MetroVanIndependent.com
May 2015
3
News
State Visit to Canada: Zero Waste Group Urges P-Noy to
Take Up Cudgels against Garbage Dumping
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Aquino should exhaust his diplomatic
skills to seek Harper’s commitment
to have the garbage shipment repatriated
to its port of origin with immediate effect,
stressing that the dumping hullabaloo is
“a blatant case of environmental injustice”
and not a mere “private commercial matter,” the group said.
“As Canada’s sixth-largest trading partner
in Southeast Asia, a priority market and a
country of focus for its international development efforts, President Aquino should
have no trouble getting Prime Minister
Harper’s ear,” Lucero said.
“We expect the President to clinch
a ‘return to sender’ agreement with his
counterpart and put the controversy to
a close. Our people will rail against any
move to have Canada’s garbage disposed
of in local landfills, cement kilns or wasteto-energy incinerators and pollute host
communities. Hindi tayo tambakan at
sunugan ng basura,” she said.
“This is one agreement that should be
on Aquino’s priority list, a tangible indicator
by which the success of his trip will be
judged by his bosses – the Filipino people,”
she said.
“When he returns and reports back
to the nation, we want our President to
announce with dignity and pride that
Canada has finally listened to our plea and
has agreed to take back their garbage,” she
continued.
“We want him to shout at the top
of his lungs that our country is not a
dumping ground for garbage and that we
have the shared responsibility to keep
Aquino's state visit
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“Sharon and I are looking forward to
welcoming President Aquino to Rideau
Hall on the occasion of his State visit to
Canada,” Governor General Johnston said.
“This will be an opportunity for Canada
to further build on its strong and longstanding relationship with the Philippines,
and to discuss areas of common interest
such as building on people-to-people ties,
strengthening our trade and investment
relationship, and expanding co-operation
on develo