Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ___________ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. JOSE “BONG” J. TEVES, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In previous years, the Philippines has been a victim of the so called “global waste trade” 
when several countries such as Canada and South Korea imported tons of hazardous waste into 
the Philippines. Since the occurrence of the highly publicized waste importation in our country, 
we have yet to enact laws to prohibit the same from happening again, and to penalize the 
responsible persons or entities behind such importation.  
Pursuant to our Constitutional duty and intergenerational responsibility to protect and 
advance the right of the people to a balance and healthful ecology, and considering our 
country’s own waste problems, this piece of legislation proposes a total ban on the importation 
of waste in the Philippines. Without this kind of legislation, we should expect more foreign 
waste shall arrive at our shores.  
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
HON. JOSE “BONG” J. TEVES, JR. 
Representative 
TGP Partylist 
July 20, 2022
2:08 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ___________ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. JOSE “BONG” J. TEVES, JR. 
AN ACT PROHIBITING AND PENALIZING THE IMPORTATION OF WASTE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Waste Importation Ban 
Act of 2022”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to prohibit 
and impose a complete ban of waste importation into the Philippine territory to prevent 
environmental pollution caused by such waste, and in order to safeguard human health, 
maintain ecological safety, and promote sustainable development of the economy and society. 
SEC 3. Importation Prohibition of All Kinds of Waste or Scrap Including 
Recyclable Materials. – The importation of all kinds of waste or scrap, including recyclable 
materials, is hereby prohibited. Importer registration and importation clearances issued by 
government agencies under existing laws and regulations shall be cancelled and no new 
applications shall be accepted. 
SEC. 4. Scope. – This Act shall cover the importation of all waste into the Philippine 
territory. For purposes of this Act, importation shall include the entry, even in transit, as well 
as the keeping or storage of waste, into the Philippine territory for whatever purpose. 
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SEC. 5. Waste, defined. – As used in this Act, waste shall mean: 
 
a. Scrap metals; 
b. Scrap solid plastic metals; 
c. Electronic assemblies and scrap, including used or second-hand electrical 
and electronic equipment, and electronic components containing hazardous 
substances; 
d. Scrap papers; 
e. Solid plastic waste materials, including homogenous and sorted plastic 
materials; 
f. Used oil, including waste oil or oil residues; 
g. Fly ash from coal-fired power plants; 
h. Incinerator ash or slag; 
i. Municipal wastes/processed engineered fuel (PEF); 
j. Refuse derived fuel (RDF); 
k. Solid recovered fuel (SRF); 
l. Neutralized phosphogypsum; 
m. Other hazardous, toxic and nuclear wastes as defined under Republic Act 
No. 6969 otherwise known as Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear 
Waste Control Act; 
n. Other solid waste as defined under Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological 
Solid Waste Management Act; and 
o. Other similar waste as may be defined by the Department of Environment 
and Natural Resources (DENR). 
 
The DENR shall release a complete list of banned materials within thirty (30) days from 
the effectivity of this Act. The failure of the Secretary of DENR to promulgate the said list 
shall not prevent the implementation of this Act upon effectivity. 
 
SEC. 6. Fines and Penalties. – Any person who misdeclares or imports or brings into 
the Philippine territory any waste covered by this Act, or assists in so doing, or shall receive, 
conceal, buy, sell or in any manner facilitate the transportation, concealment, or sale of such 


goods after importation, or violates any other provision of this Act or the rules and regulations 
issued pursuant thereto, shall be penalized by imprisonment of not less than eight (8) years and 
one (1) day but not more than twelve (12) years, or a fine of not less than one million five 
hundred thousand pesos (P1,500,000.00) but not more than fifteen million pesos 
(P15,000,000.00), or both. 
 
If the offender is a foreigner, the offender shall be deported and barred from any 
subsequent entry into the Philippines after service of sentence. 
 
If the offender is a corporation, association, or other entity, the penalty shall be imposed 
upon the president, chief executive officer, general manager, or managing partner, in addition 
to payment of an exemplary damage of at least one million pesos (P1,000,000.00). If it is a 
foreign corporation, association, or other entity, all its responsible officers shall be deported 
and/or barred from entry in the Philippines, in addition the cancellation of its license to do 
business in the Philippines. 
 
If the offender is a government official or employee, the penalties of dismissal from 
office and permanent disqualification from holding any elective or appointive position shall be 
imposed, in addition to the penalties provided herein. 
 
The prohibited imported waste shall be sent back to the country of origin at the expense 
of the consignor, importer and/or person or entity who willfully participated in the prohibited 
act. 
 
SEC. 7. Implementation of Strict Importation Monitoring and Regulatory System. 
– The DENR together with the Bureau of Customs (BOC), shall implement a strict monitoring 
system of importation to ensure that no waste is brought into the Philippine territory under false 
declarations or otherwise. 
 
SEC. 8. Separability Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified 
accordingly. 
 


SEC. 9. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,