The wood chips stored at a warehouse in Barangay Guizo, Mandaue City were being dumped at the Umapad dumpsite starting yesterday.
Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing ordered the City Engineering Office to dump the wood chips following complaints from Barangay Guizo residents who said the wood chips caught fire several times since last month.
The wood chips were part of the imported shredded garbage plastic materials from South Korea placed in container vans covered by the wood chips to conceal the garbage.
The shredded plastic garbage were stocked at a yard in Barangay Tingub but residents there complained about the foul odor produced by the garbage which attracted swarms of flies.
The wood chips were confiscated in favor of the government and is under the custody of the Bureau of Customs subject for auction.
Glenn Opus, warehouse caretaker, said it took a week for dump trucks to fill the warehouse with the wood chips.