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The Bureau of Customs has convened key government agencies and environmental groups to tackle the growing controversy over alleged electronic waste shipments entering the Subic Bay Freeport
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Environmental groups claim that at least 234 containers of suspected e-waste from the US have arrived at Subic since March, raising alarm over the Philippines being used as a dumping ground for hazardous material
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A Manila court ruling has restricted the BOC from seizing the shipments, complicating enforcement efforts even as pressure from environmental advocates intensifies
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is bringing together government agencies and environmental stakeholders to chart a coordinated response to the controversy surrounding alleged electronic waste shipments at the Subic Bay Freeport.
The meeting is intended to bring all involved parties together to better understand the situation, clarify the roles and responsibilities of each agency, ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and identify practical and lawful solutions moving forward, the agency said in a statement.
Those invited include the Office of the Solicitor General, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Justice, and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, as well as environmental organizations such as the Basel Action Network, Sustainable Electronics Recycling International, and the Ecowaste Coalition.
The move comes amid mounting public pressure. Environmental groups alleged that at least 234 containers of suspected e-waste and one container of plastic waste from the United States have reached the freeport since March, raising concerns that the country could become a dumping ground for foreign hazardous waste. The shipments were reportedly tracked through “Operation Can Opener,” an initiative by the international Basel Action Network that traces hazardous waste using GPS trackers and available trade data.
The BOC’s ability to act, however, remains constrained by a court order. A Manila Regional Trial Court ruling in April 2025 upheld that the Subic Special Economic Zone operates as a separate customs territory, making permanent an injunction that allowed three private e-waste importers to proceed with their business unimpeded.
The case stemmed from the 2024 seizure of shipments imported by three companies operating in Subic — Refit Electronic Technology, Inc., Enjoy Electronics Subic International Corp., and Jetlong Hi-Tech Electronics Philippines Inc. — for allegedly violating Republic Act No. 6969, or the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990.
Despite the legal constraints, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno stressed the importance of keeping dialogue open. “While the case remains under judicial review, it is important for all concerned agencies and stakeholders to talk so we can better understand the issue, each other’s roles, and the laws and regulations that should be followed,” Nepomuceno said, adding that the coordination meeting will help ensure all actions are carried out in compliance with the law.
Environmental groups maintain that importing e-waste into the Philippines, particularly from the United States, is illegal and violates the Basel Convention, of which the Philippines is a signatory. The Philippines ratified the original convention in 1993 and implements the treaty through Republic Act No. 9696, though it has yet to ratify amendments that include an outright ban on hazardous waste exports from developed to developing countries.
Customs operations at the Port of Subic continue in the meantime, with existing procedures remaining in place and coordination with other agencies ongoing to support environmental and regulatory safeguards, the BOC said.
