Castillo, Kathleen Kaye Castillo 18-58280

BSSE – 2201

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Republic / Full Title Significant Details
Administrative /
Presidential
Number
1. REPUBLIC ACT An act providing for a Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004
9275 comprehensive water
quality management The law aims to protect the country's
and for other water bodies from pollution from land-
purposes based sources (industries and
commercial establishments,
agriculture and community/household
activities). It provides for
comprehensive and integrated
strategy to prevent and minimize
pollution through a multi-sectoral and
participatory approach involving all
the stakeholders
2. REPUBLIC ACT An Act Providing for Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999
8749 A Comprehensive Air
Pollution Control The law aims to achieve and maintain
Policy and for Other clean air that meets the National Air
Purposes Quality guideline values for criteria
pollutants, throughout the Philippines,
while minimizing the possible
associated impacts to the economy
3. REPUBLIC ACT An Act to Promote “National Environmental Awareness
9512 Environmental and
Awareness Through Education Act of 2008”
Environmental
Education Consistent with the policy of the State
And for Other to protect and advance the right of
Purposes the people to a balanced
and healthful ecology in accord with
the rhythm and harmony of nature,
and in recognition of the vital role of
the youth in nation building and the
role of education to foster patriotism
and nationalism, accelerate social
progress, and promote total human
liberation and development, the state
 shall promote national awareness on
the role of natural resources in
economic growth and the importance
of environmental conservation and
ecological balance towards sustained
national development
4. REPUBLIC ACT An Act Instituting a Philippine Mining Act of 1995
7942 New System of
Mineral Resources All mineral resources in public and
Exploration, private lands within the territory and
Development, exclusive economic zone of the
Utilization, and Republic of the Philippines are owned
Conservation by the State. It shall be the
responsibility of the State to promote
their rational exploration,
development, utilization and
conservation through the combined
efforts of government and the private
sector in order to enhance national
growth in a way that effectively
safeguards the environment and
protect the rights of affected
communities.
5. REPUBLIC ACT Wildlife Resources Conservation and
9147 Protection Act

An Act Providing for The provisions of this Act shall be

the Conservation and enforceable for all wildlife species
Protection of Wildlife found in all areas of the country,
Resources and their including protected areas under
Habitats, Republic Act No. 7586, otherwise
Appropriating Funds known as the National Integrated
Therefor and for Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act,
Other Purposes and critical habitats. This Act shall
also apply to exotic species which are
subject to trade, are cultured,
maintained and/or bred in captivity or
propagated in the country
6. REPUBLIC ACT Toxic Substances and Hazardous
6969 Waste Control Act
An act to control toxic
substances and It has been recognized that the public
hazardous and and the environment are at risk in the
nuclear wastes, use or exposure to chemicals as well
providing penalties as the long term damage brought
for violations thereof, about by careless handling or
 and for other disposal of hazardous wastes. To
purposes control, supervise and regulate
activities on toxic chemicals and
hazardous waste. Under this act
importation, manufacture, processing,
handling, storage, transportation,
sale, distribution, use and disposal of
all unregulated chemical substances
and mixtures in the Philippines, as
well as the entry even in transit, or
storage and disposal of hazardous
and nuclear wastes are regulated
7. REPUBLIC ACT Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction
NO. 10121 and Management Act of 2010

RA 10121 makes sure that policies

and plans are in place to prepare
communities for when disasters
An act strengthening strike. Programs should increase
the philippine disaster awareness and knowledge of risks
risk reduction and and hazards, and preparedness for
management system, effective response and early
providing for the recovery. This law empowers regional
national disaster risk and local disaster management
reduction and bodies in terms of responsibilities and
management funding. The regional DRRM councils
framework and are tasked to coordinate, supervise,
institutionalizing the and evaluate the activities of
national disaster risk provincial, city, and municipal
reduction and DRRMCs. And given that there will be
management plan, a huge number of councils in the
appropriating funds regional and local levels, the main
therefor and for other coordinating body will be the
purposes. NDRRMC. The Office of Civil
Defense (OCD) helps in the
implementation of activities.
8. REPUBLIC ACT An act providing for The Philippine Fisheries Code of
NO. 8550 the development, 1998 Republic Act No. 8550
management and
conservation of the Also known as the Philippine
fisheries and aquatic Fisheries Code of 1998 was enacted
resources, integrating into law to achieve food security; limit
all laws pertinent access to the fishery and aquatic
thereto, and for other resources of the Philippines for the
purposes exclusive enjoyment of Filipino
citizens; ensure the rational and
 sustainable development,
management and conservation of the
fishery and aquatic resources in
Philippine waters including the
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ); to
protect the rights of fisher folk,
especially of the local communities
with priority to municipal fisher folk, in
the preferential use of the municipal
waters; to provide support to the
fishery sector, primarily to the
municipal fisher folk, including women
and youth sectors, through
appropriate technology and research,
adequate financial, production,

construction of post-harvest facilities,

marketing assistance, and other
services; to manage fishery and
aquatic resources, in a manner
consistent with the concept of an
integrated coastal area management
in specific natural fishery
management areas, appropriately
supported by research, technical
services and guidance provided by
the State; and to grant the private
sector the privilege to utilize fishery
resources under the basic concept
that the grantee, licensee or
permitted thereof shall not only be a
privileged beneficiary of the State but
also active participant and partner of
the Government in the sustainable
development, management,
conservation and protection of the
fishery and aquatic resources of the
country
9. REPUBLIC ACT An act mainstreaming Climate Change Act of 9729
NO. 9729 climate change into
government policy In response to the urgency for action
formulations, on climate change, the Philippines
establishing the passed Republic Act 9729, also
framework strategy known as the Climate Change Act of
and program on 2009, anchored on the constitutional
climate change, provision which states that “it is the
 creating for this policy of the State to afford full
purpose the climate protection and the advancement of
change commission, the right of the people to a balanced
and for other and healthful ecology… to fulfill
purposes human needs while maintaining the
quality of the natural environment for
current and future generations.”
10. REPUBLIC An act to provide Philippine Plant Variety Protection Act
ACT NO. 9168 protection to new of 2002
plant varieties,
establishing a RA 9168 is aimed at protecting and
national plant variety securing the exclusive rights of plant
protection board and breeders with respect to their new
for other purposes plant variety, particularly when
beneficial to people, through an
effective intellectual property system.
Under the PVP system, a plant
breeder could apply for a PVP
certificate over a new plant variety
from the board. A certificate and all
attendant ownership rights would be
given to the plant breeder if the plant
variety has passed the test of
distinctness, uniformity, stability, and
newness. Holders of a certificate of
plant variety would have the right to
authorize the production or
reproduction, conditioning for the
purpose of propagation, offering to
sale, selling or other marketing
strategies, exporting, importing and
stocking of the plant variety. A
provision on exemption to plant
variety protection has acknowledged
the traditional right of the farmer to
save, use, replant and sell his
produce from a protected variety,
provided that propagation is not being
done for commercial purposes.

International treaties and conventions

1. KYOTO PROTOCOL

The Kyoto Protocol, also known as the Kyoto Accord, is an international treaty
among industrialized nations that sets mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions.
Although the greenhouse effect is necessary for survival on earth, an overabundance
of greenhouse gas emissions increases global warming beyond what is desirable. The
purpose of the Kyoto Protocol is to stabilize human-generated emissions at a level that
will not inflict further harm on the atmosphere. The initial treaty was signed in Kyoto,
Japan in 1997. That agreement outlined emissions targets. Implementation required
participating members to create policies and measures to reduce and offset domestic
emissions and increase absorption of greenhouse gases.

2.. BASEL CONVENTION

On March 22, 1989, the Basel Convention on the Control of Trans boundary
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted by the Conference of
Plenipotentiaries in Basel, Switzerland, in response to a public outcry following the
discovery, in Africa and other parts of developing world of deposits of toxic wasted
imported from abroad. In the 1970s and 1980s, the people were awakened with
environmental awareness and corresponding tightening of environmental regulations in
the industrial world which had led to increasing public resistance to the disposal of
hazardous wastes. This resulted to some operators to seek for cheap disposal options
for hazardous wastes in Eastern Europe and the developing world, where
environmental awareness was much less developed and regulations and enforcement
mechanisms were lacking. Basel Convention then, was negotiated in the late 1980s and
entered into force in 1992, and its thrust at the time of its adoption was to combat the
toxic trade. It is the most comprehensive global environmental agreement on hazardous
wastes and other wastes. The purpose of Basel Convention is to protect human health
and the environment against the adverse effects resulting from the generation, Trans
boundary movements and management of hazardous wastes and other wastes.
The Basal Convention has qualifications that center around the following primary aims,
these are:

1. The reduction of hazardous waste generation and the promotion of environmentally

sound management of hazardous wastes, wherever the place of disposal
2. The restriction of trans boundary movement of hazardous wastes except where it is
perceived to be in accordance with the principles of environmentally sound
management; and
3. A regulatory system applying to cases where trans boundary movements are
permissible.

3. THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is the
landmark multilateral environmental agreement that regulates the production and
consumption of nearly 100 man-made chemicals referred to as ozone depleting
substances (ODS). When released to the atmosphere, those chemicals damage the
stratospheric ozone layer, Earth’s protective shield that protects humans and the
environment from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Adopted on 15
September 1987, the Protocol is to date the only UN treaty ever that has been ratified
every country on Earth - all 197 UN Member States.

The Montreal Protocol phases down the consumption and production of the
different ODS in a step-wise manner, with different timetables for developed and
developing countries (referred to as “Article 5 countries”). Under this treaty, all parties
have specific responsibilities related to the phase out of the different groups of ODS,
control of ODS trade, annual reporting of data, national licensing systems to control
ODS imports and exports, and other matters. Developing and developed countries have
equal but differentiated responsibilities, but most importantly, both groups of countries
have binding, time-targeted and measurable commitments.

4. STOCKHOLM CONVENTION

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants 2001 is a

international agreement by the nations of the world to address the global chemical
pollution. Its objective is to protect human health and the environment from persistent
organic pollutants or POPs. POPs include the organochlorine pesticides DDT, endrin,
dieldrin, aldrin, chlordane, toxaphene, heptachlor, mirex, and hexachlorobenzene, as
well as the industrial chemicals and by-products PCBs, dioxins, and furans. These initial
twelve chemicals, the 'poisons without passports' were chosen because they have the
common hazardous characteristics of toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation, and are
capable of travelling vast distances via water and air. The Convention aims to eliminate
the production, use and emissions of POPs while preventing the introduction of new
chemicals with POP-like characteristics and ensuringthe environmentally sound
destruction of POPs waste stockpiles. The Convention sets out the actions that country
Parties must take to achieve this. It also requires country Parties to reduce and where
feasible, eliminate releases of by-product POPs chemicals