Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL. NO. 5930

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie”Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

No country in the world should be dumping site for another country’s trash (i.e.
garbage, scrap, residual waste, etc.). It shall therefore be banned for items, materials, or
substances otherwise detrimental to health and environment to be loaded on container vans
and be shipped or imported from foreign countries under any guise that such are recyclables,
filling materials, or declared as other such stuff, as the case may be.

Under the proposed law, there shall be a general ban on the importation, shipment,
entry, and dumping into the country of garbage, trash, or similar and other otherwise
hazardous scrap or residual waste especially those shipped to the Philippines from other
countries. The Philippines is simply not a dumping ground for such filth.

The case of the 50 container vans recently shipped into the country is cause for alarm
for it sets precedent that if otherwise unchecked will trigger unprecedented problems that
would impact directly to health and environment in terms of substances or materials that may
possibly be of such detriment.

The proposed measure therefore seeks to address a health issue, an environment issue,
and more importantly, the costs that it will impact on the economy of the country like



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

5930

HOUSE BILLNO.___

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie”Castelo

AN ACT
PRESCRIBING A GENERAL BAN ON IMPORTATION, SHIPMENT, ENTRY, AND DUMPING INTO
THE COUNTRY OF GARBAGE, TRASH, OR SIMILAR AND OTHERWISE HAZARDOUS SCRAP OR
RESIDUAL WASTE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted in the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Anti-Trash Act of 2015”.

SEC. 2. There shall hereby be prescribed a general ban on the importation, shipment,
entry, and dumping into the country of garbage, trash, or similar and other otherwise
hazardous scrap or residual waste especially those shipped to the Philippines from other
countries.

Toward this end, the Bureau of Customs shall require prospective importers to secure
the necessary clearance from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources prior to
the importation, shipment, entry, and dumping into the country of said items, materials, or
substances contemplated under this Act.

Provided Further That, subject items, materials, or substances shall not be classified in
any way as recyclables nor filling materials since they are deemed detrimental to health and the
environment.


SEC. 3. The Bureau of Customs in cooperation with the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources shall issue appropriate rules, regulations and guidelines for the effective
implementation of the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 4. All applicable laws in violations of the provisions of this Act shall henceforth be
carried out effectively.

SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval, publication in the Official Gazette,
and in at least three (3) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,