Filipino government officials can now travel to Canada.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea announced in a memo that was given to the media today that President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration is lifting its ban on government travel to Canada because the North American country has taken back the garbage that was illegally dumped in the Philippines.
“In view of the Canadian government’s retrieval and reshipment to Canada of the containers of garbage mentioned in the aforesaid directive, please be informed that such directive is LIFTED, effective immediately,” Medialdea said in a memo dated June 4 but received by Rappler and the Manila Bulletin today.
He was referring to his May 20 memo where he instructed all department secretaries, heads of agencies, and government-owned companies to refrain from allowing their personnel to travel to Canada. The memo also specified that government employees should minimize their interaction with representatives of the Canadian government.
The Philippines sent back Canada’s illegally dumped garbage on Friday on board the ship MV Bavaria, which departed from the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said that Canada paid for the return of the garbage.
The controversial garbage first arrived in the country between 2013 and 2014, when an Ontario-based company called Chronic Inc. wrongly declared the contents of the containers as recyclable materials. As many as 103 containers that had waste such as plastic bottles, bags, and even used adult diapers arrived in Manila.
Sixty-nine containers of Canadian trash were shipped back to Canada on Friday. Meanwhile, 26 containers have been buried in a Tarlac landfill, while the other eight were also disposed of locally, reported CNN Philippines.
In April, Duterte threatened to declare war on Canada if they don’t take back the garbage by May 15. When Canada missed the deadline, Locsin recalled Filipino diplomats based in Canada. Duterte originally wanted the Philippines to send back the garbage and was willing to pay for the cost, but the two sides came into agreement and Canada eventually paid for the costs of repatriation, Rappler reported.
After the trash was sent back, Locsin told the recalled diplomats that they can head back to the North American country.
