Republic of the Philippines Congress of the Philippines Metro Manila Fourteenth Congress Second Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-eight day of July, two thousand eight. Republic Act No. 9512 Dece ber 12! 2""#

AN AC$ $% PR%&%$' 'N()R%N&'N$A* A+AR'N'SS $,R%-., 'N()R%N&'N$A* 'D-CA$)%N AND F%R %$,'R P-RP%S'S Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:: Section 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the /National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008/. Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - Consistent with the policy of the tate to protect and ad!ance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhyth" and har"ony of nature, and in recognition of the !ital role of the youth in nation building and the role of education to foster patriotis" and nationalis", accelerate social progress, and pro"ote total hu"an liberation and de!elop"ent, the state shall pro"ote national awareness on the role of natural resources in econo"ic growth and the i"portance of en!iron"ental conser!ation and ecological balance towards sustained national de!elop"ent. Section 0. Scope of Environmental Education. - The #epart"ent of $ducation %#ep$d&, the Co""ission on 'igher $ducation %C'$#&, the Technical $ducation and kills #e!elop"ent Authority %T$ #A&, the #epart"ent of ocial (elfare and #e!elop"ent %# (#&, in coordination with the #epart"ent of $n!iron"ent and )atural *esources %#$)*&, the #epart"ent of cience and Technology %#+ T& and other rele!ant agencies, shall integrate en!iron"ental education in its school curricula at all le!els, whether public or pri!ate, including in barangay daycare, preschool, non-for"al, technical !ocational, professional le!el, indigenous learning and out-of-school youth courses or progra"s. $n!iron"ental education shall enco"pass en!iron"ental concepts and principles, en!iron"ental laws, the state of international and local en!iron"ent, local en!iron"ental best practices, the threats of en!iron"ental degradation and its i"pact on hu"an well-being, the responsibility of the citi,enry to the en!iron"ent and the !alue of conser!ation, protection and rehabilitation of natural resources and the en!iron"ent in the conte-t of sustainable de!elop"ent. .t shall co!er both theoretical and practicu" "odules co"prising acti!ities, pro/ects, progra"s including, but not li"ited to, tree planting0 waste "ini"i,ation, segregation, recycling and co"posting0 freshwater and "arine conser!ation0 forest "anage"ent and conser!ation0 rele!ant li!elihood opportunities and econo"ic benefits and other such progra"s and undertakings to aid the i"ple"entation of the different en!iron"ental protection law. Section 1. Environmental Education and Activities as Part of National Service Training Program . The C'$# and the T$ #A shall include en!iron"ental education and awareness progra"s and acti!ities in the )ational er!ice Training 1rogra" under *epublic Act )o. 2345, as part of the Ci!ic (elfare Training er!ice co"ponent re6uired for all baccalaureate degree courses and !ocational courses with a curriculu" of at least two %7& years. Section 5. Declaration of Environmental Awareness ont! . - 1ursuant to the policy set forth in this Act, the "onth of )o!e"ber of e!ery year shall be known as the 8$n!iron"ental Awareness Month8 throughout the 1hilippines. Section 2. "nteragency and ulti#sectoral Effort. - The #ep$d, C'$#, T$ #A, #$)*, #+ T and other rele!ant agencies, in consultation with e-perts on the en!iron"ent and the acade"e, shall lead in the

i"ple"entation of public education and awareness progra"s on en!iron"ental protection and conser!ation through collaborati!e interagency and "ulti-sectoral effort at all le!els. The #$)* shall ha!e the pri"ary responsibility of periodically infor"ing all agencies concerned on current en!iron"ental updates, including identifying priority en!iron"ental education issues for national action and pro!iding strategic ad!ice on the en!iron"ental education acti!ities. The #ep$d, C'$#, T$ #A, #$)*, #+ T, # (# and barangay units shall ensure that the infor"ation is disse"inated to the sub/ect students. The #+ T is "andated to create progra"s that will ensure that students recei!e science-based 6uality infor"ation on en!iron"ental issues to encourage the de!elop"ent of en!iron"ent-friendly solutions, de!ices, e6uip"ent and facilities. Section 3. $apacity#%uilding. - The #ep$d, C'$# and T$ #A, in coordination with the #$)* and other rele!ant agencies, shall undertake capacity-building progra"s nationwide such as trainings, se"inars, workshops on en!iron"ental education, de!elop"ent and production of en!iron"ental education "aterials, and teacher-education courses and related li!elihood progra"s. Section #. Separa&ility $lause. - .f any part, section or pro!ision of this Act shall be held in!alid or unconstitutional, the other pro!isions shall not be affected thereby. Section 9. 'epealing $lause. - All other acts, laws, e-ecuti!e orders, presidential issuances, rules and regulations or any part thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or "odified accordingly. Section 1". Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen %39& days after its publication in the +fficial :a,ette or in at least two %7& newspapers of general circulation. Appro!ed

4Sgd.5 &ANN6 ()**AR 1resident of the enate

4Sgd.5 PR%SP'R% C. N%.RA*'S peaker of the 'ouse of *epresentati!e

This Act which is a consolidation of enate Bill )o. 3422 and 'ouse Bill )o. ;5<3 was finally passed by the enate and the 'ouse of *epresentati!es on +ctober <, 7==<.

4Sgd.5 '&&A *)R)%7R'6'S ecretary of the enate

4Sgd.5 &AR)*6N 8. 8AR-A76AP ecretary :eneral 'ouse of *epresentati!e

Appro!ed: D'C 12! 2""# % gd.& .*%R)A &ACAPA.A*7ARR%6% President of the Philippines