INDUSTRIALIZED nations such as South Korea are taking advantage of a 2013 administrative order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that allows the importation of large amounts of potentially toxic electronic waste, or e-waste, such as discarded televisions, mobile phones, and computer components, an investigation by The Manila Times found.

According to research by the United Nations, various environmental groups, and universities, e-waste is a growing problem globally, particularly for developing countries like the Philippines, which serve as export destinations for e-waste from developed economies. The e-waste is an attractive proposition for poor communities, where it is processed – mostly by hand – to extract valuable metals such as gold, palladium, silver, and copper.