In an analysis of the situation in January 2019 , Antonio La Viña said that there was nothing for the Philippines to do but wait on Canadian retrieval of the trash . About three months later , in the wake of the 2019 Luzon earthquake , President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out at Canada over the garbage remaining in Manila . After accusing Canada of denigrating Filipinos , Duterte proclaimed that if the trash was not removed by Canada within a week ( by 30 April 2019 ) , the Philippines would declare war on Canada . In response to Duterte 's threat , the Canadian ambassador to the Philippines said , " I wo n't comment on the specific words of the president or his tone , but I will say this : Our prime minister committed and has recommitted to resolving this issue , including taking the waste back to Canada . " A week after his deadline was missed , Duterte set a new one of 15 May , with his secretary of foreign affairs — Teodoro Locsin Jr. — saying , " The President expects the garbage to be seaborne by May 15 . That expectation will be met or else … " That same day , Global Affairs Canada announced that they had made an offer to retrieve the garbage and were working closely with the government of the Philippines to work out the details . Bolloré Logistics Canada was awarded the Canadian government 's contract to ship the waste out of the Philippines
2019 Luzon earthquake
2019 Luzon earthquake
Canada–Philippines waste dispute