last two containers making it 69. pic.twitter.com/DRKOukjI5J
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 26, 2019
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 26, 2019
The DFA chief also noted that Canadians are overseeing the process.
Hundreds of containers of waste have been illegally shipped to the Philippines between 2013 and 2014.
Locsin earlier ordered the recall of the Philippine ambassador and consuls to Canada after the North American country missed its deadline of taking back the containers of trash from the country.
The DFA chief said the country's diplomats are on indefinite recall until the garbage row is resolved.
"As of now we have no diplomatic presence in Canada. The removal of the garbage takes precedence over anything else including the restoration of full diplomatic relations," Locsin said in a tweet Friday.
Thanks for news of progress on the garbage issue. As of now we have no diplomatic presence in Canada. The removal of the garbage takes precedence over anything else including the restoration of full diplomatic relations. Our Canadian posts are here on indefinite recall.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 24, 2019
Following the recall of Philippine diplomats in Canada, President Rodrigo Duterte issued a memorandum banning government officials from travelling to the North American country.
The memorandum issued May 20 indicated that the move was to “emphasize even further the seriousness of our Government’s demands…in light of the continuing failure of the Canadian government to retrieve the containers of garbage unlawfully shipped to the Philippines.”