Government agencies and environmental groups convened an inter-agency meeting to discuss matters concerning the e-waste shipments within the Subic Bay Freeport.
The meeting focused on identifying appropriate courses of action and coordinating the next steps to address the issue. Participating agencies and organizations agreed to submit their respective position papers to facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of available legal, regulatory, and policy options. Discussions also covered measures to strengthen existing mechanisms and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, other BOC key officials, and representatives from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), EcoWaste Coalition, BAN Toxics, among other concerned agencies, attended the meeting.
All agencies were encouraged to continue carrying out their respective regulatory functions despite the pending legal proceedings. The dialogue among government agencies and advocacy groups would continue until a clear and lawful resolution is reached.
The participating agencies and environmental groups reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close coordination and ensuring that all actions are consistent with existing laws, regulations, and national policies on environmental protection and responsible waste management.
Earlier, a joint inspection led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), together with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), was conducted on nine (9) recycling locators within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in connection with reports involving suspected electronic waste (e-waste).
The inspection forms part of government efforts to ensure compliance with environmental and customs regulations and to protect public health and the environment.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is bringing together sports, tourism, and community through the inaugural 2026 BCDA Ecozones Color Run Fest, a four-leg race series that will showcase some of the Philippines’ emerging investment and lifestyle destinations.
Organized in partnership with Smoke10 Events Management, the series forms part of BCDA’s continuing efforts to open its economic zones to more Filipinos, encouraging active lifestyles while highlighting how these developments are evolving into vibrant communities where people can live, work, invest, and thrive. The four-leg series kicks off on July 18 at Morong Discovery Park in Bataan, followed by Camp John Hay in Baguio on August 8, Poro Point Freeport Zone in La Union on October 24, before culminating in New Clark City in Tarlac on December 5. Each race offers participants the opportunity to experience BCDA destinations beyond their role as economic centers, showcasing their natural landscapes, recreational spaces, and local attractions.
“Our ecozones are designed to be places where people can work, invest, compete, and enjoy life. Through the BCDA Ecozones Color Run Fest, we are opening these destinations to more Filipinos and inviting them to experience the vibrant communities we are building,” said BCDA President and CEO Joshua M. Bingcang.
“The race series reflects our vision of creating economic zones that support not only economic growth but also healthier, more active, and more connected communities. By bringing people into our destinations, we hope they discover firsthand the opportunities and quality of life these places offer,” added Engr. Bingcang.
Participants may choose from three race categories:
● 10K (Php 1,299) – race bib, singlet, finisher shirt, finisher medal, and towel
● 5K (Php 899) – race bib, singlet, medal, and towel
● 3K (Php 799) – race bib, singlet, medal, and towel
Gun start schedules are:
● 10K – 5:30 a.m.
● 5K – 6:00 a.m.
● 3K – 6:30 a.m.
The four-leg series also reinforces BCDA’s broader strategy by transforming its developments into destinations where economic opportunities, tourism, recreation, and community life come together. As BCDA continues to develop world-class economic zones across the country, initiatives such as the Color Run Fest help make these places more accessible, inclusive, and meaningful to the public.
Online registration is available through the official race portal https://smoke10events.myruntime.com/events, while onsite registration is open every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. at Decathlon SM Clark.

MANILA, Philippines — In an era where corporate citizenship is defined by action, the intersection of public-private partnerships has proven to be a powerful catalyst for national awareness.
The United Nations Philippines recently released its 2025 Annual Results Report, highlighting the critical role of private sector collaboration in bringing global causes to local communities. Among the key partners recognized were SM Prime and SM Cares, commended for serving as vital amplifiers for major international campaigns, including the UN@80 Campaign and National Women’s Month.
The UN report underscores how SM utilized its massive physical footprint—spanning malls, digital screens, and cinemas—to transform everyday public spaces into hubs for civic engagement and global advocacy.
Bridging the Global to the Local
SM’s inclusion in the UN report signals a shift toward a new era of corporate citizenship—where collaboration reinforces the reach of good work.
Hosting UN initiatives such as the nationwide Women’s Month and UN@80 activations, SM has enabled greater access for these campaigns through the everyday spaces where Filipinos gather allowed the initiatives to achieve unprecedented reach, engaging tens of millions of mall-goers.
“True sustainability and development cannot happen in a vacuum,” says Steven Tan, President of SM Supermalls. “Our malls are modern plazas where communities gather. We are deeply honored by the UN’s recognition, but the real credit belongs to the millions of Filipinos who stopped, engaged, and took these conversations to heart.”
A Blueprint for SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
The collaboration directly aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), demonstrating how the private sector can provide the infrastructure needed to amplify humanitarian and developmental messages.
During the Women’s Month initiatives, SM’s digital assets amplified gender equality and empowerment. Later in the year, the UN@80 Campaign utilized SM’s high-traffic areas to educate the public on eight decades of global peace, human rights, and sustainable development efforts, making international diplomacy tangible for the everyday commuter and family.
As the UN looks toward future milestones, the success of these campaigns provides a clear blueprint for how corporations can lend their scale to causes that matter. By stepping up as the facilitator, SM has shown that the ultimate metric of corporate success is how well a company can serve the community it inhabits.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has called for a meeting with government agencies and other concerned groups to work together on issues related to the alleged e waste shipments in Subic, following public calls from an environmental protection group for immediate government action.
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.
Those invited to the meeting include the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), as well as environmental organizations such as Basel Action Network, Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), and the Ecowaste Coalition.
The coordination meeting comes as the BOC continues to pursue legal remedies in connection with the alleged e-waste shipments, which remain the subject of ongoing judicial proceedings and are currently under appeal before the appropriate court through the Office of the Solicitor General. In view of the pending case, the BOC is constrained from discussing its specific details but remains fully engaged in the legal process in accordance with the law.
Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said the coordination meeting is intended to promote clarity and cooperation while the legal process continues.
“Habang nasa ilalim pa ng judicial review ang kaso, mahalaga na magkausap ang lahat ng concerned agencies at stakeholders para mas malinaw nating maunawaan ang isyu, ang kani kaniyang roles, at ang mga batas at regulasyong dapat sundin. The coordination meeting will help make sure that all actions are coordinated and carried out in compliance with the law.,” Commissioner Nepomuceno said.
Meanwhile, Customs operations at the Port of Subic continue. Existing procedures remain in place, and coordination with other agencies is ongoing to support environmental and regulatory safeguards.
The Bureau of Customs remains focused on carrying out its mandate in accordance with the law while working closely with concerned agencies to address the issue through coordinated and appropriate measures.

Subic Bay Freeport – In its thrust to boost connectivity between 47 government agencies for faster communication, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) launched the Government Network (GovNet) Project in this premier Freeport.
  Held at the Best Western Hotel on June 24, the GovNet interconnects national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), public schools, and state hospitals through a secure, high-speed fiber-optic network to streamline public services and data sharing.
  “GovNet is more than infrastructure; it is the backbone of a unified digital ecosystem for government. As a high-speed interagency facility, it will connect 44 government agencies, ensuring faster communication, better coordination, quicker document processing, and easier access to online services,” SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said.
  Aliño said that GovNet will help modernize government operations and bring public services closer to the people as the National Broadband Program (NBP) was created to bridge the digital divide, provide intervention policies, and infrastructure.
  The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Philippine government’s strategic blueprint to build a nationwide digital infrastructure, accelerating the deployment of fiber optic cables and wireless technologies to provide universal, fast, reliable, and affordable internet services.
  “Subic has long been recognized as a center for trade, logistics, investment, tourism, and innovation. But in today’s digital economy, roads, ports, and airports are no longer enough,” DICT Central Luzon Assistant Regional Director Atty. James Francis Villanueva said.
  He added that digital infrastructure has become just as important as physical infrastructure, and through the GovNet, the department is helping to ensure that Subic Bay remains globally competitive and fully prepared for the opportunities of the digital economy.
  The GovNet project provides a dedicated fiber-optic internet with bandwidth capacities reaching up to 10Gbps, which connects isolated agency databases to improve inter-agency communication and ease government transactions.
  The said project eliminates the need for multiple, expensive individual ISP subscriptions by centralizing government network infrastructure.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Masinloc, and Gasat Builders and Supplies, Inc. are working together to restore a portion of forestland in Zambales affected by a forest fire through a collaborative tree growing initiative that supports the government’s long-term forest rehabilitation efforts.
CENRO Masinloc Head Donaver Guevarra reported that 45 volunteers planted 1,000 seedlings of coffee, eucalyptus, and yakal within a 100-hectare National Greening Program (NGP) adoption area in Barangay Guiguis, Sta. Cruz, Zambales.
According to Guevarra, the initiative contributes to the recovery of degraded forest areas by restoring forest cover in portions of the site where a forest fire during the dry season damaged seedlings planted in previous years.
“Sustained rehabilitation, maintenance, and protection activities are essential to ensure the successful recovery of the plantation and strengthen the resilience of the forest ecosystem,” he added.
DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo underscored the importance of partnerships in advancing forest rehabilitation, noting that private sector participation complements government efforts to restore degraded forestlands and promote the sustainable management of natural resources.
“The rehabilitation of areas affected by forest fires requires sustained commitment from government, the private sector, and local communities. Through partnerships such as these, we can restore forest ecosystems, strengthen their resilience, and ensure that they continue to provide vital ecological services for present and future generations,” Pablo said.
Participating in the activity were representatives from Gasat Builders and Supplies, Inc., interns from President Ramon Magsaysay State University (PRMSU)–Botolan Campus, members of Mu Omega, RHO Delta, Lambada, the Mt. Pinatubo Alpha Phi Omega Alumni Association, and the Beta XI Chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) fraternity, and personnel of CENRO Masinloc.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES ― Marine anti-ship missile launchers and air defense rolled off contracted Philippine commercial transport vessels onto an island in the middle of the Luzon Strait near Taiwan during drills earlier this month.
The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR) worked with their Philippine counterparts to transport the unit’s maritime strike and air defense systems to Calayan Island during the 10th iteration of the Kaagapay ng mga Mandirigma ng Dagat drills, according to a news release published June 20 by the U.S. Marine Corps. Abbreviated as KAMANDAG, the Marine drills have gradually shifted toward coastal defense activities facing the South China Sea and Luzon Strait.
“The modern littoral environment requires us to rapidly move our forces across challenging maritime terrain,” Maj. Robert Moore, a logistics officer assigned with the regiment, said in the release on the drills.
From the dispersed archipelagos that dot the strategic waters between the Philippines and Taiwan, Marines can hold maritime traffic transiting the Luzon Strait from 100 nautical miles away with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS). The MLR will operate up to 18 of the Naval Strike Missile-armed unmanned vehicles within its anti-ship missile battery, which are further divided into six sections of three launchers each.
“By integrating existing infrastructure, commercial ferries and roll-on, roll-off vessels, the combined force sustained movement across the Batanes Islands during the bilateral maneuvers,” reads the news release.
The MLR fields the Marine Air Defense Integrated Systems, protecting NMESIS from aerial threats. The service deploys two variants of the Joint Tactical Vehicle-mounted systems to provide close-in air defense against attack aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. During KAMANDAG, MADIS was deployed alongside NMESIS on commercial Philippine ferries.
Marines with the 3rd MLR have rehearsed scattered deployments across the Babuyan and Batannes Island Groups in recent years during exercises such as KAMANDAG and Balikatan to test their coverage of the archipelagos.
“By integrating existing infrastructure, commercial ferries and roll-on, roll-off vessels, the combined force sustained movement across the Batanes Islands during the bilateral maneuvers,” reads the release.
The MLR plans to use the upcoming McClung-class Landing Ship Mediums (LSM) to move their ship-killing missiles, but the first LSM will not enter service until 2029. Marines have turned to alternative means to maneuver their forces and meet Force Design concepts in the meantime, integrating U.S. Army logistics support vessels and local civilian transports into their operations.
Getting these anti-ship missiles to the remote islands separating Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines is critical in Washington’s plans to counter Beijing in a potential conflict. Marine and Army leadership view ground-based launchers as key to blunting China’s large fleet. Both services are fielding concepts, formations and tactics designed to rapidly insert missiles into these strategic areas.
Through recent deployments to the region, U.S. forces in the Western Pacific now maintain a forward-based maritime strike capability along the first island chain through MLR deployments of NMESIS. Last week, the service announced that the Okinawa-based 12th MLR received the anti-ship missile launchers. The Army’s Mid-Range Capability, which is equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6s for maritime strike operations, has also been flown to the Philippines and Japan. (Aaron-Matthew Lariosa, USNI News)