Nat Res Book Agcaoili

7
WONNATURAL
RESOURCES
AND
PROCEDURE
···•-oH-rAL
CASES
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LAWON NA1UllAJ_JIlJ~SOURCES 1
AND RULES OF PROCEDURE

FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CASES
JUSTICE OSWALDO D. AGCAOILI

.., Profes~or, Phili)1pine Judicial Academy, Supreme Court_ ..
I ormer A~sociate Justice, Court of Appeals (Chairman, 13th D1v1s10n)
Assi st ant Solicitor General, Officeof the Solicitor General
Solicitor, Office of the Solicitor General
Legal Officer and Chief of Section, Legal Division, Bureau of Lands
Bachelor of Laws, University of Sto. Tomas
Basic Management, Asian Institute of Management
Delegate/Participant: Academy of American and International Law,
Southwestern Legal Foundation, Dallas, Texas
20th Biennial Conference of the World Jurist Association,
Dublin, Ireland; World Jurist Conference, New Delhi, India;
VIII Conferencia International Anti-Corruption, Lima, Peru;
International Conference on the International Criminal Court,
Metro Manila; International Scientific Congress on Private Law of the
Philippines and Spain, Ateneo Professional Schools, Makati City;
Asian Judges Symposium on Environmental Decision Making, the
Rule of Law and Environmental Justice, ADB Headquarters,
Metro Manila; and
Member: World Jurist Association and International Jurist Organization
Law Professor and Bar Reviewer
Appellate Court Mediator
Professorial Lecturer, UP Institute for the Administration of Justice
Huwarang Arna Awardee for Law and Judiciary
Golden Scroll Awardee for Law and Justice
State Advocate, Knights of Columbus (Luzon)
Author: "Property Registration Decree and Related Laws
(Land Titles and Deeds)" and
"Reviewer in Property Registration and Related Proceedings"
Delivered a paper on "International Environmental Law and Policy"
at the World Jurist Association Congress in Dublin, Ireland, in 2001
• ;~;ti~~ktSdtb~re
~ 856NlcanorReyes,Sr.St.
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Tel.Nos.:8522-4521/8522-4107
Manllo,Phlllpplnes
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no o. AGCAOILI
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ALLRIGHTSRESERVED
BYTHEAUTHOR
No. 2023
May2021
Reprinted:
ISBN978-621-04-0391-6
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'Diosdado
'M.'Pcrafta
CHIEF JUSTICE
FOREWORDTO THE 2021 EDITION

No less than the Constitution itself expresses in unequivocal
language the commitments of the State to "protect and promote
the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness
among them" and to "protect and advance the right of the people
to a balanced and healthy ecology in accord with the rhythm and
harmony of nature." It, as well, recognizes that the maintenance
of peace and order, and the promotion of general welfare are
indispensable "for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings
of democracy."
These deep-rooted national principles have since paved the
way for the enactment of laws that do not only provide for the
protection of the environment and the sustainable use of natural
resources, but also, ultimately, uphold the constitutional concept of
political equality, which is crucial in democratic governance. Indeed,
it is without a doubt that environmental justice is central to the
advocacy of the most basic of human rights, including the right to
live in a peaceful society. Though it cannot be denied that there is
still much to be accomplished in the realm of environmental justice,
there is comfort in knowing that there are those who actively explore
the numerous ways and means by which the judicial system can be
best utilized so as not to allow existing ecological initiatives and
environmental laws be reduced to mere palliatives.
One such individual is Justice Oswaldo D. Agcaoili. His years
of experience as a person well versed in the subject matter of
iii

and documented in his book "L
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.,.::,,,ell.,i'' c·· JJrocedure for .!.inv1.ronrnent
H••1es 0 . · · a1
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.:: •. 111d ' . tl e significance of prot , •
enYiron 1111'111 •1 011r,:<'t- : 1.,,ness as to 1 • . . ect1ng
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on N:1.t11r:11 d ·, 1111is:1' try's natural resou . ' rces J ust1 • A
ce gcaoi}i
Cn~C'~-" "'~()t_c 'o11r c~•JJ11, • wledge of the pertinent constitutional
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nnd ~11~ 1_. .!-, war { . d ce , and 1nternationa covenants 0 n
. 11, 111~ . • pru en
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imp~r!~ Jaws, J~1 unambiguous manner.
prcn•1s1011s, 1Jawu1 a c1ear' •
en,-ironmentB. . f his book, Justice Agcaoili has included the
Jn t,111s ° .
• ed1t10nSupreme Court reso 1utions, • an d a d m1nistrative
• •
. .15. prudence, . d . .
Jatest.]lll . vironmental cases in or er to give its readers
es in en
issuanc d and more refined understanding
• f h
o t e subject. His
8n update . • t 1. .
. of policy development 1n environmen a Justice and his
mM~Y ·
expertisein the proper enforcemen~ of environmental l~ws~ effective
implementationof health regulations, and speedy adJud1cation of
environment-relateddisputes are evident in his commentaries and
annotations.It may thus be sensibly foreseen that this book will
serveas an essential tool in advancing the practice and development
ofPhilippine environmental law. • ·
. PERALTA
Chief Vustice
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'F'RO'M 'T'')--{~ C'H'A'M'B~'RS OT-:

'P1·esGitero
J. Ve(asco,Jr.
ASSOCIATE JUSTICE
FOREWORD TO THE 2016 EDITION
Since 2007 when the first edition of .Justice Osv•.-aldo D.

Agcaoili's book came out, so many odd environmental phenomena.
some never before experienced, have occurred. The book's update is
thus most timely.
This third and latest edition of the "Law on ~-atural
Resources and the Rules of Procedure for En ironmental
Cases" shows once more the Author's ma:-;t.ery of thl' :-:ubjt'{"tju~t
as jt demonstrates his deep continuing conc<!rn for the !lbrmin~
degrading of our natural reAourcer; and mnn':-. assault ngnin~t th1..•
environment and the rcr;ulting cJimnte chnnJ~t•. As ,Ju:-;tict• .-\ll\,1(\,
S. Ar.cuna then ob,;crvcd in hiH for •word t.o t.lw ~ll l :! edit i\,n, tlw
Author h:1H with hir; booJ<come up wit.h n vnlunlih• l't 1ndin~: m:ltt·ri;ll
to incr<J,JH<:r:vuryhody't, uw1u·01wHHl.o t,ht rn•t d lo :-.u~l:dn ,,\tr \\~lt\\Lll
r<~H()Uft<JH:Jnd uddreHH thr-<!1tf.H
to 1.h, • nvit·mwwnt.
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recent significant rulings, these commentaries and annotations
make plain the apt application of the Rules to a given set of facts
thereby laying the foundation for the speedy adjudication of the
actual environmental disputes.
Justice Agcaoili has succeeded in making earlier works even
better. For this, he deserves the congratulation and commendation
of the members of the bench, bar, students of law and everyone who,
in one way or another, now and in the years to come is involved in
keeping planet Earth clean and healthy.
PRESBITERO J. VELASCO, JR.
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PREFACE TO THE 2021 EDITION
This edition has included the latest decisions and re~-mluti<>n8
of
the Supre1ne Court in environmental cases as wel1 aH adminiRtratiVf!
circulars to keep abreast with evolving substantive and procedural
issuances and practices. We have also amplified our commentaries
and annotations to come up with a more comprehensive treatment
and understanding of the subject.
To law students, legal practitioners and all lovers of nature,
this book is humbly recommended.
OSWALDO D. AGCAOILI
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PREFACE TO THE 2016 EDITION
Thi~ n edit.ion reflect~ t.he n~c1!11I.

'W r ,f'o,·rns :md developments
in environ1n"'nt.nl lnw. It. includ •s n 8llmmary of' ndminist.rativc
issunnces anrl i1nplem ~nt:ing rules :ind reguln.tions issued hy the
Departinent of Environment and Natural Resources, the primary
agency charged with the enforcement of environmental laws. J\lso
incorporated are in1portant decisions of the Supreme Court evolving
concepts, principles and edicts relative to the precautionary principle,
special writs of l?-alihasan and continuing rnandamus, energy
exploitation and concession, grant or deniaJ of an environmental
compliance certificate, citizens suits, and environmental protection
and preservation.
Added to this edition are three new chapters on the Philippine
Environmental Policy and Environmental Impact Statement System
(PD No. 1151 and PD No. 1586), Climate Change (RA No. 9729,
as amended by RA No. 10174), and Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management (RA No. 10121).
I thought it is highly relevant to cite here the highlights of
the July 2016 landmark decision of the Hague-based Permanent
Court of Arbitration which peremptorily held that (1) there is no
legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the
sea areas falling within the 'nine-dash line'; (2) none of the features
claimed by China is capable of generating an exclusive economic
zone, hence, the sea areas in the Spratly Islands and Scarborough
Shoal are within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines;
and (3) China has violated the Philippines' sovereign rights in its
exclusive economic zone by (a) interfering with Philippine fishing
and petroleum exploration, (b) constructing artificial islands leading
to the destruction of the marine environn1ent, and (c) failing to
prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone.
I am gratified that a number of law schools have prescribed our
work as a textbook on the relatively new subject on Environmental
Laws and I hope that this revised edition will better serve the needs
not on]y of the members of the bench nnd lnw shtrlents, but also
those engaged in environ1nentnl Htigntion.
JUSTICE OSWALDO D. AGCAOILI

Philippine Judicial Acaden1y
Supre111e Court
IX

To my dearest children, Mario, Cynthia, Wendy and
spouses, grandchildren Kirsten Leslie, Kricia Nicole,
Cynthia Abigail, Rayzel Dezeree, Kasel Raewen, and
Krician Reyn, and spouses, great-grandchildren Zoey
Elise, Macen Keve, Arlo Elowen, Raelyn Noelle and
Kalum Theos, and
T~ my ever-loving wife, Consuelo, this book
"LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES

AND RULES OF PROCEDURE
FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CASES"
is affectionately dedicated.

CONTENTS
Chapter I
OVERVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS, LAWS, RULES'
AND REGULATIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
01. Introduction ·················· ..·······.............................................. .1

02. State ownership over natural resources .................. .. 2
03. Environmental degradation ........................................... . 3
04. p rec au f 1onary pr1nc1ple
.. ......................................... . 4
05. E nv1ron111e11ta
• 1Justice
• • .................................................... . 5
06. International agreements and conventions ................. .. 5
07. Philippine environmental laws and issuances .............. 10
a. Constitutional provisions ..................................... .. 11
08. Laws and adn1inistrative issuances ............................. .. 13
09. Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases .............. .. 18
a. Objectives .............................................................. .. 19
b. Salie11t features ...................................................... . 19
10. Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases:
a judicial refor1n initiative ............................................. . 20
11. Obligation to preserve and protect our. natl~ral
resources and national heritage enshrined 1n
our funda1nental law ...................................................... . 21
Chapter II
PUBLIC LAND ACT
(Commonwealth Act No. 141)
A. Prelimina,:Y
2~1
Governing aw ....................... ..
• ] ff ff ············•••......
t t It I I I If I It I ♦ It f
23
01.
02. H jstorie8l background .................................. •:::::::::::::::::: 24
03. Policy c:onsidcrn tions •••.. ·.. •••............. I...........t.. li•ol
• I 1, 1d ot 101· nn ,l "
04. Rega1ian <lm;Lrinc- nil unc s n1 , .............. .. 25
10Stnt.o .................. .
resources are owne<II 1Y tl• •
xiii

' t fprre~ill'nt.inl
-
lss\l:\Hl'l' ll ft'rt'c'Pntln
I Nn looi:\......................................
..
f.
\ot~\n,rl,,r.h.-\1 . ~,t.ionof lands for •
0
('\as~1firntll111 n11cl ,~pn. • 1 t,., 1
. ('rcrnl or 111nus t hl
rr~1,knl,n1.rotntn ' • •
1 1
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I I I I I 66
\1Ul'\'Cl!-=-C~
l\
...................
lodrsofdispos1t1on;
: .. :···•'. , ••••••
sale or lease ............... .
67
68
~) Conditionsof the lease .....:........................... ..
h. Landsforresidential,commercrnlor
industrialpurposesshall be disposed of 69
t hrou~horalbidding;exception(direct sale) ........ .
71
, ale nflandswithin military reservations .......... ..
\.
Concessionoflands for educational,
). 71
charitable and other similar uses ......................... .
k. l{eservations............................................... :••
72
1) Townsitcreservations ........ .. 72
2) Reservations for publi~...................................
and semi-public purposes 73
,_._,_ _:l) Provisionscommonto res~~~~ti~~................ . 74
Special patents s .............. . 74
..................
..............................................
E. Uegistrati,on
of c .fi
of Patents and l ssuance
~ ·i . er 1,1, icates of Titl
• ... H(•f'JSt1·· .1t.ion of patent i ,1
i--.
e
c()nvt•y tlw land s tie operative act to
:1. Ct•rtilicaLe·~f: ~·i·;
,1..e•·:issued
......•......
p •..,............ ................... ..
75
palt·nt ind ,f •nsiblc ursuant to a
b. DHk of·....
i:-;:munceof •.......... .. ............. .. 75
t ht·.i!'l!illllnc<•oft 1 ' dJ.)atent
~onespon~i~..t............... .
r,· 'I . le ecree o
c. T~-:.t rnt.rnn cases In ordinary
It It· <"llllll!Jt l>t•U(/ ....................... 76
J1<1!-.!'ll"!'l:,i<111 I l:ated bv ·ldv ........................ ..
, 1or sul • ., ' erse
• JJect to eollat'.
,' e1 al attack 76
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l Hr.,. J t ll·t·<·tt ............ ..
t'. "' UJI 1· ()J\ • - • ll'V 80
~Hit•
.of o11lv n o tht• 111•w i:..1d1!1·1.!<l a ., ........... ..
....
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prol11hiti.on........ le ······•
ln11.t..v··:............. ..
......... . io at••·. •........... .. 80
.... ....
.........
............................
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81
15. Repu1~ch~1se by npp)icunt or hiH heirs ............................ . 81
3• ~ er1oci of 1·epurc1wHe under Section 11 D............... . 82
b. bffect, of n void conveynncc .................................... . 83
Chapter Ill
REVISED FORESTRY CODE
(Presidential Decree No. 705)
A. Preli,ninary
01.
02.
s
Governing law ................................................................. . 84
ta te policy ..................................................................... . 84
03. Definition of terins .......................................................... .
• 85
B. Organizational Structure
04. The Department of Environment and Natural
Resources; mandate ........................................................ . 88
a. DENR Secretary has delegated
discretionary power to classify as alienable
and disposable forest lands of the public
d oma1n• .................................................................... . 88
b. Policy determination by the executive
branch on the proper management of forest
resources cannot as a rule be interfered
with by the courts ............................................ . 90
c. .Forest lands not exempt from the
territorial application of municipal laws ............. . 91
05. Organization of the Forest Management Bureau ......... . 92
a. Su perv1.s1on............................................................ . 92
b. Review .................................................................... . 92
c. Exhaustion of administrative remedies ............... . 93
d. Finality of administrative decisions; laches ........ .. 9-1
06. Juri.sdiction ........................................................................ ~l5
a. Legality of the closure of a logging road is
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....•·.... 95
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C. h. Holder of a pasture lease ugree1nent has
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96
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C. Classification and Su,.veys
96
07. C]ass1•('1es1·(.
~ion ................................... ••····· ••••......................
-..,..•
a. Concept of forests und forest lnnds ....................... . 97
b. Public forcstA 01·forest;s 1·esm·vesnre not
capable of private npproprintion .......................... .. 98
------ rvt:1ngro
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. the category
......•••••••••
t , t • • '
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Bornr•ll'i~lnndis" ver11111entcnn
d.. . nlic;;1hlc:onlYt.llcg_o. which the island
,n, 1 . l , 1n11nne1in •
dctrr111111ct._
'" d for conveyed to private
~1iould be dispose o ........................ .. 102
individunls ........................-:..j'j~~-dsas •
ThelPRAconverts ancest1a • •
r. publicagricultural]ands for registration 103
purposes.................···..·..·..••••••.. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 103
m·aphy •••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••• 104
. Topo0 • •• •••• •••• • •• • •• • • • •
fg. Areasneededfor forest purposes .......................... .
105
O·. Reservations in forestlands and off-shore areas ........... .
n. Reservationof land for UP's experiment
andresearchstation vests in it rights of
ownershipand to collect forest charges
fromexistingtimber concessionaires ...................
105
D. Utilization and Management

09. Multipleuse 106
·f~;~~~~ ••
:••••••••••••••••
~. ~~~,:"";~(iof··~··~~d·~~-~t~·~ti~~-~f 106
mtergenerat' I
c1p e o ................. ..
c. responsibility........... iona 108
A tunberlicense. .........................•... . ... •
?mere privile. Isl~ota contract but .............. .
irr ge w uch do
10. 1 . . evocablerights es not create
,1censengreement, license
. •............. . 110
' Iease..............
or permit .. .................. .
E ..
..........
.. ......
112
11. Durntion of l' • Tiniber
hurvt• . icense ag.
1✓.. s· .s1 timber • i eement •
t:t.t· of fo in forest l . or hcens
r st cone . ands
ess1011s ........ ....
e to
.....-........... •••••·..........
............ 112
J;j_ h11e1t l Ji'.Jl.,r, ............... .. 113
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17.
Swamplands nnd 111n11grove
18. Vl fo1·eHtH .............................. ..
·s1·t·o1·1··tl Jlowc1· ...................................... . 115
19.
I - (_ tllllltfllllllltfllllllt
116
Authority of foreHt. of'fice1·1:-1
20. Ml ............................................. .
.Ill.Ilg OJ)"l'llf 1·<lll" ................................... ..
116
~
21. I ,-, t t t t t t I I 111 tit I ttttl
11
116
Minern 1 rescrvn t.ionH..................................................... ..
1.17
H. Special Uses
22.
J>Rsture in forest lands ................................................... . 117
23. \ 1r•1a1·
'\ l l CLC••••••••••••••......................................... ..................... .
24. Recr 117
25. ·eat1011 I I I I I I t I I I I
............ •..•..•···...... ·
t I I I I I It I I I I I I I I I I I I I It t t I I I I I f I
117
Other special uses of forest lands .................................. · 118
I. Qualifications
26. D1'ff us1on
• ofb e11e fits .................................. •..
27. . ....................
Serv1ce contracts ............................................... 118
··············· 118
J. Criminal Offenses and Penalties

28. Cutting, gathering and/or collecting timber or
other products without license ...........'........................... . 119
a. Offenses punished under
Section 68, PD No. 705, as amended ................... .. 121
b. DENR has jurisdiction over the
confiscation of forest products
and conveyances used in the commission
of the offense .......................................................... . 124
29. Unlawful occupation or destruction.
of forest lands ................................................................. . 124
30. Pasturing livestock ......................................................... . 125
31. Illegal occupation of national parks system
and recreation areas and vandalism therein ................ . 125
32. Destruction of Wildlife Resources .......................... :....... 12G
33. Survey by unauthorized persons ............................. . 126
(/l
(")
Q)
::,
34. Misclassification and survey by government
::,
Cl)
a. official or em.ployee ...................................................... .... 12G
!.
s- 35. Tax dec1aration on real property .................................. .. 126
(")
Q)
3
g, a. Declaring a forest land for taxation
Q)
::,
. a cr1m1na
purposes 1s . . I act , ...................................... . 127
::,
!!l
36. Arrest; institution of criminal action ........................... .. 127
a. Search and seizure without war1·nnt .................... . 128
b. Forest products confiscated upon nuthority
of the DENR Secretary is beyond the
reach of replevin .................. ••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
129
xix
chapter IV
ACTOF 1995
PHILIPPINE
l',ll~:tGNo.
7942)
(Republic •
A, prefiniinarY
... ......................... 132
............... 132
01. G0\'C'rningJnw...._.......~..~~-i~~i;;g
Jaws ............................... . 138
0'.2. E"olut.ionof pert1~1en ...................................... .
()3. Declarntion of pohcly......a•~:~·i~~·ended to promote
04. Phl.lippine mining aws
h th ugh tie 1 gra
nt of supervised
national growt ro f • eral 138
exploration and development o min ................ .
resources to qualified persons ....................................... . 141
05. Ownership of mineral resourc.e~.....b.....t.h ..~.S~ate"
a. "Full control and superviswn Y •
in the exploration, development
and utilization of the country's natural 144
resources ................................................................. .
b. The old system of exploration, development
and utilization of natural resources through
licenses, concessions or leases has been
omitted under the 1987 Constitution .................. .. 146
c. RA No. 7942 reiterates ownership of natural
resources by the State ........................................... . 148
d. Activi~ieswhich may be undertaken by the
State m connection with its "full control
and supervision" ....................... . 149
06. Rights ?f_alocator to a perfected mini~~·~i~i~ ............. . 151
a. Mmmg rights acquired under th Ph'l· :.......... ..
B'll f e 1 1pp1ne
i o 1.902and prior to the effectivit
~~~~e 1~!5 Constituti~nwere vested ~ights

cou not be impaired even b
the government Y
b. B~t mere recordi·~·~·~r'~ ..;i~i~·g .... i ..:•..................... . 152
without perform. c aim,
d mg annual worl bl. •
oes not convert land . . . co 1gat1011,
e. . Almndonment into mineral land .....
07. Mineral l'ese1·v•>•1·c.............................. 152 •••••••••••
08 Cl . . '"'L Jn 8 . 155
• •••••••••••••••••••
. assif1eationof . ........................... .. .... ..
09· De f'1111
·t.10,
• of te minerals .. ......... ............ .. •......... •..
157
1 1·1ns... ••••••••••••••••••••••··
I It I It I I If I I I It
160
I I I I I I I <I I I It I I I I
••••••••···
A ti . B. Organizational St . •••••••••••••••••••••••• 161
10. u 1or1tyoftheD Htcture
epartinent
••••••· I I It t It t t I I It I I
....................
167
n.
Vnlidit.y ol' 11dmi11iHl.rnl.ivu ol'dorH i1m11od
by t.he D 'p11rt.11uml. Secrnl.111·y; PD No. '1WI
letl,.,.....,........................................
,~l'Jlez, ,................. 167
b. Hol 'of locnl gov1!1·1111w11I.H ...................................... . 169
11. Authority of the Bllt·enu ................................................ .. 170
n. Trend to make ndjl!dicntion of mining
cases a purely nclministraLive mutter .................. .. 171
b. Doctrine of primary jurisdiction .......................... .. 172
c. Non-interference by the courts on purely
administrative matters ......................................... .. 173
12: Recording systen1............................................................ . 173
C. Scope of Application
13. Areas open to mining operations.................................... 173
14. Areas closed to mining operations.................................. 174
D. Exploration Permit
15. Exploration permit.......................................................... 176
a. Section 3(aq) of RA No. 7942 is not
unconst1tut1onal...................................................... 176
b. Submission of work program .......................... ....... 177
c. Term of exploration permit ...............~.................... 178
d. Transfer of exploration permit............................... 179
e. Maximum area for exploration permit.................. 179
f. Rights and obligations of the permittee ................ 180
g. Terms and conditions of exploration permit......... 180
h. Registration of exploration permit......................... 182
1. Exploration permit revocable when
demanded by the police power............................... 182
E. Mineral Agreements
16. Forms of mineral agreement .................................. :....... 183
a. Scope of mineral agreements ................................ . 184
b. Eligibility ............................................................... .. 184
c. Maximum area for mineral agreement ................. 185
d. Filing and approval of mineral agreements .......... 186
e. Assignment or tran.sfer .......................................... . 186
f. Term of a mineral agreement ................................ 186
g. Publication, posting, radio announcement ............ 186
h. Registration of mineral agreement ........................ 187
1. Issuance of special mines permit ........................... 187
J. DENR Secretary has the authority
to cance] mineral agreements ................................ 187
xxi
e A.greement
'Hf,a.11,C
ftHHI• '
;caI ent
• r,~c/11' , j\grec•11 ........... . 188
··,,011ci"Ior 1 A"Ristlltlcc ............. e••n••t
r '"
••
• '"'· ···•• rn
T.,ch""'" ..........:..·;;;1ceagree which
• ol'
,,!:,ssist, •ty right
Fin111ir1nl.................... ......... .
17. (fl'AA)
.........
.-•1l ll'clt1t1C t or proper. cess clause . 188
11 :\ ftnnn<~•·1 cont.rnc, }1edue pIO ................. . 189
• rTAM,s ' • 1 by t ......··.•• ..····· 190
(• :tc:.J)l'OtcctlOl ·······•"··•"··
n1c1 l ,._ .. ...... AA .................................... 190
]lligihilitl'...bj~~t of FT ..::::...........•·••••••·:::.......... 190
h. Mineralssu tract area.... ................... ..... .
r. • 1111con ..... .. ... 191
l Mnx1mlf FTAA ............... ...................... ······
<. Ter111 o an ................ ............. .. 191
e. Cations........•:· f FTAA.........
f Negoi ,aluat1ono .
• Filing
g. r a~dtione,posting and radio ..... ....................... .
192
h. Pub ica m'ent..................h..... FTAA
.......................
. 192
announce a·tions oft e ........... ..
193
• 1'er·msand con l te1· ...................... .
i. • trans1, ....... AO
j. Assig~n_ient
18. FTAAprov1s10ns
RA
o} No. 7942 a~d D
o 1· . held vahd ........... ..
................. 194
1996 ear ie1 . t.
No. 96-40, s. ,' T·ibal Associa wn,
a. 1.,aBugal-Blaan 1 ............ . .................... . 194
Inc. v. Ramos...:..:....:•utili~·~·tionof
1) Initial dec1s10nd f the public domain
inalienable lan s o . 1 is
through license, concession or ease
no longer allowedunder the
1987 Constitution.......................................... . 194
2) Resolutionon motion for
reconsideration:Initial decision
reconsidered;the State may secure
the help of foreign companies,
especiallyfinancial and technical
assistance, provided that the State
maintains its right of full control ................ ..
b. Didipfo Earth-Saver's lvfolti-Purpose 195
Association v. Gozzm
...............................................
197
G. Q1u11·1yResoro•ces
19. QuHny opei·ationH;~e1wral provisions
~overedhy (J\tnny IHl·
a. Size '.)f1'.1·ea
1
:~~~i·t::••
..............
.. 198
b. Provme1_al/C1t.y Mining Hogulntory Bo ..:............. ..
20. Quarry pern11t...................... incl............ . 198
21. Sund and gravel permits ........................................... .. 199
a. Commercial sand 1:u~·;;-;; ·.~,·;~···••......_....................... . 200
b • • b 1 ,_ 1 })ernnt 200
• Industna) sand and gravel })erinit .................... .
200
••••••••••••••··········· 200
XXii

l'.
Exdu~i,·t"' ~· {
~ - ,HH lllH 1 p·nv1•l pl'r111it ......
d. 1~....
£\IE.ht Httd l)hJ" ~ . . .................. .
. tp,twn~ ot t hr q11nrr\' or
('('lnllnPt\'lfl It J • •
. ' llHrn~tnnl ~nrnl nnd J'nt\'l'I
l C'l'tlllt hPldt'l' •
22. GratuitClu~ Pt'rinit~ ......................................................... . :~OI
a. i ~ ~~·;
~~,·C'rn m ~n t ;.:~~-~; 1
·; • ~~~:;:;;;i;
•••·······..··················· ~~()
I
b. FrtvRtP gratuito\ls permit ............................. . :w,
23. Gua.no pern1it ..................................... . 202
a. Grat uito~·~·~·~· ~·~··~·~;;;~i~·-······································· 202
b. Con1n1ercial 1 ......................................... 202
C.
. • guano pern11t
Righ~.s and obligations of tl;~·~;~~;~"·•··················· 202
0
pernut holder
24. Ge mstone gath . ••••••••••••·····
. ·········••.............................. 203
25. C - ermg perm.1t. ....... .
203
ance 11
ation! re, ocation. termina~:i·~~-·~·f .~......................
quarry! sand and graYel! gratuitous. guano and
gemstone gathering permit .............................................
203
H. Transport, Sale and Processinub
of Minerals
26. Ore transport permit ....................................................... 20-!
a. Mineral trading registration .................................. 20-!
b. Minerals processing permit .................................... 20-!
L Safety and Environmental Protection

27. Mines safety and environmental protection.................. 205
a. Mine labor............................................................... 205
b. Power to issue orders.............................................. 205
c. Pollution cases under the jurisdiction of
the Pollution and Adjudication Board................... 206
d. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)............. 207
J. Surface Rights
28. Easement rigl1ts ................... ••..•••··••••..·····.........•••.....•..... 207
29. Entry into lands .............................................................. . 20S
Policy of multiple land use ..................................... :.OH
a. · 7f1 ..................... 20~)
b. Historical background of Sectwn .
c. Section 76 constitutes componsnhle 211

"taking'' for public use .........._..................................
d. Determination of cmnpen sntum .h\,\' :~.)' •
Panel of Arbitrntors is on.1Y JJl'O 11111 1 • ............ ..
xxiii
Scanned with Camscanner

. . b' based on compliance
e.Surfnce rights mu st c ................. .. 213
with legal requirements...................... . .............. . 213
30. Volunbwy ngrcemcnt ..................................... .
. 1/M'neral Products
K. Transport of Min_cra i Dis osition of
and Confiscation, S~izure,s/Man? raf Products
Illegally-sourced Mineral ine
213
31. Ore transport permit ........... ••·•••··············.. •••••••••••••••••••••• 214
32. Arrests, confiscations, and seizures •.... ••.. •.. •••••••.... •" .... •
33. Custody of the confiscated/seized
minerals/mineral products, tools, equipment
an d conveyance ......................... ••••••···········..................... .
214
L. Settlement of Confl,icts
34. Panel of Arbitrators .......................... •·,•••·•·······... ··••.... ••••• 216
a. Settlement of mining disputes by the Panel
of Arbitrators ........................................... •.. •••••••••••• 216
b. Appeal ..................................................................... . 219
35. Mines Adjudication Board ............................................. . 219
a. Adjudication of mining cases an
administrative matter ........................................... . 220
b. PAO has no authority over pollution cases .......... . 221
c. MAB decisions are appealable to the Court
of Appeals ............................................................... . 221
d. DENR devoid of jurisdiction to determine
validity of mining contracts or disputes ............... . 222
M. Government Share
36. Government share in mineral production
sharing agreement ................................... ....... ......... ... ... . 223
37. Government share in other mineral agreements ..... .. ... 223
N. Incentives
38. Fiscal and non-fiscal incentives...................................... 22 4
39. Incentives for pollution control devices.......................... 22 4
40. Investment guarantees ..................... ........................ ...... 224
0. Grounds for Cancellation, Revocation,

and 'l'ennination
41. Late or non-filing of requirements.................................. 225
Scanned with CarnScanner

42. Violation of',,, 11"\.; t Cl'l11H11r
permits . . • H
I co1H1·.
1l.1onHof
, 01 flf{l'Cl'lll '111.H.
43. Nnn-pny11w111 ,. ' .................................................. . 226
, , '() l,IIX 'H IIIHI fpp,1
44. Suspens1011 or <'llll('t•lls 1 · /' ....................................... . 226
nnd credits. , • • , .1011 o f.nx 111cer1tiw!H
n. G ro u 1HJ~- ·;<~·
: • ·: .. ••• .... ••·: • .. •.... •.. •.... •• .. ••••.. • .... ••.. · ........ ..
1
226
b. \\Tit.hdr~wnl ~~ISJ>cnR1011_or cnnedlntion ............... .. 226
or FTAA h om t.hc mmeral agreement.
c. Refund
Effect of ex · • t· 1
a~;·d··
............................................ ..
227
~·~~-~-j~i~~··············································
227
45.
. • IJua 1011 and cancelJation of a permit
d
an nunera 1agreement or FTAA
46. Falsel1ood • · · . .................................. . 227
or omisswn of facts m the statement.. ........ .. 228
P. Organizational and Institutional

Arrangements
47. From staff to line bureau 228
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••·••••••••••
Q. Penal Provisions
48. False Statements 228
49. Illegal exploratio~·::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 229
50. Theft of minerals ............................................................. 229
a. Elements of the offense ......................................... . 229
51. Destruction of mining structures .................................. . 230
52. Mines arson .................................................................... . 230
53. Willful damage to a mine ............................................... . 230
54. Illegal obstruction to permittees or contractors .......... .. 230
55. Violation of the terms and conditions of the
environmental compliance certificate .......................... .. 230
56. Obstruction of government officials .............................. .. 231
57. Other violations ............................................................. .. 231
58. Fines ................................................................................ . 231
ChapterV
PEOPLE'S SMALL-SCALEMININGACT OF 1991
(RepublicAct No. 7076)
A. Preliminary
232
01. Go Vernl ·ng law • ...................•••• •·········································
11 233
02. D ecl ara t] ·on of pol1·cy•············· •···························•· •·······-·' 233
03. De fin1"t' ions .................................••• •••••••••••••• •••••••••••••• ••••••••
04. Types of agreement under the Philippine Mining 235

Act and Small-Scale Mining Act .................................... .
XXV

. • l. program ....... .
..................... 236
Pt'o11lc's mall-scale nnnu g 1 l inining areas ......... . 236
05. I ' s1nal -sea e
06. Declnrntion of peop es . · hang bayan .......... .. 237
c d 1 ration as 1n1na 238
07. Areas open tor ec a · ing areas .................... ..
ruture people's small-sea e min 1 ...................... .. 238
OS.
09. Ancestral lands .................. poii~
...i.tig·g·:
.......................
. 239
10. Small-scale mining under D N •1899 and
0
a. No Conflict between P • ............. . 240
RA No. 7076 ........................... ·······"····· ••••• 240
11. Registration of small-scale miners ................................ .
B. Award and Condition of Contracts

12. Award of people's small-scale mining contracts ............ . 241
13. Extent of contract area ................ •...... ·••......... •••••••••••••••••
241
14. Easement rights ............................................................. . 241
15. Rights under a people's small-scale mining
contract ................................................ •••••••••••••••••••••;•••••• 242
16. Terms and conditions o(the contract ..~ ......................... . 242
17. Rights of claimowners .................................................... . 242
18. Rights of private landowners ......................................... . 243
19. Ownership of mill tailings ............................................. . 243
20. Sale of gold ...................................................................... . 244
21. Custom mills ................................................................... . 244
22. Government share and allotment .................................. . 244
23. People's small-scale mining protection fund ................ .. 244
24. Rescission of contracts and administrative fines .......... . 245
25. Reversion of people's small-scale mining areas ............ . 245
26. Actual occupation by small-scale miners ...................... . 245
C. Mining Regulatory Board
en
(")
Q)
::,
27. Provincial/City Mining Regulatory Board .................... . 245
::,
(D
C. 28. Composition of the Board ............................................... . 246
:!:
s: 29. Administrative oupervision ........................................... . 2t!6
0
Q)
3
a. DENR Secretary hm; control ovcl' smnll-scnle
en
(")
Q)
::,
mining in the provinceH ......................................... . 247
::,
~ b. Distinction between the power of control
and power of supervision ...................................... .. 248
30. Applications .................................................................... . 248
31. Environmental protection, safety and health ................ 249
ChapterVI
COAL DEVELOPMENTACT OF 1976
(Presidential Decree No. 972, as amendedby
PresidentialDecree No. 1174)
A. Preli11ti11ary
01. Governing law........... 250
02. Coal development pr~~~:~· 1~·::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 250
03. Coal exploration, development and production
by tl1e government........................................................... 251
04. Blocking system............................................................... 251
05. Preference of existing permittees or leaseholders......... 252
B. Coal Operating Contract

06. Coal operating contract .................................................. . 252
07. Obligations under a coal operating contract ................ .. 253
08. Minimum terms and conditions of the contract.. .......... . 254
a. Doctrine of primary jurisdiction .......................... .. 256
C. Incentives
09. Incentives to operators ................................................... . 256
10. Incentives to coal users .................................................. . 257
11. Entry and use of private lands ...................................... • 258
12. Timber rights ................................................. _................. . 259
13. Water rights .................................................................... . 259
ChapterVII
DEPARTMENTOF ENERGYACT OF 1992
A. Preliminary
01. Law creating the DepaI:tment of Energy ...................... . 260
02. Declaration of policy·· .... ·.....·..······ ..........·...·.....·............. . 260
(/)
":,
Q) 03. •Definition of terms .......................................................... . 261
:,
(1)
a.
:;;
g: B. Organizational Structure
0
Q)
3
(/)
04 De artment of Energy .................................................... . 261
"
Q)
:,
261
• a. P Funct10ns
• of th e Department Secretary ............... .
:,
~
b. Visitorial powers ................. ··......•...••....••.....•••••...••• 262

05. Powers and functions ....................i ................................ . 262
a. Issuance of implementing ru es
and regulations ..................................................... .. 265
xxvii
ncl services
C. Bu ,.,,,,r,s " • ,
I I I I • I I I I I I I I I Ill I I I I I I I It I I I I I t I I I
266
l rrvicc~ .................... .
OG. Uurr:n1~ :\lH : . l)cvelopment
n Energy hrsou1ce ...................... 267
• Bnren~1(ER.DB)...................... ~~~~...... •
• er 'Utilization Managetn
b . E_n ITT UMB) ................. ..... ... .... .. ... .... 267
Bureau (E .............._.. B- . (E•PPB) 267
. d Planning ureau •·······
Energy Policy an . . .
c. Electric Power Industry Adn11n1strat1on
<l. B ·eau (EPIAB).............··········.....•.••.••••• ••••••• ••••••••• 267
~\ndustry Adminis~ra~ion Bureau ~OIAB) ........ 268
0
e. The National Trans1n1ss1on Corporation
[ (TRANSCO)............................................................ . 268
g. The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities
Management Corporation (PSALM)...................... 269
h. National Electrification _
Administration (NEA) ............................................ 270
07. Relationship of the Department with other offices._....... 270
D. Energy Regulatory Board

08. Energy Regulatory Board............................................... 271
a. Jurisdiction, powers and functions........................ 272
b. Reorganized or abolished agencies .. .. .... .. ..... .. .. .... . 272
09. Authority to grant provisional relief.............................. 273
10. Effectivityof Board's decisions or orders....................... 273
11. Appeal from decisions or final orders
of the ERB........................................................................ 273
E. Electric Power Industry Reforrn Act

12. Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 ............... .. 274
(/)
a. EPIRA, a landmark piece of legislation ............... .. 275
()
"'
:,
1a. Overview of the Energy Regulatory Com mission ......... . 276
:,
(1)
0.
:;; 14. Powers and functions of the ERC .................................. . 277
;::;:
:,-
() a. A public utility must submit to
"'
3 government regulutioni-; ......................................... .
(/)
()
278
"'
:,
:, b. ERC has authority to isi-;ue proviHionnl
~
rate increases ......................................................... . 278
c. Application for rate adjustment or nny
relief affecting the consumers must he
verified and published............................................ 280
d. The State requ·
b 1.d ding
.
for p
Ires comp 0 t' •
. 1tive public
utilities ....... owei purchases of distribution
e. F' ••...............
Ines a11dpenalties •••••..................................... ..
............. I I I I I I I I I If I I I I I I I I If I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
280
281
F. Downstrea,n Oil Industry
Deregulation Act of 1996
15. Downstream Oil Industr D .
Act of 1996 Y eregulatwn
a. Imple~~~~·~-ti~·························································
n ...... 282
b. RA No. 8180 held u~~~~~~i·t~~i~.~~i··• ..................... 282
I I I I If I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
282
G. Downstream Oil Industry

Deregulation Act of 1998
16. Declaration of policy......................... 285
17. Liberalization of the industry ..........::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 286
18. Tariff treatment............................................................... 287
19. Promotion of fair trade practices.................................... 287
20. Anti-trust safeguards...................................................... 287
21. Other prohibited acts...................................................... 288
22. Remedies.......................................................................... 288
23. Validity of RA No. 84 79 upheld...................................... 289
ChapterVIII
PETROLEUMACT OF 1949
A. Preliminary
292
01. Governing law ........ •••••.. ·······••••..••••••••••••
..•..••..••••....••..•..•• 292
02. State ownership ............... ····· ........................•••................
293
03. Definition of terms .... ••·......... ···.......................•...............•
294
CJ)
()
Q)
::,
04. Granting of petroleum rights ..........................................
::,
ti)
a.
:E
g: B. Administrative Organization
0
Q)
3
gi . t and Natural 294
Q)
::, 05. Secretary of Environmen . .....................
::,
~ Resources as executive offlcer ....................
C. Concessions
I I I I I I If I If I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
295
I f
06. Kinds of concessions .. ·..••.. ••

• I I I I I It I If I I I I I I It
.................. 296
♦ t I I I I I I
07. Obligatory concessions ........................ ..
xxix
,' 1
t t t. t ft I I I I I I I I I It I I I I I I I I I I I I 2(£\6
I I I I I I I I I I "
. \l.')1\,,,.,, .••••••
\'l'~l'l \11\ ' \. . 2(\
, \\,t roknn,
0 :,;., • .... ....................
I •••••••• I •••••••• I ••• I.....
..,7
;'l'l'l' l\l'l'll~ ,.... ......
•If t I If f
..................
I I I I I I I I I It I I I I I I I I I I I 2''.,7
{)~1, \ 'f'f\S ...•••••
10. Nnt1nnn\rc~erven:,~to·~~t.nblish
other
ll.
• \ t of ,,ovcrn
\',,[!, i--
n,c• •tnghts.............
•. ............... · ..·............ 297
'
rr-~ervnt1ons or ginn • • 15 subject to
12. LHnc\scoveredby concess101.......................................... 298
• ·c111ents
p\\ \) 1\C Cf\S,
...................
d .......................... .. 298
~ H,g11tt.oenter private 1an ......~~~y·..~~er
1: • "' , ' i Of tempornryoccup
1•\. bascmcn"s ......................... 298
· . ub1iclands ..........................•
pnvatc 01 P . .......................... 299
\' ·at.ionfor concession..................... 299
1fl. APP lC d 1 ..................
1G. Use of waler, timber an c ay ....................... 300
,. Gcncra1obligations...................................... •................. .
1
D. Non-ExclusiveExploration Permit
18. Wholnay apply ............................. : ................................ .. 300
19. Right conveyed under non-exclusive 301
exploration permit ......................................................... ..
E. Exploration Concession
20. Definition of exploration ............................................... .. 301
21. Areas available for exploration concessions .................. . 301
22. Rights conveyed under exploration concession ............ .. 302
2:t Exploration work obligations ......................................... . 302
24. Service Contracts for petroleum exploration
may be allowed only through a law passed
by Congress ..................................................................... . 303
F. Exploituti.on Concession
25. Definition of exploitation ......................... . 303
26. Arens nv11ilnhlefor exploitation ............... :.·................... ..
303
27. Hight.s conveyed under exploitation conces~i~~~::::::::::::: 304
Cf)
28. Exploit.ntion work obligations ..................... ..
•••••••••••••••••• 304
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29. I' • • f'., f. . ,,,
Ue11n1t10n o re 111rng .................. .
3
'f? 305
Q) :30. Applicution for refininu co11c1!HHio1~.:::·.::::::::::: ................ .
::,
::, 305
~ 31. Hight.s conveyed u11d1!rrefining cnnceHRion ................ .
305
32. Utilization of refining cnpucit.y.....................•••••••••••••······
.. 306
~rn. Benefits derived from the CHluhliHhmont .............. ..
of oil refineries ................................................................ . 307
XXX
J
. .
II. />i ,1• />t 1TH' Ct>r1<~t'HH/o11
S•t App hl':l t.ton fot· llt' 1·
:l5. 1)'nlg- llts l'Oll\'l'\'p i Pt'llllt' C'l ) llCl'HRlon •
............. .
)' . . ( \ll\(1l'l' JH I' ..............'"' a()7
SH. l qwhne l'Ollt'l'ss •
. , , tonn1re ns. PP llll' concPRHion
................... 308
' common carrier
•••••••••••••······ ;JOB
I. Pena/ties a 11d .
,
....,,,... . • Ex1inclio11 of /lights
Cancellation of con cession .
...~
vL:.
. .
Ext.1nct.1onof rio-ht~ ······••...................................... :-no
.. b
. ._ ............
39. Tr ans fie1 and ass1gmnent
"
..
..............
............................ .. 311
40. Settlen1ent of dispute ................................................ 312
s................. I I♦ I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I• I I I I I
312
J. H'ork Obi· •
• zgat,ons, Taxes, and Royalties
41. \Vork obligations, taxes and royalties
42. Customs duties ............................ 313
a. Purpose of ·;~~·~;~·1 ~;;ti~~·················
........
···········
.... 313
I I I I I I I I I I It I I I I I I I I I I I 1 1 I I I 1 1 I I I I I I I I I
313
Chapter IX
PHILIPPINE FISHERIES CODE OF 1998
(Republic Act No. 8550, as amended
by Republic Act No. 10654)
A. Preliminary
01. Governing law .................................................................. 317
02. Policy considerations ....................................................... 317
03.Application of the law ..................................................... 319
04.Internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous
zone, and exclusive economic zone ................................. 320
a. Obligation of coastal states .................................... 321
b. Use of Philippine waters ........................................ 321
c. UNCLOS mandates States to protect and
preserve the marine environment ......................... 322
d. Philippine archipelagic baselines law not
unconstitutional ...................................................... 323
05. Definition of terms ........................................................... 324
06. Department of Agriculture ............................................. 329
07. Access to fishery resources .............................................. 330
a. Catch ceiling limitations ........................................ 330
b. Establishment of closed season .............................. 331
xxx.i
. \ f\q\\nticResources;
. \t1,.,.\wrws
l) \
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\
l'\ \\''"'''
0
\ t\
\ 0 '
.., ........... •••• ••• •• • ........................ .. • •••
~ .•••• •
I It I I. I Ii I I I It I I
f\\\\\' 1\ll ... , •• , , •,, • • • • • • • •, ·,,., ..
\ I t \ \\\•'1\\~lftlftttlltttffttfttfttll flt
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C<n\\pns1\.10n
n\
C.Mu.ni.ci.pal
Fi.sheries
. .f , ·p,1\/citygovernments...................
\0. ,lnri~n,ctwno nn111~c11 .'- ·1'sdiction refers only
a. LGU'sterritona JUI •
to 1.t....1and h~1·e•·1
n. .................
............••••••••••••••••••••••••...
• •
h. Grnntoffishingprivilegesin mun1c1pal
\Vt\t:el'S .................. , ................•.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
TheLagunaLake DevelopmentAuthority
c,
hns exclusive)Urisdiction to issue permits
forthe enjoymentof fisheryprivilegesin
lA1guna de Bay......................................................
.. 337
11. Users of munici\)al waters ............................................ .. 338
12. Registry of municipal fisherfolk .................................... . 339
13. 1)riority of resident municipal fisherfolk ....................... . 339
1t\. The "preferential right'' of subsistence or
marginal fishermen to the use of water
resources not absolute 340
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••·••••·····
D. Commercial Fisheries
15. Commercial fishing vessel license
and other licenses
16. Persons eligible fo~:·~~;·~·~;~i~i·fi~hi~~
.............. ••........ .. 342
vessel license................................ .
17. Fishi~1g.byPhili~)pinecommerci~i·fi~hi~~...................... . 343
fleet m international waters
t I I I I I I It t Ott t It t t It t t t I IO It It It t t It t I I I IO 0
343
E. Aquaculture
18. Disposition of public lands fo. r. h
19. ,
1.ieaseof' f'1shponds r i1s ery purpose s ........... . 343
20. Code of'practice f'o1:·:1·q ..1..t.......................................... .
..u..~·c• 344
" u ure,
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21. Reversrnn ot all abandoned \\\ l .................................. .. 345
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a.
:, underuti\i1:ed fishponds ..... '..... ~.~.~veloped or
g 22. Ahsentee hshpond lease ngre .................................. .. 345
0
Q) 2a. Liceni;e t•> c , . t . cmcnt
., >pe1a (~1lHh \)enH 1· \ holders ................ .. 345
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, . l ot l1el' Hln1ct . I', Hi 1 cnires
t I.ll[lH. cllH I' \
n •, lS 1
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nnd other linhery }WoductH.... cu lure of fish
a. ~rant ol' per1nil1,l'or lh,l~~;:; ..·)·/•:......................... .. 346
111 the Lugunn Lnlm H ~ , \ iv1l0ge11
l e~ion })ortnin
to L rn LLDA and not to LGUs s
••••••••••••••••·•··············346
xxxii
l;rnnt of Pl'i\'iJp,,
,.., ~ for op 11 •
1IOflfl fl:d1 '"'fl'l,
/• ,....
• 1s1,,.,.,. •
,.,. ,.,,.
• ...........
• 1',·.~,·,·1•,•(l N /i
Fi:-:hi111• . •• ,. IIJ!t•, '""' 8u11,·t11nrir11
' ., Ill I'll~ l'l'!~t'J"\• •' fi
Pl 1:11,·t•t·nm('llf I 1-l or P:<1'!11~iv,, fl~H•
'\: I ........
I . •.........................................................
I'I~ l l't'fllg('
lllH ~llll('f ttnriec:
• • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ♦ •••••
G. Prohibit· .
.,- . ions nnd Penalties
- ,. Un:rnthor1zcrl
.., . fish in g...... .
a. ctzrn·c of items .,.......:........................................
1
considered Rll • ~s.lec 111 tlleg11l fishing
7~
:.L.
E ngaging. in unn uthomete .· cnt to ''l .Inwfu I nrrest ............. .
•)9 .
.... l"·Rt·1me•:.to secure fi .t tzec1 fisheries nct'v't· .1 1 ies .............. .
t . . 1
sling permit prior
o e_ngagmg m rl_istant water fishinrr 349
30. Urueporterl fishmrr b ..............................
3 l. Unre~ulated fishii~~------.-.·.·.·.·.·.·_-_-_-_-_-
........................................ .. 3.19
32. Poaching in Pl ·1· · .......................................... 350
. . • ll lppme waters 350
33. F1sl11ngthroucr!1 e"·pl · ..._.....................................
. b .... 0s1ves, llOXlOUS
or p01s01:ous substance, or electricity ............................. 350
34. Convers10n of mangrove forests to fishponds
or any other purpose unlawful 351
35. Other violations ........................................
...............................................................
352
H. Adrninistrative Adjudication
36. Administrative adjudication .......................................... . 353
37. Power to issue cease and desist orders and to
sum1narily evict without the necessity of
judicial order ................................................................... . 353
38. Authority of the Director of the BFAR
or the duly authorized representative to issue
notice of violation and order confiscation ...................... . 354
39. Prohibition on the issuance of temporary
restraining orders, preliminary injunctions,
and preliminary mandatory injunctions ...................... .. 354
40. Accompanying administrative sanctions for
• 1 t· 354
Ser1ous v1.oa -ions ........................................................... ..
•
. . 's suits
. .. , ............................................••••••••••••••••••• 355
41.. C1t1ze11.
42. Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Purticiµntion
(SLAPP) in the enforcement of tho /\ct:.......................... 356
356
43. ExecutJ·.ve cont1·0] ·······•••••••••••••••
•······································
357
4-4. Enact1nent of ordinances by LGUs ............................... ..
xx.xiii
. , vessels
' 45.
1,1·1,
·•1Jlf'
(•JS )1111g
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1
wiiIlO, 1t' ,v1 \\IA•·••••• ··'''', •illlC••••••• •••' ' ' ' ' ••
Sei1,urc 1·•hcrY ll • i it111ct
·11in1r 1~
hrrlll;
• ~o
. I tt~e<
f vc~~c
••••••
......••• , •. • • •
•••••••••••••••
X
...•
............ ..
Forfc1lll chapter ES
46. rHE PHILIPPIN
DEOF N 1067)
WATERco . I oecree o.
(President1a
A. preli1ninarY
.............................. 359
359
01. Governing Jaw····:···
..•··········.::::::::::::::·····························.
'd •at1ons........... .. .................... .. 359
02. Policy cons1 e1 ........ ...... .. .... .. .. .. .. .. •• . ......... . 360
Objectives..........·:··... ········ .. •····••"""'. ••••••
03. U derlying principles............. .. .............................. .. 360
04. n h. f waters ........... .. 362
State owners ip o ................................. ..
05. . • f terms ........... .. 362
a. Defimt10n.o. . .. . e ecosystem ................... ..
06.
Value of the Ph1hpp1ne mann
B. Appropriation of Waters
07. Appropriation of waters ................................................. . 363
8 Nationality requirement ............. _...... _.............. ••....... •.... .. 364
O • a. Filing and approval of apphcat10n ....... •·· · ... · · .... •.. .. 366
C. Water Rights and Permits

09. Water right is a privilege to appropriate and
use water ......................................................................... . 366
10. Right of a water permittee to demand
establishment of easements ......... ~ ................................. . 367
11. Revocation of water permits ......................................... .. 368
D. Utiliza.tion, Order of Preference and
Conditions for the Use of Wate;.s
~ ;:Or~~r o: preference in the use of waters
en
Ut1hzatrnn of waters ....................... . 368
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14. Prohibitions an<lcondi~i<;l~ ••·: .. :......... •••.... · .. · ................. .. 369
8
C1)
a. 15. Easements fot use of waters ............... .
~
g
369
a. Le11•1I,.1,. t
.. .................... .. .. ................
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
0 i:-,t '° .i;en1enlHr l . . 371

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3
en
the Civil Code • e nllng t.o waters under
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b. Low~r f:Htat<!H ·i;;;~;;.··;j~·:·:·l
..
l·:·••.. :.. ···• ....................... .
371
~ rece1ve tlie \";tt ~ , e O > 1gat1on t.o
,.,• er w) • 1
from the highe··I . lie 1 llnt.urally flow
c E CHlntes
• asement of lHthl' ........................ ..
le llSt~ ................ .
"••·········•• ...........................
. 371
373
XX.xiv
/,' ('
J6_ Flood COJlfi·o '• ">Jl/i·,,/ ,,f W11t,ir11
n• p I'll l1I.hiIf.111·p11q• ......-....
0
I ·1011 1t1•11i1 1 ········•·..•-.........................,...._..
>~f.1·uct. f J,, ,,.... IH • 11cl.ivif.ie.«1 t.Ji11t.
u JJ. •
.
,.1v 'I'S OJ• I
ow O,.
wnf.f~r pf('
c. 111
Pnsig ~Hive:~';~:} Hthe ~I -~1;,r·~;j·~;~;~i~~~;·~~-1
C?n~1.11isHion (Pl~;t~" ta l.wu
<l. R1ve1 beds 1 ) ................._..,
e. Erect 1011 of'Jnay not be cultivntcd_:::::: ................... -
evecs ·-···•·..,-........ .
f. Cha11ge _o1·course of ........
i·iv~~:·: ....-..........._............_,....... 376
g_ Reservoirs s -.-.·---...·---..__ .---...-·-.·-.----- 376
h. Drilling fo1~·~-~;bt~-::·········•• ..........._,______ ,,,____···--···-···· 376
i• E ase~11entof aqueduct llanenn or ground water ........... 376
17. Conservation and rot l . ................_........._......_.......-.. 377
watersheds and ref t elcl~IOn of waters and
a. Watershed 8 a ec.
b and rcsou
.. rces_...,__.__ .,,._._... ,..... 377
• may e declared a protected
area .......... _....._.._._._
.._._,,
_____.,..
b. A wate 1 d . . . -·-..,..___ .,,..._..____ .,_.,__ ,, 378
• rs le ieservat10n 1snot subject to
occupancy or alienation 379
c. A timber !icense coverin~·~·;~t·~;~·h~·d ..~-;~~------·--·
may be withdrawn in the public interest---·-··-....-- 380
F. The National Water Resources Board

18- Powers and functions • • e • •• • e ••I I l I• I I 380
IJ I I I I I e I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I e I 1
a. Authority to enter upon·private lands-..·---·----·-· .... 381

b_ Jurisdiction of the Board over
water dis1Jutes•.,-··-····..··-·-··..----·-··..·-..·----·---·····-··- ... 382
c. The power to control and regulate the use
of ground_ water pertains solely to the
NWRB, and may not be made subject
to an ordinance ...-.--..·--..--......-........·-.--................... 383
d_ Extraction of ground water requires
permit from the NWRB ........-:-....-....:-·-..:-·--·-·..·-·..- 384
e. Protest against a water permit apphcat10n
converts the proceeding to a water
controversy ......................... ·-····-···········-·...............-. 385
f_ Regular courts have jurisdictio~1 whe~·c~he
issue 1nv ]ves
• •
0 , enJ·oymont:of nn exist.mg
• 1·he.
385
right to use water ....... ••······:··:·····...:....................... .
g. Rule on exhaustion of ndnumst.rnt1vti
388
d' •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
rem.e. ws "· ·:t···J
..~· ;;;;.~:1·~~·,~·ponlablc to the
h. Decrnwns o1 1 13 388
Court of Appeals ........................ --····.....-....... -........
xx.xv
f1
l r,
[/,t,f;
1'1!11C1''
I,. ,,,,,,d
Jlepeale
, ,.•
d Laws
.............. . .................. ..
•
♦
• ~
1\,nnlt.lf'!-..... .
I I I I I I I I I I ,....••••
.............
I It I I If
I I I I I
I
············· • I t I I If I I I f I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
\H. 1,l lnw~..... · t·

~>l). H!'JH'll (< • Distri,cs
- /I. Wate1
d. t1·icts......... 390
I• I I I I ■ I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ■ I I I I• I I I I
(1 f 1'l t·er· is .... .................. .

390
I ••••
Cren
21. ,
•'0110 \\,,
•· .. •·"
·••••••••••••••••
Functions.............whichwater 1s r1c d' t .
ts
,1. • • s u11de1
b C on ,d 1t1011 ............................. .. .................. .
• mayope:·at~..t...~~~~ quasi-public
390
.. d1stnc s
c. Vlate1 •
. orations .........................:··············· . .................. . 391
cmP• .- g required on increase
d Pubhc11ea11I1
• 0f \\,ater rates .....................
. . t
. ■ I I• I• I I If e. I I I I I I e I t I I I I I. I • • I I I I I e
392
e. Dissolution of water d1stric s ...._........................... ·· 392
I. The Local Water Utilities Administration
(LWlJA)
22. Powersand functions......................... ............ ..... .. .. ... .. .. . 393
a. TheLWUAhas no adjudicatory functions............ 393
b. The SEChas no supervisory powers over
water districts •..••••••••••.......... ... ..... .. .... .... .. . ... . ... .. ... . 394
ChapterXI
PHILIPPINE
CLEANWATERACT
A. Preliminary
Ol. Governinglaw.........
02. Importanceof wate;~·•••••••••••••••••.....................................
a W ............ 396
en
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:,
:,
• ater is a natur l
conservedfor f
h. Water man u Ure generations ················ ...
t
.......................................... .
asset to be protected and 396
~
:!:
g 'l'rust Docti~~:!?1ent under the "Public ........ 397
oa. Declar• l' ·· ···
it ion of Polie .....................................
0
Q)
3
en a. 'l'l C y ......... .. ........ ..
(")
w
:,
le lenn W•t ........................... 398
:,
~
nnti'ona} ,1 er J\ct reflects n holisti~ ................ .. 400
Progrnrn f'
o Waler q 1'
04
b
n
tr111
r· • : mewcn•k
• e 1n1tionoft
l' . ui~1ty l11anagornent
ot susta1nablo l l ................ .
erins c eve opinent
:::::
:::
: :::: 402
••••••••••••••••••........................... : 401
403
-
D. Gencl'u.l 1'ro1JiHimin
o5. Water qunlit,

. yofllll\111\J{l'llll'l\f.
anngen1ent rn . lll'l' n ................................... .
06. M01nes -, t,'1c sewng
' , lll-lll.l.llll\lll('I\I.
, . Ill' 'll'l • .......................... .
07. D
i:tnd <lispm~nl .... 0 11 'ct.urn, t.r1•nt.11wnl. '11I
a. .•••••••••••••••••••
CC('SS1ty fo , .................................................. 112
· Nbhgn . . '(' scwcrnge f1H'i
. 11011 • lit,ic'!-!........................... ..
b O
t . ,-, l o w·,ter l 11.·1·1
1 1 ,y companies
' • 1 l2
c. o p1 o, Hie
Water concesS scweru ge s •
. erv1ccsman<lutory ···········••"'
of tl . Cl . ionmres fined for violation
ie ean Water Act ····················•••••••••••••••••••••••
C. Water Poll u t·ion p ernuts

• and Charges
415
OS.
09. ~astewater charge ..system
Discharge permits ........ ........••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 416
·························••••••••••••••••••••••••
D. Financial Liability Mechanism
10. Financial liability for environmental 416
Clean-up aper;;;;~~-:::::::::::············································· 416
11. rehabilitation
a. Concerned governm en·~· ~~;~~i~~ •~~~~;~-~d-
•••••••••••
to act even in the absence of specific 417
pollution incident ..............................••••••••••••••••••••••
b. Enforcement through the writ 417
of con t"1nu1ng
• man d amus ........................................
c. LLDA charged with the responsibility of
protecting the inhabitants from the
deleterious effects of pollutants in the 418
Laguna Lake area ...................................................
E. Institutional Mechanism 418

12. Lead agency ................. •.••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
a. The DENR is the primary agency for the
(/)
enforcement and implementation of all 421
~
::,
::,
Cl)
aspects of water quality management ••••••••• •·•·•·•···
C.
:!:
~
()
b. The Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB)
0)
3 is the agency generally charged with t?e

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()
0)
::, determination and resolution of pollution 422
::,
~
cases ................... •••••············••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 423
424
13. Role oflocal governments ••••·••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
14. Linkage mechanism ...•••········••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••....
.1., ,/Pm111.1 /Jl'oViHivnH
Ii' c,.,,
• '/ I~ i" l,r , .J ..........
.. ................ ..
• , ............ ......,, ..,, ..,,,,,
Prohihi11,durl$......'j.. j;,ieR...·..··t·..i~;~j
.,.
,;~·;;;; ~;d.ing
\ fi. ,1,s '"" • . n men ,, , J
6 Finrs, tinm111. , of the cnvn o l"CII t or v1to
\ ,. l'n1'l'cl10n . ·s no less u g _, ate
11. • Of wntc1. ,. . s of pnv
l I)l'CSSJ11 11
bodws
th:rn t.1c • . • g.conce1
smal I ........... .. ........ ................... .
•, • big o1 t
cnl<'rpnses. tions ngains .
• • t ·ntive s:mc, quality t·).
-
11.
,\dm1111s
• 1• ,nccw1'tl1 t-he
.1'
'·
wa ,er
........... ..
........... .
non-comp rn tion plan ............. ..
m:rnageme111, area ac 429
G. Actions
18. Ad • ~. .............................................
. 429
ministrative
19. ,Joint Congrcsswna
•
Act1011
........
J Overs1g
l1t Committee ................... .
430
ChapterXII
PHILIPPINECLEANAIR ACT
A. Prelimin,ary
01.
02. Governinglaw................................................................. .
431
03. Declaration of policy....................................................... .
04. Recognitionof rights ....,.......··,,,·.....,...···.." ..'' ···''' ·"' ·'"''' 431
Definitionof terms.,,,,,,,.....,,,..,,..,,...,,,.,.,..,,.,.,, ..,,,.,, ..... ,,, 432
433
B, Air Pollution Clearances and Permits,,,,,
436
C. Pollution from Stationary S01trces
05. Ban on incinerations ................................................ ,, .. ,, . 436
D. Pollution from Moto,- Vehicles

Cf)
r,
06. PolJution from motm· vehicles ............................ ., .......... .
OJ
:::,
:::,
a.
Mandamus does not lie lo compel public
m
a.
utility vehicles (PUVs) lo use co111p,-osso<1 437
~
:::,-
0
OJ
natural gus (CNG) us 11lt.e1·n11tive l\10]
3
Cf)
r,
OJ
in the nhsence of specific lnw on lhn n1uu .
:::,
:::,
~
07, Regulation of a]J vehiclns II n,I nnginos .................
01·..... ·...
a, City zoning ordinu ncn lo s11fo~1111 rd t.ho ·" """ · 437
health of the people li-0111 noise 438
and po])ution is a vnlid exorcise
of police power
......., , ••, •",., ••.....
, " ... " .."
,., ...., ............
"-XXviii 439
l•.:./lo/ /11I io11 lt·,
OS. l nllutinn f· '"' o,1,,.,.s,,,,,.,,,,
11
., II . I \llll ~ll\nl\ i111,
09. l 0 llf Ill\\ f't•,, , ............... ,1,10
I\\ nthp1• Ill I 'I ................................... .
ll ll I' !lllllf'l'l"t
•
,I ,10
•••••••••••••••••••···•········
b'. 011,,.,. ,, //
10. Ozoiw dl'plt,tinu· ~ I 0 "'""'"
IL
G . l• • ll 1st /lll(•p,,
,tcPnhnusp gn~r•~ ., ........................................... . ,1,1()
l ~- R~tdi ·t· . · ....................
, ont t\ l' e1n1ssion~
........................................ . ,, ,JO
····•• ..••••••••••••••••······························,J,J I
G. lnstit 11t •011

·' o l A1cch a II ism
13. Lead agency ............. .
14. Role of local goveri ...........:··••..·•·..··•.............................
l111enttmits
a. To,v11 111ayo.} ...................................... .
1
•. Hts responsibility
. of protecting its inhabitants r: . 11 .·
15. Environment dN tom po ul,10n ........ ..
an atural Resources Office ................. .
H. Actions
16. Administrative action involving stationary
sources ........ .
443
a. Pollutio~-~~·d·AdJ~-~ji~~~i;~·ji····:····························
oa1d ......................... 444
b. Action for the abatement of a private
nuisance lies with the courts, not with the
P AB nor the sangguniang bayan ........................... 444
17. Actions before the Land Transportation
Office (LTO) .................................................................... . 445
a. Order or decision .................................................... . 445
18. Citizen suits ................................................................... .. 445
19. Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases ............... . 446
20. Suits and Strategic legal actions against public
participation (SLAPP) and the Enforcement
of the A.ct......................................................................... . 447
21. Lien upon and personal and immovable
properties of violators ..................................................... . 448
I. Fines and Penalties

22. Violation of standards for stationary sources ............... . 448
23. Violation of standards for motor vehicles· .................... .. ,149
24. Fines and penalties for violations of other
provisions of the Act .............. •·.... ·........................ •..•..•.... 450
450
• Ia t·ions .......................... ·...... ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
25. Gross v10
xx.xix
. h CommJt.teeand
. I o,wrtH# I• ~ .
, ('ortf!1"'•~,;,orl'' ' 1i11J(J\l{(!llCH!H
•• 1111111""
1' ,, ,
, \ t ('otntlltt.l.C~U
................... .
. \ ()V!'l'filg l , ,;
. I l ' i)n 111't'~~\l)\\ll
, , • . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... , ....... '. •,., .. • ..
~•1; ,I ,,,n . ' f\.1rl'ncws
............. .
1rn11•nlm!, '
~lj. I\\1\1 II
ChapterXI
STEMANAGEMENT ACTOF 2000
SOLIDWAblic
ECOLOGICAL Act No.9003)
(Repu •
A. Preli.mina.ry
. ................................................... 453
,
G()\ •rnmg1aw .........
...... 453·
01. 1·
)2 Dechration of po icy............................~:.. ••·•••••••••••••••••••••
l • '\ 'RA No. 9003 requires a sy~tema ~c,
' • com1)rehensiveand ecological sohd waste
management program .......................................... .. 454
B. Definition of Terms
o:\. Definitionof terms ......................................................... .. 455
C. Institutional Mechanism
0'1. NalionulSolidWaste Commission ................................ . 462
05. Powersand functions of the Commission ..................... . 463
06. National EcologyCenter ............................................... .. 465
07. Roleof the Department .................................................. . 466
08. Visitorialpowersof the Department ............................ .. 467
09. Roleof LGUsin SolidWaste Management ................... . 467
a. LGU'sshare with the national government
the responsibilityin the management
of ecologicalbalance within their territorial
jurisdiction.............................................................. 467
b. LGUsmay impose and collect fees
for services rendered 468
10. ProvinciulSolidWaste Mi~~~~·:• ........._.............................
..
11 ,,· 1 111 1 M . . gement Bomd ................ .. 469
un1c11ml S 1·l nr
• 'vi ·Y H
Bu;ll'(1 °H n nste l\n1anngement
•
..·············471
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••····························
n. Scg,.cgntio11 of \Vostes
l.ory8t!gregut ion ot' Solid
12. Mnnt~11 , ·p
13. Reqmrementsf01. Wast.es ...,.................... 474

1 t. 1p se11rn
• t· l
storage of so\'i<l - ' 0 --gn 1011 ntH
Waste
474
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••··························
vl
scanne d with camScanner
_____ _
.J'j I
•17i,
G. Haste \Jan
. . . agrmcnt Fari/itie.i;
i 7. fu 1 hib1t1on again._ t the u .
for solid wasre.. se ot 0 PPll ciump~
s. .-\ n:ltional -~~j~-t-ti;~·;·~fi~~·;;···•............................ -17{1
e~v1ronmentaJ and erologirnl bnlancr
?1local corun1unities cannot be
~plemented "it110 ut prior consultnt.ion
th
m the a.fleeted localcommunities
and prior apprm·al of the project b,· the
appropriare sanggu11ian .......~ ........~ ........................ -176
b. Continuing effort of the Supreme Court
for the conserYation, management,
development~ and proper use of the
country's environment and natural
resources ................................................................. . 479
18. Criteria for siting a sanita1-y landfill .............................. 4S0
19. Criteria for establishment of sanital'y landfill.. ............. lSO
H. Penal Provisions
20. Prohibited acts ............................................................... .. 4S1
21. Fines and penalties ....................................................... ..
4S3
l1S4
22. Administrative sanctions ................ ··········"······· ......•••••••
L Miscellaneous Provisions
23. Mandatory public hearings·············· .................... ·.·.·_-_-_-_-.·_-.·_-_-.·_-_-_-_-

24. Citizen suits ................................ l....RPECis n
a. A writ of kalikasan uncle~·tie
nd distinct actwn
separate a d RA No. 87'19.......................
from RA No.900 .an 3 been Jibernlize<lin
b. The rule on stand1.ng 1ms ........................... 486
environmental claims ................. .

, ,tiotl 11gninHt public
' kl''' I ,IL' (' t
?,r.,. c · <'J!IC• ' 11111, en orcemcn
\ ,,1.n1I
' pnrl1fr1pnt.111ll (!i·1'1\1'1')1111(', ...... • ........................

- ,-,111~1\ 111 :·
.
of th,: Ari ........._...•;;;j
·()·;;,;;:~;'~j,
I, CoinmiLLce....... ., •::::::"•· 1
1111
1
21;, ,Joint Cunj!r<'sS .... ~
chapter)(IV ~
urI0NADJUDICATION BOARD
'.OL\ No, 1, presidentialDecree No. 984
393
(Republic
A~ndexecutiveorder No. 192) '
)o ut10n
• Ad'Jl d·cation Board ...••..•..•..•.. ••.. •••••••..... ........ .
1. 1 1'
11
002. 1Definition ofter1ns..............................•... •.. •.. •••••••........ .
a. Definitionof "pollution"connotes ...
specializedknowledgeand skills which
is withinPAB'scompetence ........................ .. 490
b. A validactionfor damages could be made .........
if the constructionand operation of the
pipelineindeedcaused fish decline
and eventuallyled to the fishermen's lo
f' ss
o income...............................
. 492
c. Factualfindings
. of administ~a..t·1: ..v·e..b....od..ies
:................
• .
on techmca1matters within their e •
accordedrespect • xpertise
d. ~~i~:: ::~:u;~t::;
~~~~;:;~di~i~i"
·~~d. ............
.
492
rder with respect to-~:~• tease and desist

e. AagunaLakeregion...... u wn cases in the
publicprosecut .................. . 493
witha viol t' or cannot charge ...................... .
:t
·h a 10n of the l
out a prior deter _aw?n pollution
at t~e act of such mmation by the P
a person
03 pollution person co • AB
. Powersa d f ................ nstitutes
a. p n unctions ....................... 493
owersand f .............. ............... ..
04. ~~
Ju.· PAB.... unctions of NP(£
............................
.. 494
a lls iction... ....................... transferred ........ ..
h'. Gene1·
S a·l Jurisd'
:..............
. ..........•....................... .. 495
05. ; 11.ecific · . 1ct1on ................ .. ............ .. 495
H~ar·
p1 )Orr 1·e •VJ.
Jur1sd' • ......
1ct1on ........""••• .. ...... ........... "'''"
·. bl 496
O() \U)es cf ew and ........ ..........
07. Ceua,,'. evidence executio~.................... •.............. .. 496
II c·:ind desist .............. .. ... ..... .. . .. ................ .. 497
. l'Ot111( I f.. ordc1· ...........••• •.......... .. ••••
0
'Ill I I .-:,01· th . ........ •.......' ......... 499
I ' l c es·, " o H,Hl . ........... ............. .
). H ' . 1st oi·cl t,tnec\ . f .......... •......... 500
t111·111 cw , 0 p • .. ......
Bon. g l'eqliil'\ ............. ~xParte " .............. .
c. a1•p ec1wh. ...... cease
11 501
-contest"'-'<
l o1•0 fincl:• ............ .......
lllg
................. s of the ............ .
••••·....... -.... ........ 502
Xlii ••••••

OS. 'l'empornrv rr •
1 1111
09. Arbitl'ntio·\1 • R ordpi• ......
I' t I •• I • It f If I It It It• I
502
. . .....o f'l)l'c)c' ·l ••···.. ,...... ......
V' •••••••• ...................... 502
1. l'
10 . •li" ll 1\1 . ,Cl \ 11'( f' """ • " ...
lllCnt.ton
• of' 1' 01· ,.,,11V11·0111111•11t
I I ( • ......................
•••••••••• :,()?,
11 PL'l'\C\t·''.ms, lHl lut ·
t.o t.hc pi\ II .11111
• .11 ,/lfH'II
""""" 11111,,.,-,. II • •...............
prov1d'S for nnot.! ' . ''.n !""" " spedn I In:
n. LLDt\ 1ms. t.he
iml forum ....................
desist orders lower to iRsue cens~..f~·,~·~I
.................
b. LLD\ 501
fi f Ilas the......... .
impli.~d··.······ ........._............................
1nes ............. power lo impose
But LLD A's a....t'.1·····
._.
............................ .••••••••••••..••••• 504
C. L ll 1ority . !' ·
aguna Lake regi 1s 1m1tedto the
506
d. PABistl1e . agencyon .........................
cha . . .......................
anti-pollution p1· .. rged with enforcing 506
e. Th e protection ofOVISIOllS bod' .[......................................
duty and respon .b Ties o water is the
81 1
citizenry ........... ity of the entire
12. ::!: 0
~o:a!:e~~e~ ~f~~~i~f ~.~~~~·· ••••...........•···•••••
1 g ct .......·········••••••••••••••••••507
507
ChapterXV
NATIONAL INTEGRATEDPROTECTEDAREAS
SYSTEMACT OF 1992
A. Preliminary
509
01. Governing law ................................ . 509
02. Declaration of policy ....................... ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 510
03. Categories ....................................................................... . 511
04. Definition of terms ......................................................... .. 513
05. NIPAS Act aimed at biodiversity conservation ............. 513
a. Tanon Strait - a protected area .............................
b. No energy resource exploitation and
utilization may be done in a protected
seascape, like the Tanon Strait, without a 514
law for the purpose .................................................
c. Land declared as a marine protected area
is not necessarily inalienable or
non-disposable; but in the absence of
classification, the land remains • • 515
unclassified and not subject t:oreg1strnt10n ..........
d. Bataan National Park withdrnwn from 516
sale, settlement, or other disposition .....................
xliii

rn Pn\nwnn,
\ \\\ll'
\\l\\\l,.
, nnll w1 l 1 e
'\\\'I'
• \1,\1\\1 '1 . ,.;l'\'\Tl
Cn\1,\11\ •• n11' pll • hy \.hl~
•\n1rnel\
\'' \ 111tt\ , prOL ,
1 1
\\\,,•\nr '' . , \)iii \n\<' , ,t.rn\\nnd be\ong1ng
\ 1,,1\ \Cl B ,
111
~"'''' .' ·, •111~ 1111 ., \t,\\rnl Commun1t.y
'l'l''-$h \\ $\le; ( ,\\ '
\ • \ , 1hg<'" • •. \)rwntc
\ \l \
"(' \1
'\C, \,
\
1\1t'''
,,11 ' • )},
\ l\\
f\'n\~) . r )l'OPe ''.. .....•• , • ,.•• • ••• • •• • •• •• •,,, ••.•. .......
1
,n,,,n,t)1 •teReservationcannot
011
•
\111\1 • ,0wns1
1 £A
'\'hel3agn~\ o . ncestra1
r Certificates
L \wrovcrc ) , 1,)andCertificates
1 • (CAu
Lnnt\ '\''\\C · Tit
Don1:lll1• ·1e (CADT)....................... .
ofAnccs\.r!l1 ~
. entand Extent of the System
1J,JJl.
]3. Esfa.bli.s
f \.1e Syste1n ........................•....•..•.........
Oli. \~slah\ishmcn\.
o , ............................................. ..
Huffer zones....................
..
(:;~.Management plans........................................................ ..
c.Admi.ni.st,ra.tion
and Management
of the System
andmanagement ..................................
O~).i\t\ministration 521
H). ProlecledArcaManagementBoard ..................... ;......... 523
D.EnvironmentalImpact Assessment
11. Environmcnlalimpactassessment ................... ...... ....... 523
12. J\nceslral
landsandrights over them............................ 524
11 Survey forenergyresources............................................ 524
14. Prohibilcd
acts................................................................. 525
15. Penalties
.......... . 526
' ..............................................................
Chapter XVI
PH\UPP\NEENVIRONMENTALPOLICY
(Presidentia\Decree No. 1151)
AND
ESTA.BL\SH\NG
AN ENVIRONMENTALIMPACT
STATEMENTSYSTEM
(}l' nec\aral' r 527
02.. Envh ion° policy (PD No. 1161) ............................. ..
03. v1\.ey ornnenlal
. 1mnact
1• • St-,\ l e1nen t.s ( ~
1i'lS)
.................... .. 528
O 530
\)eral\ng principles 01' the EIS System ................ ..
·tn carnscanner
scanned w,
04. ThcPhilil).
S1 IHnp I•' •
;ntelllent. S , ,nv11•011111P11
05. Nnttn·e nnd ~ Ht.u111(l'l,:iNH)l.111Ii11p11c1.
..,,nn I' ti
141.n,,l\ll "' "'"• ••••, •••••
Ass\ss .... n1011t.(1•~1/\ · ll! 11:11vit·11n . ..........................
a. El/\., ) Pt'lH'.l)HH t1H.11l.1il l111p11<:I.
. 1Rnot. n ..............
b. S1gni1111· 1· I l 1nct1111 \nl. ln11 ............................... ..
. b o t. le St • n P,·oce!-lH
ls llCCPR, ,nl.e111e11t
1 f'/\ .....................
A ~ ...
snry fol't-1 . •0 ceount.nhilil.y
C. separate en . : ,e vnhdity of the l~CC •
certificate (Ee"~\ o_nmentalcomplinncc ................
removal or repla1i;.required for ndditionnl
d.
~1': expansion of : ·:~ /f trees a_fff ected by
r1or public consult, .·-use tourism project...........
of local gover·n at1011 and npprovnl
ment t 1111 ·t 1·
government p. . ·s or national
D lOJectsrequired 539
e. a;;~~:~:~tar~ r~qui~·ementsfo;·ii'cc·····"" ............
ns 101 proJect • l •
environment 11 . . s w1tim an
a Ycr1bcal area 541
f. Issuance of ECC/CNC ...:..............................
.
involves e . . . not mm1sterialbut
.
g. Certificat f N xercise of discretion ..............................
.. 543
. e 0 on-Overlap(CNO) under
Section 59 . . of the IPRALaw, 1s • not, a
~recond~t10nto the issuance of an ECC................. 544
h. EIA review and ECC issuance vested in
the DENR ............................................................... . 545
1. ECC validity and expiry........................................ . 546
]. Administrative proceedingsfor
cancellation of an ECC··············••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 546
06. Policy declaration (PD No. 1586).................................. .. 547
07. Presidential proclamation of environmentally
critical areas and projects.............................................. . 547
a. Duty of the Provincial Environmentand
Natural Resources Officer(PENRO)to
monitor compliancewith conditions 548
stipulated in the ECC........................................... ..
b. But more specificmonitoringis imposed
on the HLURB on housing and land 548
development projects...........~•··............................ ..
8 549
08. Strategic Environmental Plan ( hP)1. 1
1 1
for Palawan (R.A.No. 7611) he c va H ......................... .
xiv
chapter
){VII
eACT OF 2009
•
' aaAil:cHANG729as amended
cL11"
(Republic
bY
t No,9
Acbl'cAct No, 1017
Repu 1
, 4)
t cliinate change ..............

·1· ines vulnerable o ................................ .
The Pln lPP . ' ...........•••••..•••..
Ol. • r r1n1ng....... ble energy .......................... .
02. Globn1"n bl and renewa
03. Non-re1~ew~ ~ 1ate changelaws
·11·pp1nescl1n: .................................. . 551
04 Pl11 t'' •••••••••
• are "world's bes ..........
p . Agree1nent .. t •I• I
............................................. 556
05. The 2015 ans t' s ......................................... . 556
p 1'c r considera 10n ........... ..
06. 0 l ) .............................. 558
I •••••••••
. Definitionof terms ...............:... .

07 The Climate Change Com~1~s1on................................. . 560
os. Compositionof the Comm1ss1on....._....:.......................... . 560
09
10.
• Powersand functions of the Comm1ss1on ..................... . 562
11. FrameworkStrategy and Program
on ClimateChange......................................................... . 564
12. National and local climate action plans ....................... .. 564
13. Roleof governmentagencies......................................... .. 565
14. FundingAllocationfor Climate Change ....................... . 566
15. Joint CongressionalOversight Committee .................. .. 566
16. Peoplessurvivalfund ..................................................... . 567
ChapterXVIII
PHILIPPINE DISASTERRISK REDUCTION AND
MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2010
(RepublicAct No. 10121)•
01. Policyconsiderations
02. Definitionofter ...........••••..•....•..•••..•••••••·..······..••.. ••. 568
03. Scope ms........................................................... . 570
04
• Ri~k.
R~i1
~:!i~~·n;~~~t~; ~~ti~~············· •••••·· ·· ····· ·· ····· 576
~~~:::;:~e;:~!i~:~:~~~
~!·.
sa t
07. D1·
~.
NDRRMC ••••••••••••••·••·········
Defense· powers and f ..·:..................... .
CRiv1l
576
576
s er isk Redu ..' unctions .............. .. 578
08. Organization at th c~on_and Manage111ent
Organization . e eg1onal Level. .......... .
09. LocalDisaste;tR~heLocal Governn1ent Le~~i ............... . 580
Mana isk Reducf d ............. .. 580
geinent Offi ion an
ce (LDRRMO).............
• 11 •••••• 11 •••••••••••••••
580
·th carnscanner
scanne d w,
10. Integratio
into the scnl
K of disaster r 1• R1c red I.
100}
abataan (Si{) cnrriculn nn I S uc ·""' cd11cnt.in11
training for t-1 Progrntn 1111;1 • nn1m1111i111tJ!
11. Declarat1·0n of , le puh)fr• l'n.-.-.;t'101· lll11ncl11l.ory
, • fJ81
a
. T emporar, st.at.(,
,1 . of cnlnmit."
•• c111plov<iPH • - ........................ 581
t our1st
. dest' } C ORU
~ . re of Borne ·' ........ .......,.......................
is av a I'd inat.1011fo. 't ny, n pr11nc

I ex . , I I s reh l •1•t •
12, Remedial erc1se of ti • all 1 ot10n 582
. . measures le pohce power
13. rolub1ted acts ·...... ..... .................... 584
P
14. Penal clause .... ::::::::::::::::::••:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 584
...........•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 586
RULES OF Chapter XIX

PROCEDUREFOR ENVIRONMENTAL
CASES
Part I
G Rule 1
eneral Provisions
. 21.. Title
Section S cope........................... .............................................. 587
ec 10n .... . 591
Sect I·on 3 . Ob.Ject1ves
. .............................. .................................... 595
. 4 . D e fin1tion
Sect ion · · ofter ......................... . ............................. 595
t ms ..................................................
S
Part 11
Civil Procedure
Rule 2
Pleadings and Parties
597
Section 1. Pleadings and motions allowed 599
Section 2. Prohibited pleadings or motion~·:::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 600
Section 3. Verified complaint ................................................... 601
Section 4. Who may file ..... :...................................................... 603
Section 5. Citizen suit ..............................................................
Section 6. Service of the complaint on the government 610
or its agencies .................................................................. 610
Section 7. Assignment by raffle ...............................................
Section 8. Issuance of Temporary Environmental 610
Protection Order (TEPO) ................................................ 613
Section 9. Action on motion for dissolution of TEPO .............
Section 10. Prohibition against temporary restraining 613
order (TRO) and preliminary injunction ........................
617
Section 11. Report on TEPO, EPO, TRO or
preliminary injunction ....................................................
xlvii
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l
t her legul f'ees.................
• ('ling nnd o, I ·1 =- 617
. 2 t>nr1nenf. ol t irn orde1·s nnc ot ier
Sre.11011 1 • c:• •,, ·,,(' cJf R'\t1lllll0
, ' .••.••••••••••••••••••••.••
• 14) :,('1' 1 618
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..' ., .....
. • ' ... ' .....
I' I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
lo ll
Sr Ct 1C'('~~tS,,,. . .•....•••••••••••••.•..
rourt pt.'c•.•• rl nnswer ............................ . 619 oi
C
C
• 11
Srrt1on • • \tc;rJfir
, . t 0 ffn1h11·e . to HJ ' 1swe1~·····••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 620 "'
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.. }d1rc • E
Srction 1;-,. :.i u"'
~
Rule 3 ·3:
-0
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Pre-Trial C
C
"'
u
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,...cction1. Notice of pr_e-trial.................................................. .. 620

~
Section 2. Pre-tna• ll )rICf ........:.. ••••................ .. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••621
Section 3. Referral to med1at10n............................................ .. 624
Section 4. Preliminary conference ......................................... .. 628
· 5. p re-t1·1·a1 conference·' consent decree ..................... . 629
Sect10n
Section 6. Failure to settle ............................... :...................... . 632
Section 7. Effectof failure to appear at pre-trial ................. .. 633
Section8. Minutes of pre-trial.. .............................................. . 633
Section9. Pre-trial order ........................................................ . 633
Sectionl 0. Efforts to settle ................................................... .. 634
Rule 4
Trial
Section1. Continuous Trial..................................................... 634
Section2. Affidavits in lieu of direct examination................. 635
Section3. One-day examination of witness rule.................... 635
Section4. Submission of case for decision; filing
of 1nemora11da.......... .............................. ................. ......... 635
Section5. Period to try and decide.......................................... 636
Rule 5
Judgment and Execution
Settic.m1. Reliefs in a citizen suit .......................................... . 636
Si.!ction
• . 2. ,Jud,,, ' s t aye d by appen l ........................... ..
b n.e n i nol, c-rn1
Si.!etion a.Permanent EPO; writ of continuing
1 .mandamus
s<::<.:lion . •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
4. Monitoring of compliance wit.h judg111ont.
6S8
S . and ordero of tlw court hy n comn1itiHi01Hir ................... . (,~W

• ect1on 5 ' Return of w J:l t 01,. (!XCC\l t.,l0l1 .................... ............. , .. . m.w
llulu 0
Strategic Luwi;uit ugnirn;t, Puhlic Pn1·ticipnt.iou
Section 1• St1·1:1te
• • lHWl:Hlll• ugHlllHt
g1c • pu I>1·IC
l>nrlicipution(SLAPP)..................................................... 639
xlviii
Sect~on 2. SLAPP as a defon . ........ 640
Sect10n 3. Summar I . se, how alleged .................. 641
ec 10
S t
r . ..................................
. n 4 . Reso lt1t10. Y iearn1g... ............ ..
11 0 th e defense of n SLAPP....................
642
Part 111
Special Civil Actions
<ii
C:
C:
Rule 7 "'
"
(.f)
E
Writ of Kalikasan u"'
-;:;
Section 1. Nature of the writ 644 -~
,:,
Section 2. Contents of the petit·i~·~.......................................... 648 Cl>
C:
C:
Section 3. Where to file .......................................... 650 "'
"
(.f)
Section 4. No docket fee·~·..······•................................................ 652

Section 5. Issuance of the·~;it ..........:...................................... 653
Section 6. How the writ is serv~d ............................................ 653
Section 7. Penalty for refusing to ·i~.~~~-~~··s ..e...........................
h . rve 653
t e writ ...................... ..
Section 8. Return of respond~~t; .. ~~~t~-~t;::::::::::::::::::::: 654
655
Section 9. Prohibited pleadings and motions .........................
Section 10. Effect of failure to file return ............................... 656
Section 11. Hearing ................................................................. . 656
Section 12. Discovery measures .............................................. 656
Section 13. Contempt ............................................................. .. 659
Section 14. Submission of case for decision; filing
of memoranda ................................................................ .. 660
Section 15. Judgment ............................................................. .. 660
Section 16. Appeal ................................................................... . 666
666
Section 17. Institution of separate actions ........................... ..
Rule 8
Writ of Continuing Mandamus
668
Section 1. Petition for continuing mandamus ...................... ..
671
Section 2. Where to file the petition ...................................... ..
671
Section 3. No docket fees ........................................................ .
671
Section 4. Order to comment .......................... •...................... ..
671
Section 5. Expediting proceedings; TEPO ............................ .. 671
Section 6. Proceedings after comment is filed ....................... . 671
Section 7. Judgment ................................................................ . 678
Section 8. Return of the writ .............. ·...................... •......••.....
xlix
part IV
. I procedure
cr1mma
Rule 9
tion of Offenses
Prosccu
e .................... .. ................................
, .
fil
Sect.ion1. n·•~o 'rtI1einforma 10 .. .•.•••••••••
,xn 111ay •••• t' n .................. ······ ..
• 2. F'hng
Sectmn o ·osecutor........... ....................................... .
I . 1
• 3
Sect.wn• SpecHl P1
Rule 10
Prosecution of Civil Actions
• •nal and CivilActions..............
• • of Crim1
Section1. Inst1tut10n 691
Rule 11
Arrest
Section1. Arrest without warrant; when lawful.................... 693
Section2. Warrant of arrest .......................... •...... •.. •••........ ••.. • 697
Rule 12
Custody and Disposition of Seized Items, Equipment,
Paraphernalia,Conveyances, and Instruments
Section1. Custodyand disposition of seized items................ 699

Section2. Procedure••••••••••••............ ....... ...... ... ...... .. ... ... .. ... .. .. . 706
Rule 13
Provisional Remedies
Section1. Attachmentin environmental
Section2. Environmental t . cases...................... 707
temporaryenviron pro ection order (EPO);
(TEPO)in .• . mental Protection order
cnminal cases
................................................ 708
VJ
()
Rule 14
0)
:,
:,
• 1. Bai} wh fi l
Section Bail
Cl)
Cl. S t' , ere 1 ed
~- , ec 10n 2. Dutiesoft} ............... .
s- le court •......••.............. ...... ......... 708
o
0)
3
••••••···· ......................... 711
w
0)
:,
...............
:,
A l'l'Hi Rnle 15
!!?
Sect~on l. A1·1•uignrne glllllont nnct Plea
Section 2 PJ I nt ...........
• ea. >nrguining
......:.·•..........................
.... .................... 712
•••••••••·······
........................... 712
►
lluln JO
r In I
P t'(i-'11
~''('t,iollI. Sot.t.in1:
or ))l'('-t' ' 1·1·,,1Cllll ,.l'l'l'IH'I' 71 }~
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•) I t ~ ' ~ t t I ff I It I I I I If t I Io I I Io I I It t IO I I I
Scditm .... u immm·y co11fi•r1 1we '/1 '1

St•ct.ion :L Pro-t.rinl dut.y of t.1 ·,·
11 11
j·;·:·
...................................
.. 71 ,1
Sect.ion 1t. Mnnnor of (iurn,t.ioni·: , ,-:o...................................... 71 S
1
Sc•ct.ionG. /\grcomonlH 01·AclmiH!i~;~ ......................................
. 715
Section G. H.ecordof procccdin , s ..................................... 716
8
S<'ct.ion7. Pre-t.rinl order. g............................................ .. 716
•••••••••••••••••••••·•···•···•••••••••••••••••••••••
Ruic 17
'rrinl
Section 1. Continuous trial 716
Section 2. Affidavit in lieu 1 ~i;~~~i·~·
c;f·ci·i·1:~~-~-~~~-;
1~:::::::::::::::::::
717
Section 3. Submission of memoranda..................................... 717
Section 4. Disposition period................................................... 718
Section 5. Pro bona lawyers..................................................... 718
Rule 18
Subsidiary Liability
Section 1. Subsidiary liability................................................. 718
Rule 19
Strategic Lawsuit against Public Participation
in Criminal Cases
Section 1. Motion to dismiss.................................................... 719
Section 2. Summary hearing................................................... 722
Section 3. Resolution................................................................ 722
PartV
Evidence
Rule 20
Cf)
Precautionary Principle
":::,:::,
Ql
Section l. Applicability ........................................................... . 723

Cl)
C. 737
:;:
g: Section 2. Standards for application ..................................... ..
C)
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3Cf)
Rule 21
":::,:::,
Ql
~
Docu1nentary Evidence
739
Section l. Photographic, video and similar eviclenco........... ..
740
Section 2. Entries in official records ..................................... ..
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Chapter I
OVERVIEW OF INT
CONSTITUTIONAL
PR~RNATIONAL
COVENANTS,
REGULATIONSONE VNISIONS,
LAWS,RULESAND
VIRONMENTALJUSTICE
01. Introduction.
l n H)fH' the nstrophysicist C· .

the journey int:o SJ)rl''" <)f:11 • .ii I Sagan wrote n bookdescribing
• : • ' ..,,..; , 1c space ·I I 11 .
vovnge SCJCntists t·ool·.1 • 1 . s llll.t. e voyal-{er I. During that
·' ' • , \ • pie uro of ti 10 I' I
of the universe Wh•,t·f·I '. . ~mt 1 from the outer reaches
, , • 1c sc1enbsh,s·1w I 11 I . I•
the vast:ness of ,1 ch +
•
1 . fi . " ' wns a pa c > uc <ot wit 11r1
t'.]1e tot·•~11·ty of' f.·11,l ' I \ anc 111mite universe. That dot represents
, '""• , e nm1'·1n rncc ' , o.f-'cveryt I1111g ·
that is known to us of
everyone w l10 means to us ·md 0 {' . _'
. • tl , . • ] . • < everyt 11mg that sustains us. That
do.t JS 1e on1y p anet we call home.
Yet man has lived as ifhe is the center of the universe and that
~h~ bou.~ty of that pale b~ue dot, the planet which he calls home,
JS mfimte. Throughout history, humanity's attitude towards the
Earth has been one of conquest and exploitation. We are at that
point in our history where the awesome powers and efficiencyof
our technology are only matched by our greed for resources to suit
our needs and comfort. Today, the consequencesof man's actions or
inactions on the environment - devastating floods,unprecedented
global warming and extreme weather conditions - powerfully but
tragically demonstrate the need for accountability and faithful
adherence to the laws on the environment. These laws are the
expression of society's collectivecommitment to protect and preserve
(/)
the environment. The rule of law is therefore a basic premise of our
(')
Q)
::,
::,
commonsurvival as a species. Shortcuts in the processes prescribed
1)
:c
~
by law to protect the endowments of nature should never be
~ countenanced.
)
'l?
, In Association of Small Landowners in the Philippines v.
Secretaryof Agrarian Reform,1 Justice Cruz wrote about the Mother
Earth as the "giverof life," th us:
1GR No. 78742, ,July 14, 1f)8!>,175 SCRA342.
1
,,
I logy,.Antaeus was a terrible gia.

11
' w •cu
• I' n1yt
IH'lf'll
f'or h'1s 1·r
• _,J·Ie1·cuJes ~t
he on h·
IS
1
"In ' '·tndchnlleng
hloclccc erfo1.n11
l. h. labor.'I'he
•nghis eleventh
who M,cc1111c nft?1JI I Hercules flung is adversary
wayl\silcrl mightilyam I dead, but Antaeus rose eve~
lwotl ,~1ground thinkm~~nntruggle. This happen~d several
to •w C then 8
l t F 11
l , 1·ncreas·11g amazemen . Ina Y, as
strong,r to resume,
·t·
im cs
• to Hcrcu I es. Jplmg,
• I•t dawned on Hercules
. that
they continue<gi :11 f G ea and could never die as long
• t 1 son a ° · M h E
Antneuswas 'w, body was touching his ot er , arth,
,,, nuypait of InsH . Jes then held Antaeus up 1n the
Thus
air, beyond
forewarned,
himto death.
t7
the reacl o the sustaining soil, and crushed
MotherEarth, The sustaining soil. The giver of

life,withoutwhoseinvigorating touch even the Powerful
Antaeusweakenedand died."
02, Stateownershipover natural resources.
Underthe Regaliandoctrine,all lands and all· other natural

i·esources
belongto the state. This Principle is articulated in Article
Xllof'lhe 1987Constitutionwhichprovides:
, "Sec,2, All lands of the public domain, waters,

Illl1nernls,
01 coal Petroleun-. a11d th . 1 ·1 11
, ·ces of potential
' en . "', fi h o. e1· mmera 01 . s' a
wildlife, fl01••'1 an< , eigy,
. •1iauna a d stheries, forests or timber,
ownedby the St t , v/thn ° ei· natural resources are
lnnds,u)J olhe,·n:t:,, 1 '. the exception of agricultural
St.ateowners}11·1)Ha >esonrcesshall not be alienated,"
over nat l
Cf)
ownConstitution,givesthe ,"''a resources, as embodied in our
()
a,
::,
::, ~~~~'.'Is ove,,lhe J•esources /{;ite ,tJieright to the utilization and
Cl)
C.
•i' s,.•1a1~sovereigntyov ' lJJ1its territo1•y,ff oweve1· since the
!i.
s-
oa,
;JieJ
,.,,i1hJ1g111io,,
IJJ•u1ion Wl,i 110110 !;~·
I • c11 JJsc l'll)nnt~l'nl
i·1·inc, l'esoin,ces
l 2 has been ·,·ead wit!,
1
3 fow ,·clJc,, 0 11'. 1J c lls the""''ll cr8 '1 1 '.P e l of the 1972 S tockl10m
Cf)
()
a,
::,
::,
cJ,,.;,,,,r f1 ~ '~"".JJJ•iuci11lcs•
1 1 11 s/1; 11 0
" 0111110 1·n11tionuJ environmental
~
111w, ri,ui; ,v1'.1u:••
1 'll ! N11tio1;
8 11
1..: • \ 8
hnvo,
11<1 11lo I · · in nccordance witl1 the
I • 1. 1•111·111Jl · 1
tlwi,, "Wucnvi, ' ' ', lo "•11loit l I • . lt•1ne1pJes of internat10na
t 1111 1tefivi1i ....,I \,.
Ol)llll•11t11J
11: Poj'Ici 1\ 8 • IP11• -
0\V
n t·esources pursuan t to
I •" 0 'l lJ ll lJ1 • • ., ' I I"' 1 I I ' ' . ' ' .
<lunu,gc
• • • l-0IJ1,, • 11111,"JJ'
• 11v11•0 t JJJ1·i,
, 11lct
•. . n 10 10
, spons1b1J1ty to ensm e
uiu1sul lhJ1io,u,1 , .,, , L'.1 01'llh,. S10 0 1 control do not caus
Jiuis1hc1,"'1, c, tntes o,, of areas beyond the
CHJ\P'J'i~R I
-OVfi'HV
CONS'l'f'I' 1' fl~W 01•'rN'/'J'f
J\NI) n,~ou,
~·, :10NJ\1, PllOVIH~(~~~'/'/ON;\1,COVENANTS, rJ
• I IONS ON Ji'N ' • , I.AWH,HlJf.1,;8
1'J1e soverm1{n
, ·
r· ,1
' VlllONMJ•:N'l'i\l,.,r1(nf<'F
' •,
f the st-· t,, t I lg 11• ovpr 11, I , I
o '"' ,,1 e~ .o J' l'rt'e 1'1·0111,<' i .11111 ,·mm11n:<?H iw:l11do11 I.he rivht,
state sovcre1gntv ,10, ,xf.tir111t1iiil.nrf<•rc,,,,.,, 'f'J . ' f
• • "<'VP1· I • . . - , •h 10 oxorcrn,.:o
the state has the l'CHJ> • •. ~IIH tl.H l111111.H.f'ri11<:i,,l"~I . • 1, th, t.
.. . . , OllHJ 1>Jlil, , J)IOVH Ui , ,J,
of 1_1.s_ _to<:llllHeh11rrn beyond t.he limitH
i_iabona] Jt11·rndiction. '11l~inof.
nct1v1t1es.. mny be t1·nnsb d s
oun ur 111 .pr1nc1ple
. reccwnizcs
.b thnt
·~,
'1 ut,1tn'u
' ,-, ,, '"'.,
the env11onmcnt of nnot·I , .Y nature which cnn affect or h:irm
• I t1 ·
wit 1 1e sovere1gn prin •
•let stnt-c '111•. •
• • 11s 1s meant to he balanced
1
responsibility for their a c:~e of st utes an<l requires them to take
territory. 2 c ions which cause harm outside th~ir own
03. Environmental degradation.

Fro1n a global perspective th . .
degrade and several ei • . ' e environment has continued to
1vuonment proble • cl 1 • b dd d
in the socio-economic fabric of .. ms rema1n eep y 1m e e
-activity greenhou natwns. At present levels of industrial
' se gases are expected t .
in temperatures Th o cause permanent increase
• e consequences of a warmer world- rising seas
an d ex t reme
,
weather cond'f
1 Ions - h ave caused untold suffering on
the worl~ s peoples. The world's oceans are overfished. Its forests
are heavily
. . . denuded • The curren t env1ronmenta
• l s1tuat10n
· · places
the Ph1hpp1nes at the hottest of the biodiversity hot spots.3
The Philippines is prone to natural disasters, particularly
typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and
tsunamis, lying as it does astride the typhoon belt, in the active
volcanic region known as the "Pacific Ring of Fire," and in the
geologically unstable region between the Pacific and Eurasian
tectonic plates. The Philippines also suffers major human-caused
environmental degradation aggravated by a high annual population
growth rate, including loss of agricultural lands, deforestation, soil
erosion, air and water pollution, improper disposal of solid and toxic
wastes, loss of coral reefs, mismanagement and abuse of coastal
resources, and overfishing. 4
Climate change is an urgent and serious calamity faced by
the entire world. Our climate is changing faster now than at any
point in history. We have been experiencing a tremendous inc_rea~e
in carbon dioxide in the air, melting icecaps, a consequent rise 111
2c•t·, , H db k on Environmental Justico, PHILJA, SC.

1 1zen s an oo . . A •r· B b wn1·t·mg t
•:io ng, p erry, ''Th e Ph'l'1 1ppm
• c Biodiversity Cr1s1s; uno om o
Explode." . .
1 R rt on Climate Change Pohctes, etc.
Eross S. Ocampo, Country opo
----~--
URGES AND RULES
LAW ON NATURAL R:~IRONMENTAL CASES
2 OF PROCEDURE FOR
A t us was a terrible giant
"In ancient mythology,d ~ aeules for his life on his
locked and challenge . erch1·s eleventh labor. The
wl1O b forming
wau to :Mycenae after perd H . ules flung his adversary
J • l t' ly an er c
two wrestled m1g 1 I . d d but Antaeus rose even
to the ground tun l • lnn• g him ea ,
. ·u le This happene
d
severa
1
stronger to resume their str. gg .mazement. Finally, as
times to Hercules' increas1ngd a d on Hercules that
. . r
they continued grapp in '
g it awne .
d tild never die as long
f Gaea an co
Antaeus was t l1e son ° h. h. s Mother Earth.
. f 1 • b dy was touc 1ng 1 .
as any part o us o. h h ld Antaeus up in the
Thus forewarned, Hercules t en . e. soil and crushed
air, beyond the reach of the susta1n1ng '
him to death.
Mother Earth. The susta1n1ng • • soi·1• The b.cnver of
life without whose invigorating touch even the powerful
An~aeus weakened and died."
02. State ownership over natural resources.

Under the Regalian doctrine, all lands and all othe~ nat~ral
resources belong to the state. This principle is articulated 1n Article
XII of the 1987 Constitution which provides:
"Sec. 2. All lands of the public domain, waters,

minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all
forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber,
wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural resources are
owned by the State. With the exception of agricultural
lands, all other natural resources shall not be alienated."
State ownership over natural resources, as en1bodied in our

own Constitution, gives the state the right to the utilization and
benefits over the resources within its territory. However. since the
1970s, state sovereignty over natural resources has been read with
the obligation not to cause harm. Principle 21 of the 1972 Stockholn 1
Declaration, which is the cornerstone of international environ111ental
law, reflects these principles: States have, in accordance with the
charter of the United Nntions nnd the principles of international
law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to
their own environmentnl policies, nnd the responsibility to ensure
that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause
damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the
limits of national jurisdiction.
Scanned with carnScanner

CHAJ>'l'EH1 - OVJi'llVIEW
CONS'l'l'l'U1'JON' ~F IN'J't~llNA'l'IONALCOVENANTS, 3
1I
AND HEGULJ\'t'tON~
0
Ntt9v,s10Ns, LAWS,1tULEs
It,NVIUONMt•:N'J'AL ,JU8'f'JCE
The sovereign right O . .
of the states to be free fro~CJ. natural .resources includes the right
. . . 1 external mtcrference. 'I1he exercise of
state sovereignty, 11owever l1 1·t 1. • . .
t t l tl ' as s units. Prmc1ple 21 provides that
t 1;\s a et' ias ~e I~e~~OI~sibilitynot to cause harm beyond the limits
1
0 1. s.ta wna ~uris iction. This principle recognizes that a state's
activi ie_smay e transboundary in nature which can affect or harm

tl:ehenthvironinen~ of another state. This is meant to be balanced
wit e. .sovereign
. princi'pl
. . e of s t ates and requires
• them to take
res~onsibihty for their actions which cause harm outside their own
terntory. 2
03. Environmental degradation.

From a global perspective, the environment has continued to
degrade and several environment problems remain deeply imbedded
in the socio-economic fabric of nations. At present levels of industrial
·activity, greenhouse gases are expected to cause permanent increase
in temperatures. The consequences of a warmer world - rising seas
and extreme weather conditions - have caused untold suffering on
the world's peoples. The world's oceans are overfished. Its forests
are heavily denuded. The current environmental situation places
the Philippines at the hottest of the biodiversity hot spots. 3
The Philippines is prone to natural disasters, particularly
typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and
tsunamis, lying as it does astride the typhoon belt, in the active
volcanic region known as the "Pacific Ring of. Fire," and in !he
geologically unstable region between the Pac1~c and Eurasian
tectonic plates. The Philippines also suffers. maJor human-cau~ed
environmental degradation aggravated by a high annual po~ulatio~
growth rate, including loss of agricultural l~nds, defore~tat10n, s0_11
erosion, air and water pollution, improper disposal of sohd ~nd toxic
wastes, Joss of coral reefs, mismanagement and abuse of coastal
resources, and overfishing. 4
Cl1.ma t e ch an ge rn
· 11n ui·gent and serious cnlnmity faced by
the enL1re
, · wor cJ ur c1una · te 1•8 c·hnnrring fast.or now t11an• at any
1 O b'
· h'1story ·we wvc Iwen
J)oinL, in . PXJJorioncing
J n t.remendous increase
• •
I
in carbon dioxide in the uir, molting icecaps, n consequent rise 1n
~ .. . . . iloJ ,Justicc, PHILJA, SC.

C1t1zen's Handbook on Environme1. . C .• i .. A 'J'ime Bomb Waiting to
~Ong Perry '"l'ho Philippine 13iod1vcrs1ty 11s !i,
~ Iode" •
I--xp • ..
• Climate Change Pohcies, etc.
~Eross S. Ocampo, Country Report on

WON NATUHALHESOURCESAND RULES
O~i:'~HOCEDUHE
FOHENVlHONMEN'I'AL
CASES
.· 'd , ld and extreme heat. Scientists have attributed

~eR levels, fl ig, co • c • . h l . ..
~ •. nctivitv r, Climate change as a so its pernicious
t lns to 1nun 811 u J• • •
consequences. As one observer succinctly states.
"Climate change represents the most serious, most

pervasive environmental t~ll'e~t that_ the world faces. The
issues are not merely scientific; clunate change spans
political, social, and economic dimensions; crosses nati~nal
boundaries and reaches beyond the present degeneration.
It will aggravate the complex problems of development
that we struggle with today like poverty, food, security,
and water availability that threaten to ignite large-scale
political and social upheavals." 6
The Philippines' remaining biodiversity and the ecosystems

that support it are under tremendous threats. Extractive industries,
such as logging and mining, have destroyed most of the forests. High
human population density and growth rate further put enormous
pressure. Rainforests have been converted to agricultural land
plantations to augment land needed to support a growing population.
Cyanide and dynamite fishing, along with rapid development in
coastal areas, continue to destroy coral reefs and mangroves.j
Pertinently, shortcuts in the processes prescribed by law to protect
the endowments of nature should never be countenanced.
04. Precautionary principle.
Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration, commonly known as the

Precautionary Principle states:
."In order to protect the environment, the pre-

cauho~ary a})Iwoachshall be widely nppliect bv State$
a~cord_mgto their capabilities. Where there nn~ thl'(Hlt$
of Benous
. or irrevo.,1•s1'bl)
e <l munge, l ac,l ot· ful
· l scwnt1
• •f'1e
c.:ertrunty shall
.. . t 1 , l .
11o )C usec ns n ron:-;on for postµomng .
st
cd:o e..1fc:ctive mensnn:!H to prnvent. nvironnwntal
egrac1nt10n."
"Zabal v. Dutcrte GH N 9•1001 • • • •

6 ' ·' u .... 1h7, Fd1. l :!, :.!OHI, Lconen, J .. dhisontmi; opnuon.
. Puno,
R C.J.,. "Hedulini1 1g, 1.1 · Socking F1wil'o11111011tlll
11 m111111ty: J usttce
• II\• 11 \Vorlrl
Without estr1unt." ~
7
Ong, Perry, s111,rn.

'HAP'l'gH I
1•:nvmw
coN;j,,~)." <wIN' . .
1u·,:10Nt\l, l'llov,',!;: 1NJ\'l'l<JNA1,COVE,li\1 fTS,
J\NI) IO.~Oll~ r,
,t\ If ON.4 ON J,· ;' >N!l,I.I\W!I, IH/1.E.'!
This p1·i11ci11l' .N\ 1110N,\fl:N·1·t\f, .rrrm1<'.f:
< ndvo
[l{1( ll'CS!-lt'( I ('Vl'll \ , • I , , II 1I'll I h11I. f J ,
,
,
• ' 111
111111,,u, . ·" IH>l<•11l

1 J>J'Pd1r:1nhilit y 11I I 111I h11rm I,,]
11f1,,1i/d
lo provHIC' I.hp bnRiRf' , I f . I . I

• . • • 01· !'111·1 ' •. , 1111)(. I l.'I ( (•.<11${Tl(!(
~"_nou.~,<'nv11·011n1 '111.111th. 'Y "'':'!l'll11l.ion11l '''""' i,c,.i,,n l,<1:,rlrlr,!sc;
~c1ent unc-<'t·I • • <'IIH,,
1
I .
,· 1 • ,llln(." ·' ,,, 1·1•lrep
I ·I • • LH w IC!rt! th<•r<• ••. rn onr"1inr1
1'1c ent.R 111
• •
,,,,p.·
I lC 1mc1p ' requi1· 'Ra high
stnkeholciers. Decision
t'
r to I.he r:11111-Je~of t.he~H!t.hn:11U1.
c egrce of Prndence on the rrnrt.of th,~
h ,,
• 'fi . ma Ilers at
scient.i 1c uncertamt.y but e not only mandntcd t.o nccount for
:-tP 1·od 1 t • •
t c, 01 act1v1ty ev
· canl nlso L<tke
' pos1·1,·1venctwn•
e.g., restrict .
en w 1en th . . '
U d R ere is scientific uncertainty.
n er ule 20 of the RuJ .
Cases, the precautionar . . es of Procedure for Environmental
The Supreme Court's adY Prmc1p]e t' is a <lopt ec1as a rule of ev1'dence.
Rules of Procedure fo.1 11
°if
1~ of th e precautionary principle in the
better chance of pro • th ~vironmental Cases affords plaintiffs a
vmg e1rcases h th · k •
harm are not easy to prove.a w ere eris sofenVJronmenta 1
05. Environmental justice.
. EnvironmentalJ'usti ce means t h e f.air• treatment and meanmgful

.
mv?lvement _ofall people regardless of race, color, national origin,
or income with respect to the development, implementation, and
enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. It
affirms the sacredness of Mother Earth, ecological unity and the
interdependence of all species, the right to ethical, balanced, and
responsible uses of land and renewable resources, the right of all
workers to a safe and healthy work environment, and the need for
urban and rural ecological policies to clean up and rebuild our cities
and rural areas in balance with nature.
Environmental justice is achieved when everyone enjoys the
same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards,
and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy
environment in which to live, learn and work.
06. International agreements and conventions.

To the present generation's credit, significant yrogress ~as
been ma d e m • con fronti'ng environmental problems m cievelopmg .
• d • t·
an d m ustria 1na 10ns, Worldwide , the greatest
. progress
. has been
. m
th 1 f. t't t' nal developments, mtornnt:10nal cooperation,
ebl~eam ~ _rnst_J.
10
u d the emergence of privnte sector action. Of

pu 1c part1c1pa 10n an
8
Supra.
Scanned with CamScann"r

ESOURCESANDRULES
4
6
LAWON NATURAL
RENVIRONMENTALCASES
OF PROCEDURE
FOR c
truction of legal fran1eworks, as Part

the_ conasrticulurly i1nportan. t because the law
these ~eve_lopnb1e1_1ltds_,
0 f •11stitut1on u1 111g.1s P ' . d d ·
~ • . b . • d internnt10nally, an omestically, to
is increasing 1y e1ng use , .
express societ;r's value for environ111ent.alprotection.
1r • tlle past several years a veritable explosion
V"e 11ave seen 111 c • f k.
of international agreen1ents and national legis 1a ion see 1n~ to
protect the environ1nent. The 1972 ~tockho_hn Decl_~ration,
regarded as the foundation of mod~rn 1nte~·natwnal :nvuonn~ent
law, was the first widely accepted 1nternat10nal effoit to _ad~1e~s
environmental issues. In 1983, the Brundtland Comn11ss1on s
Report espoused the concept of sustainable develop~nent, thereby
recognizing the necessary linkage between the envuonment and
economic developn1ent. The 1992 United Nations Conference
on the Environment and Development (UNCED) led to the
Rio Declaration on the Environn1ent and Development as
well as Agenda 21, this generation's international blueprint on
environment. Principle 1 of the Rio Declaration states: "Human
beings are at the center of concerns for sustainable development.
They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with
nature."
A historic UN climate conference ended on Dece1nber 19 2009
with a non-binding "Copenhagen Accord," a deal short on concrete'
steps against global warming, but signaling a new start for rich-poor
cooperation on climate change.
On September 11, 2009, representatives from more than 20
Asian countries, including the Philippines, adopted the Manila
Dec_l~r~ti_onon_ Resources Efficient and Green Industry,
an 1n1~iative ";h1ch pro~otes low-carbon business syste 1ns and
operations. While the Mamla Declaration is a non-bindinll"document
(fJ
it outlines the steps needed to reduce resources intensit.)~n.nd carbm~
(1
Q)
:,
:,
emissions of Asian industries.
(1)
0.
:;;
;:.:
:,-
These international agreements, conventions and protocols 011
0
Q)
the environment include:
3
~
Q)
:,
:,
R~o.Decla~ation on E1~viron1nent nnrl Developiuent -
~
Recogn1zmgthe mtegrnl and mterdepcmclont; nature of the Enrth,
the nations meeting at the Enrth Summit in H.ioclc Janeiro adopted
a set of principles to guide future developments:
• Human beings are at the center of concerns for
sustainable development. They nre entitled to a healthy
and productive life in harmony with nature.
CHAPTERI
co - OVEHvww
. NS1'l'l'U'l'J ., 0 F I N'l'l'I
ANDRl~GULt\'r1iN~1.,
PUov11-/i(~~~'l'JON/\I,
COVJ<:N/\NT8. 7
NH ON l•:NVJfl(' H, 1./\WS, IWl,J,:s
• States huve
r esources
t·I >NMJ,:N'l'/\1,,llJ!-l'l'l<:r•:
' tc,, •Hnv<!n111
• 1 11 rip!
<level 1 1
)Urs11nnt. lo ,,1 . -, l. l.o exploit t,heir own
0 Plllent· ] ' • 1e11· ow •
''.ldivif . ,n ]>olicieRn1 I I n environmental and
~ '· ,les Wlthin their .' .·H . t, 1.<! l'UHponsibilit,yto en~rnre
uamage to ti JU11sd1ct
- le environment . r'10nor control do not c:nu8e
O
• Nations shall d other States .
evelop int .
compensation for d ernat10nal laws to provide
control cause to are aibnage th at activities under their
. as eyond their b cl
• Nations shall
tl . use the preca t'10
or ers •
le environment Wh u nary approach to protect
th
irreversible da~a e ere . e:e are threats of serious or
be used to postp g ' scientific uncertainty shall not
. one cost-effect"
environmental de d . ive measures to prevent
gra ation.
• Nations shall cooperat
the health and i t . e to conserve, protect and restore
n egrity of the Earth's ecosystem.
• Nations shall. enact ef'c1.ective
• .
environmental laws and
deve 1op national law d • • . . ' of
f regar mg 1iabihty for the victims
po11u 10n and other environmental damage.
• The polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of pollution .
• En':'ironmental issues are best handled with the partici-
pat10n of all concern~d citizens. States shall facilitate and
enc?urage publ~c awareness and participation by making
environmental information widely available.
• Nations should reduce and eliminate unsustainable

patterns of production and consumption, and promote
appropriate demographic policies.
Agenda 21 - is a program of action into the 21st century
(/)
0
Q)
::,
for bringing the Earth into a sustainable future. It was adopted by
::,
C1)
a. the participating governments of the world in the United Nations
:::
g: Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), otherwise
()
Q)
3 known as the Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992.

w
Q)
::, Agenda 21 details an action plan for sustainable development and
::,
~
establishes targets for actions that combine economic development
and environmental protection.
Philippine Agenda 21 - is the Philippines' commitment to
the UN CED. It lays down the mix of strategies that inte?1-·ate.the
parameters in the country's overall development strate~, 1dent1.fies
the intervention areas (or Action Agenda)-from the national to the
'\'Ull/\1 BFSOUH.Cl~S
/\ND RULl~S
8 LAvVON N/\ -' ·" \1'N'l1AlCJ\SFS
OF PHOCRDUHE FORl~NVJllONM:J •• J k '
regional level - \.viththe correspondingi_mple111.e~ting

platforms and
plans. PA 21 is our own national agenda for sustainable development.
Enhanced PA 21-PA 21 was update? in~o the Enhanced ~A
21 1 particularly noting that: the rise of globahzat10n and the creati~n
of an external environment of finance, markets, ~~d te~hnology did
not seem conducive to sustainable development; civil society needs to
specify its commitments and contributions achieving sustainability
in the updated document; and government departments need to be
imbued with the sustainable development perspective with which to
handle issues properly.
UN Conference on the Law of the Sea (UN CLOS) - Also
called the Law of the Sea Convention, UN CLOS is the international
agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference
on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III), which took place between 1973
and 1982. The Law of the Sea Convention defines the rights and
responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of the world's
oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment,
. and the management of marine natural resources. UN CLOS III
creates a sui generis maritime space - the exclusive economic zone
- granting new rights to coastal States to exclusively exploit the
resources found within this zone up to 200 nautical miles.
It provides that states have the obligation to protect the marine
environment and that only the adjacent coastal state has the right to
create artificial islands, or erect structures on L'l'Es within its EEZ
or CS. It also obligates state parties to take all rneasures necessary
to ensure that activities under their jurisdiction or control are so
conducted as not to cause damage by pollution to other states and
their environment.
PIL-PH CHINA SEA DISPUTE AWARD
ln a unanimous award dalccl ~July12, 20] G on the comµulsol'y

arbitration instituted by the llopuhlic of' 1.lw Philippines ntrninst
the People's Republic of China, I.he Pormnnont. Comt of Al'bit.;ntion
declared that certain son nrenH like t.ho Sprnt.ly lslnnds nnd
Scarborough Shonl are within t.ho oxclu~ivo economic zone of
the Philippines because those nrens nl'o not. overlapped by any
possible entitlement of Chinn. 'l'ho 'l'l'ihunnl conclucled that there
was no legal basis for Chinu to claim "hisl<H'icrighUi" to resources
within the sea areas falling within tho "nino-dush line" as such
were extinguished by, and were incompatible with, the exclusive
------
CHAPTEH I_ O\ff'
',HVll,'\V
Co Nt:i1'1TU', ' OF IN'l'l•'l!N ·,
/\NI) 1rnnu, )r',~>Nl\1, l 1 1mv,~;()N~ ',' 0 NAI. covr•:NANTS, !J
. ' >NHON l•:NVIII0/~~1 ,'.A
~H, fl!Jf.f,;~1
f.N I M ,.rr,s•1·1cr-:
1
econo1111czones pi·ovi , . .
1 1 101
founci that. Chinn hn"/ ,c., ' 111 I.Ii,! UNCJOS 'f'h 'I' ·t I I
. . I · 1
. • 'H> nted t} , f'I.. .' '· <! rio11nn H w,
1t.~ cxc w:i1ve cconointc zot l • ie 1d1pp1ne, ' ,,,,vc•r, •,, • ht •
• · lC >y ( ) • , , '1 " , ! 1,,r1 rJ f{ .fl ,n
,1110pPt.rolmun
• . .
CXJJl01·11t·
•
•. n lllf.t~rfon11,, wit'11'111·1,·•
1011, (b) , . ~ .r ppinr: f'IHh'Jn~',
(c) fmhng, 'b t.oIprevent • Ch.inese fishe con1;tr11ctmg nrlifichl iAhndA , J
f • , • , . , ,,n,
1
The n una also held tl t fi rmen rom fishing in t.hc zone.
.t' l fi l •
trR d1 .10na 1s ung rights 8 t S
ta sherm en f rom the PhilippineA had
interfered with these 1.1·g11t . carborough Shoal and that Chin~ has
. s m re s t nctmg
• • access. '
The Tribunal consider d tl
of China's large-scale land r: le e~fecton the marine environment
1
islands at seven features . c :;ahon and construction of artificial
China had caused severe m e Spratly Islands and found that
1
violated its obligation top larm to th e coral reef environ.ment and
reserve and p t t f ·1
the habitat of depleted th ro ec ragi e ecosystems and
stop such activities. , reatened, or endangered species, and to
L Vienn; Cf ~vedn~ion for the Protection of the Ozone

:r~r S-;t one u e m 1985, it is a framework agreement in
w IC a ~s agree to cooperate in relevant research and scientific
assessments
" of .the ozone problem , to exchange m1orma
• r t'
10n, an d to
adopt appropriate measures" to prevent activities that harm the
ozone layer.
~ontrea~ Pro!ocol for the Protection of the Ozone Layer

- This trea~y 1s designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out
the product10n of numerous substances that are responsible for
ozone depletion. It was adopted on September 16, 1987, and entered
into force on January 1, 1989.
Copenhagen Accord - Here, all of the world's developed
countries and the biggest developing countries agreed- for the first
time-to put limits on their greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions
reductions agreed on were still not enough to meet scientific advice,
but they were a big advance on reducing emissions compared with
"business as usual."
UN Framework Convention on Climate Chang·e - This
agreement binds governments to take action to avoid dangerous
climate change, but did not specify what actions. The Philippines
expressed adherence to the principles of sustainable development
and environmental preservation. In 2000, it forwarded to the
UNFCCC its Initial National Communication which enumerated
the accomplishments of the country in the fields of gr~e~h~use
gas abatement and inventory. In October 2015, the Ph1hpp1nes

LAWON NATURALRESOURCES AND RULES
10 OF PROCEDUREFOR ENVIRONMENTALCASES
sub1nitted its new cliinate action plan UNFCCC ahead of the 2015
Paris Sun11nit.
Kyoto Protocol - This treaty extends the 1992 United
Nations Fra111ework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
that con1111itsState Parties to reduce greenhouse gases emissions,
based on the premise that: (a) global warming exists and (b) man-
1nade CO 2 e1nissions have caused it. The Kyoto Protocol implements
the objective of the UNFCCC to fight global warming by reducing
greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to "a level that
would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the
climate system." (Alt 2). The Philippines signed the treaty on April
15, 1988 and ratified it on November 20, 2003.
Basel Convention - This treaty is designed to reduce the
movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically
to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less
developed countries (LDCs).
Paris Summit The governmen~s of more than 190 nations,
including the Philippines, gathered in Paris from November 20 to
December 11, 2015 to hammer out new global agreements aimed
at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and thus avoidina the
worst impacts of climate change. The agreement sets out a global
action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate
change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C. The a~reement
0
was ratified by the Philippines in April 2016.
All these international agreements, protocols, and conventions
provide and mainstream a greater sense of iinportance and ur(Y'ency
on the issue of environmental protection. b •
07. Philippine environmental laws and issuances.

The purpose of our environmentnl lnws is t.o maintain or create
conditions thnt arc concl~1civet.o n hnrmouious relnt.ion~hip between
man and nature. ]!Jnv1ron11Hmlnl lnwH pl'otect nnture nnd the
environment from dognulution whilo t.nking into account people's
needs and genornl welfare.
Sections 1 nnd 2 of tho PD No. l 151, otherwise known as
the Philippine Enuironme11tal Policy, embody the purpose of our
environmental laws:
"SECTION 1. Policy. - It is hereby declared a
continuing policy of the State (a) to create, develop,
cHAPTlm I - 0\llqwww JI
CONS'l'11'u·i·10N'• (!l•' JN'J'l,:UNJ\'l'IONAI.
covr•:NANTH.
AND Hl~OULA'l'ION~J,I JU!VIHIONH,J.AWH,11111.1-:H
.., ON l•,NVIJt()NMENTJ\I.,ll!HTIC~:
111nintnin nnd itnJll't , , •
. l\ 1. cotuHUonR umh?r which mttn
on d nn t u1 c cnu thri , 1• I
, • 'c 11 product.ivc, nnd unjoynh c
bau·mon? wit 11 <'nch ot.her, (h) to fulfill t.hc Rocinl,
ccononuc nnd oth . . cl
Cl rcqmremcnts of prcRent nn
future generations 0 r I"')' • . h
• "' '1 1pmos nnd (c) to msurc t c
nttnmment. of nn • ' .
• d . . environmental quality that 1s
con uc1ve to a hfc of dign·t1 y an d we 11-b e1ng. . ,,
"SEC. 2. Goal
. . . • - In · pursuing• t h'1s po1·1cy, 1·t s h a 11
be the responsibihty of the Government in cooperation
\vith concerned
. private or gamza • t·10ns an d, entities,
· · to use
all ~ractic_able means, consistent with other essential
cons1derat10ns of national policy, in promoting the
gener~l we~fare to the end that the Nation may (a)
recogmze, disch~rge and fulfill the responsibilities
of ~ach generation as trustee and guardian of the
environment for succeeding generations, (b) assure the
people ?f a sa~e, decent, healthful, productive and
aesthetic environment, (c) encourage the widest
exploitation of the environment without degrading
it, or endangering human life, health and safety
or creating conditions adverse to agriculture,
commerce and industry, (d) preserve important historic
and cultural aspects of the Philippine heritage, (e) attain
a rational and orderly balance between population
and resource use, and (f) improve the utilization of
renewable and non-renewable resources. (Emphasis
supplied)
This policy espouses the need for a balance between resource

exploitation and environmental protection to promote the general
welfare of the people. Environmental protection is a necessary
means to increase the chances of the human species to subsist. 9
a. Constitutional provisions
The legal foundation of Philippine commitment to environmen-
tal protection and the preservation of our natural resources is con-
tained in the Republic's Constitution of 1987.
9WestTower Condominium v. First Philippine Industrial Corporation, GR No.

194239,June 16, 2015. Per Leonen, J.

cllAl''J'li;n, _ ov1rr .
<'ON1''l'l'l'll'i·,'i~~~\~I( w IN'/'11,IINN/'I( IN,\ I, <:UVl•::,rMrm, 11
ANDn1.:ou1,"''''<>N • P11ov1moN11, LAWH,11111,r-:!1
,I.{ON l•:Nv1 l!ONMEN'l'AI,.rrUiTJ(;I•:
mnint.ninnnd iinr,i·
nnd nnt.u1·c cnn ove
., cmtd'fl
, 1 • onR u11 d er w J, t
1w,1 m1111
11
• Hive .111 .JJJ•o d ttc t'1ve, nn d enJoyn
• hi c
hnnnony with
1
('COllOlllic
• nnd•
enc • , (I)> t,() fuJf'II
1·1.l other I
' SOCIO
tne • I,
o • let rcq • d
fut urc gcncrnt· uircmcnts of present an
•
nt.t.ninment of ions of .Ji'i}'iprnos,
•
an{1 (c) to msure
. h
t e
conducive ton nn . ~ment aI qunI'1ty th at ,s
lifi, env1ro1 .
c of dignity and weJl-being."
"SEC. 2. Goal I . . .
be the respon 'b'l:
1
,' - n pursuing this policy, it shall
.h . SJ ity of the Government in cooperation
wit concerned privat . , . . ' ..
8
ll t' bl e orgamzat10ns and ent1t1es, to use
~dracle.a e means, consistent with other essential
cons1 erat10ns of n t' . . .
a 10na1 pohcy m promotmg the
general welfare t 0 tl ' .
• . 1e end that the Nat10n may (a)
r~cognize, disch~rge and fulfill the responsibilities
of ~ach generation as trustee and guardian of the
en_vironment for succeeding generations, (b) assure the
people ?fa sa~e, decent, healthful, productive and
aesth~tIC. environment, (c) encourage the widest
exploitation of the environment without degrading
it, o~ endangering human life, health and safety
or creating conditions adverse to agriculture,
commerce and industry, (d)preserve important historic
and cultural aspects of the Philippine heritage, (e) attain
a rational and orderly balance between population
and resource use, and (f) improve the utilization of
renewable and non-renewable resources. (Emphasis
supplied)
This policy espouses the need for a balance between resource

exploitation and environmental protection to promote the general
welfare of the people. Environmental protection is a necessary
means to increase the chances of the human species to subsist. 9
a. Constitutional provisions
The legal foundation of Philippine commitment to environmen-
tal protection and the preservation of our natural resources is con-
tained in the Republic's Constitution of 1987.
9
West Tower Condominium v. First Philippine Industrial Corporation, GRNo.
194239,June 16, 2015. Per Leonen, J.

1) A,·ticle 1 .. .
'
• ··tor
. :>. comprises the Philippine
"'l'hc nnt10nal tel 11 . y d , d waters embraced
• I 11the ISlan s an
archipelago, wit 1 a . . t ritories over which the
ther~in: and all ot~1~1 t er or jurisdiction, consisting
Phihpp1nes h~s sove~e1gn yd aerial domains, including
of its t~rre~tnal, fluvial, a~ d the subsoil, the insular
its territorial sea, the sea e ' d
shelves and other submarine areas. The waters ~roun '
• , d nnecting the islands of the archipelago,
b etween, an co . £ t f
regardless of their breadth a?-~ d~me~~1ons, orm par o
the internal waters of the Philippines.
2) Article I!, Section 15

"The State shall protect and promote the right
to health of the people and instill health consciousness
among them."
3) Article II, Section 16

"The State shall protect and advance the right of the
people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with
the rhythm and harmony of nature."
4) Article XII, Section 2

"All lands of the public domain, waters, n1inerals,
coal, petroleum,· and other mineral oils, all forces of
potential energy, fisheries, forests or tin1ber, wildlife, flora
and fauna, and other natural resources are o\vned by the
State. With the exception of agricultural lands, all other
natural resources shall not be alienated. The exploration,
development, and utilization of natural resources shall be
(fJ
":,:,
Q) under the full control and supervision of the State. xx x
(I)
C.
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~
::,-
The State shall protect the nation's null'ine wealth
(")
Q) in its archipelagic waters, territorial sen, and exclusive
3
(fJ
":,:,
Q)
economic zone, and reserve its use and enjoy1nent
~ exclusively to Filipino citi~ens.
.. 'l'he Congress may, by law, allow sn1all-scale
utilization of natural resources by Filipino citizens, as well
as cooperative fish farn 1 ing, with priority to subsistence
fishermen and fishworkers in rivers, lakes, bays and
lagoons.
CIIAPTl•:nI _ OV ,
coNs'f'i•i· ~·.uv,
1,:wo,.-IN· ..
,\NI) ln'.(HJJ~.",ION,\!, 111!ov,',:~:INJ\'IIONt\l,('()VJ-:,(,\,rrn, ,~,
• IIONHONJ: ' >N.4,1,AWH,lflfU'.~l
'l'h1, fl . ',, ,NVIIION,\H:NTAI,,fl J!n t<;f:
l( 141dp111
l<n-<'ign-ow 11l't l <'Ol'Jl .lnny.•
Pill , 1• 111
•
10 nwe(•rn •nt~1 wir.h
11r fin • I o, Hl.tonR i I .
nncrn llRRiRI • nvo vm1~ ,!ii.her t.echnicnl
1lt:'V<'l1>pment., and t • l,nncc 'I• , for Inrge-sc11fo explornt.ion,
1 11
o 11 •
• ll'l' mme1·nl oil, • zn lion . 0 f rnmernls,
• petroleum, rind
..J. • s nccordm ' t
conu1t.10ns provid l b g o the gencrnl terms and
to i 11e economic .
er Y law I I
' >nset on renl contributions
giowth
country. ln such . ant 1 general welfare of the
agreements ti S
t 11e development a 11d , 1e tnte shall promote
resources." use of local scientific and technical
5) Article XII, Section 5

"The State sub· _
Constitution d' ~ect to the provisions of this
an
programs sh 11 . nat10nal
_ .developmen t po1·1c1es
• an d
. '. a protect the rights of indigenous cultural
commu~11t1es. to their ancestral lands to ensure thefr
economic, social and cultural well-being. .
_ The Congress may provide for the applicability of
st
?u omary. l~ws governing property rights or relations
111determrnmg the ownership and extent of ancestral
domain."
6) Article XIII, Section 7

"The State shall protect the rights of subsistence
fishermen, especially of local communities, to the
preferential use of the communal marine and fishing
resources, both inland and offshore. It shall provide
support to such fishermen through appropriate
technology and research, adequate financial, production,
(J)
0
and marketing assistance, and other services. The State
Q)
:::,
:::,
(1)
shall also protect, develop, and conserve such resources.
a.
::E The protection shall extend to offshore fishing grounds
s
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Q)
of subsistence fishermen against foreign intrusions.
3
:I)
:-,
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Fishworkers shall receive a just share from their labor in
:,
:,
l1 the utilization of marine and fishing resources."
08. Laws and administrative issuances.

There a]so exists a panoply of legislativo nets and executive
issuances which implement the constitutional edict. Interestingly,
the country's laws on climate change adaptation (CCA) and
are acClaiined as the "best in tha
"'
,. (DRR)
. ·l
• ll'
D1sHstc1, 1s"
Reduction
world.''ll1 _ Philippine Environmental
1979 t 118 / • t •
As early as ' / formulation o an in ensive,
• Policy" ,nanda.t,edt t.e •. nmental protection that will
. g ·am of envu o h .
integraJed P10 1 , . d ffort towards t e protection
. b t a concerte f'e tl·ie environmen
brmg a ou
. . ha
t th roug
• ctnnn o
of the entire spe . . tal impact assessments and
requirement of envnonmen
statements.
. . the managenient and conservation
• The bas1c po1icy on · e d • h
' tt1r·al
of the country s na · c resources is ioun in t e
•
Philippine Environ111ent Code. ,2 The law provides
for the development of standards and ma~ageme_nt
frameworhfor the fallowing areas of concern: air quality
management,water qilality m,anagement, and land use
management.
• In a bid to protect the country's rich biodiversity, the
National Integrated Protected Areas System
(NIPAS) Act 13 provides for the integrated management
of all declaredprotectedareas in the country.
• The Revised Forestry Code 1•1 is the governing law
on forestry. Its basic policy is that the n1ultiple uses of
forestlands s~all be oriented to the developn 1ent and
progress reqmrements of the country.
• We
. Chave Pl Requiring the Pl au t'111g o f' T 1.ees
t .a law
1n .er a1n aces ancl p ena 1·1z1ug
• Unauthor1ze · d
Cutting or Destruction Thereof. Hi
en 10
UN Spccinl Envoy Mnrgnret.n Wnhlst. 0 1 1
":,:,
0)
Secretory General, praised the Philit)J)ines 1.. 1\ ~ ' DRR t·ep\'ORentutivo of tho UN
ro . . d" . • o1 .11 1m1g tlu~ l \ • 1 •
0.
to mitigate 1s11sterrrnks brought nbout hy ,1.11111l . '. •• On<ll\ t te ~lolml cnmpmgn
Chnngc. Act of 200!➔ (HA.No !)72<))w1,·,.:
:E
;::.: "l wm nnng. She nlludcd to tho Clim11to.'
" 11c 1·en1.e<
:,-
() . . • • 1 I1I 0 C\' . .
0) and the D1snster R1slt Heduct.ion 111111 M111 • llllnhi Change Comn11ss1on
3 . . . llltNmont \ . t' . )
~ b oth of wluch h1ghhght the 1mlicyHhifl l'roti . ' l. 1• 0 2010 (HA No. 10121 ,
0) · · . , ' \ II 1'01\l'I IOI\ • , •
:,
:, a ddrcssmg env1ro11menl11l d1tmHtin·nht 111.11 • • m Y to n pronct.wo st.once 1n
m . . . • •• , www.g1ohn\ 11t·1 . /
un• d 1sestcr-offlc11tl•l11ulH•))h•policil'H
• •
(I IIHI
• • ' 11l'.COHHO( 1 l'vl
" on.mq11in,,·
I\ , •) I . . . • ' net/UM410
11PD No. 1161, ,hmu Ii, 1077. ) ~· • 20lh)
12
PD No. ll62, ,Junu 0, Hl77.
HlRANo. 7586, Nutionnl lnlegmlod Prol"l'l A
" , ,Ol1 • l'lll\ 8 S
14PD No. 706, Mny rn,1075, • YHtum Act of 19H2.
111
PD No. 953, July G, 197(i.
CHJ\P'l'lm I - ovr
CONN'f'l'rt :•.HVIJ,:w01, INT ·
1
,\NI) 1muu, ~.'t>Nl\1, l'l!ov,,:;,: ~/\'/'/()f,(M, <:OVl~NANTH, 16
' IONN ON I•' ' 1 H, I.AWH,1/!H,1•:~!
'l,l l . ,NVll!()NMgN'IAI ,,,,,,,.,,.,.,
lU ll\RJ Il ,. II ' ,
( 11\\' ()J1 /'1 /
tlw Pl ·1·1 s1eri(,,1, 11 11 ....
.' H J>1>ineJr'18 :· " "l!''lll<:11l onrl 11t1.ltzulton rn
1l('l'J('H C0 cl II J
111 • all />/11.
·1-1,/J/Jine
• , ,. (), •. t.Hprovi.'lionH upp,_y L
th,/>/'/' 1oat.er~ond LL / ·; i
c. 11.-1.pp,:ncsI • • • 'L ot 1er walern over w/uc
,,·c/1 , • _, I.as soueret·11,
t. - • tswe econo,,z,·
t L . . d. . I
,., i .Y on< Jltru; u:twn, l l't
·.c zone t/z • .
an d fi1shery res • ' • .e continental shelf and aqua tu;
ources w} 1 '} •
, • • , e" 1er mlancl, coastal or offshore.
• 1 I~e.Pluhppiue Min. i1 . . .
nuning in the Pl T 1_11g Act is the principal law on
resources are u ippznes. It provides that all mineral
their rational ownf d. b~ the State, and aims to promote
conservation. exp oiatwn, development, utilization and
• The Indigenou 8 p ,
policy f th eop 1e s Rights Act 18 embodies the
right O; . d ~ S tate to recognize,promote, and protect the
an
d J i~ igenous peoples (IPs) to their ancestral lands
omains and ensure their cultural integrity.
• Pollution cont 1·o1 1·s a1so ·recognize
• d as a egitimate
1
..
government concern under the Philippine Clean Air
19
Act. . The law provides for a national program of air
pollution management and prevention, and active public
participation in air quality planning and monitoring.
• To revive the quality of fresh, brackish, maTine waters
in the country, the Philippine Clean. Water Act 20
was enacted. Its focus is to streamline processes and
procedures in the prevention, control and abatement of
pollution of the country's water resources.
• The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act 21 aims

to adopt a systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid
waste management program to ensure protection of public
(/)
()
health and environment, set guidelines for solid waste
Q)
:::,
:::,
(1)
avoidance and volume reduction, and ensure the proper
D.
:l!' segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment, and
~
:, disposal of solid waste.
"3
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)
0
J
J
1
10RA No. 8550, Feb. 25, 1998, as amended by RA No. 1065'!, Feb. 27, 2015.
17
RA No. 7942, March 3, J!J95.
18
RA No. 8371, Oct. 29, 1997.
19
RA No. 8749, June 23, 1999.
20RA No. 9275, March 22, 2004.
21
RA No. 9003, Jan. 26, 2001.
16
Tl1 Act Prohibiting the Cutting or Destroying

• p 1:nted or Gro,ving Trees and Flowering P.lants22
seeks to promote and conserve the beauty of ob1ects of
scenic and ornamental value along public places and help
preserve cool, fresh and healthful cliniate.
The \Vildlife Resources Conservation and Protection
•
Act 23 declares as a policy of the State to conserve e
the country's wildlife resources and their habitats for
sustainability, with the objective of promoting ecological
balance and biological diversity.
• The ownership, possession, sale, importation and use of

chain saws is regulated by the Chain Saw Act. 24
• The government's policy to lead, promote, and accelerate
the development and balanced growth of the Laguna Lake
area and the surrounding provinces, cities, and towns gave
rise to the creation of the Laguna Lake Development
Authority. 25
• The Environmental Impact Statement System 26 was
established as a planning tool to avoid or minimize
adverse environmental impacts of projects of government
and private entities. The commencement of every
environmentally critical project or project situated in an·
envi_ronmentally critical area has to be preceded by an
Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC).
• The .Biofuels Act 27 provides for the mandatory use
of bwfuels to help lessen emission of greenhouse 0o·ases
(GHGs) that greatly contributes to global warming.
• Th: Climate Change Act of 2009 28 establishes a
Clu~a~e. C01nmission which shall be the policy-
mah~ng body of the government tas/~ed to coordinate,
monitor, and evaluate the programs and action plans of
the government relating to climate chanf.!c.
22
RA No. 3671, June 21, H)G!-1.
2
aRA No. 9147, July 30, 2001.
2
~RA No. 9176, Nov. 7, 2002.
2r,RANo. 4850, July 18, 1966.
:.wpo No. 1586, June 11, 1978.

27RA No. 9637, Jan. 17, 2007.
28RA No. 9729, Dec. 3, 2009.

CJ-IAPTlm'-ov,,
CONS'l'J'l'I ,'•,HVIJ,;w
Of,' IN'l'Fll , ·
1
AND 10,:(lUJ~,,.'0NAI, l'IU>VISlr,~~ I I0:'1t\l, <'.OVEN/INT~;. 17
' l<>NsON l•'NVI 1 ''• l,AW!:, 11111,J,;f;
,,,, 'l) , IIONMl•:N'l'A/ ,,,,,,,.,,,,,
h'I'
ll' "" ., ,',
• 1 1P1>i11(' I)•
Mnnn,rc 1 •
.., Hu11t Ac•f .,
1Hll.4f.,,,. fl' I
IH <
,
1led11cl,H111 1111cJ
lll<'11/ • ', O 1 tO 1() 1 '1
I• 1111l1l11/101H1/izr•n
• •
. ·" ond 111,,(,~ ., r1rrrmf!t!-

1,l( 'lt 1d' ,111rn 1r0 ,. 1., 111 . .
111g .
/Jl'<~iec/('(/
1unut,, , ' . u ,·1111! d1mt.'llf!r ri,;/a;,
l ll't'j>111· e<,nesH and i·e

.1 c n•·h•· 1
<1·
.., ,.,, 111H I e11r1nnces ,sast.<:r
,, ,, . Hponse cnpnhilities 11tall Icvr~k
• 11le 1OXJC
,
su bstnnces ·1nd 'J
\i\lastes Control A, • .. r nzur<lous uncJNuclear
prohr:b,:l lhc imp ·t c~ of 1990"0 seekc; lo regulate or
substances that ~, ,air.on.,use and disposal of chemical
, , , p, esent u11r bl .
env,:ronment .. d t} • • ea.sona e nsll to health or the
., an le en try of . l I h .
disposal into Pl 11 T . . nuc car wastes nnc t e1r
.lppme terr,torfrtl limits.
• The Philippine E . • . .
. .
.
nvironinentaJ Policy~ 1 declares as
coi~tin~ing policy of the State to create, develop,
n1a1nta111 ' and inlJJrove con d.1tions . . .
under which
man and nature. ,
can ti, i, .•we in· pro d uctwe
. and enJoyable
.
harmony wr,th each other.
• □he Coal Develop1nent Act of 197ffl2 aims to implement
a well-planned, systematic and meaningful exploration,
development, exploitation and production of local coal
resources, with the participation of the private sector with
sufficient capital, technical and managerial resources.
• The Animal Welfare Act of 19983~ aims to protect
and promote the welfare of all anin1als and birds
by supervising and regulating the establishment and
operations of all facilities utilized for breeding, treating
or training of all animals.
• The Coral Resources Development and Conserva-

tion Decree 34 regulates the exploration, exploitation.
and conservation of coral resources as a natural breeding
ground of fishes and other marine organisms.
• The Agriculture and Fisheries Moderni.zation Act

of 199Tlli enables those who belong to the agnculture arid
~!)RA No. 10121, May 27, 2010.

:ioRANo. 6969, Od. 2<>,I H90.
:JJRANo. 1151, ,June 17, HJ6'1.
:iiRA No. 972, as umended by PD No. l l 7'1.
a:iRANo. 8485, Feb. 11, 1998.
a1PD No. 1213, Oct. 14, H)77.
:ir.1u No. 8435, Dec. 22, 1997.

I Jl '·,(•Ji'S
, 1,•HCH ✓ "
,AND ftUL8S
c
As 1c1s
. N/\'l'UIV\li ' " ONMgN'J'/\L "' !i,
1,/\WON Jt'FOlt 1,:NVIH.
rn OF l'HOCl•:DllH'
•.• Glleand share in the /ruit8 <J/

,, ... I(,
I /')(11'll,ClJ).,
f.' ·I • ·ic,,;sectors .o ' I . ,1 manner
d ,,-010/, ,. 111 <- ' ' • d that uti']'1zesthe
t •
•lo/'J111C11
rlcP<. f, an , B• t-he mos ·t efflcient an sustamahJC!
•. 's resources
nn t.1011 .,
111 , .,
waypossible. . A t of 2013:iGis a multi-

. t•Jl Plan1ung c . . .
• The Environinen ' . of analyzing, specifying
• 31·t and science . h ,
disciphnary . . aging and regulating t e use
·r • 118 rmomzmg
clari ymg, •
man
Jl d . l .
d water resources, in re ation
and developn~,enl of ~a~,,tl~~ideveloprnent of sustainable
to their environs, ,a,
conu1w,nitiesand ecosystems.
• TheNationalCavesan d Cave Resource Managementd

Act'1 "ainis to conserve, pro t ect, and' manageI caves
I h an
caveresourcesas part of the country s natura wea t .
• The Renewable Energy Act:Jsencourages the exploration
and development of renewable energy resources such as,
but not limited to, biomass, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal
and ocean energy sources, including hybrid systems, to
achieveenergyself-reliance.
ln Provinceof Rizal v. ExecutiveSecretary?' the Supreme Court
declared that "ll]aws pertaining to the protection of the environment
were not drafted in a vacuum. Congress passed these laws fully
aware of the perilous state of both our economic and natural wealth.
It was precisely to minimize the adverse impact hu1nanity's actions
on all aspects of the natural world, at the same time maintaining
and ensui•jng an environment under which man and nature can
thrive jn productive and enjoyable harmony with each other, that
these legal safeguards were put in place."
(fJ
":,:,
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09. Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases.
(I)
C.
. ?n A~ril 18, 20 l 0: U~e

:E
~
::,-
0
Supreme Ccn11t undo I' tho loa<lership of
Q)
Chief ,Justice Reynut,n S. I 1mo a1>1>1·0,,p1\ t ltt• 11, l" l t•1--, I ll'('
3
(fJ • , 1 - , , ew \ u t s o roce< 1 ,
":,
Q) for Environmentn] C111wH. ' 'l'he HII IPH ll l'P t l
' l t t· tl e
:,
• • , W Ol\( -pro( IllC, 0
,, J • 1
~ valuable rnputA from t.Jw /to,.,w, llll t•tivii·ti t · t· } }d
, nmun .n1 J\18 :1ce ie
aollA No. 10587, Mny 27, 2013.

37
RA No. !3072, April 8, :wo1.
111
: GR No. 9513, Dec. Hi, 2008.
a!1GR No. 129546, Dec. 1B, !W05.
•IDA.M.No. 09-6-9-SC.
Cll/\J>'l'fi;Hl-o,,
f'ON~'l'l' .\ l•,l!V11,:wOJ-'IN', .
/\NI) HJ~(I\ I~I ~.l',IONJ\I, l'Hnvi',:~:~~t'IONfd, <'.OVl·:~IANTS. HI
1
' I ION8 ON FN • ·, l.t\WH, IIIJI.J-:~l
l • J
thrtHII!' ~11m1 1.111woll11v· I
' VIIH>NMJ•:NT/\1,.flISTl('F
,•
1 I) , C't , , 11 1' 0 ·conf,, ., ,· •
1
111111 11' no I .y. 1It,, H\l)pcl f . I IH.IIJ/~ Ill B,q~11ir1 City, fl()ilo Cit.y,
• oo)c pffi,,., on /\ •1' c ' •
Con~idt'l'l'd t I . •• Prr :-!.), io I 0.
• 111 Iil'~I 0 f' •
1t 11 I • 1 •
rule <1f• prnccdt11·<•i11 cnvit·• • " tllH 111 tlu• world, thi8 landrrwrk
. f' f' Oll111e11t,11]l't', . . , .,
in ~uppnt t. 0 m·-rcnching Hll I . 1 •1.1..ntio11 ,~ 11HJj~ntfrcnnt. cat.nlyst
ju~ticc :rnd protect.ion ,111 . ( fiW 'CPlllH refornrn in environm,~nud
' c1 1111Plcmc11t,s ti le power of t.hc Supr •me
•Com'!. to "promulgate 'ru]
. cs co11ccn• t I .
ment. of constitutional ri t ,, 7
ling , 1e protcct1on :rnd enfor<:<~-
]
• g l s ·m cl le " •I . . . d
inexpensive procedure fort-] .' .. ) prov1C c a s1mplrf1ed
'.l an
'te t 1ispos1t1on of cnscs."11
a. Objectives
The Rules of Procedure 11
avc the following objectives:
(a) To protect and d . . .
th I t b • a vance the const1tut1onal right of
e peop e ·o a alanced and healthful ecology;
(b) To provide a snnp• 1·fi
11e<l, speedy and mexpens1ve
. .
procedure for the en£ f . .
. . orcement o environmental nghts and
duties recognized
. unde
. r th e Constitut10n,
• . . . laws, rules
ex1stmg
and regulations, and international agreements;
(c) To introduce and adopt innovations and best
practices ensuring effective enforcement of remedies and
redress for violation of environmental laws· and
'
(d) To enable the courts to monitor and exact compliance
with orders and judgments in environmental cases: 12
b. Salient features
Salient features of the new Rules are:
The threshold on locus standi has been liberalized. Citizens
suits are encouraged but with safeguards against nuisance suits
(/)
C")
Q)
(SLAPP). Environmental disputes are subject of mediation.
:::,
:::,
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a. Provisions have been made to minimize delays and ensure effective
~.
g. and judicious disposition of environmental cases by providing
(")
Q)
3 for continuous trial, disallowing the filing of certain delay-prone

g,
Q)
:::,
:::,
pleadings, prohibiting the issuance of TROs against government
!!l agencies' action to enforce environmental lnws or prevent violations
41
Sec. 5(6), Art. VIII, ConRtitution.
42
Sec. 31 Rule J, Rules of Procedure for Tfovironmcntnl Cases.
1 I
FSOUHCESANDRULES
..H1to\1;i'NVIIlONMEN'I'/\L
L/\WON.N1u\'11:u1 CASES
20 OFPHOCbD ' ', "
, .. f scientific nnd technical issues to a panel of

t1wn'of. re f.l'\\,l 1 O
• by appea l •
p1·osc1·ibingstay of Judgments
p~perts. anu • • 1
A new aspect of the Rules i~ th~ writ of halikasan ~ which
, t :zes the court where the v10lat10n or threatened v10lation
.u1 .11011 , , , • d •
rcsn1ts in destruction or damage of such ,nagnitu e as to impair and
deprive the right of the peopl_eto a ~alanced ~nd healthful ecology,
to direct the respondent to nnmediately desist from undertaking
the activities complained of and to take positive steps to preserve '
rehabilita.le,or restore the environment. The Rules also provide for
d.i.scoveryrnea.snrcs,like inspection order and production order, and
submission of memoranda in the form of a draft decision. The writ of
continuing mand.a.musis also harnessed to monitor compliance with
court judgments.
The Rules-
(1~ contain a provision on citizen's arrest and· seizure
of the items, tools and conveyances used in committing the
offense, and the custody (preservation) and disposition thereof;
. i1~tegratethe caveat that the judge shall be •d db
(2)
the precautionaryprinciple wh f 11 • • gu1 e y
not be required of the part ller~ u sc~entific certainty shall
Y a egmg environmental damage;
(3) reflect the sentiment tl t
infringements of envir·o la people who suffer from
. nmenta 1 laws t •
pursumg their remedi'es · mus not be impeded in
m court; and
. (4) strengthen the ha d f
environmental laws· ei b. n
· . . , n race the 18 t t
°
government in enforcina0
m _other Junsdictions to ff eS and best practices
~nviron~nental rights in au: ~ct~ate the vindication of
mnovat10ns customiied to our a·J lt~tice system; and provide
is met noeds,-1-1
10. Rules of Procedure for .
reform Initiative. Environmental Cases: a judicial
C With
) the ii,suunce of'l) ic, 1°)\l\ 1es ol. p
ases, t rn Suprc•me
, Cmut hns t\i\l'i\\1·ocodnr, l . c ror 1-:, •
~nv1ronmcntnl
to Pmmu lgute' ru)l!H coneern1n~ . llw oc , lls•. const.it.ut.ionnl
• duty
• Ill ot.oct.10 •
n nnd ontorcement
~:11n
his mcssn"e ut 111.." ~,•
b J' Ill •lll\l 11111•'1 • ,
Clrnncellol' Azcunu suggested Ihe .' lVll n1111wnt11l,l\\st' • 1 \
habeas dal.a to address the right ;'~ioptwn °1'n Wl'it nki,; t ic~i11 Ilnguio City, PhilJA
◄◄ cJ Puno "Redefi11. , Ji o l~ people ugainst envi1'.> le Wl'it of amparo ond
' 1111J um0111ty: · ·xx,.
· •'•" supra.
. onmentul de gruc
• lnt'1011. \

CHAP'l'BH I O\r
- l•'HV
CONS'l'l'l'U•',I ll•:w <W IN'l'l~l ,
AND HEGu1 \' 1'\0NAI, l'Hov,~, (~~~ '','<>N/\1,C!OVt•:NAN'l'H, iI
·' ON8 ON1,:NvrnnNM :"':vN, 11111,1,;s
of constitutionn 1 1•1.,. t· l•,Nl'/\t, ,IUS'f'ICJo:
g 1l .~ C lJ t I .
nn<l healthful
d . ecolo-gv ' • •• • le l'tght. of'. I.he J>eoiilc•
.1, nnc1 pro,· i· , 1.o 11 I 1111,,incu. · I
1
proce ure for the speedy di, . ~ ~ mg n i--rn1plified1111dinexJwnHive
spos,t:ton of e • .
By its ] d nvn onnwnt.al cnseH.
, d tl t l~ln n~ark decisions in O ., .
decl a1e 1a t 1e right t 0 . b 1Jusa v. l 1aclora.n4 r. which
to a d1·r·r . . category of ari ulanccd
1e1ent . , _ancI I1e,1, Ithf•ul ecology belongs
1
self-preservation and self g 1ts for it concerns nothing less than
· -perpet • t'1011
Development Au.t,hor,:t.), \' C ,llcl , and Melrupolitan Manila
stressed that the cl ·• oncerncd c·t •
• ' i.r,zens . Bayrn. which
of Manila .
. . eanmg and reh bTt, f .
preserving its water qualit, t • . :. _a : 1 a ,1011 of Manila Bay and
mandamus the Supi· C) 0 t,he ideal level can be compelled by
• ·t t d'' eme ourt • 11as, carve . d ·
a mche •
for itself as an
impor an ispenser of environmental justice. ' •
11. Obligation to preserv d

f h . e an protect our natural resources and
na iona I entage enshrined in our fundamental law.
?n~ of the fixed and dominating objectives of the 1935
Constitutional Convention was the nationalization and conservation
of the natural resources of the country. There was an overwhelming
sentiment in the convention in favor of the principle of state
ownership of natural resources and the adoption of the Regalian
doctrine. State ownership of natural resources was seen as a
necessary starting point to secure recognition of the state's power to
control their disposition, exploitation, development, or utilization: 11
The Regalian doctrine was embodied in the 1935 Constitution, in
Section 1 of Article XIII on "Conservation and Utilization of Natural
Resources." This was reiterated in the 1973 Constitution under
Article XIV on the "National Economy and the Patrimony of the
Nation" and reaffirmed in the 1987 Constitution in Section 2 of
Article,XII on "National Economy and Patrimony," to wit:
"S 2 x x x. The exploration, development and

u t 1·1·1zat~c.
·1011 o
f. natural resources shall be, ,under. the full
cont ro 1 an d su Pervl·s1'0 n of the State.. Ihe State mny .
. tl
direc y un er a d t· Jee such activities
• • 01· 1t may enter mto
. .. .
. . •nt venture m· product10n-slu.1l'mg
co-pro d uc t·10n, JOI ' •
'th Fi'Jipino citizens, or corporut.1011sor
agree men ts WI
,13 22'1 SCRA W2.

45 GR No. 101083, ,July 30, 19• •1 • •,
40 , 18 2008, u7it SCRA <1<11.
• ·onmont nncl N,i•ui•nl
GR No. 17HM7, Dec. • ' Resources GR No 135385
47 Cruz v. Secretory of I,!.nvn ~ " ' • '
Dec. 6, 2000.

i'UHCES AND RULES
\"'ON Ni\TUJV\L H!~$uioNMENTAL CASES
22 L, CJ.'DUREFOR J~ .•
O.FPHO ~ •
tum of whose capital is

t sixty per cen b £
Hssociationsat 1e~-~. . Such agreements may e or a
o,\r11edby• such d.c1t1zens.
t enty- five years ' renewable for not
Period not excee ing w. ,. d under such terms and
.
1110re than t,¥en
ty-five years, an f
. 'd d by law. In cases o water
conditions as inay be PI ovi e ly fisheries or industrial
• £ ••• ,:gation water supp ' ' fi . l
rights or uri ' 1 t of water power, bene c1a
uses other than the deve opine~ . f h t"
use may be th e measure and hm1t o t e gran .
Clearly the state is, and always has been, zealo~s in pres~rving
as much of ~ur natural resources and national heritage as it can,
enshrining as it did the obligation to preserve and protect the same
within the text of our fundamental law.
Laws and regulations pertaining to the protection and
preservation of the environment were not drafted in a vacuum.
These were passed with full awareness of the perilous state of both
our economicand natural wealth. It was precisely to minimize the
adverse impact humanity's actions on all aspects of the natural
world, at ~he same time 1naintaining and ensuring an environn1ent
under wluc~ man and nature can thrive in productive and enjoyable
harmony with each other, that these legal safeguards were put in
place.48 .

Chapter II
PUBLIC LAND ~CT
(Commo
nweafth Act No. 141)
A. Preliminary
01. Governing law.
CA No. 141, otherwise known a "T. .

enacted on November 7 1936 It s . _hePublic Land Act," was
• public domain· but tinlb~ d • . 8 proviswns apply to lands of the
' ran mineral lands are governed by special
laws. Th e 1ands commonly called "t • l d ,, .
. . ,riar an s and those which
be1ng privately-owned
. , have reverted t o or become t he property of'
.the" Repu bl1c of
. the Philippines , are governed by th e 1aws present 1y
1n1orce or which may hereafter be enacted.'
02. Historical background.

Act No. 926, the first Public Land Act, was passed in pursuance
of the provisions of the Philippine Bill of 1902. The law governed
the disposition of lands of the public domain. It prescribed rules and
regulations for the homesteading, selling, and leasing of portions of
the public domain of the Philippine Islands, and prescribed the terms
and conditions to enable persons to perfect their titles to public lands
in the Islands. It also provided for the "issuance of patents to certain
native settlers upon public lands," for the establishment of town
sites and sale of Jots therein, for the completion of imperfect titles,
and for the cancellation or confirmation of Spanish concessions and
grants in the Islands."
Act No. 926 was superseded in 1919 by Act No. 2874, the second
Public Land Act. This new law was passed under the Jones Law.
It was more comprehensive in scope but limited the. e.xploitation of
agricultural lands to Filipinos and Americans and c1t1zensof other
countries which gave Filipinos the same privileges.

,, , >UHCl•:S
/\ND HULES
H,!~~rfHONMEN'l'/\L
1,i\WON N1\'l'IJ.H~\I, CASES
~-1 OF PHOCl,:DllHI•,
H>HI,
• ti , ID~36Constitution, CA No. H] th
·~•\gl' 0 I • w
I
Aftl'I' t. ll' pn~.' • ,1cf cd on NovcmIJet' 7, J 9'
, d6. Cl\' N(:
•
11 111 \1\d /\ct wns en, • . . l o
pr<'~l'l\t Pu) 1c '·, . A . 1 No 28711.:!Grants o 1public hnd •
• 1·,11ythc~:in1casnc.
11 • . . ' ~
1.111~ ('l,~l'n•• • • .• f the Torrens system of reg1straf
nrebroughtund~rthleOo3pefrPatD10Nnoo 1529 or the Property Registrat;oonn
t t0 S_)ct10n o • '
pursmm, e . f Act No. 496 or Land Registrati
Decree(formerlySect1011 12~ o . . 103 whereb o_n
Act).The instruments ment10nedm Section ,, . . Y PUhhc
lands arc "n1wn.1, •. • t·c,J
u, granted
' ' or conveyed
. ai e mstruments
.
tmns[C1'ring ownership_ not documents ot lease, transfernng mere
posscssion.:1 The provision direct~ the issuan:c to t_hegran t~e of "an
owner's duplicate certificate." A(ter due reg1strat10n a~d issuance
of the cert.ificnteof title, the land shall be deemed registered land
to all intents and purposes under the Property Registration Decree.
Public1nndpatents when duly registered are veritable Torrens titles
subject to no encumbrances except those stated therein, plus those
specifiedhy the statute. 'l'hey become private property which can
no longer be the subject of subsequent disposition by the Director
of Lands.1
The Public Land Act, which compiled the then existing laws on
lands of th~ public dom_a~n,
1:emainsto this day the existing general
1
law g~ver'.mg the cl~ss1f1eat10n
and disposition of lands of the public
domam other than timber and mineral lancls.ri
03. Policy considerations.
The State shall ensure for ti b fi •

full explorationand devel ' . le ene 1 t of the Pili pi no people, the
•• tl . a· .
managementopment
as
ut1hzation, . I. well
• ,ls
c le Ju 1c1ousd'1spos1t1on.
..
" • , l enewa and con . t· ,
1orest,mmeral land wate ... serva 10n of the country s
·1 ' '' 1
is,u1tothcrn•1t l
wit 1 the objective of 111• 1• ' ,ura resources, consistent
·1· • tl ong the CXJll
ut1 1zat1onof such nutu. 1 . , 0 ra t.,1011,development and
.1·11· . la l esources .. .
!JJ erent segments of' ti . . eqmtnbly nccesslble to the
'I'h St , ie p1csent- ·1s \ II .
e • ate shall likewise l'Gc , .. • '· ve as future g-onornt.ions.
th,1t t· I . • ogni;,;c and l
r1 <es rnt.oaccounts .-.
'
oc1,1and unvi.10 Y n true value svstem
1 npp .
nm<mt.nI cnHt, imµlicntions
icruz v. Se1Tot111·\Iof 1•'1 .

I) • J • lVlr111111u t
4, 2000, :147BCHA l ''H
cc. ' 11 1111d Nut Hnd I'
:1 - '
Dugdug v, Nepo111ucu11o C:I! N \OHOlll'COH, m ( No. 1~!5:185
I.
◄ fl • I • II, (.. I ''li 1 I I I'

)I(. - ' , '11h,'.!.7 ) l)'jl) Ior.i.\ 111·1 •> I('
r,c , ''' • 11, ~ l,
' huvez v. Public E1:1tutosAi ti .
152. I 1or11y (' I! N
1
' ' n. aairio, ,, 111.v!l, ioo2. 384 SCH1\

CJ-II\ P'l'l•'H II
' I - P(JiJI I('
/\', , LANI>/\CT
(C11111111011w1•11ltl 2r,
I if. No, It! I)
J,1tivc to the 111'ili1., ,•

rC ' •11 • 1"10n d(I , ,10
11,it,ur:tl re.suurcc.s. ' _, <. 1>1111
~111., 1111d C<J/IEU!rv1il.i<J11 of our
'l'he Depmt111en1:of' F' .

1
(J)cp:trl.ment) shall be pi·iii ~'. viroii 111ent 1111d N1ll.11rnlHe.'lources
• • .111111y resp . ·1.1 .
oft.heforegorng pohcy. lt; shuIJ 1.· onsiu e for the 1mplcment.11tion
•
• t..10nnI mandate to •, uc. .111charg co f currymg
const1t.u . out the Stnte 's
1
.. control and .., . h .

cicvelopment, ut1hzation, nnd con . . Upcrv1sc t e exp1oratwn, 0
7
resources. sci vut10n of the country s natural
04. Regalian doctrine_ all I

nd
owned by the State. a s and other natural resourcesare
Under Section 2 Art· J XI .

• . • ' lC e I of the Constitution, which
embodies the Regal,,an, doct,·z·,,e call Jan ds of• tl· ie pu bl'1c domam ·
t,h . . . • , • • b ,
belong to e State - the source of any asserted right to ownership

of land. A:Jl lands not appearing to be clearly of private dominion
presumptively belong to the State. Accordingly, public lands not
shown to have been reclassified or released as alienable agricultural
land or alienated to a private person by the State remain part of the
inalienable public domain. 8 The Regalian doctrine finds expression
in Section 2, Article XII of the Constitution on the National Economy
and Patrimony which provides:
"SEC. 2. All lands of the public domain, waters,

minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all
forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber,
wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural resources are
owned by the State. With the exception of agricultural
lands all other natural resources shall not be alienated.
The e~ploration, development, and utilization of na~u:·a1
resources shall be under the full control and superv1s10n
of th e St a t e. 'I'he State may directly undertake
. such
..
• ·t· •t may enter into co-product10n, Jomt
ac t 1v11es, or 1 · 1 Fil' ·
ven t ure, or pro duct)·on-sharing agreements wit ·1 1pmo
1
0
sec. 1, Chapter J, J1Lle
, ,. . XIV, EO
"
No. 292 (RovisoclAclministmtivoCodo of
1987).
7
8cc. 2, ibid. S t 7 2olli· Gozc>v. Philipp.ineUnion
l 1· • GR No. 197472' op Ii·
1c v. Cor t oi, • ' • ', · GR No. 210341 ,
I
5 201 Ropuhhc v. Alol'II, ,
llJ)\.CJ)U,
MissionCorporntion, GR No. 1959 fJ~,A~g'rJ, 183611 Mnrch 25, 2016; Sund Agro•
,July l, 2015; Republic v. Lunlhnti, G °8
pL 27 '2006; Republicv. Naguint, GR
Industries, Inc. v. Republic, GR No. J.62o70' 0 • '
I' No. 13420~Jan. 24, 2006.
Scanned with Carnscanner

~, negs;\ND HULES,
N N~•rUHAl,
H.Ji,SO~oNMJ,:N'l'i\L
Ci\S11S
I,AWO ~l)~Hg FOHt~NVII,
26 OF pHOCh
,jutions at least sixty per
• 8 or nsso,( ..
·t··zcn~ or corpornl.1<~11.l . wncd by such c1t1zens. Such
CI,1, • . }Jl('l JS O • • t
()f whose en • ,.
, 1111111 .· d not exceeding ·wenty-five
cu . be for a pCilO
a<Yreemcnt.s may . than twenty-five years, and
, t- ble for not more b 'd d
vears. renew~ d d1't1·
ons as may e prov1 e. by
• l t· . 1s an con . • .
under sue 1 ,ern . 11ts for irrigat10n, water supply
of water ng l '
law. In case~ . . other than the deve opment of
• . rndustr1a1use 8 . .
fi s11enes, 01 fi . 1 e may be the measure and hm1t
water power,bene cia us
of the grant.xx x."
Except for agricultural lands, naturald re~o~rc:s ca(EnDnot be
1
alienated. The exploration, development an uti 1zat10n . _U)of
natural resources shall be under the full control and supervis10n of
the State.s The State may directly undertake the exploitation and
development by itself, or, it may allow participation by the private
sector through co-production, joint venture, or production-sharing
agreements. 10
The Regalian doctrine reserves to the State all natural wealth
that may be found in the bowels of the earth even if the land where
the discovery is made be private. Thus, once minerals are discovered
in the land, whatever the use to which it is being devoted at the time,
such use may be discontinued by the State to enable it to extract the
minerals therein in the exercise of its sovereign prerogative. 11
05. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Land A?t provides that the Secretary of Environment

d NThtePulbRlic
an a ura esources is the exec t. ffi
out the provisions of th p bl' u ive O cer charged with carrying
Lands, who shall act un~er~ i;ci LaI1tl_Act,through the Director of
1
control the Director of L d mmediate control. 12 Subject to said
' an s s1iall ha d • . f
the survey, classification 1 ve 1rect executive conti·ol (l
, ease sa 1e or a tl '-' . .
or disposition and managem ., 't f . ny o •1er 1orm of concess10n
en °
th0 lands of the public domain,
9
La Bugal-B'laan Tribal Association ,
1
2004, 445 SCRA l (Resolution on motion fo;./c. v •. HnmoR, CH No. 127882, Dec. l,
tosec. 2, Art. XII, Constitution· I J>eco11s1den1tio1t).
Ramos, i"bi"d. • .,a l\lga} •ll'l ann
. r
l'ribnl Association, Inc. v.
11Republic of the Philippines v C .
• ourt of A
L-43938, April 15, 1988, 160 SCRA 228. Ppeals and De la Rosa, GR No.
12
Sec. 3, CA No. 14l.
CHJ\P'l'FHII
(C' " - l1lJllJ,fc;LANI>;\("I'
n1n111011wp11Jll1 A IN , 27
Ill' "· 1,1I)
lid his decision8 'ls

A ' ' 1.n (llll!Rl.iu11~ f' f
approved by the Secretm•\, 1• :. •. 11 nd nhnll ho condw1ive when
b~ • ·' n 1•,11v1ro11 , ,
• 1 t·he
JJ '· • a sence
. o{ 11 ,..,
•·Iiowing
• II1111 111L 11 • "'H 1N11l11rnl
• f{e11ot1n•,,r1
,,. , 1.1
C onsequence of frnud 11111 .. • • Rllch decir;ionwaH rendered in
• • • JoR1t.1on 01. •
11118 k
·udglllent m estunating th , ' 1.u e, other tlrnn error of
Jf whatever or not it is coe v.1 1
. ue or ef~ec,l of' CVH. Ience, regardless
o 11s1stent· w1•tl1 ti
vidence. so long as there i ' . ie preponderance of the
e • s
in quest10n could be lllade. 14 It .some ev1d ence upon wh'1ch the fin . cl'mg
18
rl cision of the Director of L d understood of course that the
e•• ct proceeding and an
II s may be annu IIed or reviewe. d ma
.
dn e 11 t
o co aterall 15 h h · · I
uestion of law or is based y .' as w en t e issue mvo ves
aq • upon a misconstruction of the law 16 or
when the conclus10ns drawn by the S t f h r / d
are erroneous or not warranted by law.11 ecre ary rom t e 1acts 1oun
The D ENRis the primary government instrumentality charged

with t~e mandate ~f promulgating rules and regulations for the
protection of the enVIronment and conservation of natural resources,
but it is not the only government instrumentality clothed with such
authority. Municipal governments are clothed with· authority to
enact ordinances and issue such regulations as may be necessary
to provide for the health, safety, comfort and convenience, maintain
peace and order, improve public morals, promote the prosperity and
general welfare of the municipality and its inhabitants, and ensure
the protection of property in the municipality. 18 •
a. Specific functions of the Department Secretary

Section 4, Chapter I, Title XIV of the Revised Administrat.ive
Code of 1987 specifically vests in the Department the following
powers and functions:
"Sec. 4. Powers and Functions. - The Department

shall:
XXX XXX XXX
41 · Calibo v. Ballesteros, GR No. L-17466, Sept.

Secs. 2, 3, and 4, CA N0 - 1• •
13
18, 1965, 15 SCRA 37. J o 1934 59 Phil. 440.

14 • GR No 399 19, ' an. 3 ' • '
0rtua v. Encarnac10n, • . • ' Oct 27, 1973, 53 SCRA 505.
15Firmalo v. Tutaan, GR No. L-354os, •
16
Ortua v. Encarnacion, supra. M 1954 95 Phil. 125.
17Au f M GR No L-7042, ay 28• '
18
filla ara v. ~pa, • . No 186739, April 17, 2013.
Ruzol v. Sand1ganbayan, GR •

, . l{CgS /\ND HULES
N NA'J'UHAI, n,~sou ONMJi'N'l'/\LCASES
Lt\WO' 'IJlJIU,:FOil 1,;NVlll J
OFpHOCI•,
-, . ,· ' superv1s1• •on u11d con 1 dover .forest

. t;rol
(4) l!ixe1cisc . . snble pu bbc an s, mineral
• l I'.) •1nd (1rnpo. . . h
l nn<ls ahcnn > e ' , of' exercts1ng sue control
' • 1 1'1,eprocess
1 11 ,
resources nnc, , • . , fees charges, rentals and
, prmte taxes, ,
impose nppio , d collect such revenues for the
nny sucl~ form ofllevy a~1utilization or gathering of such
explorat1011,deve opmen '
resources;
XXX XXX XXX
(14) Promulgate rules, regu1_ations and _guidelines

011 the issuance of licenses, permits, concessions, lease
agreements and such other privileges concerning the
development, exploration and utilization of the country's
marine, freshwater, and brackish water and over all
aquatic resources of the country and shaU continue to
oversee, supervise and police our natural resources;
cancel or ~ause to cancel such privileges upon failure,
non-compliance or violations of any regulation, order,
and for a~l other causes which are in furtherance of the
c01~~erva~1on of natural resources and supportive of th
national interest· e
'
(15) Exercise exclusive . . d" .
management and disp 't• Juris iction on the
d0 • os1 wn of all la d f h
mam and serve as ti c c n s o t e public
l "fi • ie sole ngenc .
c ass1 1cat1on
• ' sub-clas s1'fi1cubon
. s
" . Y. responsible for
1 nd
a s m consultation with a .. ' . t~i veying and titling of
PJnopr1ate agencies "
The Department . •
emancipatio1 . , . is lllandated to ' l .
t ·,1· 111 l patent. survevs !"11 l
h. 1ng .) ' q c usp acce
l e1 ate cadastr,d
• ~ 'nnd
• , P anning and public land
b. Specific functions .
officers of the Ll\1B n·
, n·octor nnrl reg-.iounl
l'he udrninistrnt 1·f>Jl
• • , llllc 1 1· .
coinm1u,~c1l,y Juw t.o11 • I)" < IHl.t•1hnt1. .
t J
dH • n
0
,0 t, ie DepHrt.munt s
• le
. • • 01 ' 0 1·1,1111
ll't•c·t . of Plt l>11c
· Iands 1s ·
, i uc1·ot111·y ~o • 1>I·11111t1·ilv d It. 1
• • . , Hit ll -llllHte y,
~:Sec•.'1(0)(u),EO No. 2ll2.

Mnn v. Sec. of Agricultu. .
1952, 92 Phil. 410. 101111<1Nntu1· t H ,,
11
CJsou1•coH Cl
•• l No. L-5(i22, Dec. 29,

Cllt\l''l'l,;Jf II - I'
(l'o, 11111011w,.11 UIH,IC LAND /\("I' 29
Jt•I1 /\ cl. No. I ,f I)
'
Uno 'I' J~O No. 1q~

n':tt1 (LM 13) h . ' ., f.lw newly . . . I
JJll . 118 nhRot·hed •. ucut,e, 1,,rnd.ci 1\IJ;1nnvement
13urc:1\I of L11nds except fl . 1.lir! f u nct.iorrn II n I , f h
-.fetTcd to ti .• • lORe line fun.· ' power.ci '' t e
1.r:111~ • .' • lC 1·eg1011n) fJ ,, J . el.ions nnd poworn whir:h were
l)irectnr Hild nRsistecl b c <. 0 ff 1ce1-;.'f1he r 1·MJ' 1 1 ., l
. • YHllJ\s·· •. ' , •8 }H!HC<!uoy,J
the l)eµm
.. ·tment Secret•1. s1stnnt D1rcctor
dYonmaft:.•, . . wh,) ,7Jrl
~·}, II ,l(VISC
, I •, ,
dnss.1~cat10n 1~1anagement and •• _ers ~c_rtaming t.o ratiornd J;:rnd
foJlowmg funct10ns: dispos1t10n and shall have the
(a) Recommend I' .

and effective admi 111 · ptoic_iesand programs for the efficient
. · • s ration ' surveys, management and
d1spos1t10nof alienabl
doma111· and other la de and .disposable Iands of the public •
government agencies·: s ~utside the responsibilities of other
not needed for or ar~ :t :s. reclai_~edareas and other areas
which they have b ~mg utilized for the purposes for
een established.
'
(b) Advise the regi ffi
effective implementation ona1.. 0 ces on the efficient and
more effective pub}' l dof pohc1es,programs and projects for
IC an s management;
(c) AssiSt in th e monitoring and evaluation of land

sur~eys, management and disposition of lands to ensure
efficiency and effectiveness thereof-
'
(d) Issu~ ~tandards, guidelines, regulations and orders
to enforce policies for the maximization of land use and
development;
(e) Develop operating standards and procedures to
enhance the Bureau's objectives and functions;
(f) Assist the Secretary as executive officer charo-ed::,
with carrying out the provisions of the Public Land Act (CA
No. 141, as amended), who shall have direct executive control
of the survey, classification, lease, sale or any other forms of
concessions or disposition and management of the lands of the
public doJ11ain;
(g) Perform other functions as may be assigned by the
Secretary and/or provided by law.
The regional offices of the then Bureau of Forest .Develop1nent,
Bureau of Mines and Geosciences, and Bureau of Lands in each of the
1~ administrative regions are now integrated into the Department-
wide Regional Environment and Natural Resources Office of the
D~partment. A regional office is headed. by a Regio_nal E~ecutive
Director who shall be assisted by five Reg10nal Technical D1rectors.

r
• ,ct,ioll~ N 'i8
1 ,\t'1'nt1•1tI ,11 , . Order o. ' ,
t., h "' A \n11n1R. • t ,."t. •'". c . t ivc ma,t le 1·o
0
l ln11\'t' nENH ( l Jl(\tntntsl.l ll'

)\'Y uni
t
. . rct''' lI\ I •
':nno~1!- n,:f'defined. Depart,menlSecretary, approv
f unrt wn~ 1ent the ( iblic lands and . ea,
d Mnnngen ' • 111 o pt · 1as
On Lnn 1 . gs t.he nppr:n: rigricultural land sales abltes
tler t,nn ' • venng d b ove
nmong. o •, onducibidd1ngc_o 00 hectares an a ove; approv
nuthonty t.oc I lenses covenng_1 r deeds of sale/mortgag e8
five hfcc~nrfesll~~iic land applic~1t1~1~;cfdes cases on appeal invol~nof
trnns c1 o. 12 hectares, c . t t £ g
~ntent.cdlnnds above . lands; and signs pa en s or areas
~luims/conflicts over pubi~~sales and more than ten hectares for
more tum l five hectares t
d . d free paten s.
homestea an
. l EI
n· t r (RED)issues
tive ireco .
orders ofbiddin
. g
The Regwna xecn d t ·al and public land subdivision
t for ca as I .
and signs . contrac s .
. • es mves 1ga 1 t' t'on orders involving .
patented lots·,
survey proJ.ects,issu fl' t . olving public lands; 1Ssues orders of
decides claims and con ic sdmveconstituted patents for areas up to
• • patents an r
cxecutrnn; st gns d fi e up to ten hectares for homestead and
1
five hectares fodr~a es an .cn:al revocable or provisional permits for
free patent; an issues orib.
alienable and disposable land s. .
The RegionalTechnicalDirector(RTD)_v~r~fies,approves and
sign maps and plans for public land subd1v1s10n, cadastral ~nd
isolated surveys; approves survey plans for OLT and other agrarian
reform projects; verifies and approves political boundary surveys;
and issues survey orders for public land subdivision and cadastral
survey covering land up to 500 hectares.
The Provincial,Environmentand Natural Resources Officer
(PENRO)issues certificates of land classification for areas over 50
hectares; approves appraisal of public lands and issues authority to
conduct bidding on sales and leases for areas up to 1,000 sq.m. for
comme~cial,industrial and residential purposes; approves apprai~al
Cf)
(')
0)
:,
of public lands and issues authority to conduct bidding covering
:,
"'
0. le~ses h~low five hectares for agricultural purposes; issues orders
:,
g of mvest1g
. ·1tion
1
' • claims
• l vmg
mvo • and conflicts over unpatente d lOts·'
(")
and signs patents n <l , • five
0)
3Cf) • n rnconstituted patents for areas up to
(')
0)
hectares for homestead nnd free patent.
:,
:,
~
'l'he Community E, • . .
(CENRO) • wi, onmenl and Natural Resources 11•
:.J
O''~cer
issues survey 01·<l , · ues
certificates ofland 1 .. r.. ~rs ".0 conduct isolated surveys; 1ss ts
c ass 111cntion for ureas below 50 hectares; acceP
<:II,\ l''l'l•)I(
(' II l'IJIIJ
,If! I.ANIJA<:'I'
t,111111111111w,,11111
'A,,1 N,,. 1,1f) ::1
111hlic lnnd npplic·ni •
)
t)I' /4t'II ('t
•1111
I ) l ll(, II I'111,~ ,li11•tI
' 11 II II I
I 11
)!1·111•1•11111•11
11 1111 111
, 11rv1 Y ordt'l'~ li11•t.h,, • '
1
1" or lt,1111" 1. • ".' 11111•; 1:1111dw:t11<mil
~ ' • 11\11idj ' • ' II p11hl11· I j J •
unpnt.c'nt.edlnndl:l. v11~1011 111'i:iul,rnl ""' • ''."' 11; 1111< IHHIH!H
' lol.H for p11l.<inl.1!d
llnd
C. Cl a.ss•,,. . .
,.,,.cation of l d
'f' Alll H
06. Class, ,cationof land
81
generally
Government lnnds ., . . •
ulec 1Ussjf1 j'
be (n) lands of the pnblic do, : e.c111a number of'ways.They may
(b)I and•8 0 ft.I, 1.ePnvatc
• donia no.in,
• ' e1th"•
. ei al'.,.enableor inalienable or
owne<lbYn , le s t··,ate as H privat .,,n,•winch
. . re~e1.
· to "Innd belongmg . to and
'
publ1c • use, pu bl'1c service . or • tle lllchv1dual
. • ·J1out bemg
, wit . devotedfor.
• ·1ar t·o pa tT1monial 1
sum • proJJe·t'le c evelopment•of'•nat10nal . wealth ...
I ies of the State."
Under the Civil Code go .
ofthepublic dominion or tllosv~rntmentlands can either beproperties
• 111
canals, rivers, torrents' ports e dended b . for pub!'1c use, sueh as roads,
nd ges constructed by the State
banks ' shores ' roadste a'd s, an dan oth 0 f • · '
which belong to the Stat 'th er~ similar character, or those
. . e, w1 out bemg for P bl' • t cl clc
somepublic service or for th d ~ ic use,_m en •e 1or
• . . e evelopment of the national wealth·
or patrimonial properties of the State ; t· h h '
· Of h • , •.e., proper ies ot er t an
prop_er_ties t e public dominion or former properties of the public
domm10n
. 21 that are no longer intended for public use Or 101 c . publ'1c
service.
a. Classification of lands of the public domain under

the Constitution
Under the 1987 Constitution, lands of the public domain
are classified into four (4) categories, namely: (a) agricultural, (b)
forest or timber, (c) mineral lands, and (d) national parks. Only
agricultural lands, which may be further classifiedaccordingto the
U)
0
Q)
uses or purposes to which they are destined, may be disposed of
:::,
:::,
(1)
in accordance with law.22 Section 3, Article XII of the Constitution
a.
:;;
s provides:
()
Q)
3
g, "SEC. 3. Lands of the public domain are classified
Q)
:::,
:::, into agricultural, forest or timber, mineral lands, and
~
21Chavezv. Public Estates Authority, GR No. 133260, supra, per Justice

Bellosillo. •
22n
amos- a a110 v. • amos, GR No• 168464• Jan. 23, 2006, 479 SCRA 533.
B I . R
Hl'FS AND RULES
'
,\W oN NA'l'UH~\Ln~:~Ns~1ti{oN~tEN't'1\L
CAST•:s
1.. )('\'\)lJIO,: H)H L
OF PHl , ',
ls of t,he public domain
·icn\lurn
r \ lnnc. . tot, l 1c' uses t o
1·onn\
1
pnrks. 1\ g, , b l ., according
\\Ill \ Hied Y H\cv f 1 bl"
niw hr further c nss . 1·Alienable lnncls o t, 1c pu ic
' • l c devotee • 1 d P • t
whichthey ma) J . ·t l to ,,gricultural nn s. nva e
domain sha \l '-
uc hnu cc. '- t hold sue h a 1·1ena ble
. cint1ons may 110 •
Corporations or nsso . )t by lease, for a period
l· d uun exce1
lands of the ·pub ,c on • . renewable for not more
not exceeding twenty-five ydenrst,to exceed one thousand
f , venrs un no ·
than twenty- ivc J ~ • ' f tl1 e Philippines may lease
. . C1t1zens o
hectares rn lll 0 ' 1•
• • .
_ . or acquire not more
not more than five hundred 11ectmes., l homestead or
than twelve hectares thereof by pure 1ase,
gran.t "
The 1935 Constitution classified lands of the p~blic domain
23
into three groups, namely, agricultural, timber and m1neral, and
the term "public agricultural lands" has always been construed as
referring to those lands that were neither timber nor mineral, and
as including residential lands. 2•1 In contrast, the 1973 Constitution
classified lands of the public domain into agricultural, industrial, or
commercial,residential, resettlement, mineral, timber or forest, and
grazing lands, and such other classes as may be provided by law. 25
'~he Publi_cLand Act, as amended, governs lands of the public
doma1,~,but t1_m_ber ~nd mineral lands are governed by special
laws. I he adm1mstrat10n and disposition of "friar land " d th
l d l•h b • . l s an ose
an s w 11c , emg private Y owned, have reverted to or become the
property of the State, are governed by laws presently in force.:!6
Under Section G of the Public Land A . .
classifying or reclassifying lands of tl:e u c~, the p~·ero~ative of
forest 01· mineral to agricultural d .P bhc domain, i.e., from
executive branch of the govm·nme:~ v~ce versa, belongs to the
to stress, the onus to overturn l . an . not th_e court. Needless
presumption thnt the land subJ-~ctlyfmcontro_verbble evidence, the
• a 1·1enalJle or l 1·1sposable rests w •tl0 tlun apphcat"
1s . < 1011· •f'or reg1strnt1011
• •
1 \ le apphcant.27
23
8cc. 1, Art. XII1.
2lJ{ • •
rivunko v. llumAtur or Duuclt1(' I) N .
•i~S
•• cc. JO,Art. XIV.
• ' \ o. 1,-h'\OI '
No,•. rn, Hl47, w Phil. 4(il.
26
Scc., 2 CANo,141;Hop\lhlh·v II .
Ill' 1>Iulo, GH N r. •
SCRA 180. tM .. , ... • .• . , •
u:iliu!, F1rn1 lnnclAwuru purchnHcd hy thll :), l,>h117, May 26, !::!005,459
occupants undnr Act No. 1120 or lhu Frinr I Ill\ 1, /\ govu1·1unent for snlc to actunl
27 • • ' I S Ct l'I ,
Ropubhc v. Nn1::mnt,GH No. 13420!) Jnn . ',· tnctuil on April 26, 1904.)
' • !::l<t,
200G, 47B SCRA 586.

Cl 11\1''/'I'/
(C' ',lll-./'llfll/•
1i.', l,
,1111111111111v,,11111 LAN11M'.'I'
I I IN,,. ,,,I)
h. Clnssifi<•zif,
, ,1011 of' I
, lltHIN1111J
. l•or p11rpoHl'H
I of'tl·ll!11d11·. ( ,i,· UHi l'uhlic-, IJIIII( J 11(,,
A ,
1
or ih~poHH >I<•pulilic· 1111 ll1t1Ht1•11f.ionlllld /'
1.hl'Secrctnry of l£1~v·.tclH, I.hp PreHident II 'inp,mit.ion ,,f',i/ionnf,/,1
tilll<'to time <lcclnrcw~10111l!ent nncl N11tt/l'II/"'" i·ec:ommc11d11tion of
t;nder t.he J\ct,:ui int lands nrc open, /,od' Hes,!t~rccs,Bhflll Fr_om
IApos,t,onor conccAs1on
Sect.ion G of t.he ]Ji 111.
- > lC I 1 1
domnininto: (a) n lienabln . -'~nc Act. cla1-;sifie 8 J11nds of 'h . hi'.
'J'l JJ • "' ot c11spo, bl . ., c pu ,c
l11nc l s. JC l'Cs1dcnl;may ·1t·, .s11 e, (/>)f.11nbernnd (c) mineral
I hnds f ' •' 111Y tune • 1· '
'tn<l111 , '
sue 1 • • rotn one clnss t • ' :i 1ke manner transfer
.J •• t ., 1·· . • o nnothcr f'01. I
1wmm 1s 1a .ion :-ind drnposition. ' I. 1c purposes of their
c. Classification of pub)' , ,
• . . IC l,tnds open to disposition
F01 purposes of their administ ., .· . .
the public domafo which r-ir . lbatwn and dJSpos1tion,lands of
" .e a 1iena le or op t 1• ••
be further classified accordin t tl en ·o c1spos1t!onmay
0
lands are destined, as follows~ le use or purposes to wh1ch such
(a) Agricultural·
'
(b)_ Residential, commercial, industrial, or for similar
productive purposes;
(c) Educational, charitable, or other similar purposes;

(d) Reservations for town sites and for public and quasi-
public uses.
The President, upon recommendation by the Secretary of
Environment and Natural Resources, shall from time to time make
the classifications provided for in thi.s section, and may, at any time
and in a similar manner, transfer lands from one class to another. 29
Section 9 of CA No. 141 provides that the alienable or
disposable public lands shall be classified, according to the use or
purposes to which they are destined, into agricultural, residential,
commercial, industrial, etc., lands. At ffrst blush it would seem
that under this classification residential fond is different from
agricultural land. The difference, however, is more npparent
than real. "Public agricultural lands" as that phrnso is used in
28
Scc. 7, CA No. 141.
wscc. 9, supra.
Scanned with Camsc ::1nn0,.-

ouRCES ANDRULES
r :1.1
I.JAW
OF pHOCb
N \'l'UHALRES oNMENTALCASES
oN"D~Hl~FORENVlR
, ds of the public domain a

. • , mennR n118
• :-innble1an 'fi db
t· the lands class1 e y CA.11
nu
onst.,t.\lt,101 . ·vnlcnt ,o . 'd d. l.'iO.
the 1 •
. ,fore t.,,c_ l)ht"l c is _cqu1 h
, ble T e c a 1 ssification prov1
·t· e in SectiOtt
t1,rH 1· ,nblc or disposa -•. . t· ·ation and dispos1 ion, accordin
1 \ 1 n~n , , f adm1n1s I c • 11 d t d g
. .nl\ for purposes ~ c. • d lands are especta y a ap e . But
g ,st purposes to wlnch _sa1t' all of said lands are essentially
to t.~~thst.anding this class1fica ion ly agricultural public lands are
not.,,i • 1 ds because on Art' 1 XII
.-cultural public an . . . under Section 2, ic e of the
agib1.t to alienation or d1spos1t1on
SU JeC
Constitution. • lt 11 d
. 1.fi t' on public agr1cu ura an • may
From the foregon~gcl~~: ~:t~on~ of the public domai~ which
be defined as those ahena . ~ 1 lands Thus, the term includes
'tl t· nber nor m1nera •
are ne1 1er 11 _ . d 111
. d t 1•al lands for the reason that
residential, commercial, an us ~ l l d 30
these lands are neither timber nor m1nera an s.
07. Classification of lands an executive prerogative.

Beforethe government could alienate or dispose of lands of the
public domain,the President must first officially classify these lands
as alienable or disposable,and then declare them open to disposition
or concession.There must be no law reserving these lands for public
or quasi-public uses.31 The classification is a prerogative of the
executive department and not the courts. 32
Section 6 of CA No. 141 provides that the classification or
reclassification_ofpublic lands into alienable or disposable, mineral
or forestlands 1s a prerogative of the executiv,e department of the
government and not of the courts.33 As stressed in Director of Lands
v. Court of Appeals and Bisnar:34 ,·
"It bears
. emphasizing that a pos1•t·1ve act of t h e
government 1sneeded to declassify land h' h. 'fi d
£ . t d . . w 1c 1s c1ass1 e
as ores an to convert 1t into alien bl d'
a e or 1sposable land
30
Alba v. Court of Appeals, GR No. 120066 Se •
31
Chavez v. Public Estates Authorit G _ ' pt. 9, 1999, 314 SCRA 36.
152. Y, R No. 133250, July 9, 2002, 384 SCRA
32
Bureau of Forestry v. Court of Appe l. G
SCRA 351; Chavez v. Court of AJ)peals, su ,:.\~ RN~. L-37995, Aug. 31, 1987, 153
Feb. 11, 1990, 303 SCRA 127; Director of i 'd wpubhc v. Imperial, GR No. 130906,
11 8
GR No. 58867, June 22, 1984, 129 SCRA 6B;, v. Court of Appeals and Valel'iano,
33
Bureau of Forestry v. Court of Appeals d G
1987, 153 SCRA 351. an allo, GR No. L-37995, Aug. 31,
34
GR No. 83609, Oct. 26, 1989, 178 SCRA 708 _

(' rngricullttrn1 01 nlh
~(.HA •lnfl. llnlt i 1 ~,,t' ' )l\n·,~n,, H (H 'Ptil,lic 11.1\nirn1,, ;r,
• nn nf'lwi )(1\111111I•h< I111HI c I11Jt111(1<•d
i~ r ·IPtl.~l'< l 111 . , ,,~ (orr!flt.
• 1 1
n 1>·odn rnn1•1011
• I
i( Ill/\) torn, Plllt or I) , j' • IO I 1/1 I.pffc<:I.!lO Urnt,
thf' publil clomnin 111·H. tltApoAnhJ~11/~ri•tllt.urnJlnnd!! of
' ' l \I A 0) 1 , (' · ·
ti(.} d nof. Rpp1y.(J\1 , on 1rnw t1onof 1mper~,ct,
• nunnf f'JYU JJ'
1' C HA 69; J ir 1or of '~- 1 vs. ire ·I.or of Forc.~try,
S RA G 9· ))frect 01.' of Lnnd8 v · ourt of App ,nJ , 129
c1
S RA 70] • Republic v 811d8 v. • Court of Appeals, 1.3.3
\ a1larta vs. Jnt rmeJia. ourt of Appcn1s 1'18SCRA 180·
G79).' te Appellate Court, 151 SCRA
08• "Publiclands" and "governmentIand" d.1stmgu1shed.

. .
In" Atfontano v. Insular Govenunent,:ir. 1't was h eld th a t th e

bl. l d ,, .
Phrase pu ,ic . an s 1s equivalent to "public
• domain,· " an d does no t
byany me~ns include all lands of government ownership, but only so
muchof said lands as are thrown open to private appropriation and
settlement by homestead and other like general laws. Accordingly,
''governm_ent land" and "public land'' are not synonymous terms;
the first includes not only the second, but also other lands of the
government already reserved or devoted to public use or subject
to private right. In other words, the government owns real estate
whichis part of the "public lands" and other real estate which is not
a part thereof.
D. Modes of Disposition
09. No public land can be .acquiredexceptby a grant from the
State.
No public land can be acquired by private persons without any
grant, express or implied from the government. In other words, it is
indispensable that there be a showing of a title from the state. 36 This
may come in the form of a homestead, sales or free patent or grant.
Oneclaiming "private rights" must prove that he has complied with
the Public Land Act which prescribes the substantive as well as the
procedural requirements for acquisition of public lands. 117
35
GR No. 3714, Jan. 26, 1909, 12 Phil. 572.
36
Lee Hong Hok v. David, GR No. L-30389, Dec, 27, 1972,
37
Collado v. Court of Appeals, GR No. 107764, Oct. 4, 2002, 390 SCRA 343.

' TUHAL Hl~SOUHCES
AND RULES
LA\\ ON NAU1'1'
J'OHFNVIHONMEN'l'J\L
CASf~S
:J(i OF pH()(:E)) ' ,, I J
Onlyallonubleand disposable(A and D) lands may be the

10. I
subjectof dlsposlt on.
, tl ~" lnnds shall be declnrcd open to disposition or
• • I
n•l,• rn....
l ·c11 h1wcbeen officially deJ1m1tec an d clnss1•fi ed and
11
. tw
ronrC1ss10n
·coblc (urveved and which •
have not been 1•cserved for'
Wl1l'11 1l HC ,1 n 1 ,J ' • h
public or quasi-public uses, nor uppropnated by t e govern~ent,
nor any nrnnner become private property, nor those on which a
111
private right authorized and recognized by the Act or any valid law
mav be claimed, or which, having been reserved or appropriated,
hm.e ceased to be so.:1~ In the absence of such classification, the
land remains as unclassified land until it is released therefrom and
10
rend red open to disposition.a 9 In Menguito v. Republic,· it was held
that unless public land is shown to have been reclassified or alienated
to a private person by the State, it remains part of the inalienable
public domain. Indeed, "occupation thereof in the concept of owner,
no matter how long, cannot ripen into ownership and be reITTstered
as n title." 41 b
Land remains unclassified land until it is released therefrom

and 1.·enderedopen to disposition. Adherence to the Recralia d t ••
st b · t II · b , n oc nne
1 Jee ·s a agncu 1tura 1, timber, and mineral lands to tl d • •
of the StateY ie om1n10n
The conversion of property int fi h d

or the alleged titling of properties ai:l~1dsi _pan by the appli~ants,
render the property as alien a bl d d. t, does not_automatically
1
lies in the release of the proper~ at ~~osable. Applicants' re1nedy
Y iom its present classification:•"
11. Specific modes of disposition.

Public lands suitable for a r· l ·
of only as follows: g icu tul'fll purposes can b dispos d
a. For homestead settlemont·

b. By snJe; '
:, Sec.8, CA No. l ·11.

:wDir·ct.orofL1111di;v. Collrt of A 18
1984, 129 SCHA 08!1. PP<lll Ht1(\ Vnlori111111,OH N 11. Ml~(i7, ,huw :..:..
◄oGH
◄ IJ)'
No. liMW8, lh.•c, I •I, :moo'·l•IH~'('
'' ,HA I •IH
D
'
'> N
1rector of LandtJ v. Comt of;\ ppuu 1H Hild 11· "' •
1
GI\ o. 1561 I 7, Mny 2(i, 200fi, ,tfl!l fiCHI\ 1HO·( , 111t1nnr, s11prn; Hopubli(' v. l lorbieto,
GR No. 133250, July 9, ~W02,~i8-1SCHA 162 '. ' "',iz \'. Puhlic l•:st11tl/'l Authority, 1
4"D' • Plll' ,/ 11{1 II081 •11

• irector of Lands v. 'ourt of A,1110II. 1h. 111111V• I • o.
11onn110, supro.
4';JJE,id.

0HAP'rJ~n
(C' lI -- 11 lJI H
,0111111011wt•1il1 ,f (, LANI)AC'I
.11Ac1No, I '11)
c. By lens,. I\Jld
d. By co11ffr1111•
n ,Ion of i n1Perfp ·I , . .
1)
. By 1·\t 1• • 1.1t.lo!I:
,c, o, 111compl<1t,<1
• • lt1c1n) J,, . .
2) B e1n 1t%nt1011
y ndministrnLiveJ , , . .
Th words 'al· .
, ,1,ena.tion,, ''d.
cga1i,,at,on(free pnt •nt)11
in th Public Land Act m:ans,l:JJositfon,'' or "concession,,,ns used
the Act for the acquisition 1 c ny of the methods authorized by
• d • ' ease use b
pubI1c oma1n other than t· b' ' or enefit of the lands of the
. .. . un er or . 1
of d1spos1t10n 1s appropri t mmera Jands.-1 ' Each mode
• L a e1Y covered b
the Publ
• IC and Act becaus th Y separate chapters of
application procedure for ev ~ ere are specific requirements and
e1y mode.1G
a. For homestead settl ement

Chapter IV (Homesteads) of th p b .
disposition of alienable ubl. e u he Land Act governs the
·d th t . . p IC lands through homestead. The law
protVIhehs da £any£c1t_1lzen
of the Philippines over the age of 18 years,
or e ea o a am1 y may ent h ·
47 . ' er a omestead of not exceedmg 12
hectares of agricultural
. land of the publi'c domam.
· The app 1·1cant
mus~ have cu~tivated and improved at least one-fifth of the land
contmuously since the approval of the application and resided for at
least one year in the municipality in which the land is located or in
a municipality adjacent to the same, and then, upon payment ~f the
required fee, he shall be entitled to a patent. 48
1) Effect of compliance with legal requirements

When a homesteader has complied with all the terms and
conditions which entitle him to a patent for a particular tract of
public land, he acquires a vested interest therein, and is to be
regarded as the equitable owner thereof. The execution and delivery
of the patent, after the right to a particular parcel of land has
become complete, are the mere ministerial acts of the officer charged
with that duty. Even without a patent, a perfected homestead is a
44
Sec. 11, CA No. 141.
45
Sec. 10, ibid.
46Republic v. Herbieto, supra. .. .. .
47Sec.3 Art. XII of the Constitution provide~: "C1t1zonsof tho Pluhppmes may
1
Iease not more t h an fl ve h un dre d hecta res , or acqun·e not more than twelve hectares
thereof by purchase, homestead or grant."
48
Secs. 12 and 14, CA No. 141.

1
ANI>l(.IIL1
,~o\11tCl1:H
1
:H
\.:\\\' ONNA'l'U,H1,\I.
'\~'N\/IHONM1,~N'l'/\L
C/\Hlt:H
nv,,noc1,:,nrn,,,
H>H,
'l\',C' unnffoctoclhy I.ho f'ac:L

I.hut Hl(•
• \ t • t\H' f\\\\ ' 8 t' ..
.:- .:-,, ' '
p1 pert.y ng ~ • m • • , \ •.l is still in tho govo1·nmont..Such land
pR.ramo,mt t\tlc to t 1\ n1w
' •• . • 1 :t d No mtbscquont Inw cnn (lopr1vc• hirn
may be mw yerl Ol m ,c11,e •
of that veste rl ng' \, t•·•
41)
I11 H111 • , So,i~a

CSI11CT 1 , ' ,
r,o the Su1H'eme Court, citing Sw1i v
' . , '
R0...011,b1held that once a homestead applicant has com~he<l with all
the conditions essential to a government grant, he acquires not only
a right to a grant, but a grant of the government. '.rhus:
"... where all the necessary requirements for a grant

by the Government are complied with through actual
physical possession openly, continuously, and publicly,
with a right to a certificate of title to said land under the
provisions of Chapter VII of Act No. 287 4, amending Act
No. 926 (carried over as Chapter VIII of Commonwealth
Act ~o. 141), the possessor is deemed to have already
acquired by operation of law not only a right to a grant,
but a ~ant of t~e Gov~rnment, for it is not necessary that
a certificate
. ofd title
b be issued in order that sa1•d gran t may
b e sane t 10ne y the cour t s - an apphcation
· ·
. . therefor
bemg sufficient under the provisions of Section 4 7 of Act
No. 2874 (reproduced as Section 50 C h A
No. 141)." , ommonwea 1t ct
As explained in Lahora v Da .
public land is granted by tl1 • yanghz.rang, 52 where disposable
e government b • . l d
patent (like homestead sale f Y virtue of a pubhc an
, s or ree pat t) l . d
and the corresponding certificate of ti en_ , _t1e patent 1s recorde
t~ereafter, the land is automaticall, bt~e is isst~ed_to the grant_ee:
of the Property Reaistrat 1•011 D ) iought w1th1n the operation
b· ecree et 1r1t1 l
of a veritable Torrens title. ln ot}' . ec to all the safeguards_
one (1) year from its issuance U ~ ~ei__words, upon expiration of
irrevocable and indefensible 11·1c' 1e ce~;•ficnto of tit.lo shall become
., n coi·ti,1 l O .
0
.
proceeding. • cu 1ssuod inn registration
9
~ Balboa V. Farrales, an No. 27051)1 }? l l
• U I, <I 1028
bOQRNo. L-14722, Muy 25, 1060, 108 Pl . ' • fil Phil. 498.
1
No. L-14634, Jan. 28, 1961, 1 SCRA 227; Mii;ueI\: ~&l; 81~0 nh;o Nieto v. Quinus, GR
Oct. 30, 1969, 29 SCRA 760. • ourt of Appouh.1,GR No. L-2027 11, \
111
GR No. L-14722, May 26, 1960, 108 Phil. 251
62QR No. L-28566, Jan. 30, 1971, 37 SCRA 3 46 :

CH/\P'l'I• H JI I
' - ~un,
(Com111011w('11l1
I /\
,IC I ,!\NI) t\("/'
/
.~•<,)
'
•1 cl. Nu. 1'11)
In Pajomayo v. A1on,'.ponr.:, •
• ·, it. W11H lwld
Elt,entgran t,ed 111ncco1·dnnce w't J , t,Iittt, orH:<!11 homc!flt•nd
P 1
ptll''t1nnt. '"'o Sect.1011
. 12~ of !\ct, i.1t1e1'11hli·J
N < , ., c ,nncIA cl, 18• revrnt,er<~c
• I
the c rt.ificnt. of titl issued b ~).'1JG (Sec. 10:1of PD No. Hi29),
• . Y vutue of' 8 • I
ttnd effect. o{ n Torrens t-itl • aic pntent 1rn8 th , force
, e issued throu I1 • <l' • I . .
ro e <lings. This principle is . b g JU 1c1n reg1strat1on
P 1 le to ccrtif'1 t
by virtue of other land patent- app icn l f •I •
c11es o tit e 1 ·sueu
-1
• ,s unc er the Public Land Act.
2) Transfer of rights
If at any . 1of the applicat10n
. . time after the ap prova . . and before
the patent
· 1s fISsued, the applicant shall pi·ove to th e sa t'1sfac t·10n of
the Director o Lands that he. has complied wi'tl1 all th c requiremen
• ts
of th_elaw, but cannot c~ntinue with his homestead, through no fault
of his own, and there IS a bona fide purchaser for the riahts and
improvements of the applicant on the land, and that the co;veyance
is not made for purposes of speculation, then the applicant, with the
previous approval of the Director of Lands, may transfer his rights to
the land and i1nprovements to any person legally qualified to apply
for a homestead, and immediately after such transfer, the purchaser
shall file a homestead application to the land so acquired and shall
succeed the original homesteader in his rights and obligations
beginning with the date of the approval of said application of the
purchaser. Any person who has so transferred his rights may not
again apply for a new homestead. Every transfer made without the
previous approval of the Director of Lands shall be null and void and
shall result in the cancellation of the entry and the refusal of the
patent. 64
3) Registration court cannot be divested of

· risdiction by subsequent issuance of a horne-
~~ead patent over the sanie land subject of
registration
. t t·
A] an d reg1s u ·t wl11·ch has validly acquired jurisdiction
-ra ·ion co I - . . ·, l f
over a parceJ of land for registration or ~1tlec~nnot be d1~es.tee ~
sajd • • d,. .. · r _ b e uent admm1stratlve act cons1sting 111
. Jur1s 1ct10n 1">Y,1 su 8 q,. toad nttmt cov ring
the issuance by the Director of Lands of a 11001 0a / p S t . tl10
the same arce) of ]and As held in Delos Anl-[ees v. a~i?·"•
n·ireetor ofP_ Lands' '.Junsc: . .
1ictwn, 11
cJministrntiv,1su1wrv1s1cmnnd
::iGRNo. L-33676, June BO,1H71, anSCflA ;J7lf~ _

1
42
) Scc. 20, CA No. 141, ns amended by RAN .~
2
li5GR No. L-19615, Dec. 24, 19(-34,12 SCRA o....

,
t,/\W ON N/\'11UH.AL
1n:HOUltCl1:8 AND
1
RULES
•I0 OF PIH)Cl1~DUln;FOH.l~NVIllONMl~N'lAI, CASl~S
1
. , , . ,~dcndonly over lnnds of the public <lomuinun

cxccut.lV<' colhlO 1 e. , . , , . . , d' ,I c1
l, ,l,·end,, ol t)nvnte owne1ship. Accor 1ng Y, a homestea, 1
not:to l nno~i •' • , bl' <l • • ~
• • ,.1 ,.,,
µHtent. \8S\\Cll u.,
him over land
.
not o[ the pu 1c oma1n 1s a nullity,
ck·voidof force nnd effect agmnst the owner.
b. Sale of public agricultural lands

Alienable lands of the public d01nain may be <lisposed of
through sale or lease under specific provisions of the Public Land
Act or under special laws.
The acquisition of public agricultural lands by purchase is
governed by Chapter V (Sale) of the Public Land Act. Any citizen of
the Philippines of lawful age or the head of a family may purchase
any tract of p11,blic land not to exceed 12 hectares 56 which
agn:cu,lt11,ral
shall be sold through sealed bidding. The land shall be awarded to
the highest bidder, but the applicant may equal the highest bid. The
purchase price may be paid in full upon the making of the award
or in not more than ten equal annual installments from the date of
the award. It is required that the purchaser shall have not less than
one-fifth of the land cultivated within five (5) years from the date
of the award, and before any patent is issued, he must show actual
occupancy, cultivation, and improvement of at least one-fifth of the
land until the date of final payment.°7
After the cultivation of the land has begun, the purchaser, with
the approval of the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources,
may convey or encumber his rights to any person, corporation, or
association legally qualified under the Act to purchase agricultural
public lands, provided such conveyance or encumbrance does not
affectanyrightorinterestofthe government in thelnnd, and provided,
further, that the transferee is not delinquent in the payment of any
[fl
installment due and payable. Any sale and encumbrance made
()
0)
::,
without the previous approval of the Secretary shall be null and
::,
CD
0. void and sh11ll produee the effect of' annulling the acquisition and
::;;
;:.:
::,- reverting the prope_rty and all rights lo tho State, und all payments
(")
0)
3 on the purchnse pnee therelol'orn mndo to tho govornmont shnll he
[fl
()
0)
::,
forfeited. Aftel' lhe 1:,aJuhim beun 11pprnvud, the vonclor shnll not loso
::,
~ his right to acquire ugricull11rnl public lands ,mrlor tlw provisions of
the Act, provided he htrn tlw 111woHHn1·y qunlificntions.r.li
See
611 Sec. 3, A1·t.XII, Constitution.
67Secs. 22, 2G and 28, CA No. 141.
li8Sec. 29, supra.
CllJ\P'l'l~llll - l'UIJLIC Lt\NI) t\C'I'
(Cnn11nonwe11 It.h Act,No, I 11) '1I
1
c. Lcnse
Anycitizcno('lnwl'ulnrreoftl ,f>l 'I' , . ,
. sociHtion of which nt I,..,..,.. • \U 111P1>1ne14 , 1111duny c:orpr,r11twn
~~~Y interest in snid c1-~~~:~t,mxt.yJ)er cenl.11.111.
0
of I.hec11pil.11l
Hf.ockor
oJ) •·1ipp1ncs,
• • P st ock belongs wholly Locit izcm1 of t}w
} mny 1ease any t ., t· f . · ' • • ,
ll d . Cl t v· 1.\C 'O Hgncultur11IpubliclnncJnvailnhle
r 1• leHse un ei 1ap ·er I•• (Le• ') (' . - .
10 . ,. • use o t 11c J\ct,r.u Punrnnnt, to Section
3• Article
• .
XII of the present , Cot1s t't .• . • .
,1 u 1.1011, private corporations mny
nse alienable lands of the ptilJ]' 1 d
)c,, • • • •
• c omnm for a period not exceeding
t,welltJv-five (25) years , renewab] e 1ot r. .
not more thnn twenty-five (25)
years, and not to exceed 1,000 hectares. Citizens of the Philippines
111RYlease not more than 500 hectares, or acquire not more than 12
hectares thereof by purchase, homestead, or grant.
It shall be an inherent and essential condition of tho lease that
the lessee shall have not less than one-third of the land broken and
cultivated within five (5) years after the date of the approval of the
lease. However, in case the land leased is to be devoted to pasture, it
shall be sufficient compliance with this condition if the lessee shall
graze on the land as many heads of cattle as will occupy at least one-
half of the entire area at the rate of one head per hectare. 00
d. Confirmation of imperfect or incomplete title

Gudicial legalization)
The confirmation of imperfect or incomplete titles may be done
in two ways:
(a) 'udicial legalization or judicial confir.mation ~f
.imperfect
. orJ 1ncomp
• 1e t e titles under Chapter VIII ot the Pubhc
Land Act, and
. . t'
(b) adm1n1stra 1ve
legalization or free patents under
(/)
Chapter VII of the same Act.
(")
Ql
:::, p bl' Land Act us amended, rends:
:::,
(1)
Cl..
Section48(b)and(c)ofthe u ic '
:a:
g:
. ll • g described citizons of tho
(')
"SEC 4 8 The f o owin · domn1n • 0-1·
◄
Ql
3
(/)
(")
• • • • d 8 f t;he publw
Ql
:::, Philippines, occupying Jan ° ., int:orost; therein, but
:::,
~ l • • , 8 ueh lone.1s 01 Ill 1
c a1m1ng to own any erf'udocl 01, complotod, mny
whose titles have not be?n PC .1' f' tho 1wovinco whore
apply to the .Regwna
• ] 'J,J•Jn J OU I , 0
·u
r,nSec.33, ibid.
noscc. 39, ibid.
,,
.,
LAW ON NA'l'UH/\1. HEHOIJHCl•:S AND JUJLE8
~2 OF 1'HOCl1:1>Uln: FOH 1,;NVIllONM ,,:N'l'AL CA8J•;s
t.he lnnd i~ locnt.ec\for confirnrntion of' their claims and

t.he issnnnce of n ccrt.ificntc of title therefor, under the
Property Hcgistrntion Decree, lo wit:
xxx xxx XXX
(b) rrhosc who by thcmsclv~s or throug~ their

predecessors in interest have bce_n 1n open, cont1~uous,
exclusive 1 and notorious possess10n nnd occupat10n of
aliennble and disposable lands of the pubJic domain,
under a /Jona fide clnim of acquisition or ownership, since
June J 2, 1945, except when prevented by war or force
rnajeu.re. These shall be conclusively presumed to have
performed all the conditions essential' to a Government
grant and shall be entitled to a certificate of title under
the provisions of this chapter." (As amended by PD No.
1073)
"(c) Members of the national cultural minorities
who by themselves or through their predecessors-in-
interest have been in open, continuous, exclusive and
notorious possession and occupation of lands of the public
domain suitable to agriculture, whether disposable or
not, under a bona fide claim of ownership for at least 30
years shall be entitled to the rights granted in subsection
(b) hereof." (As amended by RA No. 3872)
Section 48(c), ns amended by PD No. 1073, shall now apply

only to alienable and dZ:sposable lands.
1) Ownership based on adverse possession

As a rule, no title or right. to, or equity in, any lands of the public
domain muy be ucquired by prescription or by nclvorse possession
en
or occupancy except ns expressly provided by lnw.u1 Howevt>r, thr
"
0)
:,
:,
ct)
C.
Public Lund Act. (CA No. 1,11) reco~nizes lhl; concupt of owtwrship
:i:
;:;:
::,
uncJm· the civil Juw. '!'his ownornhip is hnsod on nclvor~o pos~o~sion
(')
0) and the right of uc.;q11iHilion iH govurnud by Uhnptl'l' Vll l on judicial
3
en
":,:,
0)
confirmntion of impurfocl 01· incomplolo I it lul-1.'l'ho npplicnnt must
~ prove thnt:
(n) t.he Jund i1:, nlicmuhlo 1nthlic lnnd, nnd
61 8cc. f>7, CA No. H 1.
\
CiiA.P1'ERII
(Com1no11~,~;~ll/\LICNL/\NI)
•t ct
AC'l'
o. l'1 l)
,rn
(b) his Poss ess1011 • nnd ..
the inanner and for the .· occupnt.1onhus been exercised in
12' 1945 •r,2 R• eg1straf
. Pet iod PrPsc1··1
1 cl l
• • 1011 under ti - /\ . .Je >ylaw ' or since ,June
was originally public .· le ct presumes that the ]and
• . agncultural ], d b
possession since June 12 an ut because of adverse
' 1945 th
, e land has become private.
2) Period of possession
Pursuant to RA No. 1942 dat
possession was "at least 30 . ed Ju?e 22, 1957, the required
of the application" Ho yeRarsimmediately preceding the filing
• wever, A No 1942
1073 on January 25 1977 PD • was repealed by PD No.
73
Since June 12 , 1945 , or
' •.
ear 11er.
No. io now requires possession
. PD_ No. l0~ 3 ~l~o: (a) extended the period for the filing of
a.pphcations for Judicial confirmation of imp.erfect and incomplete
titles to December 31, 1987; (b) limited the area of the land applied
for to 144 hectares; (c) repealed Section 48(b) on judicial confirmation
of incomplete titles to public land based on unperfected Spanish
grants; and (d) amended Sections 48(b) and (c) in the sense that
these provisions shall apply only to alienable and disposable (A and
D) lands of the public domain which have been in open, continuous,
exclusive and notorious possession and occupation by the applicant
himself or through his predecessors-in-interest, under a bona fide
claim of acquisition of ownership, since June 12, 1945.
As held in Republic v. Doldol, 63 the law, as presently phrased,
requires that possession of lands of the public d.omainmust ?e ~r~m
June 12, 1945 or earlier, for the same to be acquired through Judicial
confirmation of imperfect title.
It should be underscored, however, that~ c~urt's jurisdiction
depen d s on t h e 1aw ex1·sti'ng at the time an. act10n 1s
•
filed and a law
d ·
. . £ 'th regard to all rights wluch accrue prior
(/J
0
0)
continues to be 1n orce w1
:::,
:::,
C1)
to the amendment thereof. 64
a.
:'E
~
()
0)
3
(/J
0
0)
:::,
:::,
~
S "Republic v. Court of AppculH und J,upiiill,an No. 108998,Aug.24, 1994, 236
CRA 567; ReyeB v. Repuh]ic, an No. 11 l)f380, ,Jnll, 23, 2007.
uaGR No. J.32903, Sept. 1O, 1908, 291>SCHA 8f>fl;Soo also Del Rosurio•lt,st-iben
{°Rupublic, GR No. 158449, Oct. 22, 2004, 441 SCltA 18A:Ropublio v. Cnndy Maker,
nc., supra; Republic v. Herbieto, supr<1,·Seo ulso flopuhlic v. Carrnscoso, OR No.
l'13191, Dec. 6, 2006.
61
Alba v. Court of Appeals, GR No. 120066, Sept. O, 1990, 31iJ SCRA 36.
,
1,/\W ON NNl'UIV\L H.ESOUllcgs AND HULTt;S
H OF PHOCl~DUIH: FOH,l~NVIH.ONMl~N'l'/\L C/\fHi:8
/J) RA No .. 9.176' has exl<!1icled period of filing tc

lJeccm.he,· 31, 2020 '
0~1Novc_mbcr 13, 2~02: HA.N~. !-1~

~6 was ern1ct~d (a) .~xten<ling
the pcnod to hlc an npphcnt10n for Jt1d1c1nlconfirmutwn of imperfect
or incomplete titles to December 31, 2020; (b) further limiting th(!
area applied for to twelve (12) hectares; and (c) providing that nil
pending applications filed before the effectivity of the arnenclatory
.Act shall be treated as having been filed in accordance with the
provisions thereof.
4) Requisites for avail,nent of Chapter VIII

Considering the present state of the law, the following
conditions 1nust concur in order that the benefits of Chapter VIII of
the Public Land Act on confirmation of imperfect or incomplete titles
may be availed of:
(a) the applicant 1nust be a Filipino. citizen;
(b) he must have, by hi1nself or through his predecessors-
in-interest, possessed and occupied an alienable and disposable
agricultural portion of the public domain;
(c) such possession and occupation must have been
open, continuous, exclusive, notorious and in the concept of
owner, since June 12, 1945; and
(d) the application must be filed with the proper court.
Only when these conditions are met may the possessor of the
land acquire, by operation of law, "a right to a grant, a government
grant, without the necessity of a certificate of title being issued.'' 136
The application for confirmation of imperfect title must be filed in
accordance with the procedural requirements specified in Section 50
of the Property Registration Decree (PD No. 1529). 0 u
(/)
(')
Ol
:::,
:::,
5) Land must be A and D lnncl at the ti,ue the
(1)
0.
:; application [o,· con/irmatiou is /ileci
;::;:
:::,-
(")
Ol
3(/)
Section t18(b) of the Public Land Act (,Judicinl Confirmation of
(')
Ol
:::,
Jmperfoct m· Incomploto 'l'it.lu) 11pplim.;oxelusivoly lo nlicttnhle and
:::,
~
G6 H,epublic v.
Alco1111h11,GR No. 1f>nOl i, April l ,1,200•1,,127 SCHA (i l L;Hopublic
v. Court of Appeulo and Ceniw, GH No. 1270ti0, Nov, 10, 2002, 30i SCHA 190.
<iGRepublicv. 1-ferbicto, s1'pra; flopuhlic v. Curmf:ico, supro; Stio nb;o Hoyos v.
Republic, supra.
~
CHf\J>iiJ~H
11
-- Pum
(Co1nn1rn1w~ I ,l(! L/\N1>/\CT
( ll th /\,,, Nil, l,f I)
dl·sposableagric11/t.11rn/
• b
Inn,.), ('
ll,~ () I h I .
r •est or tun t'l' h 1 •),. . • l' Pu )It<•d · .,
ti~JOl . . , ~ H~, n11net·nl1 • 011111111. r,nnd11cl11M11fwd
pnrks a~r exc.luck,ct.S('cbon ,18(h) nndH nnd 11111d!i wif.hin nntionnl
possr.ss.1011 o{ the ~ n nd Rillce ,htn~n;~un~nc!cd,now require~ n d v<irn<!
t he subJcct.lot..for 1nstnnce Wt . 1 ' 1.310 or earlier. 'f1huf! whcr,,
• 1063 ' ls ie eased 1· . ,
l,~nd onldY d f ·- ·' ·, the }Joss_ess1on
111
• as n 1cnab]e nnd disposF.JbJe
111ad .•
l1r c~rlu e tom the co111J)Utt· e P110 r to that yenr should
• can never ripen inta Ion of th e_peno( · I of possession. Such
Pos.se.ss10n
been class1'fi e d as alienable and od.ownerslu P an d un 1ess the land had
ofimperfect or inco111pletetitl °
18
P sable, the rules on confirmation
es 11a11not apply.61
However, as explained in the c .
4ppeals and Naguit Gs the 1 . " . ase of Republic v. Court of
'·ntecedent phrase "under ' p
a boHase smce .June 12, 1945" . qua l'fi
1 es 1ts
·
8
_. l'f • na fide claim of ownership." Generally
speaking, qua i ying words restrict or· m d'f 1 th d
h •h . o i Y on y e wor s or
Phrases to w 1c they are unmediatel · t d d h
Y associa e , an not t ose
distantly or remotely located Hence wh t th 1 I ·
th t • , a e aw mere y reqmres
is that e proper ~ sought to be registered is "already alienable and
disposable at th: t~me the application for registration of title is filed."
In other words, it 1s not necessary that the land·be first classified as
alienable and disposable before the applicant's possession under a
bona fide claim of own~rship could start. "If the State, at the time
the application is made, has not yet deemed it proper to release the
property for alienation or disposition, the presumption is that the
government is still reserving the right to utilize the property; hence,
the need to preserve its ownership in the State irrespective of the
length of adverse possession even if.in good faith. However, if the
property has already been classified as alienable and dispos~ble,
then there is already an intention on the part of the State to abdicate
its exclusive prerogative over the property."
6) Rule different where land is not registrable as

(/)
(')
Q)
::,
when it forms part of the public forest
::,
ro
Q.
:E
;::;:
:::,-
A different rule obtains for lands which are incapable of
0
Q) registration as when they belong to the category of forest or timber,
3
(/)
(')
Q)
mineral lands, and national parks. The reason for this is that,
::,
::,
~
under Section 2, Article XII of the Constitution, only agricultural
lands may be the subject of alienation. 'rhus, in Palomo v. Cmtrt of
Appeals,69the Court held:
67
Republic v. Carrasco, supra.
68GR No. 144057, Jan. 17, 2005, 448 SCRA 442.
69GR No. 95608, Jan. 21, 1997, 334 Phil. 357.
,, ,
LAWON NA1'UHAI,
1msoURCllS AND RULES
OF pHOCEIJUHE
FOil gNVIHONMllN'l'ALCASllS
46
. thAL the ]ands in the cuse at

. qucst1otl . <l •
"There 1s no lR of the pu 11
J 1c omam. As
1'
11 18nnble 1nJH.. , B
bn..,r were not o· tnct . F . s'er· records 111 the ureuu of
•01e l, '
tcstificrl by the tS_'I stibject lands were never declared
Forestry show th nt. tdi_e a·ble and subject to private
. bl and ISpos
::i
Rs_ Rh~na ~- . . up to the present.
Moreover, as
1913
ahe1rnt10nP1101 to . £ . provincial park purposes, they
part of the reservat10n or ,,
form part of the forest zone.
. . • tlie law governing natural resources that
It 1s elementary m I · ·
wned by private persons. t 1s not registrable
forest Ian d canno t be O t • .
· th . f no matter how lengthy, canno convert 1tinto
and possess10n ereo , 'fi d d ·
· t e proper t y, unless such lands are reclass1 e an considered
pnva
disposable and alienable.
The applicant must secure a certificat~on fro1? the_government
that the land applied for by the applicant 1s alienable and
disposable.10This can be established_by a p:esi~entia! pr~clamation
or an executive order; an administrative action; 1nvestigat10n reports
of lands or forest investigators; or legislative act or statute. 71
As held in Bracewell v. Court of Appeals, 72 there can be no
imperfect title to be confirmed over lands not yet classified as
disposable or alienable. In the absence of such classification, the land
remains unclassified public land until released therefrom and open
to disposition. The rules on confirmation of in1perfect title do not
apply unless and until the land classified as forestland is released in
an official proclamation to that effect so that it may for1n part of the
disposable agricultural lands of the public domain.
The case of Republic v. Court of Appeals and Bernabe 73 stresses
that possession of forestland, prior to its classification as alienable
and disposable land, is ineffective since such possession may not
be considered as possession in the concept of owner. It is necessary
(/)
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that the land should have been released from the forest zone and
:::J
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(I) reclassi?ed as _alienable and disposable agricultural public land for
0..
~-
th e entire period required for confirmation of title unrler Section
5- 4hB(b)tofth e Public Land Act, that is, since June 12, 1945 or prior
0
Ill
3
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t ere o.
Ill
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~
70
Director of Lands v. Buyco, an No.9118D, Nov. 27, Hl!ll, 216 SCRA 78·
71
?.
Republic v. Court of Appeals and Cenizn an No. 127060, Nov. 19, 2002, 39""
SCRA 190. '
12
GR No. 107427, Jan. 25, 2000.
73
GR No. L-40402, March 16, 1987, 148 SCRA 480.
Cll;\f>•111)H fl
1
f>
(('· lJllf,IC!Lt\Nf>M"r'
u111111ollw1•,ilf11/\ f l1 • ,f
,, · ' ,,. I ,f J)
") Nor,-1•,•,,; I I
~ N i·r, >If! 1n·o1u1r11r,,
1
'l'lw followinn cnnno1.h, .
(
11
• l ( I ~Ht 1.I(\(·I, , o (' ,.,!f{l!l
) . . f .
• ,nt l,1on:
la}
11 l'roperfy of nuh/i<' <l . .
on
.o1111.11.1
J'roprrty i~ Pilhc1· of'pu/Jlic l . . . . .
r, followini~things nrc Jl'o ·: <.o,~,.w.,o~,.
., or of J)rwute ownernlup.7 '
I hl I Pei Ly of puhhc dominion:
(l) Those int-endedf' .
•
1·1vcrs torrents mt• 8 , or Pu 1
. Jbe use' such· ns rc>u ds, cr1.nals q 0 A · ,
• • ' P • ,incl bridges constructed by the Stat,,,

brrnks, shores, roadsteads 'lnd oU f' . . . h t
r 1crso 8.lm1 1nr c arac ,er;
. (2) Those wh_ichbelong to the State, without being for
public use, and are l11tendedfor some public service or for the
development of the national wealth. 1r,
The above-mentioned properties are parts of the public domain

intended for public use or public service, are outside the commerce
of men and, therefore, not subject to private appropriation. w
Properties of public dominion, being for public use, are not subject
to levy, encumbrance or disposition through public or private sale. 77
If a person obtains title under the Torrens system which includes
lands which cannot be registered under the rrorrens system,_he does
not by virtue of said title become the owner of the land illegally
. 78
included t h ere1n.
All other property of the State, which is not of the character
mentioned above, is patrimonial property. w Property of public
dominion, when no longer needed for public use or for publ_icservice,
shall form part of the patrimonial property of the State. 80 Property
for public use of provin~~s and towns are governed by the same
principles as property of public dominion of the same character. 81
PD No. 1067 dated December 13, 1976 established the "vVater
Codeof the Philippines." It repealed Articles 502 to 518 of the Civil
(/)
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;:)
;:)
Codeon "Waters."
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(") 74
Q)
3
Art. 419, Civil Code.
(/) 75
()
Q)
Art • 420' i'bi'd•
;:)
;:) 7<>Martinez v. Court of Appeals, GR No. L-31271,April 29, 1974,56 SCRA647.
~
77MIAAv. Court of Appeals, GR No. 155650,July 20, 2006, 495 SCRA591.
78Ledesma v. MunicipnJity of Antipo)o, GR No. 26337, Dec. 17, 1926, 49 Phil.
769. -
79
Art. 421, Civil Code.
80
Art. 422, ibid.
81Roman Catholic Bishop of Ka1ibo v. Municipality of Buruanga, GR No.
149145,March 31, 2006, 486 SCRA 229.
4S
.
Of PROCEDURE \,
~ \l RE~OCRCE.S~-\~"11
RCLk"
f_.\~ES
L,..\W0~ l\.~TU~ 1R s_~,:YTRO~~U-"l'S""f..\l.
'
. C de the follo,,.-ingbelong to the St.nte:
Under the\\' ~ter o •
. ~ d their nnturnl beds:
(1) R1n~r~ n011
( ) Continuous_or int~rnutt:nt .waters of_springs and
2
· . in their nattual bed::-and the bed~ t.hem8eh·~---
brooks runn1 1100::- ~.
(3) Nattu-al lake$ and lagoons:
(4) All other categories of st1:-f~cewaters suc.h ns water
flowing oYer landsl ,vater frDm rainfall whether natural. or
artificial, and water from agriculttu--e run-off. seepage. and
drainage:
(5) Atmospheric water:
(6) Subterranean or ground wate.rs: 1u1d.
(7) Seawater.~
There would seem to be no more priYate waters to speak of.
Under the \:\7ater Codel the follo\\ing waters found eYen on priYate
lands belong to the State:
(1) Continuous or intermittent waters rising on such
lands;
(2) Lakes and lagoons nattu·ally occm-ring on such
lands;
(3) Rain water falling on such lands:
(4) Subterranean or ground waters; and
(5) Water in swan1ps and marshes.~"
(b) Forest lands

Forests and biodiversity is key to all life for111s. Forests sei·ye ~l$
(/)
a watershed and as a home (habitat) to millions of animals. Forests
()
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are also of immense economic benefit.s-1
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Forests, in the context of both the Public Land 4-\ct~' and
0
Ol the Constitution 86 classifying lands of the public donrnin into
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Ol
"agricultural, forest or timber, mineral lands crnd national parA·s,"
::J
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~
82 Art.5, PD No. 1067.

83 Art.6, ibid.
84http://eschooltoday.com/forests/imµnrtnnco-of- forost s. html (l..:\:-t Hl-'Ct'~~cd
May 24, 2016).
85
CA No. 141.
86
Sec. 3, Art. XII.
(!lJ1\P·n:11 ll '
c1 I {Ill! I(' l \
Ill111 f 1I l v.,f '' '111 I ·, ,/\,,,I)
0
/\ (. T (
1/\1·1,'1,> f,ff) I.
1 > 1101,n('CL'~l4n1·ily 1•('f'l't·

nc l I 1o n 1n,.,,t, I
l'C'd 1Y ( l'l1R(' nl'owt 1, 1· ~ .l'/\('I. of' wo,idt•d I I
) \'l
1
re . . . 1 ' n 11 l.t·pt, flt1< <,r ttn "XfH1nqr,

/)1rrclo1 of / 0/·(\li(n, ll•t 11 \ll(I 111Hlc•1'11rt1qJ,11 f f ,
1 1
A
\', , , . l(• ( •
1 • • r) l\//llf/11/ ''/If/I
drln1nkt'rl tlw nt·gnnw111. t.hnl,, , Ht1·1, l.hro11Hh .J,u1!.1('ri n11tir,rr~··
,, 1 • • •.itn('t' I IH, 1• ,.
f't)rcs!l'l l n 1H 11 111 nny t~Vl'nt. • • ( IHpul.,\d l11nd"i11 n<,t rhir:kli
11 I J
111 I. l() nctu11l po~~t(':t~i(Jn
• I I, )J\H ht'l'll •
{
1n:1n~· ]H'l'~Ol1N ())' lnnny YPlll'A 't ()r •

~ nI
t,('d lllH l n,m·e Vt\l' 1 , w n•. l " .
i~ bt'tter nunp ,.J
fl( .Y privnt.e l:ind" whir.h
nl
11
un, > e fOl'. n,gncu
, • 1
n rpo~r-s nnnl not. required hy 11
l 1
1.urnl t.hnn for forr,~.;L
•f, . . , ' e p u hIH' 11l
/()l'L'~t c l nss1 1cnt1on. 'l'hc Courl . . . e1·eRt8to he kept. under
I
, l nt1oc1nnted:
'(A forested area cl•,L, 81·c.1 :\ .

1'tsfor,·t]
,,.,, ••ec
domain does not Iosc sue,11 cJ, n'. •.f. es., nncIf}
o It w rn,)11·,
1 81 t. .
s1mp y hcc'1us
l oggers or sett l crs mny h•1v...8t .· icn ,10n . . r ..
l ,.,
J . l f • . ' e llppccl 1Lof its forest cover.

I a1ce s o la~1d class1ficd as forestland may actually
be covered
. w1th gr·1ss
' o1• PJ,c1nt ecl to . crops by lw,.ngui
· ·
cultivators or other farmers. 'Forest lands' <lo not have
to be on mountains or jn out of the way places. Swampy
areas covered by mangrove trees, nipa palms, and other
trees growing in brackish or sea water may also be
classified as forest land. The classification is descriptive
of its legal nature or status and does not have to be
descriptive of what the land actually looks like. Unless
and until the land classified as 'forest' is released in an
official proclamation to that effect so that it may form part
of the disposable agricultural lands of the public domain,
the rules on confirmation of imperfect title do not apply."
Similarly, it was held in Anhron v. Government of the Philippine

Islands 8n that:
,l1at a tract of land has trees upon

"The mere fac t t .. 'fi · t
(/)
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. . 1 within it is not of itself suf cient o
ll)
:::J it or has m1nera. . t land and the other, mineral
declare that one is fores ry ~ f f the extent nnd present
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([)
CL
~
~ ]an d . rrh
_ ere mu st be some p100. od of'tlie mmernls. .
Wln·1e,
(")
, th fOrestry an .
or future val~e. ~ f . e
ll)
3
(/)
(")
ll)
an definitions havo been gtv~n
:::J
:::J
~
as we have JU St sa1d, m' y l' inorul' lnnds, nod thnt m
f•or ,agricu
• lt~ure,''fbrestry f' t' ,,mwo think it, ·ts RUt'e t o sa.y
' .' 7 .HJH
each case 1t • 1s
• a qu est,1on
' o ac 1
'
"Republic v. Naguiat, GR No. 184209, Jnn. 24, 2000, 479SCRA585.

88GR No. L-27873, Nov. 29, 1983, 126 SCRA 69.
!!BQRNo. 1'1,213,Aug. 23, 1919, 40 Phil. 10.
ltFSOUJtCgSAND flULgS
L/\WoN N/\'l'U,1t~~,t FNVlltONM1~N'rALCASES
(i0
OF PHOCl1jnUHl', 1' • '
.. , t·,•yor 111incru1 land the proof must

. • . l{, 1, to be I01 eR , . h ·
t.lH\,, n oH.,. •
1 • \ blc rm:the forestry or t e mineral
~howthnt.1t.rnmorevn "" . 1 (S
.._ . . t· . t·\i•,nit is for ngncuHurn purposes. ec.
whu~h11.con .mns ,. ) \t·•• • ot·
• su l'fkient
. to show t,·h•at t·h •
, ere exists
7 Act No. 1.1't 8 , is n , . .
• tllc l.,11d or that 1t bears some mineral.
some trees upon " .
Lnnd mny be classified ns forestry o~ mineral to_day, and,
by re1-1sonof the exhaustion of the timber or m~neral, be
classified as Rgriculturnl land to1norrow. And :ice-versa,
by reason of the rapid growth o~ tin1ber or ~he drncovery of
valuable minerals, lands clasSJfied as agricultural today
may be differently classified to1norrow. Each case m~st
be decided upon the proof in that particular case, having
regard for its present or future value for one or the other
purposes."
If the land forms part of the public forest, possession thereof,

however long, cannot convert it into private property as it is within
the exclusive jurisdiction of the Bureau of Forest Development and
beyond the power and jurisdiction of the registration court. 90 Also,
the fact that the contested parcels of land have long been denuded
and actually contains rich limestone deposits does not in any way
affect its classification as forest land.° 1 Titles issued to private
parties when the land covered thereby is not disposable public land
but forest land are void ab initio.n'l
(c) Watersheds
A watershed is an area of land that drains rainwater into one
location such a~ a stream, lake, or wetland. These water bodies supply
our drinking water, water for agriculture and manufacturing, offer
opportunities for recreation, and provide habitat to numerous plants
and animals. Unfortunately various forms of pollution, including
runoff and erosion, can interfere with the health of the watershed.
(/)
(')
Q)
Therefore, it is important to protect. the qunlit.y of our wntershodY~1
::,
::,
~
:,
~
() 110
Q)
3(/)
Rupuhlic v. Co11rlof /\ppoulu 1111dL11Hti11111do, UH No. t.-ll!H711, t\pl'il ~IO.lHW,
(')
Q)
89 SCRA <MR;Din:ctor of L11ntlHv. Ah11nz1ul11, UH No. L-~nm,1, July l5, Hl75, fi5
::,
::, SCJlA n; 11urcnu of ForuHlry v. Court. of App1111lt;111 111Clnllo, (IH No. L-H7~)95,Aug. 31,
~
1987, 16:i SCJlA :rn1.
01Dircc:tor of L111HIHv. Aq11 ino, ClIt No. a I mrn,Doc. l 7, Hlf>O, 192 SCRA 296.
112Jtcpuhlic v. Animus, OH.No. IA17!1B2, Miu-ch io, 101,1, 56 SCRA 499.
uah tlp:/ /www. 1111t.u re .o rg/ou rin iLiuLivo1:1/i-ogions/norlluuuol'icn/u n i tod-s t11tt:is/

indinnn/journeywithnuture/w11t.orshmls• l0l.xml (LaHt nccotrno<l M 11y 24, :WHi)
CHAPTEH JI - PUBLJc L/\ND /\CT
(Cointnonwl'nlt.h/\ct. No. I '1J) 51
t
The ConS itutio11 eiq>l'l'Ralyn111ndn1.!in th,~ cnnnervnt.ion ~n<l
1111
roper utili1,ation of '.•urnll'OR0111·c""• whir.I, inc:l11dn11 t.hn country's
Pntersherls. lnC Sto. Jbo,90, nrvr./opmen.l C:or11omlinn v. Court of
w(l,
011
A peals."' the. rt._<•chned Wntershecl ns "rm nren drained hy n
·.P ••qnrl it.s
nve1 • f.nbnt:mes ., 1111rl enclosed by• .II boundary
. or divide which.
P
se n,,r:ttes 11.from• nrlJdcent watersheds."
• . The most important product
0 f R watersherl 1s w~ter wl11ch1s one of the most important human
cessities. Protect1011 of watersheds is an "inter-generat10nal
ur ~~sibility." In Collado v. Court of Appeals,'' it was held that a
r~stpersiiedreservation
'' [l 1· . is not susceptible of occupancy, disposition,
con\revance
.1 '
or a 1enat10n.
(d} Mangrove swamps
l\t1angroves is a community of intertidal plants including all

species of trees, shrubs, vines and herbs found on coasts, swamp
96
or border camps. It is now settled that mangrove swamps or
manglares are forestal and not alienable agricultural land. 97 This
was reaffirmed in Director of Forestry v. Villareal,98 where the Court
categorically declared that mangrove swamps form part of the public
forests and, therefore, not subject to disposition.
Mangroves are critical spawning, nursery, feeding, and
transient shelter areas to hundreds of fish species, crustaceans, and
invertebrates and support an abundant and productive marine life.
Mangrove loss directly translates to losses in fish catch and food
supply.99
(e) Mineral lands .

The richness of the. Philippines in terms of mineral resources
is being attributed to its location at the western fringes of the so-
calledPacific Ring of Fire - a ground found to be super loaded with
(/)
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mineral deposits. The large reserves of various kinds of minerals
:,
:,
11)
Q.
beneath our ground has put the country in the world mineral map
~
§:
()
Ill
3
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:,
94GR No. 112526, Oct. 12, 2001, 367 SCRA 175.
:,
~ 95
GR No. 107764, Oct. 4, 2002, 390 SCRA 343.
968
ec. 4, RA No. 8550.
97Director of Forestry v. Vi11areal, GH No. L-322fl6, Feb, 27, 1989, 170 SCRA
598.
9B[bt'd .
the. h'l•
99h ttp:l/www.zsl.org/conservation/regions/asia/rehabilitnting-mangroves-in-
p 11 PPmes.
LAWON NATURALRESOURCES~~? RULES
52 OF PROCEDURI~FOR ENVIRONMli,NI AL CASES
as Bth mineral country in the world, 3rd ~n gold r~serves, 4th in

copper, and 5th in nickel. ~fl:e count~·y's estimated 1~1ne1:alreserves
are placed at about 14.5 billion metric tons of metallic minerals and
100
~bout 67 .66 billion metric tons of non-metallic minerals.
Mining claims and rights and other matters concerning
101
minerals and mineral lands are governed by special laws. Mineral
la.nd means any area where mineral resources are found. Mineral
resources, on the other hand, means any concentration of mineral/
rocks with potential economic value. 102 Mineral resources arc owned
by the State. 10:, Possession of mineral land, no matter how long,
does not confer possessory rights, 10•1 and a certificate of title issued
therefor, even in the hands of an alleged innocent purchaser for
value, is void and shall be cancelled. wr,
In Republic v. Court of Appeals and De la Rosa, ioG it was held
that the ownership by a person of agricultural land in which minerals
are discovered does not give him the right to extract or utilize the
said minerals without the permission of the State to which such
minerals belong.
(f) National parhs and protected areas

. National parhs refe~ to forest reservations essentially of natural
wilderness character which have been withdrawn from settlement,
occupancy or any form of exploitation except in conformit with
approved management plan and se t as1•d e as such exclusively •y to
conserve
. the
. area
. or preserve the sce e ·y tl t
11 1 , 1e na ura an 1 d h' t
1s or1c•
obJects, c wild ammals
. and plants therein c.'lnd t o prov1•de enJoymen
• t of
t h ese. 1eatures 1n such areas. A protected area re1ers
107 c to 1'd entllle
·c: d
port10ns . ofland
• and
. . water set aside by reaso n 01,.tl 1e1r
• tuuque
• ph ys1cn
• l
1
an d b 10 og1cal s1gmficance' managed to eiil rnnce b'10 1og1ca • l .<l'1vers1 ·t y
IOOhttp://www.donr.gov.ph/indox
A (')
phi/·
• ) componont/contont/m-ticlo/lG html (Ln:lt
accessc d M ay 2••, 201 , •
101Arl. f>rn,Civil Codu.
102
. 8cc. '1(uj) nnd (nn), .DKNR AO No. Ofi-<lti'i
' v, I\ H I\ I\\Oll( l0(1,l
10•1Soc. '1, RA No. 7fM2.
""'Ato It•ulf.l
n· WmIf.lO M'111111g
' Co. v. Court of Api>0nl~ GI"' N J 1~.
1991, 19:J SCRA 71. ' 1 " (). 88 88 8, • 1\1\,
10~Lopnnto Commlidntod Minini.: Co. v. Dumyun~. an N 1 _316 rr 1 A> ·ii 20,
1979, 89 SCRA 582. o. ' ,, It
IOll(m No. L-43fl38, April 15, 1080, mo SCHA 228.
J07fl.A. No. 7586, tho "Nntionnl Integrntod Protocto<l Arom-1SyAtom."
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81,nnupomtof I.ht, cln~ .,, •1t1c1.1vp In
" • l 1cn 1• 1111,1111•x, I , ,
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11
l\}'(~1l I , ,, I(! ftlld11 ·, ·, ' •
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l'V(' J ll)( ll1U,jon111 J)lll'I,',; ·.':~lltHl(•r,ti/()(J{/
t.h11t.
. c, m· n 11 , n, t1yn<>n ymr,w, 1(1,,
h 1't'g1~tcred. o, too . nt1011nJ Pnl'! . . . • •
Nnt.ionnl.Int. gTntcd 1)',lR lnnd Within < 1!4,i1111l1<i1111hl<~ i1nd <::1nnr,I.
l otecf 1 J\ It p, ol Pel <'d
Bnt.:rnnN nturnl Park 110 ,ec 1· n8 SyHf, ·-N·-nrc!n 11nd<•rt.hri
1
rrrt.ificnt of titl ., c • Acco1•dingJyit j .ernl(l JP/\S) /\ ·t, lilrn th(]

overs a lJ . • , 1ns >e n h ·I I ti
forpark purposes ('] .' OJ'f.1011of hnd . ,
c_ C • lilt W 11 re r1
·t-' n, ' 'le t,1t}eshou)d l ' w,t,h,n the Hren res •rv •d
pol ,1011. )C nnnu1Jed with r 'Sp ·ct to snid
(g) Military or naval .

. ,, 'cservatfon
Land inside a milit-• . .
f . • .. .. , ,ary o1 n:w•ll . ' , .
o 1eg1St1at10n.112 According] .. c iese1vat10nc:innot be the object
RANo. 931, i ia of Civil Regist/\ ~t wCasheld that the reopening u ndcr
1 11
Townsite Reservation tlle d a. ? _aseNo. 1 cstnbJishingthe BnCYu io
, ec1s10n11 h • 1 'b
back as Novemb~r 13, 1922, thus e 1 w :c 1 w~_spromulgated as far
apply for the registration of 1 l~ab_hngpuvate respondents to
since a military camp or res a~ ~r_eamside Camp John, was invalid
ofcadastral proceedings.114 eiva IOncould not have been the object
In Republic v. South 'd I~ . .
Court ' th roug h J ustice
. si ~ omeownersAssociatwn, Inc. i 111 the
Garcia r I d th t .. ' .
like the Fort B • · •. ' u e a a military reservat10n,
on1fac10Military Reservation or a part thereof is
rnasec.4(b), RA No. 7586.

109
La Vina, Kho and Caleda, "Legal Framework for Protected Areas:
Philippines", 9.
110
Charn v. Pizarro, A.C. No. 5499, Aug. 16, 2005.
111
Palorno v. Court of Appeals, GR No. 95608,Jan, 21, 1997,334 Phil. 357.
112
Republic v. Marcos, GR No. L-32941,July 31, 1973,52 SCRA238.
113
RA No. 931 dated June 20, 1953 provides: "All persons clniming title to
parcels of land that have been the object of cadustral proceedings,who nt the timo of
the survey were jn actual possession of the same, but for somojustifinblo rnnson had
been unable to file their dnim in the proper court during tho time limit estnblishC'd
by law, in case such pan.:eJs of Jund, on nccount of thoit· foiluro to filo such clnim$,
have been, or are about to he doc]Rrodlnnd of tho puhlic clomnin,hy virtuo c>f judidnl
Proceedingsinstituted within the forty yenrs next prococlingtho nppl'Ovnlof thi~ Aot,
are hereby granted the right within five yonrs nftor tho rlnto on which this Act shnll
take effect,to petition for a reopening of tho juclicinlJll'ocooclin(rH
u11do1·t.hopt·ovisions
of Act Numbered Twenty-two hundrocl nnd fifl.y-ni110, IIR 1111101Hlod."'l'ho lnw hns
becomeinoperative as of ,Juno 20, 1958.
114 Republic v. Marcos, GR No. L-29675,Sopt. ao,19fi0,29 SCHAfil 7.
116
GR No. 156951, Sept. 22, 2006,

(i) Submerged areas
Submerged areas form part of the public domain~ and in=:_.~~
state, are inalienable and outside the com.mere of man. L n,n.l
reclaimed from the sea, these submerged areas are. un e_ Lnc-
Constitution, "waters ... owned by the State/" forming par... ••
public domain and consequently inalienable. Only when s.'t : -
reclaimed from the sea can these submerged areas e ~:3-...~ :
as public agricultural lands, which under the Constituri n ar-2 ..., --
only natural resources that the State mav alienate. On e I"-2-Cs..i
and transformed into public agriculhu·al lands. the _ Yer ? •
may then officially classify these lands a~ alienable 1~ dis ~1· ~
lands open to disposition. Thereafter, the governn 1 e.nt may -
these lands no longer needed for public service. Onh· then s.1 rh~s--'
reclaimed lands be considered alienable or di ~p , ~bl lands ~ f t c'
public domain and within the commerce of man.
~
116
Rtpublic v. Court of Appealti nntl H •1n1hli, H tl E,,t, , 'R '
103882 and 10527H, Nov. 15, 19!18, :rnnSCH\ rnn. • .\l, l'1"~"' 1~\tll)l\, ' • ,, .....
117
Republic V. Alagacl, un No. L-(Hi 07 t ,Inn •)6 l l)sn ' " - -
llfl , • , , • - • ~- :,, 16~ :sC'R.-\-1,-'·
SIAN Enteqmsc ·, lnc. v. f, .I·. ~rn~ & 0 1 GR \ 'l
11 10 -
2006, 500 SCRA 406. •• e., 1
1-1 , 0 1 • •·"\l~, '
119
Chavez v. Public Estates Authority, GR No 133'>::; J , 0 R:\
152. • -u 0 , u1y 9. 2002 3 ~-...:::>

Cllt\P'111m 11- ,
(C01 I UJH,lc LANI) M'T r,I
J\C·I' NII, I 1I) ,
u111onw1-11lth 1
(i) Lal,·es
A lnk is Rn area of v• .• b .
n bnsrn, t rnt 1s surrounded b
. 1 . ll.l ia le
... et w,tl1 wntcr, localized in

size 1 f'Jl l •
1
011
tlet that serves to feed or d ~. at1cl,apnrt from any river or other
with rivers or streams wi • liam the lake. Lnkes can be contrasted
' 1le l are u II f] •
Jakes Rre fed and drained b .· sua Y 1owmg. However, most
y uvers and streams.120
Under RA No. 4850 lai d l
' 1 s ocated at d b 1 th •
Jake level of elevation of tl1 L an e ow e maximum
formpart of the bed of sa·d le] aguna de Bay are public lands which
i a {e i21Are £ f •
e Bay which is a Ialre . • as ormmg part o the Laguna

d ' ~ , are neither a . • It I •
f the public domain A t' ·I . gncu ·ura nor disposable lands
~akes,even in the ha~dsn~f it e issued.over non-disposable lots like
shall be cancelled.122 an alleged mnocent purchaser for value,
(k) Navigable rivers

Navigable rivers cannot be appropriated and registered under
the Torrens system: If the land forms part of the bed of a navigable
stream, creek or river, the decree and title in the name of the
applicants would not give them any right or title to it. 123A river or
branch thereof is not capable of private appropriation or acquisition
by prescription. 124 A land registration court has no jurisdiction
over non-registrable properties, such as public navigable rivers
which are parts of the public domain, and cannot validly adjudge
the registration of title thereof in favor of a private applicant. 125
Thus, it was held in a case that the registration decree was properly
voided by the lower court where it appeared that the decree covered
portions of the bed or foreshore of the Las Pifias river which are
incapable of registration. 126
120https://touristspotsfinder
.com/2015/01/top-10-lakes-in •the-philippines.
121Republic v. Candy Maker, Inc., GR No. 163766, June 22, 2006, 492 SCRA
272.
122
Pelbel Manufacturing Corporation v. Court of Appeals, GR No. 141325, Ju!y
31, 2006; Republic v. Reyes, GR No. L-30263, Oct. 30, 1987, 155 SCRA 313; Republic
v. Court of Appeals and Del Rio, GR No. L-43105, Aug. 31, 1984, 131 SC~ 5~2;
Government of P.I. v. Colegio de San Jose, GR No. 30829, Aug. 28, 1929, 53 Plul. 423.
i2aRepublic v. Sioson, GR No. L-13687, Nov. 29, 1963, 9 SCRA 533.
124Palanca v. Commonwealth of the Philippines, GR No. 46373, Jm~. 29, 1940,
69 Phil. 449; Mangaldan v. Manaoag, GR No. 11627, Aug. 10, 1918, 38 Phil. 455.
i25Mar t·mez v. cour t o£Appeals , GR No• L-31271, April
- 29, 1974, 56 SCRA 647.
12BR_
P.n11
hi' L d
1cv. oza a, GR No L
• • 43852 ' MRY31, 1979, 90 SCRA 502.

\'l'UllAL HESO R 'E ;\ .. D RI LE
1,,, \\ o
• • F \ mO MEN r \ , , E
1 ,
r,(i OF pHOClmu1n, !·OH '
. f n•wignbl, lr nm mny not b ncq\frt d

l l he is un nc, of Lh corr' ponel'1ncrc rtifica
cr~h,p O n '
/\1.o. o\\ n •
unckr n f1qr1)•\tC'nt.ntH
< ' , •t' 5 ]Jublic chnrncl 'l'. 1··--· 'l'l1 b cl o f nm~1onb}
•
. l<'tors
of t.1t l n ol.. chnngc 'L' nnd 0 ,, ner lup •
ther of cannot b acquit d
st.rcmn is public p1:ope~2 )'"
by adverse possession.
(l) Creehs
A creek is a recess or arm extending from R. ri, r and
articipating in the ebb and flow of th~ ea. _Un~er Al·t1cle 420(1)
~nd 502(1) of the Ci, il Code, a creek, 1nclud1ng its ~a ural bed. 1
property of the public domain which is not u ceptible t? private
appropriation and acquisiti, e prescription. 1::. A ~ public water.
it cannot be registered under the Torrens S) stem 111 the nam of
any individual. 130 And, absent any declaration by the goYernm nt.
that a portion of the creek has dried-up does not! b. itself. alter it 1
inalienable character. It is only after the government has declared

the land to be alienable and disposable agricultural land that th
year of entry, cultivation, and exclusive and adver e possession an
be counted for purposes of an imperfect title. un
The construction of irrigation dikes on a creek which prey nt-:
the water from flowing, or converts it into a fishpond. do ~ not
alter or change the nature of the creek as a propert r of tJ1 e public
domain.132
(m.) Reservations for public and semZ:-public pu.rpos s

Section 83 of CA No. 141 provides:
f E
"SEC
. • 83 • Upon recommendation
. . ot. the ecr tnn·
o •nvn~onment and Natural Resource th Pr sidr1{t
may designate by pr 1 t· '
f . _ocama ion any tract or tracts of lnnd
o 41le public dornam as .
l, . . . .
Republic of tl Pl T . . 1ese1v~tions tor the us of t.lw
the inhab't1 let 11 ippmes or of nn.' of its brnnclws, or of
an s t 11ereof 111 • d
prescribed for this .' nee.or nnce ':ith n?nbt.ions
Plll pose, 01 for qnmn-pubhc HSl'S or
127
Mateo v. Morn110 GH N • '
1
~HLovi1rn v. Morn ' C'H 0 • L-llll2,t, ,ht\y W, HHH),2~ SC.HA 7%.
1
1
~~Culestiulv "' '.,w, No. L-178i1, Nov, 2n. UHill, H SClt-\ f.f.7.
13. ' \,lie Hlpuro en
1 N0
uMorcnllo v Hoy , (' H' • l \~6%, Oct. lo, :.mtm, -l l ~\ ~C\v\ -W~).
i:i1Ce\et;ti11\ v. C ·o}s, • No. lfi7li8, Doc. 211,l %7, {iG l'hil. :.>.-17.
l!itM • nc lOpuro, l:ill/>1·0
nngnldun v M •
• tlllllon~. Sil pro.

C111\f>'f1l"H
JJ
- Pum H·
(Co111111011w1,11J1
l1 , , Lt\NI> t\C'I' fi7
t\1:I.Nu, I ,f I)
purpose9 wh \n , J
I, l(' Plll I' I
r )scrvationR for h: l le 111tm·oHI. J'(•qul,·, •, , .

. 1
1n1wnyH , J , l.fl ,,, 111(!1II(,,,,,
1
hy. d 1
rnu 1c powc- 1· Hli,('"., • • • •l'lf.f 11.14of w,iy, /'OJ. rill .1r011<. fl '
'
,n, 11·1·111 I,
• 1,
p:ts ,tJr 'S 01' / <!ffllo .
(
• , · ·" com111 I ""11,1011 Hy1lf ('lrJH
· ,, , comm11n11 , . 1·
qumT~ s public fishpond ww CR,.public pnrlrn, p11hli<:
oth r unprovcments for t1 s, wo~J{lngmcn'H vrn,we ,rnd
, 1c public benefit."
S tion 14, Chapter 4 B

• • . , ook111of EON
flS t lP Adnumstrat1ve Code of o. 292, otherwise known
1987, also provides:
"SEC. 14. Power lo }::l
•
Prwale Damain of lli ,G 1.eserv c Land,s o{ lhe Public and
, e overnm t, ( ,
shalJ have the power t , en • - 1) The President
o reserve for se ttl• ement or public
use, ~n d for specific public u.
public domain, the use or!/Pos_es, anyofthe!and~ofthe
by law. The reserved 1 d uch 18 not otherwrne d1rected
to the specific public a: shall _th~reafter re~ain subj~ct
·d d b l p rpose md1cated until otherwrne
prov1 e y aw or proclamation.
(2) He shall
. also h ave th e power to reserve from
sale or other disposition and 1~10 r spec1•61c pu bl.1c uses or
purposes, any la nd belonging to the private domain of
the_ Go:ernment, or any of the Friar lands, the use of
which IS not otherwise directed by law, and thereafter
such land ~hall b: used for the purposes specified by such
proclamat10n until otherwise provided by law."
By express provision of Section 88 of CA No. 141, "(t)he tract

or tracts of land reserved under the provisions of section eighty-
three shall be non-alienable and shall not be subject to occupation,
entry, sale, lease, or other disposition until again declared alienable
under the provisions of this Act or by proclamation of the President."
Similarly, Section 14 of EO No. 292 states that "the reserved land
shall remain subject to the specific public purpose indicated until
otherwise provided by law or proclamation."
In Republic v. Southside Homeowners Association, Inc.,133 it
was held that the lands reserved by the President for a specific
public purpose are non-alienable and sha11 not be subject to sale
or other disposition until again declare~ aliena~Je .. Unless the
President issues a proclamation withdrawmg public au·ports from
rn3GR No. 156951, Sept. 22, 2006.

, ATURALRESOURCES AND RULES
.
08 ~;~)\rigiE~UHE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CASES
0
. use, tl1 cse- JJrOJJet-ticsremain properties of• public dorni·n·

pu bl 1c • ion
• - n"ble 1:11 L'ind covered by reserva t10n for a llled·
an d are ma 1ic ... • ' •lea.I
center is not subject to entry, and no lawful settlement on then1 can
be acquired. 13r,
Pursuant to S_ection 9 of the Public La~d Act, the President,
upon recommendatwn of the Secretary of Env1ronment and Natural
Resources, "shall from time to time make the classifications provided
for in this section, and may, at any time and in a similar manner
transfer lands from one class to another." 1:16 '
8) Where applicant has acquired a right to a

governrnent
. grant, application i·s a. men
formality
\¥hen the conditions specified • m • sec t"wn .48(b) of dthe Public
h
Land Act are complied wit
• • • l ti
l, ie pos .
sessor is deeme .
to ave
acquired, by operation oflaw, a right to a grant, without the necessity
of a certificate of title being issued. The land, therefore, ce~ses to be
of the public domain, and beyond the authority of the Dir~ctor to
dispose of. The application for confirmation is a mere formality, the
lack of which does not affect the legal sufficiency of the title as would
be evidenced by the patent and the Torrens title to be issued upon
the strength of said patent. 1:i7 For all legal intents and purposes, the
land is segregated from the public domain, because the beneficiary
is "conclusively presumed to have performed all the conditions
essential to a Government grant and shall be entitled to a certificate
of title under the provisions of this chapter." Consequently, said
land is beyond the jurisdiction of the Director of Lands to dispose of
under the modes of disposition under the Public Land Act.'"
Indee_d, wh~ere ~II the requirements for n government grant
are_ comph~d with, i.e., possession in the manner and for the
per10d required ?Y law, the land ipso jure censos to be public land
and becomes private JWoporty S 1 .,J • • • b
•• " • • • •. uc 1 noct:nnnl pnnc1ple hns een
cona,atently enunciated 111 S11s, v. Rozon,'"" Oh Cho v. Director of
'"MIAAv. Courl of Ap1,onl,, CH No, lfi60fio, ,h,ly 20, 200G, 496 SCUA 59!.
"'lw1mhlic,
L-'10012, I 07(i,hy7:1
Supt. :30,1·op. lhu Mindn11,.o
SC!lf\ I •1!i. Mo,licnl Con to,, v. Co11rlof Appe,ils, GR No.
'"'Jlcpuhlic v. Octohro, Clll No, L-18807, At>ril80, 19116,128 SCRA 698.

"'Herico v. Dor, Git No, L-28200, ,Inn, 28, 1980, 96 SCRA 437.
'"'Nognfio v. Co11rlof Apponla, GR No, 12323!, Nov. 17, 1097, 282 SCRA ·
1110GH No. 24066, Dec. 0, 1!)26, 48 Phil. '12,t.
47
CHI\P'l'IJH11- i'lJJILi(: LANOAC'I'
w.,,.I I.I, Acl.No, I ,If)
(en11111>011 of)
iands, i,w
1
J1eJd: :t nd Mes,:110 v, Sonzo. " I11 M1!11i110, I.ho Huprnmo Court
"In the cnse of S .

1. list VR n
nzon, et al. , rl8 Pli,·1
wns ouscrvc<l t:hn1, wJ1ere nlJ• t-1 A'JA •i
. ''L,'t, ,,,
for n grnnt by the Govc1· , ic necessary rcquiremenU,
• nmcnt nr - . .
HCt,ua1 p 11ys1cal )Joss . < e complied with through
.I. . '"'ess1on o 1 . ,
pub11c Y, with a right to a c . yen~' co~Linuously, and
l
unrler the provisions f CJ er tificate of titJe to said Jand

amen<ling Act No. 926°( l~pter VIII of Act No. 2874
carr1 d '
Commonwealth Act N • e over as Chapter VIII of
o. 141) th ·
t? have already acquired b ; J- . e __ possessor 1s deemed
right to a grant but y 1 eiat10n of Jaw not only a
' a grant of tl1 G
not necessary that a ce t'fi e. overnment, for it is
r i 1cate oft 1tl b • d.
that said grant lllay b . e e issue m order
. . e sanct10ned b t1 t
apphcat10n therefor b • _ . Y 1e cour ·s - an
of Section 4 7 of A t Nein2gsufficient under the provisions
c 0 • 874 (reproduc d S t' 50
Commonwealth Act No. 14-1)." e as ec wn ,
9) VeSt ed rights cannot be i1npaired by subsequent

law
What clearly emerges from the catena of cases from Susi
downto the present bulk of jurisprudence involving registration of
property is that vested rights may not be impaired without violating
one'sright to due process.
In Balboa v. Farrales, 142 it was held that a right is vested
when the right to enjoyment, present or prospective, has become the
property of some particular person or persons as a present interest.
It is some right or interest in property which has become fixed and
established and is no longer open to doubt or controversy. In Ayog v.
Cf)
C)
Q)
Cusi,113 it was stressed that the State may not impair vested rights
::i
::i
Cl)
Q.
by legislative enactment, by the enactment or by the subsequent
:E
~
repeal of a municipal ordinance, or by a change in the constitution
(")
Q) ofthe State, except in a legitimate exercise of the police power. The
3
Cf)
C)
Q)
dueprocess clause prohibits the annihilation of vested rights.
::i
::i
!!1
110
GR No. 48321, Aug. 31, 1946, 75 Phil. 890.
111
GR No. L-14722, May 25, 1960, 108 PhiJ. 251.
112
GR No. 27059, Feb. 14, 1928, 51 Phil. 498.
143
GR No. L-46729, Nov. 19, 1982, 118 SCRA 492.
.... ~
1
L/\W ON N/\'l'UHAL 1n~SOUH.Cl
~SAND HULl~S
GO OF PHOCEDUln: FOH 1,;NVIH.ONM1,:N'I1J\L
CJ\Sf,;S
. {'t· ,cl i·ights wns nrticulntcd in Director of

'l'l ' doct n nc o vcs ,e Jf
w ' d • 1 J\ppellaic' Court and Acnw 1 ,ywoocl Veneer
d' , lnterme .10 c • ,,
Lan :-.'· , Sltl>rcme
-'l Court dcc1ared that the purely
. d Co Inc w w 11cn I, 11e . .
an ., .•, t· that confirmation proceed1ngs were brought
accidental cn·cums ancc , . . . . .•
· f s tbsequent lnw wluch forb1ds co1 po.rations from
under t.l1e aegis o a l . . . ., . ~• h I
· l d of t·l,e public rlomu1n cannot dofoat a 11g t a ready
owmng nn s , . . . 'd . .
.
veste db e fore 1a tl t la"'nC
cnme
tl
1 nto effect or )
1nvah ate
,
transactions
then perfectly valid and proper. The Court empha_ticall~ stated
that even the Constitution or subsequent law cannot impair vested
rights.
In Dic,nan v. Carino, 1•1r. petitioners argued that Proclamation
No. 628 issued by then President Carlos P. Garcia on January 8,
1960 had the effect of "segregating" and "reserving" certain Igorot
claims identified therein, including one purportedly belonging to the
"Heirs of Dicman," and prohibiting any encu111brance or alienation
of these claims for a period of 15 years from acquisition of patent.
It was held, however, that by the time the Proclarnation had been
issued, all rights over the property in question had already been
vested in private respondent. The executive issuance can only go
so far as to classify public land, but it cannot be construed as to
prejudice vested rights. Moreover, property rights may not be altered
or deprived by executive fiat alone without contravening the due
pro~ess gua:antees of the Constitution and may amount to unlawful
~akmg of pnva~e property to be redistributed for public use without
Just compensat10n.
JO) Land declared public land in a previous

registration case rnay be the subject o/judicial
con/i1'1na.tion
(/)
(')
In Zura v. Direct.or of La11ds, 1111 n pnrcol of' land which hncl
Q)
:,
:,
Cl)
been declared public Janel in 11 previous l'Ogistl'nt.ion pl'ocecding. wn~
a.
~ again the rmbject of upplicntion by persons claiming nn inqwt'fPct
~
()
Q)
title thereto on the b1rni1:>
of' thei1· cnntinurn1H and nd\'l'l'SP poss{'ssitll\
3
(/)
(')
for more than :10 yeurH. Tho tri11l 1:0111'1., ltowovo,·, dismi:-;~od t.h0
Q)
:,
:, application on the grnund of nm J1u/icnt<1. 11Ht.t.lw Supnmw Court,
~
reversed the ordei· of' dii,miHtrnl, linldin1{:
IHQR No. 78002, Dec. 2n. 1!)8(l, 1-Hi SCRA fi00,

1 ◄ 6 GR No. },16'169, ,lune 8, 20lHi.
140
GR No. L-196~lf>,,July l 0, 19G7, 20 SORA 0'11.
CHAP'J'J~n1
' l-. PUBJ.l(J L/\Nl> /\C'I' HJ
(Coin111011
WPnIth Act No, 14 1)
"It should be noted t·hnt , ' , . . .

the alternative· f'01, 1, . • .' nppelJnnl.H nppl1c11l.1on1H1n
<l
un 01, A• Ct 49' 6• 01' egtRl.rntion
r . ' l' ' of'their ti Ue of'ownernhip
• r t', t;1'tl; e or c1ainot bJue tc111l
,.unper1ec d conflrmution of' their
~(Or at least-1-1
1
Possession • • s· ·tuse on adverse und continuous
1
they were not actua], , 11·t·Y Years. · lt may· be •thnt although
J•u<lgment
• therein• 1s • • a bar·
Pa1tiestl 111
· that
1 · previous case the
1
t • o 1e1rc nun as owners uncer
the_firS alternativ<;, since the proceeding was in rem, of
wluch they and their Predecessor had constructive notice
of publication. Even so this is a defense that properly
pertains to the Government, in view of the fact that the
judgment declared the land in question to be public land.
In any case, appellants' imperfect possessory title was not
disturbed or foreclosed by such declaration, for precisely
the proceeding contemplated in the aforecited provision
of Commonwealth Act 141 presupposes that the land is
public. The basis of the decree of judicial confir~ation
authorized therein is not that the land is already privat~ly
owned and hence no longer part of the public domam,
but rather that by reason of the claimant's possessrnn
for thirty years he is conclusive!~ presumed to have
perfonned all the conditions essential to a Government
gran.t "
11) Hearing
Applications for registration shall be heard in the reaional
trial courtw in the same manner and shall be subject to the \ame
procedure as established in the Property Registration Decree. Notice
of all such applications, together with a plan of the lands claimed,
shall be immediately forwarded to the Director of Lands, who may
appear as a party in such cases. Prior to the publication for hearing,
(/)
()
a,
::::i
all of the papers in said case shall be transmitted by the clerk to
::::i
(I)
a.
:;E
the Solicitor General or officer acting in his stead, in order that he
;::;:
::r may, if he deems it advisable for the interests of the government,
0
a,
3
(/)
investigate all of the facts alleged in the application or otherwise
()
a,
::::i
::::i brought to his attention. 148
~
Section 34 of BP Blg. 129, known as the Judiciary Reorgani-

zation Act of 1980, as amended by RA No. 7691.,approved March
117
Sec. 2, PD No. 1529.
118
Sec. 51, CA No. 141.
,,
Li\W UN NJ\'\'UHAL H\t:SOUHCt♦:S AND HULES
c;•.) OF \l\H)C\ 1:nUH\•~FOH \•~NV\HONMENTAL CASE~'
•)[>,\\1M. gnrn\g nwt.ropolit11ntrin\ cour\g, municipnl trinl coii

· ·
m\ n111nc1 p11\ c1• n·111
•
I. t.n• 11\ . cour 1,.s l.\1e t lP \q:n t.c(l Jun
• •st 11cl1on
• • to htts •
11 1 . \ \ \ l . • • car
,nu\ dctcnnmc c,u 11gt.rl\ or 11111 rcl!tSl.t'llt.1011 cnscs m the fol\owin
,m~tnnccs:
(a) \\lhcre the lot sought t.o be registered is not thr•
subject of controversy or opposition: or
(b) \\lhcre t.hc lot is conlcst.cd bul the vnluc thereof
docs nol exceed P100,000, such value lo be nscertnincd by the
affidavit of the c1nimnnt or by the n~rccmcnl of the rcspcctiv
c\nin,Rnts, if there be more thnn one, or from the corrc~pondinO'
tnx dcclnration of the rcn1 propcri)•.
The decisions of !,;aid inferior courts shnll be nppeulablc in th .
manner as decision$ of the regional trinl courts, i.e., to the Court ot
Appeals.
12) Burden of proof rests on applicant

The burden is on applicant to prove his positive nvcrments
and not for the government or the privntc opµositors to establish
u negative proposition insofar as tho applicants' specific lots
are concerned. He must submit convincing proof of his ~,nd his
prodecessor-in-intercst.'s nctunl, pcnccful and adverse µosse~~ion
and occupation in the concept of owner of tho lots during the Pl'rtorl
required by law. 'l'his is of ulmosl signilicnnce in view of the lrnsic
presumption thul lands of whatever dnssiflcnt.ion belong to the St!lk
and evidence of a land grant musl be '\voll-nigh incontrovt>rtibll' ...,,:,
When the conditions spcciiiell thoroin nro comµltl'd with.
the possessor is deemed to hnvo ncqui,·l'd, hy opcrnt.ion 1..lflaw. n
right lo 11 government ~rant, without. \\i.'cos8it,· of a l'\'rl itirnk
of title being issued, nnd lhe lnnc\ consl's lo be \H\rt of tlw p\lhlt\'
(/)
(")
domain. 'l'hc confirmntion procec(\in~s wouh\ ,n truth lw litlh'
Ol
::,
::,
(1)
more thnn n formality, nt tho most. limitlH\ ln n~rPrlninin~ wlwtlH'r
0.
:a
;=.:
the poBHesHionclnimod iH of tho l'i.H\\\\l'lH\ d,inndl'l' nnd' h.'\\~th lll'
:::T
(")
Ol
time; urnl r(~giBtrnt.iont honmndur wonh\ nnl ronfl'\' t ith,. hut ~imp\y
3
(/)
(")
recognizo n t.illo nlrondy voMtnd.'l'\\ll 1n-n,ahH\ini~tlwould not n,·i~innlly
Ol
::,
::,
convert lho lnntl from 1mhh,: to \lrivnlo \nnll, hut lH\l\' confirm ~md,
~
conversion alnmdy offPl'lrnlhy \l\Hn·ntion of \nw l'\'om t iwmonwnl t\w
required pt1rind of \)Otitmtmhm hoenn\\l l:omp\ut\). 'M'
H"Oiroctm· of J.undH v. Court nf A11plH\\Hnnd Mnn\i\ptr1,, 11

upm.
1t>t1Jhunorntov. 111.H'nnn,\o",
UH No. 1HA222,A1)l·i\ \H, 'JO(Hl,,l87 SC.HA 11\7.
CJJJ\p•1•1,:,i111'11111.JC 1.J\NI) ACT
(;~{
h /\ct No. l ,11
(Co1t11Hn11wp1iJ1
I :1) Th e Io w , .,,r{ • . I I , J u
,
I 1011 ,, ,,,, ('M }()f I /WIIJU?flfl/()11 (//1( m:c11p -
II. iR_I'.: lw llnl_ecl i.h111.Heel.ion 18(b) of I.he l'ulilic: L:ind /ic:t

II n
11
sJJC':I
I( S O j JlORHl' Hm0 d neell pnI.jon." fij nee lfwse wordR !Jr~
Pelby I.he con.1ttnct,on"ond," I.heclenr in lent.ion of the l11wIH
Fcp111·11I
110
1 to mnkl' ~nc synonyr1:0~1s with the other. Possession is hroacJer
ihnn occupnt.ion because 11,mcludcs constructive possession_.When.
therefore, the _lawadds the wore.]occupation, jt seeks to delimit th
nll-cncompnss1ng effect of constructive possession. Taken together
;,,jl.h the words open, ~onlinuous, exclusive and notorious, _theword
occup11tionserves to h1ghhght the fact that for one to qualify under
paragraph (b) of the. aforesaid section, his possession of the land
must not be mere fiction. 11;1
14) Judg1nent
. If the .court finds that n101·e

- tl1an one person or c1a1mant
• h as
an mtere st in the land, the conflicting interests shall be adjudicated
by ~he court and decree awarded in favor of the person or persons
entitled to the land sought to be registered. However if none of
said persons is entitled to the land, or if the person 'who might
be entitled lacks .the qualifications required by law for acquiring
agricultural land of the public domain, the decision shall be in favor
of the government, i.e., the application and/or opposition shall be
dismissed and the land, declared public land. 152
The decree denying a petition for the registration of a parce 1
of real estate by the person who claims to be the owner of the land,
but who fails to prove his claim, derives its authority from the rule
that the possession of the occupant must be respected so long as no
third party appears with a better right and title to the property. The
decree denying the registration does not declare that the holder of
the land is the owner and proprietor of it, and consequently is not
res judicata and does not operate as a bar to the proceedings for
(/J
(")
Q)
registration instituted on the grounds of new evidence which the
:::,
:::,
Cl>
applicant alleging ownership against the precarious possession of
a.
:E
;::;: the occupant of the property was unable to present at the former
:::r
0
Q)
3
proceedings. w3
(/J
(")
Q)
:::,
:::,
~
GR irii Ibid.; SeeuJsn Roman CnthoJicRiahopofl(nliho v. Municipnlityof Bmunngn,

No. 149H5, Murch 31, 2006, it80 SORA220.
lf,:.t
8ec. /5,1, CA No. JA1.
N Jfi:JRoman Catholic Archbishop of Mnni)riv. Dircwt.01'
of Lands, GR No. 11033,
ov. 20, 1916, 3o Phi 1. 8:39.
URCFS AND RULES
LAWoN NN1,u,1t~1, i~~·i~1itoNM EN'rAL cAsEs
IUi, J,OH ~
OF PHOCl•~DU
\ . 1 . denying registration
un 01ce1
docs
.
not
On the other \f\t '10 • l .. to have the property registered
nntomnt.1cnllycnt,t.\c t,~,c~)ppo~;1 ;~ l~c himself is the owner of the
. , He must prove . •t·· 1r,~
in lns nnmc. . t . tter of }us oppos1 ,1011.
property that is the subJeC ma
.
15) Order for the ,,ssuance of a decree
. nt of confirmation or other decree of
Whenever any Judgmel the clerk of court shall certify that
the court sh~ll become fin~ ' . tl certified copy of the decree of
fact to the Dll'ector of Lane sf,twl
I 1 n t and the plan and technical
confirmation or judgment o •• 1e cour <- •
1
description of the land. r.r,
The final decree of the court sha~l in ev_ery case be the ~asis
for the original certificate of title in favor of_the ~ersons pentitl:d
to the property under the procedure prescnbed in the roper y
Registration Decree.ir,r.
Entry in the· property registry and the issua~ce of title
presuppose that the applicant is the owner and proprietor of the
realty he seeks to registerY' 7
e. Administrative legalization (free patent)

Section 44, Chapter VII (Free Patents) of the Public Land
Act provides that "(a)ny natural-born citizen of the Philippines
who is not the owner of more than 12 hectares and who, for at
least 30 years prior to the effectivity of this amendatory Act, has
continuously occupied and cultivated, either by himself or through
his predecessors-in-interest a tract or tracts of agricultural public
lands subject to disposition, who shall have paid the real estate tax
thereon while the same has not been occupied by any person shall be
entitled, under the provisions of this Chapter, to have a free patent
issued to him for such tract or tracts of such land not to exc ed. L...
hcclares."H,H Section 44 on free patents provides for n prescriptive
period of 30 yenrs possession.ir)11
JMS11prn.
Jllr>Sec.rm,CA No, 1 '11.
lbtlSocs. ant.o '12, )'I) No, 1020.
117
• H.omnnCut holic An:hhiHhop ol' M1111i111v. Diroctm· of Lands, siiprn.
1r,sAs111111..mded
hy HA No. 7B2 1111dHA No. HIHO, npprnvod Mnrch 28, 1990,
lMl)cl Rosnrio-lHlihon v. Ru1)uhlic, GH No. 16R'14U, Oct. 22, 20°'1, 441 SCRA
188.
Scanned with camscanner

11
: 0 t\pp1·uv1 d Nuv, I :l, ~\0()~\.
\t,l~t'l', I, Ht\ N11, I (Ht!:I.
t,:, s~c. ~!.ihitl.
ltl!\~l'l'. :1, ihitl.

l.iL\W Vl'l l"H\.I u.n, .,., , .,.~~., -
66 OF PROCEDUREFOR ~NVIRONMEN'.L1i\L
CASES
nt d it-ht·heCommunity Environme
The appliention shn\l ~~o t c •w , , of the DENR. 'fhe CEN nt
•1 nd N·\ttll'·ll Hesonl'ees Of:hee (CENRO) •• . l d . RO
c l • • tl1111
•• 120 days to inc u e comphan
• •
shall process the apphcnt10n Wl •• . • ce
. d · l t}1 er· legal requirements, and forward
with the require notices anc o . - .
• d t' to t•l1e Provincial Environment and Natural
lus rec01nn1en a 1011 •
ho shall have five days to approve or
R~esources Offi1ce (PENRO) . ,W .
disapprove the patent. In case of approval, p~tent shall be IS~ued;in
case of conflicting clai1ns a1nong different claimants, the parties may
seek the proper judicial re1nedies. HM
The restrictions regarding encumbrances, conveyances,
transfers or dispositions in1posed in Sections 118, 119, 121, 122, and
123 of Chapter XIII, Title VI of CA No. 141, as amended, shall not
apply to patents issued under the Act. 166
g. Classification and disposition of lands for residen-

tial, commercial, or industrial purposes
Under Chapter IX (Classification and Concession of Public
Lands Suitable for Residence, Commerce, and Industry), Title III, of
the Public Land Act, it is provided that any tract of land of the public
domain which, being neither timber nor mineral land, is intended
to be used for residential purposes or for commercial, industrial, or
other productive purposes other than agricultural, and is open to
disposition or concession, shall be disposed of under the provisions
of said chapter and not otherwise. 166
Section 59 classifies the lands disposable under Title III as
follows:
(a) Lands reclaimed by the govern1nent by dredging,
filling, or other means;
(/)
(")
(b) Foreshore;
"'
J
J
(1)
a. (c) Marshy lands or lands covere<lwith water bor<lering
~
;::;:
~
()
upon the shores or banks of navigable lnkes or rivers;
"'
3
(/)
(") (d) Lands not included in any ol' tho l'orogoing classes.
"'
J
J
!J:
164 Sec. 6, supra.

166 Sec. 5, ibid.
166 8cc. 58, CA No. 141.
CHA P'l'I.m J1
(Co111111011;,~;~IH,Jc I ,AND t\C'I'
fi7
• 1 t\cr. No. I '11)
J)
Modes of dis ..
, • Position; sale ~ l
The lands may be le d o, ,eaBe
. ase or sold
person, corporatJon, or associ t· ' us the case may be to any
. I d c
pub11c an s ior agricultural a IOn auth • d
. orize to purchase or ' lease
. t . . t· purposes 1s1 U d
pnva e corpora 1011smay only leas •. n er the Constitution,
domain for a period not exceedin ; alienable lands of the public
2
than 25 years, and not to exce d; years, renewable for not more
the Philippines may lease not; ,OhOO hectares in area. Citizens of
ore t an 500 h t .
more t h an 12 h ectares thereof b ec ares, or acqmre not
y purchase, homestead, or grant. isa
The lands comprised in class ( ) (b
be disposed of to private parf besla ' ), and (c)of Section 59 shall
ies y ease only and t th •
soon as the President upo . no o erw1se, as
. ' n recommendat10n by the Secretar of
EnVIronment and Natural .Resource , shall dec1are t h at the sameYare
not necessary £or the pubhc service and are open t o a· ··
1spos1tion.
The lands include~ ~n class (d) may be disposed of by sale
or lease under the proVIs10ns of the Act.169The sal f th I d
· d · 1 eo e an s
comprise 111 c ass (d) of Section 59 shall, among others comprise
the following conditions: '
(a) The purchaser shall make improvements of a
permanent character appropriate for the purpose for which
the land is purchased, shall commence work thereon within
six months from the receipt of the order of award, and shall
complete the construction of said improvements within 18
months from the date of such award; otherwise, the Secretary of
Environment and Natural Resources may rescind the contract.
(b) The purchase price shall be paid in cash or in equal
annual installments, not to exceed ten.
The contract of sale may contain other conditions not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act. 110 (As amended by RA
No.293)
However, mars h y l a nds an d lands under water
.
bordering on
db
shores or banks of navigable lakes or rivers winch are covere Y
• . leases or leases wh.1ch may 1·1ei·eaft·er
Subs1stmg , '.
be .granted
•
and are.
already improved and have been utilized for fornung, fishpond, o1
161
8ec. 60, supra.
t6ss
ec. 3, Ar t. XII, Constitutwn.
. •
159S
ec. 61, CA No. 141.
l70c:,~~ ~r:: rq l..T.-. 1 A 1 :=is amended by RANo. 293•

P'.
LAW ON NA'l'UHALngsoUHCES AND RULES

68
OF PHOGEDUHl~FOH li~NVlHONMgN'l'/\L C/\SES
· · purposes tor
s1nular • nt lens,t· f:'1ve yen 1·"" 1·1·0111 l'lw
' dn tc of the cont,,1.Uct
of lease. n1ay be sol<l t.o t.hc lessees thereof und~,· Chnptcr V of the
Act ns soon RS the Presi<lcnt, upon rccommcndnt1on of the Secretory,
shall declare that the s:une nre not necessHry for the public service. n1
A foreshore liu1d is that "strip of land that lies between the
high and low water 1narks and that is alternately wet and dry
according to the flow of the tide." Foreshore lands, submerged areas
and reclai1ned lands are inalienable unless converted by law into
alienable and disposable lands of the public do111ain.112
The shores and the lands reclai1ned from the sea, while they
continue to be devoted to public uses and no grant whatever has been
made of any portion of then1 to private persons, re1nain a part of the
public domain and are for public uses, and, until they are converted
into patrin1onial property of the State, such lands, thrown up by the
action of the sea, and the shores adjacent thereto, are not susceptible
of prescription, inas1nuch as, being dedicated to the public uses,
they are not subject of com1nerce a111ongmen, in accordance with
the provision of the Civil Code. 173 However, reclain1ed lands 1nay be
the subject of lease under the conditions provided by law.
2) Conditions of the lease

Section 64 provides that the lease shall contain, an1ong other
conditions, the following:
"(d) The lessee shall construct pennanent i111pro-

vements appropriate for the purpose for:which the lease is
granted, shall com1nence the construction thereof within
six months fron1 the date of the award of the right to lease
the land, and shall complete the said construction within
eighteen months from said date.
en
(")
Q)
(e) At the expiration of the lease or of any extension
::,
::,
(1)
0.
of the same, all i1nprovements made by the lessee, his
~
;:;:
~
heirs, executors, nd1ninistrn tors, successors, or ns8ig-n~
0
Q)
3 shall become the property of tho Governmont.."

en
(")
Q)
::,
::,
~
I 71 Sec.1, RA No. 29:3, npprovud ,Juno 10, 10,rn.

I 72 Chavez v. Public Estnt.es Authority, GH No. UIB:JfiO,
Jnlv O, :d002, Ml-lSCRA
152; See also Resolutions dnt.ed Mny 6, 200B nn<l Nov. 11, 2008. •
11:11nsulnr Government v. Aldccon nncl Co., GH No. H008, Au~. 12, Ull 1, H>
Phil. 505.
Cllf\P•111,'nII
((1 ' - P(Jllf ,IC I ,ANI> M'T
,ornm1mw1•,,l1h /\ ·I N I , 6~
t · I), 11 I
]n tu lJo ond tu hn Co,·> .

• 'I-le:;held t.lrnt.l.lw f'nih11'(' I /' V. 11~/l(Jf' /Jrothernn(!O/fy C'o.,
111
ti''' • •• ,n ('<>1nply 1·111 II
• t r\lct.wn nl llll p1·oven,ei 11 , l • w • , w <:ond,· t.1rm
·
for thf!
·oll s • ••~ l o <'Ii ll o I s t 1I · I
t , ,j~sionol' I.he knRo contr,,,, , , .. . • l .om11t,c:SJly giv<~rim! t(J t.h<!
rrt--t- 1 11llRt 1'{cles•f'
_...,,, fJ f h
• c
f ,7l'(' ,( 1·on G(I of the Pu bl,·c ·1 l A('I• ' ) ,'1 u rorn • w n!it pn rn r{rn p
~
• ,Jl\ll(
0 , ' W 11Cl Hf.al,eH:
"rl'l10 vw • lnt10n
• of 011
, c <l• l e or any of hthe conditions
spcc11.1e 111 t 1e contract sh ,lll 1 , : . .
• rt'} (
~:u<lcontract. .t 1e Secretary of E . give rise to t e rescJSs1on
· of
... nv1ronment and Natural
Resources may, however subJ'ect t h ..
lie mav J)rescri'be waiv ' ti o
· · sue con(
·· 1
1t10ns as
•J , e le rescission arising from a
violatw_nof the conditions of subsection(d), or extend the
time within which the construction of the improvements
shall be commenced and completed."(Emphasis supplied)
Section 68 provides that the •Secretary of Environment

and Natural Resources may grant qualified persons temporary
permission, upon payment of a reasonable charge, for the use o~any
portion of the lands covered by Chapter IX for any lawful private
purpose, subject to revoca!ion_ at any time when, i~ his judgme_n~,the
public interest shall require 1t. Thus, eve~ grantmg that petit10n~r
is a legitimate holder of a temporary permit to occupy the land, said
permit being merely temporary, may be revoked at any time by the
Secretary. 176
Where land has been the subject of a foreshore lease application,
the fact that the land has subsequently ceased to be a foreshore
because the land has been converted into a commercial or industrial
land shall not result in the revocation of the lease. Since the said
land was a foreshore land at the time the application was filed, the
right to lease the same should still be awarded to the applicant. t 16
(/)
0
Q)
h. Lands for residential, commercial or industrial
:::J
:::J
(I)
0..
purposes shall be disposed of through oral bidding;
~
;:;;
::::r
exception (direct sale)
(")
Q)
3
(/)
Section 67 of CA No. 141 provides the procedure for the
0
Q)
:::J
:::J disposition of ]ands of the public domain which ~re op~n to disposit~on
~
or concession and intended t;o be used for res1dentml, commercial,
111
GR No. 143307 1 April 26 1 2006, 488 SCRA 315.
176
Lu Do and Lu Ym Corp. v. Aldecoa and Co., Bupra.
i1olbid.
,
LAWO~ NATURALHESOURCESAND RULES
70
OF PROCEDUREFOH ENVIRONMENTALCASES
industrial or other productive purposes other th an agricultural,

to wit:
SEC. 67. The lease or sale shall be made through
oral bidding; and adjudication shall b~ made to the
highest bidder. However, where an applicant h_as_made
improvements on the land by virtue of a permit issued
to him by competent authority, the sale or lease shall be
made by sealed bidding as prescribed in section twenty-
six of thls Act, the provisions of which shall be applied
wherever applicable. 1f all or part of the lots remain
unleased or unsold, the Director of Lands shall from time
to time announce in the Official Gazette or in any other
newspapers of general circulation, the lease or sale of
those lots, if necessary.''
\Vith the enactment of RA No. 730 on June 18, 1952, however,

an exception to the foregoing procedure was created by authorizing
disposition of lands of the public domain by private sale, instead
of bidding, provided that: (1) the applicant has in his favor the
conditions specified therein, and (2) the area applied for is not more
than 1,000 square meters. The pertinent provision of RA No. 730
provides:
"SEC. 1. Notwithstanding the provis10ns of

sections sixty-one and sixty-seven of Commonwealth
Act Numbered One hundred forty-one, as amended by
Republic Act Numbered Two hundred ninety-three, any
Filipino citizen of legal age who is not the owner of a home
lot in the municipality or city in which he resides and who
has in good faith established his residence on a parcel of
the public land of the Republic of the Philippines which is
(/)
(l
Q)
::,
not needed for the public service, shall be given preference
::,
<D
a. to purchase at a private sale of which reasonable notice
~
;a:
:,- shall be given to him not more than one thousanct square
0
Q)
3(/) meters at a price to be fixed by the Director of Lands with

(l
Q)
::,
the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural
::,
~ Resources. It shall be an essential condition of this sale
that the occupants has constructed his house on the land
and actually resided therein. Ten per cent of the purchase
price shall be paid upon the approval of the sale and
the balance may be paid in full, or in ten equal annual
installments."
CHl\prl'EHII
(C - i PUJH,IC LAND /\("f' 71
on11un11w 11I I1 '
( I. Act No. I tf 1)
To be qualified, the nppJi,

l age; (b) not the ownei· f ttt, 1 lllUHt: ,(11) lw ,, Filipino c:it.izenof
Jegalii'cl1lie r·eRidcs· (c) 11
11
•1w • " ._'
° n ioniu lol. 111 the 1111111i,:i1wlity
nvc eHI··bl' J I · . ·
or r:ity
·
, • l f l l', l •. ,d IH ice 111 good faith hiHrenid,:nce
on n p.uce o pu ) le an<l wluch is nol n , . . .
d (d) have constructe<l his 11 • eeded for. publu: tw~vu:~;
Jan comp1ies• w1·tl 1 tl 1ese concht. •ouse 1and actually· .resided t.herern. Jf
1e .• _ ions, 1e shall be given preference to
Purchase at a pnvate sale not mor·e than 1 000 t f
•
}andat a pnce to be fixed by the Director of Lands. • , square me ers o
7
RA No. 30 merely Provides an exception to Sections 61 and 67
4
of CA No. 1 _1.In short, the law authorizes a sale by private sale,
as an exception to the general rule that it should be by bidding,
provided the area applied for does not exceed 1,000 square meters,
and the applicant has in his favor the conditions specified for
in Section 1 thereof. Hence, if the area applied for is in excess of
•1,000 square meters, the sale must be done only through bidding. 177
Section 1 of RA No. 730 gives a qualified applicant preference to
purchase alienable public land suitable for residential purposes.
The pendency of a protest does not justify the disposition of the land
through any other mode, like public bidding, since the law directs
that the land be the subject of a private sale through a miscellaneous
. . 178
sales app 11cat10n.
i. Sale of lands within military reservations

Pursuant to RA No. 274, 179 lands within military reservations,
when declared by the President as no longer needed for military
purposes, may be subdivided by the Director of Lands, and thereafter
sold to persons qualified to acquire agricultural public lands under
the Public Land Act, with priority given to bona fide occupants and
then to war veterans. The area of each lot shall be determined by the
(/)
Director of Lands according to the nature of the land, the number of
(')
Cl
:J
:J
prospective applicants, and the purpose for which it will be utilized.
<D
Q.
!-
:::,-
0
Cl
j. Concession of lands for educational, charitable and
3
(/)
(')
Cl
other similar uses
:J
:J
!Q
Under Chapter X (Concession of L,a,~1ds ,_for ~rlucnt.ionn_I,
Charitable, and Other similar ,Purposes), 11tle IV, ot the Public
1nAgura v. Serfino, GR No. 50685, Dec. 4, 1991, 20'1 SCHA 6CW.

elestial
11sc • v. Cachopero GR No. 142595, Oct. 15, 2003, 413 SORA 469
179 ' '
Approved June 15, 1948.
~
, ,, UHC'l•:SAND llULl•:H
, oN NA'ru1u,1, H
t.,,,, ·1,•nu1n:FOH h
':i~1
HC.>NM i,:N'l'/\1, C/\81~8
72 oF PIH)(, '
wncvcr nnY province, municipality
• l ,d thn L w\ • h 11 cl '
.J \ ·t it. ,s provH e . . . of t.hc government H a nee any
l,nnu J c •• 51 1
urhv1s10n •
. brnnch or
,... \ t,'·li'c domain open to concesmon for
or otll' 1 • 11
rl of t 1c p u • •
)Ort.ionof the ln _ . other similar purposes, the President,
leducRt.iona 1, c111•w1tnble,
. b the Secretary of ~nvJronmen t an d Nat ural
or •E •
upon recon11ne nd•1t1on
' t Y ontrncts 10 • favor
• o f' t h e same, 1n
• th e form
y execn e c L d
Resources,.ina. • excliange or any other form, un .er terms
. ale 1ease, •
of donat1~1:, s, ' b . serted in the contract; but land so granted
L '
d1t10nsto e in •
and c?n b cumbered or alienated, except when the pubhc
shall. m no case eir being leased or exchange d , wit• h t h e approva l
·. tle en
serv1cerequnes 1 . •
. 'd t for other lands belonging to private parties, or 1
• ·r
of the Pres1 en ,
the Congress disposes otherwise .1so
Anytract of public land of the class covered by Title IV may be
soldor leased for the purpose of founding a cemetery, church, college,
school,university, or other institutions for educational, charitable or
philanthropical purposes or scientific research, the area to be such as
may actually and reasonably be necessary to carry out such purpose.
The sale or lease shall be made subject to the same conditions as
required for the sale and lease of agricultural public land, but the
Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources may waive the
conditions requiring cultivation. The Secretary, if he sees fit, may
order the sale to be made without public auction, at a price to be
fixedby said Secretary, or the lease to be granted without auction, at
a rental to be fixed by him. In either case, it shall be a condition that
the purchaser or lessee or their successors or assigns shall not sell,
transfer, encumber or lease the land for the purposes of speculation
or use it for any purpose other than that conte1nplated in the
application, and that the violation of this condition shall give rise to
the immediate rescission of the sale or lease, as the case may be, and
to the forfeiture to the government of all existing improvements. 1:-1
k. Reservations
(/)
()
Ol
:l
:l
1) Townsite reservation.s
ro
C.
::,
§ Under Chapter XI (Townsite Rese\'vntions) of the Public Lnnd
(')
Ol
3(/)
Act, whenever it shu1l be considered to be in the puhlic interest
()
Ol
to foun<l a new town, the Secretary of l~nvi1·onment nnd Natural
:l
:l
~
Resources shall direct the Director of Lands to have a survey made
1
ti0Sec. 60, CA No. 141.
181
Sec. 61, ibid .
•
Cl lt\ P'l'l1'H
, , ''--Pu1n,1c1,/\N1>Ac"1'
(C,>111'"""w,,,.IrIi ""' N.,,"' I) •
I cxl C'ric11·bot111d111•i 1,11 of' 1I 1 , • , . . ,
l l. :ltll I llpoll th(' ('Oil •HI •4,1.,
of I icJjcdtct. I 0 11• w.h,,:hHt1<:'1 fnwri 111 to he
1
c:;I11J• •lllt' to ~mu • _, Sc'('t'eln
, ll ·,1 I• of I.he:1111rvi,y h1: nhn II !II!, nrl
C'l.1011
1•\,
1he , n· t1
sH 1•(• lw npp1·uveR• •' • .w,
• 11\(' . • 1 1111 rpc:om111111Hlnt.ion11.'"
· · /'hr:
1
Seen' • • ' • • CL0111111eiulnt101111
of t.he D,r,:dor of
.. J. ~h·lll~ubm1tUw1n,1ttn1•t 0 If fJ ·1 h I ht
l,:111ns,• ' •
11 • "~ . 1e resH en L l.o I. e r,n, t n ,
1111
, lttl.ll'l' may '~U~ n Procl1111111tion reserving I.he land 11urveyed,
1
,r ~nch pnrl. 1.h~rcof as he may deem proper, ns n townsitc, and n
11
• ,rfilicd copy of such Ptocla111ntionshall be sent to the Director of
911
ds and another to the Register of Deeds of the province in which
ILI.
ir •s•ll'veyed
' • land lies.'"''
. It shall then be the duty of the Director.
0
f LRnds, after havmg recorded the Proclamation of the President
clthe survey accompanying the sarne, and having completed th
nn l proceedings
lega • • f h prescribed
·t 18-1
in Chapter XIIIof the Act, to direct a
Sll bdiv 1s1011 o t e s1 e.
2) Reservations for bl.

pu ic and semi-public
purposes
Chapter XII (Reservations for Public and Semi-Public Purposes)

of t~e Act. governs the establishment of reservations for public and
sem~-pubbc purposes. Upon the recommendation of the Secretary of
Environment_ and Natural Resources, the President may designate
by procla1nation any tract or tracts of land of the public domain as
reservations for the use of the Republic of the Philippines or of any
of its branches, or of the inhabitants thereof, in accordance with
regulations prescribed for this purpose, or for quasi-public uses or
purposes when the public interest requires it. 185 A certified copy of
every proclamation of the President issued under the provisions
of this title shall be forwarded to the Director of Lands for record
in his office and a copy of this record shall be forwarded to the
(/)
(')
Register of Deeds of the province or city where the land lies. Upon
Cl
:,
:,
CD
receipt of such certified copy, the Director of Lands shall order the
Q.
:E
;:;:
immediate survey of the proposed reservation if the land has not yet
::r
0
Cl been surveyed and as soon as the plat has been completed, he shall
3
(/)
(')
Cl
. accordance
proceed 1n ' • the next. 1·oJ]owing
with • section•uw
:,
:,
~
11:!:l
Sec. 71, supra.
18:J
Sec. 72, CA No. 141.
181
Sec. 73, ibid.
83, Chapter XII, CA No. 141, ns amended.
ll:!GScc.
rnr;Secs.86 and 88, Chapter XIII, ibid.
1 'SOUH<'f,'S/\ND H.Ulil•:H
LAWON N/\'l'U,l{~\I,~,!~V1H()NMl~N'l
1
/\L C/\!·Ht:H
74 OF PHOCl•:DUHIii1,0H '
lo rescrvalionH
Provisions conu 11011
3) • ,, . . ..
. 1 l reserved u ndcr the provrnionFi
t 1• tr·1cts oi nnc b h'
'l'he trac 0 .. . nd, ble and shal1 not c t:1uJect, to
1 11be non-a 1ie ,_ • ·1
of Section 83 s H1 , . other disposit10n unt1 again
• trv sale, lease, o1 r, •
occupat10n, en .1, • •0118 oJ.tlus. Act . or by proc Iamation
declared alienable under tl·1ie plrovdISI_ncluded in the proclamation of
•d t If all t ie an s I R . .
of the Pres1 en • _ . . t .. d under the Land . egrntrat10n
1 1
the President are ~ot. :~: ;:cree, the Solicitor General, upon
Act or Prope1:ty Reg1straDe artment Secretary, shall proceed in
th
recommendat10n of e .. p f S ction S3 of the Act which is akin
accordance with the prov1s10no e . h ttl t
• d' •
to a compulsory JU 1cm ca 1 ( dastral) proceeding for t e se emen
and adjudication of title to lands. is1
12. Special patents.

As a matter of ordinary land registration practice, a sp_ecial
patent is a "patent to grant, cede, and convey full owners~1p of
alienable and disposable lands formerly covered by a reservat~on or
lands of the public domain" and is issued upon the "promulgat10n of
a special law or act of Congress or by the Secretary of Environment
and Natural Resources as authorized by an Executive Order of the
President." What is important in the definition of "special patent" is
the grant by law of a property of the Republic for the full ownership
of the grantee while the classification of the land is not at all
decisive in such description since the "special law or act of Congress"
or the "Executive Order" may classify the subject land differently.
Thus the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR), through the Reservation and Special Land Grants Section
of the Lands Management Division, is tasked to issue special
patents in favor of "government agencies pursuant to special laws,
proclamations, and executive orders xx x."1ss
An example of "special patent" is that issued by the President
on Janua~y J 9, 1988 ~othe Public Estates Authority, now Philippine
Reclamat10n Author1ty, under PD No. 1085, over three recfoimed
islands known as the Freedom Islands located in the Nfoniln Bay
and pursuant to which the Register of Deeds issued TCT Nos. 7309,
7311 and 7312 in the name of P.EA.
187
Republic v. Southside Homeowners Association, Inc., GR No. 156951, Sept.
22, 2006.
188
Chavez v. Public Estates Authority, GR No. 133250, July 9 2002, 384 SCRA
1
152.

Cl-lt\p•,,,rnII
- r•unr.rcr t\Nr>
< ,<•11111101l\vp11J1 A<"I'
I1 ;\ ' , '/r,
• cl. No, J,t I)
E. llcgi.~trat. 10
• • • n of Pat ,
of Cert·µ ,(.11,lH and hmuant:e
. .,. tcates of 'l'ille
13. Registration of Pat
ont is the o
Once n public land . . peraUve act to convey the land.
18
nhcnnted
, •J.1m,et 1('·, "t}; le same shuJ]
govc.t • , g,.anted or conveyed hy the
opcrat.wn of (the ProJ)ett }) ._ 0_c brought forthwith under the
• • y "eg1sh• t. l)
the 1ssumg agency of 1-h• • ._, a ;ion ecree)." 11w It is the duty of
. · : ' c govern 1 , .
an d 1eg1stered with the R . • nent, to cuuse the snme to be filed
duplicate certificate of ti't] elgisltl,erof Deeds, whereupon an owner's
. e s 1a be i 9 , 11 . .
The patent or grant shall t . s uec to the patentee or grantee.
no take effi t , .
Jan d b ut shall operate 0111 _ ec as a conveyance or brnd the
and the grantee It is tl y as a contract, between the government
the land, and bii~ds thi"r·ldeact of regiSt ration that conveys or affects
persons. rno
a. ~ertificate of title issued

indefeasible pursuant to a patent
. The
. Torrens system
. •
aims t o obviate
. .
possible conflicts of title
by ~ving the pubhc the right to rely upon the face of the Torrens
certificate and to dispense , as a r u Je, w1·th th • of mqmrmg
• e necessity • ••
further; on the par~ of the registered owner, the system gives him
complete peace of mmd that he would be secured in his ownership as
long as he has not voluntarily disposed of any right over the covered
land. 191
After due registration and issuance of the certificate of title, the
land shall be deemed registered land and brought under the operation
of the Torrens system of registration. Public land patents when duly
registered are veritable Torrens titles subject to no encumbrance
except those stated therein, plus those specified by the statute.
They become private property which can no longer be the subject of
disposition by the Director of Lands under the Public Land Act. I!>:/ A
public land patent when registered in the corresponding Registry
of Deeds is a veritable Torrens title and becomes as indefeasible as
a Torrens title upon the expiration of one year from the date of its
189
Sec. 103, PD No. 1529. ._ c
100M _ • I t di'ato AppolJato Court, GR No. L-69303, July 23, 1987,
aras1gan v. n erme
152 SCRA 253. , .
191R . G Gl:1No 133168 March 28, 2006, 486 SC.RA424.
epubhc v. ucrrero, " · • • ' ' .
192 N GR No L-12691, Fob. 27, 1969, 105 Phtl. 216.
Dagdag v. epomuceno, •

' N \'l'UHAL in:souncEs /\ND HULES
7(1 LAW O(Nl'l)1Ul'I'\•'OHFNVIHONMENT1\L C/\SES
OF PHO : 11 \ '., I
• lt l>•'·omcs incontrovertible upon the expiration of one

,i,~
~ ,
1 <:.\l:\l\CC,
tl ' d·'- t , of the order {or• •
issuance of t l 1e patent, hence
yenr {rom '\C ,\ • • , a l• , 191
, ' • ,
1
• . t·.
pres np .1011 ci.
,,,,,ot·,
OJJer·lte
c
against the 1eg1ste1cc owne1.
Date of issuance of patent corresponds to the

b.
issuance of the decree in ordinary registration
cases
There is no specific provision in the Public Land Act (CA No.
141. a amended) or the Land Registration Act (Act No. 496), now
Property Registration Decree (PD No. 1529), fixing the one year
period within which the public land patent is open to review on the
ground of actual fraud as Section 32 of the Property Registration
Decree. It was held, however, that the date of issuance of the patent
corresponds to the date of the issuance of the decree in ordinary
registration ca.sesbecause the decree finally awards the land applied
for registration to the party entitled to it, and the patent issued
by the Director of Lands equally and finally grants, awards, and
conveys the land applied for to the applicant. rn5 After one year from
the is~uance of the corresponding patent, the same is no longer open
to review on the ground of actual fraud, and a protest against its
issuance no longer lies. 1!l6
c. Title cannot be defeated by adverse possession nor

subject to collateral attack '
dOnce
· · a title
• is registered,
. as a consequence ei'the.r o f JU • d'1cm
• 1
or a m1mstrative
·t f proceedmgs,
· • . the owner may r·est secure,. . w1•th ou t
th e necess1 y o wa1tmg m the portals of the
· d d . cour t s1·tt·1ng 111
• th e
mira·fior ,e su. casa to avmd the possibil1'ty of 1os1n
• oa lus
• 1an d 191 Th
cert1 cate of title cannot be defeated by ad ve1.se, open
b • •
and notor1ou,
, ir. -t,or of Lnnd1, v, De Lunn GH No L l lG1 l 1

lli'JD'
28; El Ho1,t11r J•ilipino v. Olvirru GH N' ( • - : ' • Nov. :.rn,l9li0. l H) Phil.
b , o. 37 '1,1<1A11nl 'l \ t)'l l ('0 l'l ·1 "
V, I.,u)dJ1tn, GH No, 2~'121 S011t..8 l'}')A ,ts r'1 'l •• ',.,. I II. 17; l,lnnnh 1
r 1 1 ' -•.t • II U 7 'I· l' l \' \ ._ rN1o.
I,·12'186, ,July 31, JOfiH,HHi J>hil. 1'2.2?. • '• \llp\l > ll: \'. nr t•, (,H
l!Wj' cngco v. Al'1w11 IIIH, (_JI(
' No. L-77fitlI N ' 20 .
v. Court.of AppoulH,CH No. ,ttn:rn,,11111. 20, IIHHl(,I ~-li!l ', ~nHH: l(i8 SCH_A l?~; _t.opt!'l
Judge of llw Court of Fin,I Jnttluuco of Nuov, 1 1"," HCHA 271; lgh•:nn 111 Cnsto v.
123 SCHA f))li, .CIJII, OH No. 1,.~ir,:.n:1.July ::!5, 1~)8}1,
IU~Ylmno:t.
v. Jnt,ormcdin(u Appollntu 0\11'1 an N
SCRA 743. ' ' o. fi8,H)l, l\forch 0, Hl91, HM
IOOJbid.
107
Snlao v. Sulao, GR No. L-20699, Murch 10, 1076 , 70 SCRA 65 _
\ scanned with CarnScanner

Clll\1''1'1,:H II
((',01111n1111w,1
- • l'Ulll,IC L/\NI) /\(''/'
l11 , 77
11
• 1 ;\l!f, No. I ,I I)
)
pl•• • • .
it, h<,
~~<'s~ion.N<,il.lw1·c11n
,((!( 11
.
/llPdhy
1 .. ' .
c~prc'.SS prov1~1011 of St'el.ion (
18 Pl) • Jll w1e:1·1pl.1on.rn11 fn f:,ct.,by
,:illllol. lw collnl.l~l'nllynf.t.nelrnd.';,,, No. 162D,11 cc,•Ufi,:nl.<J of tiU£!
1<'.Prohibited , Al. .
• ,ien.at,.o,u;
14. Prohibition against alienatl
homesteadand free patent Pon~f. lands acquired under the
rov1s1ons.
Quoted below are relevant s 't' 0118 . .
prohibited n lienntion of public lan~~/ of the Public Land Act on
"SEC. 118. Except • c

. m tavor of the Government
or a1~~ ~f its bra_nches, units or institutions, or legally
const1tuted bankmg corporations , 1an ds acqmrec. I un der
free patent or homestead provisions shall not be subject
to encumbrance or alienation from the date of the
approval of the application and for a term of five years
from and after the date of issuance of the patent or grant
nor shaJJ they become liable to the satisfaction of any debt
contracted prior to the expiration of said period; but the
improvements or crops on the land may be mortgaged or
pledged to qualified persons, associations, or corporations.
No alienation, transfer, or conveyance of any
homestead after five years and before twenty-five years
after issuance of title shall be valid without the approval
of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
which approval shall not be denied except on constitutional
and legal grounds. (As amended by CA No. 456, approved
June 8, 1939)"
"SEC. 121. Except with the consent of the grantee
and the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture and
Natura] Resources and solely for educational, religious,
' .
orcharitable purposes or for a right of way, no corporat10n,
associa6on, or partnership may acquire or have any
right, Litle, interest, or property right whatsoever to
any land granted under the free patent, homesteud, or
jncHvidua]saJc provjsions of this Act or to any permanent
--------
l!JSBrusa s v. Cour,;. of' Appe111s, GI")
" No, 120875' Aug. 26, 1999, 313 SCRA 176.
0 0 nr.n1esv, Court of Appen]s, GR
100
•• N. o. 02556
> •
Atw
r,•
131 1992' 212 SCRA 695.

ANDRULES
JrSOUllCgS
"" woNN/\'l'UH
~~;t,,:NvmoNM
gN'l'AL
CASES
78 1
oFvnoc1muH,h
. ·h lnnd.(Asamendedby CANo.615,
1m1n·ovun 'l\ t on •uc
approvd Mny6, 19~1)"
"SEC. .Nolandoriginallyacquiredin any manner
122
underthe provisionsof this Act, nor any permanent
improvementon such land, shall be encumbered,
alienatedor transferred,exceptto persons,corporations,
association, orpartnerships
whomayacquirelands ofthe
publicdomain underthisActor to corporationsorganized
in the Philippinesauthorizedthereforeby their charters.
Exceptin cases of hereditary successions, no land
or any portionthereoforiginallyacquired under the free
patent, homestead,or individualsale provisions of this
Act,or anypermanentimprovementon such land shall b
~::~sferred or assigned to any individual, nor shall sue~
. or ~n~ ~ermanentimprovementthereon be leased
~~:t~ ~~d1V1dual, when the area of said land, added to
o is own, shall exceedone h d d
hectares. Any transfe . un re and forty-four
.l . r, assignment or le d •
v10 ation hereto shall be null '. ase ma e in
CANo. 615, id.)" and void. (As amended by
"SEC. 124. Any acquisition

transfer, or other contract d , conveyance, alienation
o! any of the provisions ::ee or executed in violatio~
eighteen, one hundred a d ctions one hundred and
twenty-one, one hundredn twenty d ' One h undred and
h undred and t wenty-three ofantl · twentv
A J • t wo, and one
118
and null and 'd f ct sh 11b
effect of ann:1~Ing1:t:its exec~tionand s:all pe· 10
tdmlawful
or p . ·t . . cancelhng tl uc the
enm or1gmally • le grant f tl
actually or presu ·t· issued, recognized , 1 e, patent.
mp 1vely l or confi ,J
property and ·t . . , anc cause t1 • rm u
l s improvements t tl , ie reversion of th ,
.o , le Stnto,,
. B~ express provision f S . •
m. co~formity with the 10\~c e~bon 118 ol' tho p •
constitutes a cause for ti10\~~ 1 l.)·1~1u,l't

t
of a free paLcnl or hom~sl' \ ol_t.h~ lnw, nnv ,t . nb\;c Lnn<l Act, and
the p~tenl is J>roscl"ihc,d.;"\ wI t.lun (\Vo vo,;t·:, rnlel' or n Iienn tion
th' issuance of
l' lH.1llifi ~, 1·01_u
, l ovors,on of t.lw l Ls 8nt<l n lionntion nnrl
a. Polic,, of tl l , it·oporty to t.hD State .
., 1e aw
h The pr oh'b' •
1 1t10n has th
omesteader or pate11t ee every e chance
avowed
t purpose of giving t}
0 Pres erve for himself andle

Cl 11\1'f'I l
(.., ',?lJ_ ,_,lJJJI '
( un1111011w"nllh ,I(. l.1\NJ1A<:1•
• A1·I Nil. I ,1I)
Jiisfamib the lnnd Lhnt th, ,

rewHr<lfor his lnbo1· in ·l ,· l .~1.nl.<'h11dH1·n1.11i1
0
11I . .
l Hlllt11, /ltlcl . 1-1.Y1~1vonh,rn M1 11
Ctt 11IV I' ' .
j \s fullu,, l' ·1)1•,· J • • H -1111{11./f)o
• t 111L'(1lll '/'' .
or mt.en,,'·,tts .o consl'l've (], l 11/lov • /,'.,w,c·c•,,, :>111lhc, le . I ,·
.
1·
1. . • ,e nnd whi .1 ' • , !grn 11.1v<1po icy
t}le
•
l ttu 11c 1..1an<l/\ct·,, rlOl . Jn•111 , I } . t 1n.g1·n111•, e IHlH ncqu1 ·red u nd<!r
v. B_11gas.-
. ·•n·• ''(
•• ,o 1:{tve_~
the patent-:)
• 1 11H llS
·s, nnd, nR stat. •din !Jcnif'CJ
:l ••
he11
(c11mly~o he may become a] , ,ee .'1. plncc where to live with hiR
. ., 1'1 1 . • tuppy c1L12e 11nncl useful .
~oc1 t). 1e 1S]at;jve l)o}' . memhcr of our J
. l • d 1cy JS so stro J
orig-11Hlperw of five yeRrs f· . • •.' ng nnc consistent thnt the
• • • l om the iss f h . .
wl11chperiod conveyance or 8 ·I uance o t c patent, w1thrn
. . . 1
a e t 1ereof bY t} 1c }1omesteader or h.1s
hell'S was prolub1ted~o:1 is
of the Secretary of Envi·ro now exteI1cledto 25 years if no approval
• . nment and Nat . I R .
Pl ·ovision has also be en inserted • ui a esources 1s secured.
d au th • • the repurchase of
• orrnmg
the homestea when properly sold b tl· h . .
f l Y 1e omesteader w1thm five
:years ron1 t 1e date of the. sale •201 Tl·ii·sIeg1s · t en t an d po1·1cy
• Ia t·1ve m
1s also sought_ to be earned out in Section 20 of the Public Land
Act,as may be seen from the fact that transfer of homestead rights
from a homesteader can only be justified upon proof satisfactory to
the Director of Lands that the homesteader cannot continue with
his homestead through no fault of his own. This is not the only
requirement; a previous permission of the Secretary of Environment
and Natural Resources should first be obtained, as it is also expressly
provided that any transfer made without such previous approval is
null and void and shall result in the cancellation of the entry and the
refusal of the patent.
b. Prohibition starts from date of approval up to fifth

year from issuance of patent
As held in Sala v. Court of First Instance of f!egros Oriental,~oo
. . . . t ences to run from the date the
the proh1b1t10n to ahena 8 . comm b d t earlier than the date
application is approved which may 8 a a e
, . . , , Ne rros Oriontnl, GR No. L-47281,Apri!

zoosala v Court of F1rst Instance ofp _g GR No L-290,HJDoc. 29, 1970, 36
27 1990 28A .S.CRA694, citing Simeon v.
, • • , 'j •
110
' ·v 'J1 n. Cln~1111
Ph 1'J 792·1 1snnc • 11
°
l~oong,69 Phil. 2,J;
or
SCRA61O; Pascua v. TaJens, BO • •
91,A
1 o SCHA42f>;S11g11cio v, Dulo::i, \
Lasu<l v. Lasud, GR N o. l n2t.12 Fob 29, 1, u•i,
" . ' , •. 798
Nos. L-17608-09, ,July 31, HJ62 , 0 SCHA Phil. [J2.
io1GR N0 J -771.17Nov. 29, 1955, J.98
• .J , '3oscnA 111.
ioimi No. L-28Hl8, Sept. 29, 19 70I I ) I
1rn, Act No. 2874.
:LO:JSet.
io1sec. 1 rn,CA No. 141' llA nmended.

wr,Su,pra.

I 80
LAWON,NJ\UJl'I'
QI•' PHOCbD
, 'Ull/\l
"', '
1n:s0Ul{Cl~S /\ND llULJt;S
1'01~FNVlltONM J1_,N'l'/\L
• "
C/\8E8
. ftl _ tlcnL The period of five years within which the

.1 \C\llllUJ'UllCC of U hommitcad. 18• res trJC• ·te d , starts to
1
f ~sunncc o • lC pi
O .1·' .
°
nhcnn1.10n ..J f'•
e1
1
· 1·l1elntter date. •In 1'3 , · :.wnth e::.Court

• v. 1'3Ufia.S,
e,uga
b computcu
I 1 om • .
, , Ille'
· d tliitl
explnme , ',1Jienation of ]ands acquired by , homestead or
free pHtent grnnts is forbidden "from ~he date" ?f approval of the
application" up to und including the fi{tl~:,ear from and after the
date of the issuance of the patent or grant.
The latest rulings of the Supreme Court emphasize that
the patent is considered issued once the order for its issuance is
promulgated and, therefore, the five-year period is computed from
this date and not from the date of registration with the Register of
Deeds or from the date of the certificate of title.:l07 The provision oflaw
which prohibits the sale or encumbrance of the homestead, except in
favor of the government or any of its branches, units or institutions,
within five years is mandatory. 'J.'hus, a sale of homestead within the
five-year prohibitive period is void ab initio and the same cannot be
ratified nor can it acquire validity through the passage of time.
c. Approval of Secretary merely directory

In Ra(finan v. Abel/ 0H it was held that the requirement for the
approval_of the Secret~ry of Environment and Natural Resources is
tmerely
f directory, and its absence does not
• invali'clat
''- e any a 1·1ena t·1011
-~ans er or con:7eyance of the homestead after five years and befor~
~u::r:~year per10d. Such approval may ho secured at any time in the
d. Agreements which arc .d

of the law cons1 ered a circu111vention
The prohibition applies as well to 11 , ,

homesteader's own son or du 1 t t c Salo o{ tho land to the
.
wants to circumvent the ban m.ug l .or ns a clovo .1 t <l
_ 1 wmos ca or who
and the Jatter after registeringu~ snnp 1Y 8 .011tho lot, to his descendant
a third person.:wo ' 10 snmo ll1 his nnme would sell it to
:wog,
, upra.
07
~ Do1;olongo11
v. Court. of Appoulu, (I H N0 ,
843. • L-,lh -1!lli,,huw !:M, W~H. 122 SCHA
:wijORNo. I ,. 17082, A111·1l
• :Jo,1!Hl2,'1 SCUA I 'J
No. L-15727,Foh. J:l, ]!)fi4, !MPhil. a . -HO; Soo 11IH0 l•'lornH v. Plmiinn. OH
27
·•oua
~
I
nyupunno v. nt.ormo,liut.oAppolluto C
199 SCRA 30fJ. Olll't., OH No. (i8 LOD,,July 17, HH>l,

CH/\l'11J~p
11
' • -J'(JHJ J,
(( 0111Ill ' (. LI\ /) ;\ ( "('
Ill)\ 1'11)11/\ . I ll
,l ( f J ,1J)
I ll,
11) ·~ ., c,(, ~·10 • (

n ti, ,, l ' w,u~hPlc
0 hect'lr • port i01 1 0 f' l l.hnt. whr•l·, 11 I
1w • • ' I.he J ' , H~ H>mr\,if(indrir 11()/r/ n
d 1• (Hn<lin
un ~ • •
lh ( tl • io,np~LP11d 10 1
• n, , H.' nct.un) ~
•
I. w p1111r1t.iff.qon t.}H1
beJll.lll j • on1\1
I
•'
'1 Cl' t·J n
10 1n1>Re
tmiv Yn flC(l O f' f 1
.,·· •
. .
r1111dport1on would
, 1 <~
t 1• J
l
•
·, •
0
, f. 1e fiv
1 . .
·J
flg1· emen arly 1)}

• ~ d .
cc ::ign] e-year prol1Jb1tory pr!riod, t.he
'1 <l • Rn vo1d l . . .
cir .mm t • Rn v10late the law I a' initio as it. is intended to
heldtlrnt the law prohibiting • 11 Manzanov. Ocampo,211 it vms

• 1• any transfi 1· .
]::lllCTwit:1m five years from the is er or a 1enatJonof home tea cl
disting-mshbetween executory d suance of the patent does not
. an consummated sales.
The ra t10nale against the ali. .
Pplicable to land acquired d enation of a homestead is equally
latter, the alienation after five ei a free p a tent , except th ~t rn
1
11 un · th e
Years from
ofpaten t d oes not need the approval f th the
S order for the issuance
o e ecretary.
e. Sale of only a part of the land violates prohibition

Even if only part of the property has been sold or alienated
within the prohibited period of five years from the issuance of the
patent, such alienation is a sufficient cause for the reversion of
the whole estate to the State. As a condition for the grant of a free
patent to an applicant, the law requires that the land should not be
encumbered, sold or alienated within five years from the issuance
of the patent. The sale or the alienation of part of the homestead
violates that condition. 212
15. Repurchase by applicant or his heirs.

Section 119 of the Public Land Act provides that every
conveyance of land acquired under the_free patent or homestead
••
provis10ns, when proper , shall be sub3ect . to repurchase
• f by the fi
• t , h'IS WI 'dow , or legal heirs , withm a per10d o ve years

app I1can
from the date of the conveyance.
Wh the patentee-vendor is still living, he ha~ the right to
en
repurchase,m ot h erw1se,
• h'sI widow or his legal heirs have that
right.214
Homena v. Casa, GR No. L•32749' Jan.A22, 1988, 157 SCRA 232.

210
211 691
GR No. L-14778, Feb. 28, 1961, l SCRM ) ' I9o"9 105 Phil. 826.
212 • GR No. L•11597' ayJan27' ' ' '
Republic v. Garcia, 28 1974 55 SCRA 339.
213 • 037
GR No L-38 , • ' ' '
Enerv1da v. Dela Torre, • A 'J l3 1973 50 SCRA 424.
211
Ferrer v. Mangente, GR No. L•36410' pri ' '

SOURCESAND RULES
LAWON Nt\'l'~H~L l:NVIRONMEN'l'AL CASES
OF PHOCl~DUIH,1•OH "
. a complement of Section 118. 'rhe

•,
18 1<loubtee11
Y d
Sc •t.ion11.D m . . . t give the homestea er or patentee
, tl "prov1s10n
rai$o1I d'etre of ; ie (' .1s1 • onself and }us . fam1·1Y th e 1an d that
ever\• t• 1·cserve . o.t 111
., chance ,o P. ••t sly given • t·o 111·m as a rewarc I 1or
c h'1s Ia bor in
.
the Stnte had grn~lll ~u '-t It 8 basic objective is to promote public
cleaning and cultivat'.mg •
1
~ decent living for destitutes, aimed
Policv, tlrnt is, to provide hodmeanlc t sinall landholders which is the
• . Of in epenc en
at promot1ng a c1ass ·d , rn, In keeping with this fundamental
bulwark of peace a nd 01
e1. • . ts not only when the original
•d l .• 11t to repurc 1iase ex1s . . d b .
1. ea, t 1e ng , but also when 1t 1s ma e y his
homesteader makes the conveyance,
.
widow . .,,c
or l 1eirs.- •
The right to . repurchase attac h es to every. alienation or
encumbrance and that right can be exercised even in the absence of
• l a t'1011
any stipu ' u1
• tl1e deed of sale
c •
211 The right to repurchase
. .
cannot
b
be waived. It is not within the competence of any citizen to arter
way what public policy by law seeks to preserve. 218
But where it is established that the intention in exercising the
right to repurchase is for the speculative purpose of redeeming the
land only to dispose of it again for greater profit, this has been held
to be in violation of the policy and spirit of the law. 219
a. Period of repurchase under Section 119

The five-year period for legal redemption starts from the
date of the execution of the deed of sale, and not from the date of
registration in the office of the Register of Deeds. This is true even
if full payment of the purchase price is not n1ade on the date of
conveyance, unless there is a stipulation in the deed that ownership
shall not vest in the vendee until full payment of the price.:!:!oThe
redemption of extrajudicially foreclosed properties 011 the other
hand, is exercisable within one year from the date' of the auction
sale as provided for in Act No. 3135.~ii
msuntnnn v. M11rifi111:1,Gil No. L-B66:l7, Doc. '27, l!lW, 94 SCH.A 853.

wiP,rncun v. '1'11lo11H,GH No. L-:ltlH, Apl'il ao, l!MR, ~O Phil. 7~>2.
mv11ll11ngc11 v. Court. of' Appu11IH,( m No. 6fi/11Hi,lVlny ,1. 1!>S!l. 173 SCRA 42.
2I
"De )oH S1111toHv. Hon11111 Cat ho lit: Ch11l'ch of' Miclsnynp. GH No. 1,-GOSS.Feb.
26, 1964, !MPhil. '10fi.
l!IUSimoon v. Pofin, Gil No. L-2!HMO, Doe. '2!>, I !l70, :Hi SCHA CHO.
220Luo Ch11yHonlty Corpol'llt.inn v. Court ot' Apponhi, GH No. 104114, Dec. 4,
19f)5, 250 SCRA f>Ofi;Sucnldito v. Mont.ojo, cm No. 76080, Feb. 6, 1991, 193 SCRA
556.
m Lee Ch11yHenlt.y Corpornt.ion v. Court ot' Appeals, ibid.

Cl·IJ\P'l 1 l 1,H 11 , ,
- I lllll.l(. 1./\NI) J\C'I'
(C,n111111011w11nlfl1;\
•
IN
I' .
I (l, ,f I)
l>. Effcc~: of n voirl .

convoy n n C(~
Sect.ion l 2 I p i·ovidpo_,,, 11 '\Ill /Illy ' ••
,,Jjcn:1t.ion, t1·nn$Ci\1•, or ol.he. . .' . 11cqt11H1L1on, convey:tnce,
,, tlllY oft.) l provi~ions ()·f' SI con t.
t1 ncl n1 •1 I 01 f I. . I .
'· 'c r~ • exec11,cc rn v10 11t.1on
of • •
l
._ ec ,10118 108 I, ,r ,
he Act. shAll be un1awfu l , d ll, , 20, 121, l 22, nnd 12,3 of
t• •111 nu ·rnd • l ,. . J
,Juill produce the effect of •• . ' voic rom I ts cxccu tion an<
~ nnnu 11tng ·1ncl J •I
tcnt. or p rmit origin·lll · ' cnncc.11· 1ng t 1c grant, tit c,
P· 8 ,
. pre~mnptivelv and c·
• ., y1ssucd recogn·· ,J 1
, tl '
r· I
. l7icc 0 • con 1rmct, actua y
11
1c revers f l •
o1 J'
improve1nents to the State.
,HlSe
• wn °
t w property and 1ts
\\There the parties t-o a 8 ,1] 1. .
' c e o a port10n of the 11ublicdomain
rovere d bY ]101nestead JJate11 t· J
• . _ _. _~ c . , 1~ve bcen proven to be guiJty of
hav1ngeffected the tiansact10n w1 th kno 1. ·1 1·th . , f ·t
• 1·a·t th 1 • · w ec ge o e cause o. 1 s
mva 1 1 Y, e sa e 18 nu11.and void and shall cause the reversion
Of the. property .: to the State. • r],l • • 1e, however, recognizes
. us• pnnc1p
certain exceptions as where 1ts enforcement or application will run
counter_to an avowed funda1nental policy of public interest. Where
the subJect of the transaction is a piece of public land, an heir should
not be prevented from reacquiring it because it was given by law
to her family for her home and cultivation and this is the policy on
whichthe homestead law is predicated.
On the other hand, while the government (the proper party to
institute an action for the reversion of the property subject of a void
sale), does not take steps to assert its title to the ho1nestead, the
vendees should not be aJlowed to remain in it because their right
to its possession is no better than that of the vendor or his heirs. 222
While the sale or donation of the land in violation of Section 118

shallcause the reversion of the property to the State, as provided
forin Section 124 of the law, such reversion, which could be of the
entireland covered by the patent, is a matter between the State and
thegrantee or his heirs but does not preclude the heirs from suing· to
havethe alienation declared invalid, for their right to the possession
ofthe land is superior to that of the transferee ·in the void nlienation.

chapter Ill
FoRESTRY CODE
R,EVI_SEDt·af
Decree No. 705)
(Pres1den '
A. Preliniinary
01. Governing law. . . .

. · g the anagen1ent and utilization of forest.
The Jnw gove111111 111 . " • d v
. D N or:: otherwise known as the 1levise rorestry Code
0 7 0
repea 1s PD N o. 389 or
h' n ds• Pl1 1•
•i· ·.• " 'Issued on May 19, 1975, 1t•
oft h , 1,1 ippnws. "
,,r,, t. Re'o,·•,,,,
Code "CA No. 452 or the TJasture Land Act"
l 1 1ores.1y 1 ~
t.1e 1 ,, • ,
and a11other ]nws, orders, rules and regulations or any part thereof
whjch are jnconsjstent therewith. The law places emphasis not only
on the utilization of forest resources but more so on the protection,
rehabilitation and development of forest lands, in order to ensure
the continuity of their productive condition. It institutes the proper
classification and delimitation of the lands of the public domain,
and the management, utilization, protection, rehabilitation, and
development of forestlands. PD No. 705 is one of the government's
program of biodiversity preservation.
PD No. 705 was amended by PD No. 1559, dated June 11 1978,
and further amended by EO No. 277, dated July 25, 1987. '
02. State policy.

Th State adopts the follow1·ngp 1· .
• o 1c1es:
(a) 'l'he multiple use 8 0 ff
th., deve]opment ai1 d . .orestlands shall be oriented to
progress 1• •
advaneement of c-ci· • equ1re1nents of the country, the
ence and te ·l1 1
,J
(b) . c no ogy, and the public welfare;
, Land classification .
and hastened; and survey shnll be syst:e1nntized
b (c) 'rhe es'"a l>l'18 11 nw11t f'

e encouraged and rati· .. 0 wood-processing· plants shall
, onn 1izod; nnd
84

CHI\P'l'l~I{ 11}
(P -- H1,;yLYJ,'I) I.
11 1
• ' lid,,111.1111
0,,;.. , •orn:1-nflv corm fl(j
If II N,,,'/(lfi)
(d) 'l'hl' ))1·01 '
(' . ·(I J
,01l':-..n1H1s~hnlll
·<'Cf.1011 I
• f('Volo11n 1 , 1
>el'111111
I . Lil, 1111<1 • -I11 I11·1·1 ,
in producf.iv, con J'(', 111-1,zedHn IIH
1 . "· '. ',nL1<,n of
< 1 ,1011.1 • •0 enHuni t.lH!tr r:<Jnl.in11ity
03, Definition of terms.

(n) Pubhc forest j8 ,
11
wln· l1 lin not b een the sub'l, e
cl . . • .
l11<ls O(' J
' s
Ject of th
Hnds of the public d •
om;u n
forth . ternunatwn of whjch la de present system of classification
11
nn<lw}uch are not. s arc needed for forest purposes
(b) Permanent forest r

the public domain which J1 avorb,oreSL reservesrefer to those lands of
. • c e een ti . b• .
ofclass1fica tion and determined to b le su Ject of the present system
. e needed for forest purposes .
. (c) A~1,enableand disposable la. . ..
publicdomain which have be tl n~s refei to those lands of the
classification and declared as
en 1e su bJect of ti
.
t
_ • ie prcsen system o
f
not needed for forest purposes.
(d) Forest lands include the pub}' . c t th
r . t· . £ IC iores , e permanent
101es 01 crest reserves, and forest reservations.
. (e) Grazing la~d r~fers to that portion of the public domain
wluch has b~en set aside, 1n view of the suitability of its topography
and vegetation, for the raising of livestock.
(£) Mineral lands refer to those la.nds of the public domain
which have been classified as such by the Secretary of Natural
Resources in accordance with prescribed and approved criteria
guidelines, and procedure. '
(g) Forest reservations refer to forestlands which have been
reserved by the President of the Philippines for any specific purpose
or purposes.
(h) National park refers to a forest land reservation essentially
ofprimitive or wilderness character which has been withdrawn from
settlement or occupancy and set aside as such exclusiv~ly to ~reserve
the scenery, the natural and historic objects and th,e wild m~1mnlsor
plants therein, and to provide enjoyment of these feature~ 111.such a
manner as will leave them unimpaired fol' future generat.1011.s.
(i) Game re(uge or bird sanctita?' refer~ to a forestland
designated for the protection of game anunuls, birds and fish and
1
Sec. 2, PD No. 706.

1
, ,.L'()lJHCES /\ND HULi~'

N Nt\'l'UJU\ I , 1' 1,., C/\SI ·s
8(1
Lt\W O , ,' FOil 1,;NVll{ONMENT/d, • ',
OF l'l!OChDllH L
. l f' •l 1'1111in order thnL the excess population

,lm,c'd tn lHill, tl ll'rh lllll tRl i-,
I' .
m:~yHow n11drestock surroun< 111g n1 ns. . .
. . ,, . ,f . to any off-shore arcn 1nhnb1tc<l by rare
(i) Monnc JJUI 1,s 'e c1
nnd umQ\I . , species . of m·nine <
florn and fauna.
k Seashore parh refers to a_ny public shor:~ arcn delimited
( ) · arts fishing water sknng and related
for oui<loor rccreatrnn, sp '
healthful activities.
v . I d rcservat1:on is a forestland reservation
(]) \,ya, 1,Cl S /.C , .
c tablished to protect or improve the conditions of the water y1eld
thereof or reduce sedimentation.
(m) \1/atcrshcd is a land area drained by a stream or fixed
body of water and its tributaries having a common outlet for surface
run-off.
(n) Critical watershed is a drainage area of a river system
supporting existing and proposed hydro-electric power and irrigation
works needing immediate rehabilitation as it is being subjected to a
fast denudation causing accelerated erosion and destructive floods.
It is closed from logging until it is fully rehabilitated.
(o) l\1angrovc is n term applied to the type of for st occurring
on tidal flat aJong the seacoast, extending nlong trean1 wh re the
water is brackish.
(p) 1<ai,_1,gin i~ a portion of' the f'oresLlnn<l, wh ,th 'l' occupi d

or not, w~11ch. 1s subJ_ecte~ to :hilling and/or permanent ~lnsh- lnd-
burn cult1vut10n huvrng little or• no provis'tc)tl t•),, l)l'OVen t so1'l eroswn.
·
(q) J,o~·cst.product meunR timber, pulpwood, fit· 1\VUO l. bark,
tree Lop, •
resrn, gum, wood. '
oi I' hone\/,1, l>(•<·
• -~WHX,
. lllp· l, rottn11, or
ot.h ~r. forest growth . s11·h us pTas
~
shr\i\)
, •
l I (l
• 1 nc
·
ow<'nn,,· p lnnl t.lH·
nHsocrntcd wat.Pr, h.-h, gum• sc 'lli<' 11•1 ·t ,· l i:-- , •
. ,, ot 1cn , l'L'lTt'Htmn ll '\lld
geologw n.:Ho11rce • in for •1·t.lnndH. ·, ' '
(r) lnd1rnlriul lreu 1>/milutiort is l t , t·

• • 1 ny .rnct n 1 on ~t lnnd
purposc~ly und c•xt.1m1,1volyplrn1lnd lo 1·1 l · -
' ' '1\\ )l I' (TOps pl'lll\Hl'l 1\' to
supply the ruw mnf 01'111I roq1H1·on 1, 111t.., I' , • •
. . ., n ( x 1~11,ll\g' 01· propo~o<l
proces1:nng plr.mt.1;,
and 1·, lnlod 11Hl11stri( H.
(s) farm l'< f'm'H to nny•. h·nc·t
'Pree
. • , ot' ('oros. t I n1Hl pu rposo ly
and extensively planted In Ln es ot oconomic vnluo for t.lwi,· fruits
flowers, leaves, bnrlcs, or ext.ractivos, hut, not. for tho wood t.lwroof."'

C1·1AP'11!,;H
Ill ,
fl lt,VIHl•'J) f 'O
(P1·"1d<11111t.i11I <10/H;
1'),',, ' fll•:H'/'HY WI
' I.I Pt• No, '/Of,)
((.) Select,:ue /0 1',,i,

I • , h ' ll( ll l( I I\ I}H 11 \
flt ure. ovo1~ mn tu re n nd
111 , b ii <1t·t'cl.iv<', 11'1,
, '" 11ynl.<
,·
1>1111;,. n•n10vnI of I h<·
• , , , ,
11
dequ:tt,e num er n nd volun , f' • • cc.1-1
O 1
111 Ill 1ch 1111m IHH' flf-1 1.,,J •Hv •
•
, )(>CJCS • • '-'..... . t,() H~Hl) l'C le ,· lenll.l,y
J1ece8s•u·y ' ,.,,Hid
- LIil 11
,l'eCH () f' I,Jl(.J ( 1CHI•re(J ·'
~1; ' • n lll.u1·( Ul' O{'I' 1
fol'th:) prot:cct:1011 nnd conse. . - op ,, mher, 11nd foreAt cover

. I vntton of tmil nnd wnter.
(u) Lease rn n J>1·ivi'J
. ogc gr•1111· 1 l
o occupy and posse s j 11 c . ' ·?< >y I.he Stu Le to a person
t ' ons1c 1
forestlRndof tie} public domu • . er'1'- t1011 0 f' n spcc1 'f'1cd rental, any
Rctivitytherein. °
min rd er to undcrl.uke any authorized
(v) License is a privilege ., ,

']ize forest resources , • gtc-1.ntedby the State to a person to
ut,J • as m any fore tl d • h •h f
occupation and possession ov ~ . 'S an ' wit out. any rig t o
t bf h d e1. th e same, to the cxcJus10nof others
or ~s.a . is la~ ~perat:. a ~ood-processing plant, or conduct an;
activity 1nvo v1ng the utJhzahon
' of·'
· ai1y 1.0.res
r t•resources.
(w) License
.. . agree11ient • a pr.iv1
, is • -1ege granted by the State to
a person to util_ize forest resources within any forest land with the
right of possesswn and occupation thereof to the exclusion of others,
except the government, but with the corresponding obligation to
develop, protect, and rehabilitate the same in accordance with the
terms and conditions set forth in said agreement.
(x) Permit is a short-term privilege or authority granted
by the State to a person to utilize any limited forest resources or
undertake a limited activity with any forestland without any right
ofoccupation and possession therein.
(y) Ecosystem means the ecological community considered
together with non-living factors and its environment as a unit.
(z) Silviculture is tJ1e establishment, development reproduc-
tion and care of forest trees.
(aa) Private right means or refers to titled rights of ownership
under existing laws, and in the case of primitive tribes, to rights of
possession existing at the time a license :is granted under the Code,
whichpossession may include places of abode a~d worship, btn:ial
grounds, and old clearings, but excludes product10~ forest 1nclu.s1ve
oflogged-overareas, commercial forests and est;abhshed plantat10ns
2
offorest trees and trees of economic value.
--------
I 2
Scc. 3, supra.

I'S AND H.ULES
r 'LJHt\LHl~SOUH~~1EN'l'/\L CASES
1..AW ON NA1,., FOH l•~NVIHO•
OF I'l'Ot'l•;Dll
' • h I,
.
1• St-r11,cture
o,-,.ra ·..,.,at1.ona.
111"' '
B
• • t;, t and Natural Resources•
Environ men '
04 The Department of
• mandate. to ensure, for the benefit of the
• olicy of the State. nd development as well as
It is thel p the full explorat1_ona nagement, renewal, and
Filip_ino_ peop lsposition, utilizat10n,_ m~al land, waters, fisheries,
the 3ud1cti1_ous of the country's forest, 1ninte1ir;l resources, consistent
conc:::ervaon d other na l 1b 1 d
...;,dli£~. ff-shore areas an . . nd ecologica a ance an
wu e. o f • tauung a sou t d th
'th th~ necessity o main rt Of the environmen an e
WI tecting and enhancing
th e q_uaidy lopment and utilization of
pro h lorat10n eve '
objective of making t e ex~ ac~essible to the different segments
such natural resources equitably ations
t as well as future gener •
of the presen . t and Natural Resources
D t t of Environmen . f h
The epar ~en . .
(D ENR) shall be primarily I esponsi e
'bl for the implementation o t e
foregoing policy.
In the discharge of its responsibility, the DENR shall assure
the availability and sustainability of the countr~'s natural resources
through judicious use and systematic res~o~at10n or replacement,
whenever possible, and increase the productivity of natural res?urces
in order to meet the demands for the products from forest, mineral,
land, and water resources of a growing population. 3
Pursuant to Section 4 of EO No. 192 dated June 10, 1987, the
DENR "shall be the primary government agency responsible for
the conservation, management, development and proper use of the
country's environment and natural resources, specifically forest and
grazing lands, mineral resources, including those in reservation
and watershed areas, and lands of the public domain, as well as the
licensing and regulation of all natural resources as 1nay be provided
for by law in order to ensure equitable sharing of the benefits derived
therefrom for the we]fare of the present and future o·enerations of
Filipinos." b
a. DENR Seci·etary has delegated discretionary

power to classify as alienable and disposable
forest lands of the public donlain
Under Section 13 of PD No 705 the ·DENR s t l b

• . • , -. " ecre ary 1as een
delegated by law the d1scret10narypower to classify as alienable and
8
Secs. 1-3, Chapter 1, Title XIV, EO Nn 9a<>

CHAPT,;,J
ti, i Jl]
.- 1°'N1s, 1•,J)1•'()1 .
(Jl1·eA1den1.
,lrl) J)
·r:t1 1,
lJ,.r,L"f•llY ('(
·sposableforest lan,J No.70r,) , >DP, 9
1
(11 us of If •
r.rest reserves pursu, • le J)t 1 .
JO 'd •lllf f 0 I )Ji(' l
}lichprov1 es: , • , ('cl 1 • ' orH11;n
'" • 011 I ''J o f I.he H no
' . Ion1,<!rnn,!dr1d for
"Sect.ion
. S LVl!H•cl 1,·
, <>reflt.r_yCod,!
13
Department Be •d .)'Slem, of L
prescribe the c1·R1't el'l~hall studand Y d Classificati·o
• n. - 'I'h,
prop r and accurat a, guidelin~s ev1se, determine anJ
nd
lands of the pubJ 1c • deoinclassificat·
. ion a dmethods for th e
a
or commercial i·e .d ain into . n survey of JI
. ' si enf agric It • a
or forest, and gra . iaI, resett} u ura1, mdustria1
zing Ia d ement m.
as now or n1ay h n s, and i t ' inera1, timber
. ereafter b n o such Oth
regu 1at10ns. e provided b er classes
Y law, rules and
In the meant'
. l'fy h ime th D
s1mp I t rough inter-b~ ~ e epartment Head
of determining
. which of t h eI ea unu 1action
. the pr esent system shall
doma1n are needed
· £or 1orest
c pc ass1fiedlands of th e pu bl.1c
as permanent forest to c urposes and declare th
iorm part 0 f th em
sha II declare those I . e forest reserves He
c ass1fied d •
to be needed for fore 8 t an determined not
disposable lands the dp~r~ose~ as alienable and
' a m1n1strativ •• • d'
management of which sh II b e Juris 1ction and
of Lands: Provided Tha: e transferred to the Bureau
c ' mangrove and other swam s
not nee d e d ior shore protection and sm·table 1or c fishpondP
purposes h
d · · s •all be . released
. . to' and be P 1aced un der the
a m1n1strat~ve 1.urisd1ction and management of, the
Bureau of F1sher1es and Aquatic Resources. Those still t
be classified under the present system shall continue t:
remain as part of the public forest." (Emphasis supplied)
Pursuant to Section 3, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution

"alienablelands of the public domain shall be limited to agricultural
lands."Thus, the unclassified lands of the public domain, not needed
forforest reserve purposes, must first be declared agricultural lands
of the public domain before the DENR Secretary can declare them
alienableand disposable. Under Section 13 of PD No. 705, the DENR
Secretary has no discretionary power to classify unclassified lands
of the public domain not needed for forest reserve purposes, into
agricultural lands. However the DENR Secretary can invoke his
Power under Section 1827 of the Revised Administrative Code of
1917to classify forest lands into agricultural lands. Once so declared
as agricultural lands of the public domain, the DENR Secretary can
Scanned With C
amscanner
('l'f-1/\NIJ HUJ,f,;3
\Tl III\ I I ll •1,;s<
)(
VII((Jl()N,1:V f,'I N'I'/\ L Cl\.', 1,;f-;
•:,
I \\\' (), I/ 1
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(•J'lllH(
I ,,. Sc~cl.ion, I.~
,.
of I I)} No.7()St
I Ii •I) Ill\'() (' • I 1,,
li1• '. I ,.11,11·,dpow
l1111ds
•11l1•tl '
/1.J II li1•1111hleiuH I IHpos11 (Ik ,,r
ile 111n o
I
d1·d111·,· Slt(' 1 JI',/
'l'JCll I
' , ,
111 11
, ,ililif'domnm. NI{ SccrcLn ry s d 18tret.Jon,.tryI>
01 ~
' • 111 ' DJI '
Th,·l'rrsidcn/.', '."" •,~n11ddisposable •is
. .mereIY d eJegated i1'C!r
·lnssifr lnnd /IS nl,cnnbk '/J No. 705,respecl.1vcly, ,conseq1,entJ I

:;;•mu;,rl,,. J\ o.
1hey rnnynolrer1
141
cJ gale
~lncds'.1111c
e ,.ari.'
1 •'
f.onnollwr office or olficer. De/eg(Ji,:
"
poles/as non poles/ de/ 'ff
P I• delcrmmJ 1
• , t'on by• the executive branch on
1 •ro11crmnnngement of forest resources canhot
b. , Jo icy ••
as
• ea flrule be mtc11c1
• ., •c,d witl1 by
. the courts
ln JCsmae/v. Deputygtecutiue Secretary,' petitioner sought the

relJJsn..crnen,o 1 . 1111 . .
• t , , f ·ts t ' bcr license agreement which Was cancelled
in August 1983 pursuant to the instructions of the President and
memorandumof the then Minister of Natural Resources to stop all
lom,~ng operationsin NuevaVizcayaand Quirino Provinces, in order
Loconservelhc counlry'sremainingforest resources. Sustaining the
cnnccllntionof petitioner'stimber license agreement, the Supreme
Court, through Justice Cortes, held that the legitimacy of such
concel'llcan hardlybe disputed,explaining:
• "Pu~Jierespondentsherein, Upon Whose shoulders

i e ls lhe lask of 'Jnpleinenting the Policy to deve]o
nnd consei•vethe countt'y's , t P
indicated un ongoing d nd
t ura 1 resources, have
•
Llinbel' license
• 'lgrren1ne • t epa1·inent evaJlla t·Ion Of a 11
hcense issued tii 1d"i· t}·n s entered
• ' \; · t d .
. 111 , an Pel'm1ts or
' \; 1eprev10 11 d' 0
both lhe executiveand 1 . , s 1SPensation, In fact,
incumbent
11 adn1inistrat· eg1slative departments of the
0it 1 • • ion n1·0 Pr. t·I . .
f, 1• vu • onmentn}
1 JJo1ICJos
• • W1t} . esen, Y talnng stock of
0
• nibe •J'01
J)J·orrl'll lH11dsnnd (1eve1OJ)tng .1 1·egn1•d to the utilization
ins •i.hei1• c0118 ervn .• nn llgenda for foture
011 01 111
'l'li,1 " •
•' I.ion ' d l'ehabilitation,
UJlJJ111·e1,11 i b iig ''tel11 ·
llnrn11•, 1·
co,H· ·1·11< Y n i·eHJJr111eo 1
- ,v,,,.1h,, I , Io . lho·,., ( •IVo t·onssessment
onowoc1 " . is
diereg,,,.dof 11 ·.' LHJJnh111.;
1011 011of I' 111111gl'owu1ggloba
11 1 01
• c:1•11c:iJ •01 • '""i:l11nc1s nnd the utter1
0 111 S\10, . .
• .,,;nn11ng-n balanced

Clli\ P'l'JEHl I I
~- IWV/H
(l',·t•11idt•llf.i;t1I)'.';.'!/•'Oil KY'l'll Y CO/JI,;
r I.I t•n No, '/Of,) HJ
ccolog·icnl HY~t.e, 11• 'l'l}(•

ll\1
• 1I '' 1111111
•
·
I1:11< ., he c 1HPlll.cd, IIH • 1Lf{t • . ',·y c' f' HueII cone,1rn Gfrn
I· ,
., t Ir • . .
Colli , ,H. \ '8. •Juchc,nl ,io 1,Ice
)H • LHJ)e<·ttd / • I'
. of' t •I , .Y '"fl. t JJH country, . • '/'IH·•
count.ry s for 'St l'esoui·cel:l. : w Pm 1g11t.ew1rnt.c oft.he
1
jn 1.h i rrevei·siblc Jos (' fl w lleh hns not. only reFJultcd
rcgHm, •
uut 1rns produced
1. ° o1·a ·ind f.
' nuna peculwr •
to t.hc
• d even mored'
econon11can social cffcct ''111 . isas row, and lnsting t
having been upset a v 1• • s. ic rlchcnte balance of nature
' c1ous eye! f fl d
has been triggered and t} 1 . e O •oo s nnd droughts
resources required b t} e SUpply of foo<land energy
, y ie people seriously depleted. x x x
'1hus, while the administ.18 t'1011 .
complex and multifar• .. grapples w1th the
• wus problems cau d b b 'dl cl
exploitation of these re . . .c ~~ Y u.n ri e
• souices, the Jud1c1aryw11l stand
clear. A 1ong hne of cases establ • h ,_11 b .
. ·11 • . is " e as1crule that the
courts w1 not. interfere . m matt·ei· s wh.1ch are a ddressed
h d
to. t e soun d1scret10n of governinen'·" agencies . en t ruste d
.
with the . regulat10n of activities comi·ngun d er th e specia . 1
technical knowledge and training of such agencies."
c. Forest lands not exempt from the territorial

application of municipal laws
In Ruzol v. Sandiganbayan, 6 the Court ruled that the DENR
isnot the sole government agency vested with the authority to issue
permits relevant to the transportation of salvaged forest products,
considering that, pursuant to the general welfare clause, LGUs
may also exercise such authority. Corollarily, forestlands, although
under the management of the DENR, are not exempt from the
territorial application of municipal laws, for local government units
legitimatelyexercise their powers of government over their de.fined
territorialjurisdiction.
Thus, in Aquino v. Municipality of Malay, Aklan, 7 the Court
held that aside from complying with the provisions in the Forest
LandUse Agreement for Tourism .Purposes (FLAgT) issued by the
DE_NR in favor of Boracay West Cove, it; was i~ct~mbent on peti~i~ner
tolikewise comply with the no build zone restr1ct10n under Mumc1pal
Ordinance2000-l 3 l, which was already in force even ~efore the
FLAg'rwas entered into. Sections 6 and 8 of the Ordinance do
~
GRNo. 186739, April 17, 2013.
7
GRNo. 211356, Sept. 29, 201'1.
Scanned with Cams canner

Cft'~/\ND HULJ,:8
'l'IJ11/\1,II,,;f;O(~l(~NM
,,;N'l'/\1,CASl~S
1,/\Wn~,~~,rn FOIi ,,:NVII
0F 1'1101
,hi .
• • , wil.b I.be reRi.i·1ctio%~-

c·omply1nf, . f r·om th e
. lt"it~
1 1 ·i ·ciiwr from
t wt1 ., ,
•
1 rrrnn,1
cxem pL1onH
h 'ldhan
n
ol pxrn P: • •• dvcrl.cd
J)l'(l\llR1011H I\
,o ,. ot. on t.he no u I zone. o~
u1cl HW11ll1 pH, 11
th1 <' • on RlopnR1
c011At.rn
t.ums anagement Bureau.
05 of the Forest M . .
Organization t' g the prov1s10ns of the Cod
• tl C l f • nlemcn JJl . . . , . . e,
For , L niri)osc o rn the• 1 1),e f'o,·cstuLion
· J\dm1msttat1on
. • thc
1 Bur nu of Forestry, • ,Development ProJect:, a_nd the Park,
t. ic them
• ou l, -
Cebuff' nclucmg• •'ll)J)licnblc appropnati.ons,
R for~!slnL1l~n . b records,
11111 1WildlifeO ic •1'i, tand sue11 pc,·sonnel ns may e M,
. necessary, have
P(luii
• ment.,propei • • 11 )8'inglc ''Y l<nownns the Fot est.) 1anagernent
• 11gcn°. .
been merged mto
Bmen\1 (rionn ,l·1\1
., Burenu
- • l'
o · Forest Development , nere1nafter
ref•rredlo os the I urcnu.' . .
• 11enclcclby
The Ilurcnu IS . a .Director, who 1s
. assisted by oneor n·
moreAss1slnnL n cc ,OL.,. · ·
• n· • t· ·s rl'he Director nnd Assistant 1rectorsare
appointedby the Presiclcnt.0
a. Supervision
'l'heBureauis directlyunder the control and supervision ofthe

DENRSecretary.'"Uponrecommendation of the Director of Forest
Development, he shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary
lo iinplementthe provisionsof the Code.11
b. Review
All actions nn<ldecisions of th B n· .

• • ,~1~o!~R1.
~:";~w • oi•11PonuPPcaleof•any
urouu 1rector are subiect to
• • ie liv Psropno
ecretni-yWhoseI . . I Person aggrieved thereby,
nft 1· the In11se ofthirtY (30) d <e.~1s1011 s \~lJbe fin al au d executory
ofsniddecisionunlessn ?ds hoin receipt by the aggrieved pnrty
IhO No.l 8, s. of' 1gc•,i ,1,1PPeln
• ' >u. 10 c Oc1s101
°.
to tho
10
(' President
l
in accordance with
,e reviewed
•
by
•
the C<)ttI•1,S OX('Gpt-
. Ll t 18l DENRSecretary' mny not
,:i,rt,ora,·i OJ•prohibit.ion.'" , • 1i·oiig\ f\ special civil action for
~'1, l'I) No. ?Or,

' (1c.
lie, ),
l)IJ(!, fl, i/Ji<f,
:?fo1:.7, Pl) No. 706,
Soc. n,iliic/.
•~soc.8, ibicl.
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Tlw uoct.r11w of l' ·h .
(cirrrsort: fir"'· to th HJ~IH~~llAl:1011of nd111i11iM.r,,1;P n,rr I' JI
. f - pI·1nt.c nd1ni1 . , • , J(I( "'·'' en .
r ~olut.1011o n con tro, J'Ry r 11. l JHtrn f.1veIt ti f.horit i<1~,· ~ L •
"' 111,1 ' l "' . ' n I 11g u 11d "'1. . . . • .. n ,,n t
dH ~:till< • ) JC cl vnted lo 11 tlHiir Jt1rr~dic1.ion ~wforr•
. l I . . • l, lC court r . . . ,
thror.,·I~ I. rnl. t. l - ndnnn1 fr,11 • .8 o Jtrnti ·' for rcvi<'w 'f hr•
l· . , .1venutho,.i1i~ . . ~. ,
10 re~o , quest.1011 addressed to . , CA HIe m n bett 'r poE,it.ion
th 11
11t11t.rror~ ommitted by sub ·d· .' pnrticu/n1· cxpcrti.s, tinrl
b i 1 • oi mates 111 ti 1 1•
re tific d Y : 1e1r superiors if given • c r re. o/ution mny b
. . a chance to do so.
Even 1£1t be assumed that t] "
• ' le 10restry J I
require prwr resort to administrative r . aw. co not expressly
doctrine above given, if nothin ] emed,cs, the reasons for the
it.s observance. Even if such g : se, would suffi_ceto still require
1
would still be the explicit langua asoi~ wei:e chsregarded, there
the DENR the power and fu f g~' o pertinent laws vesting in
. • .· ~ . nc rnn to regulate the development
disposition, ext! act10n, exploration and u f th , '
" . . . se o e country s forests"
and to exercise exclusive Jurisdiction" in th "
· ·· f 1 . e management and
dispos1t10no a 1 lands of the public domain " d • th B .
'bT , an m e ureau
the res_pons1 11ty ~or the enforcement of the forestry laws and
regulat10ns here cl~1me~ to have been violated. This comprehensive
conferment clearly 1mphes at the very least that the DENR should
be allowed'
to rule in the first instance on any controversy cominab
under its express powers before the courts of justice may intervene. 13
It is important to point out that the enforcement of forestry
laws, rules and regulations and the protection, development, and
management of forest lands fall within the primary and special
responsibilities of the DENR. By the very nature of its functio1'i,the
DENRshould be given a free hand unperturbed by judicial intrusion
todetermine a controversy which is well within its jurisdiction. The
assumption by the trial court, therefore, of a replevin suit file~ by
private respondents constitutes an unjustified en?roa,chment 1~1to
the domain of the administrative agency's prerogative. The doctnne
ofprimary jurisdiction does not warrant a court ~o ?rr?g~t.e unto
itself the authorjty to resolve a contro~e:sy tl~e Jurisdictwn ~~~er
whichis initially lodged with an adm1mstrat1ve bo<ly of spf,ctHl
competence.11
~ I GH No. 85502, .Fob. 24, 1992, 206

s Sunv11le Timber Products, Inc. v. Ahm 1
cnA482
11 • .Tnn.Jo, 1DD7,266 SCRA 167.
Pautv. Court of Appeals, GR No. J l l 107'

'ft'SANDHULE8
/\'l'tJI!/\ ·NVJU.0M
1111:HouHCN,
1 .1,;N'J'A,,cAsgs
I AWONN JJlJ,'J,'OllI•,
I
I Cl•'))I '
11J ell'l'IIO • ' . , dccisionB; Inches
I
1
1.!f,flll;JVC
)llJllln. • • d
, I I I he dcc1s1on8un Otdor
Ji( V of Hf ,
1 l•11lll •• • e I 111,, 1·1 th f' •flc,f
r I eelcloctr1n • !heir fina J :y, ; e Orcea
~
'•
l I iRnn cstnh 18·lcs ]wvc, up~n, . I he purview of the doct/d
• • ngcnr.1,. 1 w1t n ' . lo£!
ndmim.trnt.1v r. 1IJ·udgmen, ·d rs are as cone 1us1ve Uponth
ff t of n ,1111 nclot e h db e
bindingc_ c, 1'1 se decisionsn h the same a een tendered
of• resj11d1cata.f"
ht. fthe n ,ec. J)nrtics
ltc·erl '[' 1er ule of resjudicata thus forbid
. t'ns tho}ug a
1
b\1 so ,of genera1jurischc
nga court, t,ter·once ·101.det e1·mined Ii by competent authority
J
the reopemng .• Ofa ma . t'
· e J·urisd1c"Jon. i,
• }1• then·exc1us1v . .
acting wit. m •. Secretary,16 petitioner's letters
In Ysmaelv. Dep1~ty Execudt,t,·vle
P • dent an 18
Ministry of Natural Resources
to the Officeof the resi . f E ·ronment and Natura I Resources
h D ·tment o ◄ nv1 . 1
(MNR),nowt e e_pa, 17 1986and April 2, 1986, respective Y,sought
h
(DENR), dated
•a March ,
t·1011ofa memoran dum order issued . by the Bureau of
F
t e recons1
t D IeraOpmentwluch • cance11 ed its timber license agreement in
ores as eve
1983, wellas the revocat10n • of TLA. No. 356 suhsequently issued
by the Bureau to private respondents m 1984·
But as gleaned from the record, petitioner did not avail of its
remedies under the law, i.e., Section 8 of PD No. 705, as amended,
by attacking the validity of these administrative actions until after
1986.By the time petitioner sent its letter dated April 2, 1986 to the
newlyappointedMinister of the MNR, requesting reconsideration of
thepetitioner
as above Bureau actions, these were already settled matters as far
was concerned.
The fact that petitioner failed to seasonably take judicial

recourse to have the ~~rher administrative actions reviewed by the
a petition for certiorariWas h Id
~
}
courts Lthrough . d' . I t ·t
cause. ac iesIs• defined as the failure or n l te preJu 1c1a o bl 1s
and unexplainedlen tl f t· . eg ec 1or an unreasona e
g i oh uneb to do that Wh'Ich by exerc1s1ng
diligence couldor should . . due
• • a reasonable
w1thm ' time wave, . een. done earl'Ier, or to assert a rig
· ht
•
entitled ' ananting
thereto has either ab d a Pre . sump t'ion t h at t h e par ty
Petitioner's delay constitutes an oned it or declined to assert it.
tantamount. to laches. unreasonable and inexcusable neglect,
- v. Cnatl'o an N l
JbSee13,.ilJantea .
Merchandisingc I • o. ,-9223 ,Ju
SCRJ\ 72· Sau I uf;• ~- v• Court of 'l'ox APPe."J8 ~~,' 3~• 1966, 99 Phil. 497; Ipekdjian
"Gn N ' 79538
0
v• ourt of Appeals,GR No.
16
SQ
~ 0 , L-154 30, Sept. 80, 1963, 9
• , Oct, 18, 1990. • Jiu,e 26, 1989, 174 SCRA 258,

ur,
Jurisdiction.
06,
'fhc Uurenu hnsju,·iRdi ,4•
c,.10111111d11ufl •
..t1,ing ]nn d .... nnd nJJ for"s( 'IOl'lf.y over 1111 lt1ndH
fornHt
fP' • '-'• , 1·e1-1e1·v t' · . '

:,senrnt10ns presently nci1nini f· . u ionA 111clud111g w11t•rHhed
. • fl
. jnstrumentn 11t1cs.17 Porcst J • o, iei· government
Jc s ,c1 cd l>y
Hgcmdl.m
o1 . • f 1·1 Bureau nnds m·c wi,·,-1 • the extlw-i1ve •

• -jschctIOno , le.
Jtl 1 ~ . 811d beyond ti - .
lln
. . . . .
the courts to register under the ,1, . . le powct and Jurrnd1ctwn of
• 0 nens system. Ill
The Bureau shal1 be respoi 1s.bl "

1 e 1.or the:
(a) protection, development
and reforestation of forest lands· 'management, regeneration,
'
(b) regulation and su . . . .
. l pervis10n
]1censees, essees and permittees for the t . of the operation of
. .
products therefrom or t] • a 1crng or use of forest
ie occupancy or use thereof;
(c) im~lementation of multiple use and sustained yield

management
. .· 111 forest , de-velopmen t an d
. lands· , the protect1·011
preservat10n
']dl'c of national parks ' marine par lcs, game re f uges
an d w1 11e;
(d) i?Ip~ementation of measures and programs to
prevent lzaingin and managed occupancy of forest and grazing
lands;
(e) the effective, efficient and economic classification of
lands of the public domain; and
(f) enforcement of forestry, reforestation, parks, game
and wildlife laws, rules, and regulations. rn -: • • ••
a. Legality of the closure of a logging road is a judicial

question
PD No. 705 does not vest any power in the Bureau to determine
whether or not the closure of a logging road is legal or illegal and
to make such determination a pre-requisite before an action for
?amages may be maintained. Whether or not such closure was
illegalis a matter to be established on the part of the petitioners and
a matter to be disproved by the private respondents. This should
-------
811
ec. G, PD No. 705.
18
SCR Republic v. Court of Appeals and Bernabe, GR No. L-40402, Murch 16, 1987,
118
Ai:180.
10
8ec. 5, PD No. 705.

, \ I, •iudicinl procoodin1c
hI Il o\l I, 11 I , ft i11%y
1
• \1·\,•
r ,p1111 h1·\Ifft'.. v o,t 11 . l( Burnnu l.o < t~L
'l'tn1ne Lh,J ltt <i~d
\,,ttwr
l'l' 111 • nd n\11
1 1
,nl'l, '., mnc, l I('..•q nwnrc1ot· cony
i11
• \'\'1 11 1. . I,.1l' Ptlyllir,nti!
i I n 1111~:ng 11it. , " Not ,very nct.1v1ly tnai<left ror; 1r,r
·\ ,, 111'1'o h closuJ . ,
( • , ·~hnRt'don sur. . , 1.' t'on of the Burcnu/ 0 '1,
\11llll\l. • , \ \ )\ln OlC ,l
tt. 'I\ \h .·,1bJ, ·\ \.o •1
Holdero{• II 1rnsturelease agreement hns tight Of

h.
posscs:ion ' .
t
•
of n pa. h I f' l hko lIQI
sture lease ngreemcnl:,
1
Tlw grnn • •
• ort)ornL10n, 1 t'hc
1115 '
right to
.
t e aw u possession of'
1 (ve\opnwi11,
• t ,0 icrt.yfort11epeiJ •
: od stated m the agreement .
and~ny
,'
tlw 1 c,, )lllOr1its possess10n
• 11hJ • is a V1!id
'- ground . for the issuance · ofa
<l1Kt.ur
mnc •• . • • •
writ of prcEminaryman<latoryll1Jlll 1 ction in its favor.' 1
C. Classification and Surveys

07. Classification.
The DbNR Secretary shall study, devise, determine and

prr..crihct.h criteria,guidelinesand methods for the proper and
nccumt.classification and surveyof all lands of the public domain
intongrieultural, industrialor commercial,residential, resettlement,
minernl timberor forest,and grazing lands, and into such other
cln"c. n now or may hereafter be provided by law, rules and
regulation• He shall determinewhich of the unclassified landsof
tlwpublicdomainare nee<led forforestpurposes and declare themas
Jl<rmnn'nt.for st. t.oformpart ofthe forest reserves, He shall deem
11 r.ln.•if\ d nnddetermined
1.lio". not to be needed for forest purposes
n • hennbl nnddisposable lands,the ad1ninistra tive jurisdictionautl
mnna~'tn 'Ill of whichshnilbe transferred to the Bureau of Lands,
nowiLd11~d" Management
n • ·cc Im· •ho,· , t t' Bureau.Mangroveand other swampsnot II
l • ••I , , d. p1o •'c .1011and suituble for fish pond purposos shu
x l t ns Lo,nn<lplu ·ed llncle1·t1 l d . . . . . . . . nnd
'Ill of
n111nH~'1•ni ll )> 10 n tn1111strntiveJm 1sd1ct.ion
f' ,- of PisllOl'Jos · nnd Aquntic R\OSO• m·ces,
1
'I'ho <',• till Lo• be' d•11

ieHi-;'i.>un,nu ,
Lo rc•n1111n -
11, Pill'!. of l I 1
ie,~llncler
. . Lh)
0 11 1t111uo
Pl'osont syst:om sha co1 ·
ll, })1111
> le lor
08 t.~i
''Of
- ~ng11uv. C11HiGH N
''I , o .••1 ,t,1(1tte1/\ 'I
• s 'll1ii·urn
1GG85.1I) • • •>
on\ Cor1101·
n v. l lGJ l
noSCRA· 260. .
11t.10 • I Jll'I 1fi, 1fl88 l
'
11.To
GR ,, ·
.,'.,,
··Sec.c.18,
h, -OOG.
PD No. 705. ' )ovHlopmont Corporation,
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• t,r,1
,t·,ion,
(IH~Buren,1...·' nzmg 1ands Rhnll romnin und •r
n. Concept of forest
,S und forest In d
rJ'J l • « n s
J ie . ex1cographers defi "
. 1nc 'forcr:;t,,, "
covered w1th a natural growtl 1 . • • HS D forge tract of land
. . say that- tio1 trees• and
wood.,, ri,1 1rn at11;, ]rnribes " un cJer - hrus h; a large
not an insignificant meaning 'lJ·,d t~lcw~rd 'forc.c;t"has a significant,
Partly• woodland. It is a t;1·,ict
' c l
f ] 1at it-' doe8 not cm brace land only
( 0 Hll( 1 C d •h
of considerable extent 'rI1e £ . t· ovcre w1t trees, usually
• o1es,ers say that n O I l d fi • . f
"forest"is practicable or useful. B I~I . c cg~ ~ mt10n o
• • .... Baden-Powell m his w k
Forest Law of India, states as follows: ' or on
"Every defi_nition of a forest that can be framed for

legal ~urposes will be found either to exclude some cases
~o wluch the la': ough~ to apply, or on the other hand, to
include so1ne with which the law ought not to interfere.
It may be necessary, for example, to take under the law a
tract of perfectly barren land which at present has neither
trees brushwood, nor grass on it, but which in the course
of time it is hoped will be 'reboise'; but any definition wide
enough to take in all such lands, would also take in much
that was not wanted. On the other hand, the definition, if
framed with reference to tree-growth, might (and indeed
would be almost sure to) include a garden, shrubbery
orchard, or vineyard, which it was not designed to deal
with." 2"
There is a big difference between 'Yores~" as_ defined in n,
dictionary and ''forest or timber land" as a cl~ss1ficat~on_of la~ds of
the public domain in the Constitution. One 1s descr1pt1ve_ofw~1at
appears on the ]and while the other is a legal status, n class1ficat10n
for1ega]purposes.:m
.~:isec.1'1,ibid. B N l 9 1918 39 Phil. 175.

~11) f I d GR
.tamos v. Dir<~ctoro -'an s, • No • 1329 ' GR
ov.N• ' -56984
' Sept. 30, 1987,
~r,R d Ct:1)'l:lllt0S o• 1
~
..j '
cpublie v. Court of ApponJs on • '
101SCRA'17G.

I',;7,uo1111
,, 111,\1,11
c,,:s,,N!),,i,uc·
()NMl•:N'I/\, ;/\,J
':~:s,·,s
!,,
I \ \\' 0 N,\ 11, FOIi 1,:NVI II
11 n/11nnt'l•:ll\llll•,
11 ''l'or<)HL"or vast, trnct

"I' 1·c,·t l111u •
I" 4 111rlt!c 10111,IIH
• , ,,,H
l1Hof 1,1c... 1111
d uncI·}
er wusn.l How fi()f
f' .. f' Vt!t
1'1H' n : 1 1 ,ns<' grow , . . i>JH!ll
I'll nee o VJ rgi n 0d ,
Oteat
I l I , rl "' i t , c c 1.
I t he c1i sn . cl . f. oe~
\\'()()(('( Ill rtrc'('Sllll(, I l'Lhepubltc ommn rornror I
t IH'('ll( linr~downn , '·t t,JwlnrHso cJ

,!(l eFit
not.nutomnL1r.11 , llv . cnnvLI
. 11, • ngncu · Jt,uml Jun ·
l It
,,,. Iimbe,· nnr o nlienn> f b th the p ubl'Jc· L·an d ,,ct A ~ncl
1, • I in the cont.ext ol do of the public domain int
•01cs.s, ·r •ng an s d . "o
Lhr ConsLil.ul.ionclnsm_ \'ber minerallands an , national Parks,"
"m.!ric11lt11 rnl, forest or 1111 1 : . tract of wooded land or an expanse
• I•,~ , to n m ge
l
• h 21 A
<lonot ncccssnnly c c, Of tl'ecs nnd underbrus , s expoundec]
cov•1·cdby dense growt,b
·-~o(Amuna,cb l ,c1uiv. Director of Forestry: 28
by the Court m • 1 cu
J'J · '
• "A forcstcrl. nrea c1assified as forest 'fi land
. of. the
I
• •• rl t lose such class1 cat10n s1mp y
JJUbhc
Lccr1usc domam
loggersocs no , may have
or settlern . stripped it of its
r1ores"
4 cover •\1,,.e}s
.. 1)., " of land classified as forest d land
may acLua, 11y 1.e
u "''overed with grass or plante
, ,
to crops
by /wingin cultivatorsor other f~rmers .. Forest lands do
not have to be on mountains or m out of the way places.
Swampy ureas coveredby mangrove trees, nipa palms,
nnd other trees growing in brackish or sea water may
also be classified as forest land. The classification is
descriptive of its legal nature or status and does
llOt have to be descriptive of what the land actually
looks like. Unless and until the land classified as 'forest'
is released in an officialproclamation to that effect so that
it may form pa~t of the disposable agricultural lands of
the pubhc domam, the rules on confirmation of imperfect
title do not apply." (Emphasis supplied)
b.
P~blitc
pi 1va eforests o1:t'o_restreserves are not capable of
appropriation
Public forestlands 01, forest reser .
released by positive net of ti ves, unless declassified and
P•ut of Lhc disJJosabJcng,·icu:; ~o~et•n,nent so that they may form
1111
not cupuhlc of Pl'ivntoHJlJH·oiw.'l _. lands of the public domain, are
co f, t· •• .in 1•10 11. As to tl l
n JJ mu ,1011of 1mpe1•foet 1'tl 1 1ese assets the rues on
, ,l, o < o not npply.~o ,
0
~ 811pr,1.
,,,,
• llt!JH1hlic
v. N11~uiut GH N
id 01 , o. lil112oq
1
" l No,_L-127H73, Nov, 20, IHSa, 12;' n11, 21: 2006, 4 79 SCRA 685,
Hopuhhcv. Nnguint, SltJ)ro, ( scnl\ h9,

Cllt\P'l'J,:,~ Ill '
111
1
,V/%'1> 1•
(l11·1•1dt1,,nu111
,·) ' •Of! ft:!!'f'l(Y (:()()(,:
""r,.,,N,,. 'l(lf,)
U1ul<'I'S1•rf.ion 1 ;\ rf i 1 X
. I , ' •t:n,lfof'tl (' .
Ill( ' H<'lroI 1<111c ocl.r1tl( ,tll I • H! ,orrnI.1Iution wi • 1 L .
""' ' 1
lllHAoftl . • • , nu:n,!mo<HW1
"ud<i- I.ht• Rotn·ce of inw ,,,~ • ie puhl1c dornniri hr•l<mc, t<,I h,,
I . • nRerf C'd ri ,}
,) • h , ' •
I,1nd~ nof. npJWlll'lllL~ to be c], . •• _r,11• f.o owrwrnhip of Jnnd. /\ll
( f)
bf'long .o • lC
"f , A
.,11. ".
a, 1.Yof Privnf , J • •
cco1·clin r] . ,c < ornm1on pr •sumpti.v •ly
·r· ..J ]
rccl11s~11cu or re enscd HA n)i
gy,puhhclnnJ
lI . (snot s hown to h:ivc he •n
cna 1 e ngnc lt
fl private P rson by the Stat . . u urn 11nnd or alienn ted to
. U d S .
rlonrnm. n . er ecbon 6 of t11 p
e J crnam pnrt 0 ft h •
. l
.
, c rnalienable pu hi ic
i
of dn sifying or reclnssifying 1, e ubhc Lnnd Act, the prerogRtive
t,he public domain, i.e., from
r0 rcst. or mineral to agi:icultuancls of
JI • • ra nnd u. b
cxecutwe branch of the governm t ice versa, elongs to the
en nnd not the courts.:10
Unwarranted appropriation f .
notorious practice resorted to in 1 pu O °
_he l~nds has been a
reason, the Court has made it . ~n~ _reg1strat10ncases .. For this
. . a point to stress when appropriate
that dee.1assi 61cation. of. forest and mineral lan ds,' as t h e case may be'
and theff conversion
. . into alienable and d'1sposable lan ds nee d an'
express and positive
. act from the government . For, unclass1'fi ed lan d
cannot ~e acquired by adverse occupation or possession; occupation
th~reof 1n the c?ncept of ow;11er,however long, cannot ripen into
pr1vateownership and be registered as title.31
In Yngson v. Secretary of Agriculture, 32 it was held that until
timber or forestlands are released as disposable and alienable,
neither the Lands Management Bureau nor the Bureau of Fisheries
and Aquatic Resources has authority to lease, grant, sell, or
otherwise dispose of these lands for homesteads, sales patents, leases
forgrazing or other purposes, fishpond leases, and other modes of
utilization. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has no
jurisdiction to administer and dispose of swamplands or mangrove
landsforming part of the public domain while such lands are still
classifiedas forest Jand or timber land and not released for fishery
or otherpurposes.
If the land forms part of the public forest,_possession thereo!,
nomatter how Jong, cannot convert it into private property as 1t
is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Bureau and beyond the
-------
:JU
:nSupra, _ , ct 19, 2000, 343 SCRA 716; R~public
v /\ . De Ocampo v. Ados, GR No. 135527, OSORA 499; Lacson v. Del Rosario, 151
Sc nunns, GU No. L-37682, Mul'ch 29, 197'1, 56
HA714, GRNo. L-771'18, June 30, 1987•
:iirm 1\T,.L Q~QA7 .Tu]v 20, J.983, 1.23scnA44.1.

1' l UHCES AND RULl~S
W ON N/\'l'UII.Ali H.!,svo,,ioNMl1:NTAL CAsgs
J()() 1,/\
OF l'IWCl.;l)IJll,
11t • I1'0 ll h N
0
11
I' 11 rof'iHLrt1l,ion court.:i:, Thero cnn he
J)O\V<.'l' 1111d ju1·i11dicf.ioO nl~J od:, ovor
JnndA not; yet classified ns
no imperfect Lil.le to ho con) II n~ficnHonof forest land is an OXJJt•cAA
]• 111thlo Doc uss1. , , d N. ,
diRpoHnhlc
•• or n 10 • • t H
.t of govern men . , , •cHnnot be presume . 01thcr
nnci pos1t.ivo nc' I nivo<J.f'·
1
should it he ignored nor doomoc w
As ru]ml m , tho c11Hc
. , o(' lle'Pubtic v. Court of Appeals and
Caran/c,c;::'~
"(F)orei-d,1nnds or forest ,·O1-10rvcsarc not capable of

• • 1111<1 pcm~u.
privntc 11p1n·opn11t.10n ' however
• , •f:rnion 1'110roof
' ·
Jong cannot. convert them into privnte property (Vnno v.
Gov~rnment.0 (' Phi]ipp'ino Js'lnnds, 11l Phi.1.161; Adot'ablc
v. Dircctm· of"11 orcstry, 107 Phil. 1101;Director of Forostty
v. Muiio1., 23 SCR/\ 11.8:-l;Ropublic v. De la Cnt7., 67
SCJV\ 221; Dfrcctor ol' Lnnds v. Hoyos & Alinsunurin v.
Direct.or of' LnrnlR, 68 SCH.A 177; HopubJic v. Court; of
Appen]s, 8~)SCH.A(·MB;nu<lDi·,··ctol' of Lnnds v. Court of
1
J\ppea1s, 1:JaSCH.A701) nnlcRRsuch 'Innds nre reclassified

nnd considerccl clisposnhle nnd nlionnbJe by the Director
of l◄ oresLry, but even then, posses8ion of tho land by tho
upplicanLs J>l'jor to the .tedass:iGcotion of the land as
di~posable nncl a_lienahlecannot bo crcrlitod as part of the
thuty-yca,· 1:equn·em~.ntunder Section 11 (b) of the Public
Lund J\ct (D1rectorof .Lands v. Coul't of Appeals, supra).
X:Xv
•A
X. xx xxx
A person cannot enter into forest· land d l ti
sjmplc uct of' cuJt.iv11tingII 1>ort·il>11 C)(·. t..1 t iltn d >y 10
c1e 1 s t·owurrIs un evontunl . ' ('
• d't, . , 1n an ' onrn
t'J tl e. Tl le gove..nment lllllHI fil·st 11
con l ·mntton of imporfoct
I
to be aJienuble nncl di , • •l l • ( ~c Hl'o the forest land
the your of ontl'y eulti;P 1<).HH> 0 Hgt·ictlltnrnl land before
•' ) II ,IOI} Hild <'Xe! ' ..J l
possesHion eu11be cou,11 1 1.', •• llH1vonnu nc vot·s 1
,O( OI Pll l'll 0808 ,. ' •
title." o nn unpol'lect
1
a!Ho1111hlicV, Court. of /\pJH111l111111d
f I'
89. SCfl/\ 01H; Din cto1· of L11nd11 v 1\1,,,1 ,1111Ii 11111d11' CI'
' \ No. t,.:11>-17~1. <J
April ~o.Hl7,,
' li'.ll( ll ('H N
SCHAa~J)j
f>, •
' ' 11• I,.~ IHl 1 I, ,luly Hi, W7o, (i(i
l'octor of L1111tlH v, (;
M1111111w11w11t . ,
01
HJ80, WB SCHA 77, ll I. 01 l\ppo111ti, 0 H No. 8 Ul(il, April 18,
1111
GH No. L-f>(lfJ81,S0111..
:lo, l!lt17, 1/i,1 R<!Hf\ , 'lo.
1

)())
'l'he ourt in h'('/nil,/fr, ,

· ·1111·!,,
~11111 .
lwld: • v. Lot1.rl.of 11/J/H!(J /11 onrL lfornalu: 111
".MOl''OVPI'• ·1
• is well-Hell I I
• ' l,
i~ voi<l.when it cov ,1. . • '· e, I.lint n c:ertificnf.(~ of tit.I,!
., 1H opc,ty of
0
I111• ,
HS forest timber nn 1 . • pu c dornnrn d11HHifi<:d
01·
, t ITilllCl'lll l11 J8 /\ , .
on non-d1sposnbJc Jot IH •
• ny t.1tl • J88U •d
,.;:,eucn in Lh, I
O
innocent purchaser r0 ,. v l • • c ,.anc1,s of an ctlle!ferl

. a.ue s 1rnll be c•
Conso I1dated Mining C i•
' ,rncell '<.I (f , •p:int.o
540 [] 979] u d . · ompnny v. Dumyung 89 SCR/\
• • n c1scormg supplied) T ' .
will be noted that- ii .. . . • n the cnse nt har, ,t
, 1 g1antmg titles lo th I d. c1·
the lower court count d ti . • • c an in ispute,
e 1e penocJ of' 0 • f •
respondents before tJ1 _ . P sscss10n o private
. • . .. . e same were released as forest J;rnds
1
fo1 d1spos1t10n,
h l . which release is tr:'.•ntamot
~ in
t to qua 1,·rying.
t e a_tter to a grant on said lands while they were still
non-disposable.
. Thus , under · the f'orcgorng • ru 1mgs,. even
assuming th~t t.he transferees arc innocent purchasers
for v~lue, their titles to said lands derived from the titles
of private respondents which were not validly issued as
they cover lands still a part of the public domain, may be
cancelled."
The case of Republic v. Naguiat 31 affirms the foregoing

principles. The court, through Justice Garcia, held that public forest
lands or forest reserves, unless declassified and released by positive
act of the government so that they may form part of the disposable
agricultural lands of the public domain, are not capable of private
appropriation. As to these assets, the rules on confirmation of
imperfect title do not apply.
c. Mangrove swamps are in the category of forest

lands
Mangrove swamps or 1~anglares s.hould b_e. u~1ders~~od
as comprised within the pubhc forests of the ~h1hpp11:es.. l he_
?Jassification of mangrove swamps as forest lands 1s ~e~cr1pt,1veof
1t1, JegaJnature or status and does not have to be descr1pt1ve of w!1at
the Jand actually looks like. Mangrove swamps could not theref~re
be the subject of the adverse possession and consoquent ownership.
:wGil 'J 'J ' MUl.C,Jl If'>, ]987 I 148 SCRA 480.
. N o. I.J.A()AQ2
17
: GR No. J:J'1209, ,Jan. 24, 2006, 479 SCRA 686 •

Cl•'SAND llULl•:S
NA'l'UH.AI,1n:sou~NM 1,:N't'Al, cAsgs
1,/\ W O~l'J)tJln: FOB.1,;NVIH.
lm'. OF PHOL 11
I I,ore,
HH . 81•, lnnd and reclassified ns
'l'hLy nnt~I. 'Director o . r◄ 01.·est Development.
rtl,·~t, he IrcloHHC< 1
n1,ricult.nrnllnrnl hy t. lt plnn of mangrove swarnp~
' 11 O r 11 survey
,, men' existence ·would not have the effect of
le , • t • or Lu IH 1s . . . ]
• ,(l hy
npp1ove • the D11·c!c ,o, wumps ns forest · ·1and, 1nto agricu
f h turaJ
• , t.he mnngrove
con,rorting O
fl R
ls hns no ·'
nu 1,horit-y
, to disposeDo t I e sarne
lnncl. The Direct.or .AllH .. • 1 , Director of Forest eve opment
1 18 11
un<l rt.he Public 1,and Act.. t, • ~ , • whether forest Jand is more
11011··ty lo det.er1111ne • b . r .
who hns t.hc nut. l (' l'cstry uses, as a as1stor its
,. •
• It • 1rat·her
valuable for ngncu ,rnn ' 'I t,11.wn °· · · h'
• ..,)case for private owners Ip.JR
1
dcclnrntion ns ngricult.urnl lnnc ;.1.;.j:~wrjcs and Aquatic Resources
t.h
On the other hnnd, e Burc~n~o.. '"• d' m:ie of· swamplands or
hus no jurisdiction to ndmnus~;m· or b;.s·pd.. ain until such lands
mangrove lanclRforming n.pnrt o.f.the pu .,c . om :-i~
have been re lensed for fishery or other purposes:.
d. Borncny island is a fo1~cst land, hence inalienahl_e;

only the govcnnnen.t can deter111ine the manner in
which the island should be disposed of or conveyed
to private individuals
'J'he consolidated petitions in Marav,:Zla v. 1itpas•w basically
raise the issue of whether or not private individuals, like petitioners,
may acquire vested right of ownership ovel' the Boracay island,
based on the nlJegution that: they hnve been in open and continued
posse sion of u portion thorcof' (10,000 sq. m.) for several years.
Jn ruling against, petitioners, I.ho Coul't, citing Secretary of
the Department of IE1wironmcnt and Natural Resources v. Yap,"
reitcrnted tlu,t except for lan,ls already covered by existing titles.
Boracuy ":"" an nnclnssificd land or the public domain prior to
Proclama twn No. I OU~. Unclass ifled lands n ro considc,· ,ct pub! ic
fo;~st :mder PD No. 705. Un1·1way1nny hnvo boon partly stripp,,d
ol 11.s for,mt, cover l.n ]lavo tho way for con,nuwcinl d, vtilopmont..
Indeed,"" 11p1·, mior tourist. <loal.innt.innfor locnl Hill! foroi~n tourists,
<II! Nu I .11•1•)111·
fiOH. lltlJ)jn;cto,· or Vim 11try v. Vil111r1111l, I' l •17 t<)d() 170 SCHA
' '\ ...,... ,, ,,, ), foJ ' \. Ct, t
avu( puhlic
)(38SCHA 111,dMnrculo ' ( 1H N l · I •·•W048 , Nov. :.w,l C)8~.
77. v. Court, or App1111l11 1
◄ GH No. 1!):ll:1:l, SuJ>t..l•I,

0
;!01(1, dti 11.. l>t•'NI' t, y , , OH No.

1G7707, (kt. A, 200A. ' ..., , \ ,..,Ol!l'O ·
1111'}' V, 1 11
41
GH No. lll7707, Oct.. U, ~OOH.

CHAp1,EH JI
(P,. '.-- ln:vrmm,, o .
fll1h•11fi11JJ),. _ Hf•,fi'fHY ('.()l)f,'
, '' ('(•' "· 7oi) , rna
J3oracay appears
d N
lllorp ('
, o n cor
forest 1an • e er01eie~R • lltnc1·ci11Ii!d111 I
ulti-mil.1ionp Robenc'l•. thnt tho ncc111Hl IH r<?f1ort.,rnfJlflr f.h11t1 n
l}1 . l 1·p~ . ll ,fl of Hrr, , t 1 .
JreadY be n st.npiwct l){' ., " 01 1,!i 011 thp hi I > ru,_ 1:,w! 01JJlt
11 • . , li.A few, , ' lltl( j l.hnf tJ , • ,, J h
0
f Proclanrnt.1011No . .lOGi:1 . e~t covc~r;or th 1 : • H, 1.~ ,inr n:
. acr t· • ., Will ckAtr . llf. •1H! irnpl<!mr!ntntir,n
<lonot n t.fl • It.R chnrnct .
• ,
oy th rn1nnd'
l as J)U} 1· 8 t,ouri~un
l . .
1ndu~try
I 1
,, h ~n roe anrntwn No ) 1c forest It ~ . . ••
106 • , wa.- on 1Y in 2006
w'
ble an d opened to •priv 4t Posi1,jy ely c1ecJarecJ

t1IienR part of ri
. r'd tl t . . a e owners}11• S . JOrncn.vati
14-lp10,1 e 1a 1t1sonlytl
. .d .
p
• 1e res1d t
. P- ect10ns6ancl7 fC\N
1
. o 1 o.
ofthe p1ope1. epa1tment head l en 'upon the recommendation
Jands of the public domain int'Owl~ohas the authority to classif the
·
n11nera I 1an ds. p roclamation No.a ienab]e °1• d' . isposable, timber and
1064
hectares of reserved forest land d classified Boracay into 400
Jand. Therefore, the island b • an 628•96 hectares of agricultural
declared or made subject of p;~ngtowned by the State, can only be
iva e ownershi b th
And only t h e government can d t . . P Y e government.
island should be disposed f e ei mme th e manner in which the
o or conveyed to • t • a· . l 1
Pursuant to the Regalian doct. • . Wh ~nva e ~n 1V1c ua s,
. bl • nne. ere land 1s not alienable and
disposa e, possession of the land no matt h
. . , er ow 1ong cannot confer
ownersh Ip or possessory right.
e. Th~ IPRA converts ancestral lands as public

agricultural lands for registration purposes
For purposes of registration, RA No. 8371, or the Indigenous
Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) expressly converts ancestral lands into
public agricultural land which may be disposed by the State. Hence,
there is no need to secure a separate certification that the ancestral
land is A and D in character, it being sufficient to show that the land
is duly identified, delimited, and certified as such.
f. Topography
No land of the public domain 18% in_slope or over sha!l ?e
• bl e a nd di'sposable, nor any forest land 501/om
c1ass1'fi e d as a 11ena
slope or over, as grazing land.
. which have already been declared
Lands 18% In slope or over t d t the classificntion
as alienable and disposable shall be rev;i ;ori: part of the forest
of forest lands by the DENR Secret:7v'ered by existing titles or
reserves, unless they are _alr~ady or actua11y occupied openly,
approved public land apphcatw~sl fi a period of not less than
continuously, adversely, and public YCo~ where the occupant is
30 years as of the effectivity of th e O e,

1, \ \\' nN N,, '/'17111'I, f{l•;Sf JI Jllt:f,;S /\ ND HUl.l•~R
/OJ rw ,•,rrn,,mrurn FOil ,,;NvrnnNM 1•:N't'/\T,CJ\SI~s
d fr,r· 11 frN' pn1,,11f 1111d1•rt./rn /'11/,/ic L1111dAct

1111nlific
N • l 1 l,
0
C)
/1.'-l 11111t•1Hfr,r/). It , (CJ\
I (• ,. ro,•cs
, ·t, JJU ,·poses
<'rlc, o 18< .
If. A r·<'n.., 11<' 1·rt J1cy :.1re below . % In slope
'l'IH• following Inn, 1s, not, t
mrl m11y
CVCJI , • IICJ .e Ci
ore, be c1ass1fied
. , llt(!
• • c,f Jlll'J)OSCS,
Tlf'('Ci<1cl fnr (01c'. • I
l . .
I Jc Jnnrl, to uni. <la
• • I I • J(/ rli1,po.saJ 1· h f'
,.,,,,,,,,,<n1 ,
2 0 /Jecta1
·es w 11c are ar fro-
A
lll'c• not, con t,1g
Jess llurn o 1· bl d .
cerUfied a iena .,., Ot e an d1sposa.b1
(n) ll0t1S Wl'tl l, any•
11_rcns e
Jnnd:
(b) lsolatedpate/Jesof forest of ~t least five hectares

wi, ·11I l'Oclcy terrain' or whichprotect a sprmg for conununaJ Use-
,
(c) Areaswhich/Javealready been reforested;

0 (d) Areaswithinforest_concessions which are titnbered
,. have goodresidual stockmg to su~port an existing, or
''JJJJ/·oved
to be established,Woodprocessmg plant;
(e) Ridge tops and plateaus regardless of size fou d
emanate; who)Jyor partly by, forestlands Whe~e
wit/Jin,or surrounded
headwaters
(I) Appropriatelylocatedroad-rights-or-way;
(g) Twenty-meterstrips of land along the edge of the
normal
at highmeters
leastfive waterline of rivers and streams with channels of
wide·
'
• (h) Strips ofmangrove or swatnplands at least 20 meters
~1de,alongsh_o1·elinesfacing oceans, lakes, and other bodies of
Water,and strips ofland at least 20 thet 'd JY • 1 k
(i) Ai·eas needed f . t1 ,,, ers W1 e racing a es;
01 0
Parks, national historic _ ler Purposes, such as national
(J)
0
Q)
:,
8anctuaries' lioi·e • als ~ltes,
s t s t at1011 t game
d refuges and wildlife
:,
/0
1
C.
::: and es, an others of Public interest;
g:
()
Q)
3
IQ1• st (j) A1·easPrevious/
• 1 . .
(J)
0 10 1
, by the. President . as
Q)
:,
:,
~
naee ·ese1•ves
18 • , ia t'ionaJPar/ .
Y PlocJa11ned
, 1h1sto1•1c
na hl'1nes,/Jat'Iona • : ts, ~anie·,. refuge, bird sanctuaries,
~
Sec.15 Pl)~,
• s1 ,es.
' ivo. 705.

Clli\J>'l'l,:H111-. HI•' , .
(Pt•p,tj ,VIHJ•,I)lt{)l(J,:~n·1tv
COIH~ ,or;
1),. 1:r,,1, No, '/O/i)
d11J1l.i11I
Jn c1t11enn n1·on 1'nllill1t \tn ,

1
I d] hll\ ,e been t.iI.led in I'I\V()l' . of~ l\lly
rn· fl ".Y of 1.hnf'orPHoi 11g <:11
P<'l'll(Jll I · I 11L
U•t{ori,,H
I · ·r·
•q )111·.. 111.t' \•-.. ~() l'("(l\tt't•('14, lo I1nv' • 'I' .
•. ( t'"~(· 1 /l ,(!J)/1 I\ HI rJf: l.11(<~n,I
IJ'') H, • l • • . . L lllltc l.11.lc~c:1111ccdl<!d or ttrn<:nd,!d,
or t.lH, t•1(•l<'Cn, t~n<'Xp1 op1·1 n I·ed · rn
Reservations in forestlands a·nd ff h

os. o -s ore areas.
'l'l , Prcsi<lcnt inny est· l1.1• J · l · ·
w • •
• {ore~t-reserve 'll d " ~ ,I u ts 1 wit 1m any lnndR of the public
00in:un, _ -.. ·_ .: .. .. . ( 1_. 1,0rest ~·~scrvation for Lhe nHtiomtl
pnrk system, fox Pl esei:vnl.ion ns cr1l1c11I wal.crHheds, or for n ny
other purpose, and _modifybou11d_urics of'existing oncH.'f'hc DRNR
Secretarymay reserv.e and estab~~shany portioh of the puhl,c forc8t
r forest reserve as SJte or experuncntnl f'orcstfor use of the Forest
~csearch Institute .
When public interest so requires, uny off-shore area needed

• the preservation and protection of its educational, scicnti_fic,
fottorical, ecological and recreational values including the manne
::~:found therein, shall be established as marine parks.''
a. Reservation of
. land for UP' s expenment • and
research station vests in i·t rig
• l1t s o f' owners 111p
•
and to ~olle~t forest charges from existing timber
concess1ona1res
I~ !nt~rna~:ional Ha~dwoo~ and Veneer Co. v. University al
thePhilippines, ' the President issued a proclamationwithdrawing
from sale and settlement, and reserving for the University of
the Philippines (UP) as experiment station for its research and
extensionfunctions, a parcel of land of the public domain, with an
area of 3,500 hectares. Subsequently, RA No. 3990 was enacted
reservingthe same land for the same purpose. Pursuant to this law,
the "reserved" area was "ceded and transferred in full ownership to
(/)
theUniversity of the Philippines subject to any existing concessions,
if any."The above reservation, however, happened to be within the
()
0)
::i
::i
(t)
C.
::E
areacovered by petitioner's timber license. Has_DPthe auth~r!ty to
~ collectforest charges or to supervise the operut10nby the pet1t.Ioner
0
0)
3
(/)
()
0)
ofthe timber concession affected by the Act?
::i
::i
~
1:i
Sec. 16, PD No. 705.
1
;sec. 18, PD No. 705.
1 )GRNo. 521518, Aug. 13, 1991, 200 SCRA 5fi4,
,·q()IIJ/l:l•:,4t\Nr > HlJl ,J,:i
r✓ ,·111111'1, II !N·•VIIH>N1\H:N'l'/\I'
I,\ I\' I lN ~ Ill fl.I,•()II I•,
C/\f!J,:H
11111 (II' 1•111H
Id)
, I , 11mr1111ttiv,·, I.IH! Co11r1. t· I

• ,111111 I I i,,,l
I' 1llc· 11-1,111 I 1,·0111/,,rn'r.
1 I. 11! prop,)rl,y f .r l~.
\ 111\\'I' t 111, • / / II 1H / • • • ,<J ( J ·11
1,. 1111i1ir1'1' 11 '' 1,•. 1111.l,,1puhlH:dornn1111111cJ .. Ji.·
I i I II,· ,1 I • J lnnc 'o . . ' lt1 tr, ' 1
" n 111• •I, r,•11111,·1·d HIIH • J)('r lic;c!llHC
of JH'l.1t1orH!r, r<~tri< -1r,,.f1
,•,111111t•lt) 11 , 1111'1.1111 . I·, If' . . 'V('d .
II' 1111· 111·,·11 ""':1•1·1•1 1) 1hlic fnreHI.:
1
ii.dtveHl.ec I .He of If.fl ri1ini ~,,~
,d il 1!·0111r .Pl • 1 ,d 1111
, , '('1,1111 d conveyed I.he 8H1YJ(! I.<,th~ :1n,4
~ll I, I • I '(Ii11q11Is HI I f t. (! lJ .I
Ii( It• 1IH•n•Io n1H i l , lu l.c owner t wreo ' Ru OJect, or, I J1.
l11
11NLlw n ,1,0 1· " . . y to
1
, "d1.111111<•
I h'.• .
1 14
rr Ill g cxIR t1ng conccs ·. th.,
'l'lw prouisn rcr:;1
•':1n11111!c·orn•fi_ion. I'. rnc of pcl.lt1oncr, but nll thnt it Rion~
1 1 1
11111
rdt•rH I < • ht•1 1'0 ll'".- ' ~\'' i-pcl.it.ioncrns a timber Iicenscc ....,lhen~1.
111)'\ 'l'\'<'J' 1~ t hn11.1c11g l l '"USt..,
.. ('1('(• I lllljllll
• • i·c•cl .,L•l1cd rnt 11
, or 111111111
J • • mus
. I, .JC}rcspect,1c1
. rrlQtt,vvev
t
1 1•
b(• 11!1( ,c 11
insof11 ,."" ;.hr H"IW blic iR c~nccrned '. n , ts rcg its as [:rnn tor of
lic<'llH<'wen' pffoctivc]yt1Ss1gncd, ceded nnd conveyed to Dp h
COllHt'qut'llC<' of' the above trnnsfer of fu]l .ownership. 'rhe ar as.a
qu1•Ht.ion havingbeen, in effect, convcrLcdinto a registered :a in
woodland,the m1t.hor1ty • m1< l Juris . • of t11e B· ureau of FPr1vat
• • <l'1ct10n < e
1
ovtr it werelikewiseterminated. However,petitioner as Ii orestty
1trn11lee,ninycontinuel.ocut, collect,and remove timbe ~enseeor
nre:i cededand transferredto UP until its concession r .rornthe
llwfornHI.
cluu·gcs
or royaltiesshall now be paid to th expires, h11t
th,, UP. e new owner
,
D. Utilization.and Management
09. Multipleuse.
Onlythe utilization,exploitation,occupation, or possession

of nny forestlnnd,or any activity therein, involving one or more
or its resources,whichwill producethe optimum benefits to the
dcvclop,ncnt. and Progressof the country and the public welfare,
withouti111p11irment or with the least injury to its other resources,
Rhnl! benllowed.10 Cl'iticul Watersheds,national parks and established
xp.enmcntnJ
rnzing • l'ests
operations shall
and g not. be
1· subject
b' to commercial
• logging
· or
d
(/)
()
Q)
fic•nshorc JJ111-](
6 shn]] t b b. '
:::,
:::, • 8 • 110 ainele uges, n·d sanctuaries marine an
• nicrc111
• 1nueltcsu
re_.,.
(1)
0..
:E ntt •iviI•ie of com Ject l:ohUn ting 01· fishing and other
g:
(")
Q)
3
(/) "· Presc1•v11tio11 '1J1c( . .
()
Q)
:::,
:::, • Adhc,·encc
1.oJl1thJj
, ]'
~ otcction or fot•osts Ill
lo1·estlands. f'onsonnnt~Jl~icy ~ho11Jc] ho l'ollowo<lWith respect to
~ ;;soc.is, J>nNo.
706
' y' Il1 D,l'ec•t
GRNo.L-217cl(· J •
• •
01• /'
o '01•est1:yv. Munoz;
17 the z:1
1
• >, lino 28 l!) .
, • ha, 2a sent\i1as.
CIIAP'l'Ell Ill - lllWISl~I) FOH.11:8 11'llY corn,; 107
(Pl'o11iilo11t.lnl
Docrou No, 70/i)
Court, throug\ J.usti~o. Snnchez, mticulut:od t.he need t.o proHervc

itll d )
>rotect f01 ests, rnz..
"Mnny l\l~ve \~l'It.1:on

• much, nnd mnny more huve
11
spoken, a _ d quite of ten, nbout the pressing nee<lfor forest
preservat10n, . conservntion, prnt:ection, development
1
nn<l 1:eforestnt ~n. Not: without justification. For, forests
const1tute a. vital segment of any country's natural
resources. It 1s of common knowledge by now thnt absence
of the necessary green cover on our lands produces a
number of adverse or i)l effects of serious proportions.
Without the trees, watersheds dry up; rivers and lakes
which they supply are emptied of their contents. '.L1hc
fish disappear. Denuded areas become dust bowls. As
waterfalls cease to function, so will hydroelectric plants.
With the rains, the fertile topsoil is washed away;
geological erosion results. With erosion come the dreaded
floods that wreak havoc and destruction to property -
crops, livestock, houses and highways - not to mention
precious human lives. Indeed, the foregoing observations
should be written down in a lumberman's decalogue."
And in Ramos v. Director of Lands, 18

Justice Malcolm stated:
"Indubitably, there should be conservation ~f t~e

natural resources of the Philippines. 'rhe prod1gahty
of the spendthi:ift who squanders his substa~ce for the
pleasure of the fleeting mome~t mus~ be rest_rained for ~~e
less spectacular but surer pohcy which protects Natures
wealth for future generations."
The primordial importance of preserving w~tersheds was

explainedin Sta. Rosa Realty Development Corporation v. Court of
(/)
Appeals10 as follows:
0
OJ
:::,
:::,
(1)
t f watershed is water
a.
:, "The most' important pro duc O 8 • 'l'l
~ ' . t t human nocess1ty. 1e
("')
OJ
which is one of the most unpor .an . dcquate supply of
3(/)
protection of watersheds ensureslan a t· ol o('flnshfloods
0
OJ
:::,
:::,
• . nnd t 10 con ,r
waler for future gencrnt10ns
----
~
1
~Gn No, Ja298 Nov 1!l H>18, :If) Phil. l7f>.
11) ' ' '
Gil No. 112o2<i, Oct,. 12, 200 I.
11.....
~
1,AWoN NA'l'UHAL1n:sourteris AND nurns

H)~
l•'Oltl•:NViitONM
lll"PHOCl•:11Ui!I•: I\N'l'J\I,
CASES
h t. not. on\y <\ 1111111110property but ul so cu use(s) loss of

1 II Protect.ionol' wntershcds is un 'inter-generational
liws.
rc•sponsibi\it.y' t.hnt ncccls to be 1rnswercd now."
H\ Cit,yGovernmentof Baguio v. Masweng,r,o

the
Simi1nrly,
Conrt. said:
"(Respondents') occupation of the Busol Water
Reserve poses a continuing threat of damaging the
preservation or viability of the watershed. Any danger
to the sustainability of the Busol Water Reserve affects
not on1yindividua1s or fa1nilies inside the watershed but
a1so the entire community relying on it as a source of a
basic human necessity - water. Furthermore, unlike the
injury private respondents 1nay suffer, any damage to
the Buso1Water Reserve is irreversible and may not only
affect the present generation but also those to come."
b. Principle of intergenerational responsibility

A paradigm which would even qualify as an ideology of the
new age is the protection of the environment. The petition in Oposa
v. Faclora,nr• 1 bears upon the constitutional right of Filipinos to a
balanced and healthful ecology which the petitioners dramatically
associate with the twin concepts of "intergenerational responsibility"
and "inter-generational justice." Specifically, it touches on the
issue of whether petitioners have a cause of action to "prevent the
misappropriation or impairment" of Philippine rainforests and
"arrest the unabated hemorrhage of the country's vital life-support
systems and continued rape of Mother Earth."
Citing the adverse and disastrous consequences of deforestation
(/)
and the mismunag_ementof the country's forests, petitioner minors.
nQ)
::,
represented by thmr porents nncl guurdinns, prnycd thnt respondents
::,
(1)
0. be ordered to cnncel all existing timber liconso agreements in the
:E
;::;:
::r '?untry ~md ceaHc und clusist l'l'om nccopting nncl approving· new
(")
Q)
3(/) L1mhcr licernrn ugl'eemunts. 'l'hoy nllog-ocl thnt. cloform,tntion has

n
Q)
::,
resulted in u ho~t of, onvirnnmontnl trngoc\ios, such ns (n) wnter
::,
~ shortngeH 1·eB11ltmuImm t.hu 1h·yin~ up ot' tho water table, (b)
salinizalion of tho wnt.01·, (c) 11\1\HBivo orm-iionnncl the consequential
M>cmNo. 1%006, ,July ,1, 1018,

1
~ GR No. 10108:), ,July :lO, 1911:i,224 SCRA 792.
~
ll1\P'l'EH Ill_ Hf,' , .

•
(P1·l·•~1f I'111 ,Vl/:if,,I)
I l•'OHJ.;s•,•uy('()/)/•'
., ' 1.Of!
• < l'll • D1•c1·l 0 No. 70r,)
1
0 r~oil fcrt.ility lllld npricult . I ..

las~
d c~f.!llCf.101\
L • •
0
r··, 1le
1,
"
CO\l ll ( I'"'
.u, n 1>1·oducf.1v,ty
· ' '
(d) the nnd1H1f'(~ring
~
ft11 1 • 1 •
(c) the< 1.sturbnnce an I 1·
• ·' H lllJJquu,
·I · 1·11,·e1111clv11ried flora nnd
• · ·
f:ttllH •.::iltaf.1011
• • of • r1vc1·s
• < l 18 ocnf.1011of cultural communilwH,
i"\
1 I ) nnd ~ I I . ·
(1 t w - •
f 1··1].::·ind ot.he1· ll<lllntic l1'rn sen Jee
( ) s and conse4tten trn l dcstruct1on ·
o ro • - ' • • 1L, g rccu1Tent spells of drought ns JS
pn'scnt.ly cxpencnce~ by the entire country; (h) incrc,rning velocity
of typhoon wmds wl 11ch result from I.he nbscnce of windbreakers,
(i) the flooding of lowlands and agricultun1l plains arising from the
nb~cnce.of the abso.rbent mechanism of forests, (j) the siltation and
shorfemng of the hfcspan of muJti-bilJion peso dams, and (k) the
reduction of the earth's capacity to process carbon dioxide gases
which has led to perplexing and catnstrophic climatic changes such
as the phenon1enon of globaJ warming, otherwise known as the
"greenhouse effect."
Petitioners 1naintained that the granting of the timber license

agreements (TLAs) violated their right to a balanced and healthful
ecology;hence, the full protection thereof requires that no further
TLAsshould be renewed or granted.
Finding merit in the petition, the Court, through Justice
Davide, stressed the right of the people t~ a balanced .and healthful.
ecology as explicitly mandated by Sect10n 16, Article II of the
Constitution, to wit:
"SEC. 16. The State shall protect and advance the

right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in
accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature."
The basic rights to a balanced and healthful ecology and to

health are mandated as State policies by the Constitution itself,
thereby highlighting their continuing importance and imposing
upon Lhe State a solemn obligation to preserve the first and protect
C/)
0
Q)
::,
::,
''nd advance the second, for the day would not be too for when all
([)
a. else would he Jost not only for the present generation, but also for
:E
;::;:
:::,-
0
those to come - generations which stand to inherit nothing but
Q)
3
C/)
Parched earth incapable of sustaining life.
0
Q)
::,
::,
!)l The Court further ruled that the right to a bnlnncerl nnd
!1eaJthfuJ ecology carries with it the corJ'e1Rtivoduty to rofrnin from
imp;;dringthe environment. The sF1icll'ight implios, Hmong mnny
~ther things, the judicious mnnngement nn~I consorvn~ion of the
~ountry's forests. Without forc 8 ts, tho ocoJogtcnl or envu:onmentul
lialunee would be irreversibly ditH'Upt:od. J~very generation has a
t·csnonsibility to the next to preserve that rhythm and harmony
' '8 J\NIJ llULJ•~S
,
I lll•:HOIJll.CIM•,.
l•'N'l'/\L CJ\81•:R
110
I;/\\\' /\'l'IJl!/1
O~'NtJldt:
OFl'llO(,ld) FOIi 1.;NVlllON I
J
II I111 cl l1eulU1fulecology, pllt

' 'llll'll (Jr hn werl
,,. i1i11oni' •,,.,!Oil
•
n
"n (,/' their. rig' . ht, t:o /I a ,,"~d
f1r llw (\di ,,11,10)I IIAAC • . " I he pcr/ormanee of th"'·
0 cf!
I • IJ , I.1" ) )(' f.IITI
,,' ' ,
Ii II J., d1fft·r,•11
.' .\',, i III.I.he_s1111i-I hn I. ,.igh t lor th c gen era tio~
I.es,
1.u
,,nvi!'OnmrnI.1.011.•. ii c prol.cd.>ono .
l
a
J'11nfionto c1Hm1 c . 1
O l 1, ,
O
0,
t rnmc. •
1011 1, t the cancelJat10n of existing·
1 ,
1 resJ>0nrlc11Ls 11
1
, 11
I n11cg1.,.
t ia
, ·1·11wnt clause of' th
. e Cons t·itution
, ,LA , would violate tie1 ~ l •llllp,ll. , y be revoke d or resc1n
"" , II licenses m,1 .
. . ded b,,'
,
the Courl.helclI.hut • • . ·ontrnct, property or a Propert,,
executive • A I'icensc JS not a cl·Juse o1. the Const1·t u t·ton. I t can
• 11ct10n. J
I10 I 1)J'OCCSSC I . •
right
be protected
withdrnwn orbycnnccllcd
f. <ue m • tile exercise of the police Power of the
State.
1 In his concurringopinion,Justice Feliciano suggested th~t "the

rig 1tl.oa ua1ance an, . . '. .
• 1. d I llealthful ecology"cannot be characterized as
"specific,"withoutdoingexcessivev10lenceto lan~uage. The hst of
purticulnrclnimswhichcan be subsumed under this rubric appears
lo beentirelyopen-ended: preventionand control of emission of toxic
fumes nnd smokefrom factories and motor vehicles; discharge of
oil, chemicaleffluents,garbage and raw sewage into rivers, inland
nnd coastal waters by vessels, oil rigs, factories, mines and whole
communities;dumpingof organic and inorga'nic wastes on open
ln~d, streets and thoroughfares;failure to rehabilitate land after
str,p:mmingor Open._pit mining;liaingin or slash-and-burn farming;
desti uction of fisheries,coral reefs and other Ii .
through the use f d 't . ving sea resources
o Ynam,
contamination of ground Wat·eJ•. e or cyanide and th er ch em1ca
. 1s;
0
of fauna and flora· and so . , Ioss of· cer t a1n
iesources·
·I-I • species
•
understood as simpJ" ti , t e sa1d tha t th e Court shou}d be
' sayingron. J
•l J ia sue11 a lU .t 'fi
rig •Ls>naywell exist in ou. . . 0 e spec1 c legal right or
J' • • i co,pus of law 'ct .
Po •cyPl'lnc1ples foundin the C .•. . • cons1 ering the general
c.A th11ber license onstitt1ti~n
. and in existing laws.
IS llot a
(/)
()
Cl
~
,• 'J .
~
"' P• •v, ege Which d • coiitl'act but a mere

a.
:E
oes llot Ct•(} t .
§ lna1·,
l\1nkas, 'l'a11 v. Directorof /i:0 ' ."·' lry,'' Iho11Ce 1rrevocab]e rights
stressed
0
Cl 11 O th
3
(/)
()
Cl
conse1·vu n of IJ e11 Stntc's 111 1,~licy•f' , OUtt, through Justice
~
~
~
country'sW1tf.ei·s1, : \" ;• 8t ·11J >·esour~es01 the_ Preservation and
8
1101 ',' lnining I.he~ 1111cl, ~n Particular, the
of F'oreat,·yof Pel.if.~:/·,,?
11
lico,180 ' '.C01lution by the Director
" t,11,1,0,,
r1"G~ Wh1c}1
--- R No. L.211518,Oct 2 Pt'ncticulJy comprises
• 7, Ina3, 120 sc
HAao2.
,,,,,
CHA l''l'i(I~ lli .- 1rnv Isi,:I) fl() IU.:H'l'll
y co IH:
(I t·e1-11dnnf.inl
Dl'c:t·"" No. 70G) 111
he entire Oloi?gnpowatershec!, I.ho Colll'I. cxpl11i11ed 1.hal.waternhede

t, •tdcfo1rne•1g•u11:,t·, 8 ·1 · d
serve as ' ' ' • • ROI erosion nnd gu11r1111tees
the stca Y
upply of W n ternd
• .Indccd, the Consti tu Lionexpressly mundutes the
:onserwt10n n th proper utili1.11tionof nuturnl resources. '/'his is
onereason why e terms and conditions of timber licenses usually
•t'puh1te that they are subiect to change or may be made to expire
,~;\11earlier date, when public interests so require. In any case -
"A ti1nber license is an instrument by which the

State regulates the utilization and disposition of forest
resources to the end that public welfare is promoted. A
timber license is not a contract, within the purview of the
due process clause; it is only a license or privilege, whi~h
can be validly withdrawn whenever dictated by pubhc
interest or public welfare. xx x (T)he granting of license
does not create irrevocable rights, neither is it property or
property rights."
S~milarly~it was held in Ysmael v. Deputy Executive Secretary 53

that timber licenses, permits and license agreements are the
principal instruments by which the State regulates the utilization
and disposition of forest resources to the end that public welfare is
promoted. They merely evidence a privilege granted by the State
to qualified entities, and do not vest in the latter a permanent or
irrevocable right to the particular concession area and the forest
products therein. They may be validly amended, modified, replaced
or rescinded by the Chief Executive when national interests so
require. Thus, they are not deemed contracts within the purview of
the due process of law clause. 54
In the same vein, it has been held that a Presidential Warranty
(/)
()
Q)
cannot be considered a contract distinct from a Timber License
:J
:J
(1)
Q.
Agreement (TLA) or an Integrated Forest Management Agreement
~
;:;;
:::r (IFMA).The warranty covers only the right to cut, collect, and
0
Q)
3
(/)
remove timber in a concession area, and does not extend to ~he
()
Q)
:J
:J
utilization of other resources, such as mineral resources, occurring
~
Withinthe concession. 06
5
~GRNo. 79538, Oct. 18, 1990, 190 SCRA 673.
51
" See Secs. 3(ee) and 20 of PD No. 705, as amended.
6,>Alvarez v. PICOP Resources, GR No. 162243, Dec. 3, 2009.
.,,.. L/IW ON NA'i'UH/IL1rnsoURCESAND HULES
0 I' PHoc@u1n: FOH I\NVInoNM J,;N'f'AI,CASES
112
.. v Paaodian City 'Pirnber Co., lnc./n

As clnriHcd in Repu./Jlr:c
, "
. • .,,ntcd by the State to a person
1.ege g1'.
r1.1J1, • h ·h .
,,-lnIFMAis defined, ns . ,n ,Pwithin
. .
any f'orcst land
. . wit t e right of
to utilize forest resoUIces f to t·J1 e exclusion of others, except
• • thereo . .
o~se~sionH.ndoccupation spor1 ding obligation to develop
P" " b . 't) the corre . '
the government, .~t wi 1 • accordance with the terms and
rotect and rehabilitate the same 111 "
P ·
conditions set ciort 11 n1
• sa1'd agree1nent.
10. License agreement, license, lease or permit.

·· 1 ·t ccupy possess or conduct
No person may utilize, exp 01 , 0 '.
any activity within any forest land, or establish an~ operate any
wood-processing plant, unless he has been aut~orized to ~o so
under a license agreement, lease, license, or permit. The Presi~ent
may amend, modify, replace, or rescind any contract, concess10n,
57
permit, license, or any other form of privilege granted. The annual
allowable cut or harvest of any particular forest land under a license
agreement, license, lease or permit shall be determined on the basis
of the size of the area, the volume and kind of harvestable timber or
forest products and healthy residuals, seed trees and reproduction
found therein, and the established cutting cycle and rotation
thereof. 58 The Department Head may cancel, suspend, or phaseout
all inefficient, wasteful, uneconomical or perennially short in raw
material wood or forest products processing plants which are not
responsive to the rationalization program of the government.sg
The licensee ~akes his license subject to such conditions as the
grantor sees fit to impose, including its revocation at pleasure.Go
E. Timber
11. Duration of license agreement or license to harvest timber in
forest lands.
(/)
()
0)
::,
The duration of the privilege to harvest timber in any particular
::,
Cl)
C. forest land under a license agreement or license shall be fixed and
:E
;:.:
=,- determined in accordance with the annual allowable cut therein, the
(')
0)
3(/) established cutting cycle thereof, tho yield capacity of hnrvestnble

()
0)
::,
::,
~
66
GR No. 160308, Sept. 1fi, 2008.
67
Sec. 20, PD No. 706, us amended.
68
Sec. 26, ibid.
69
Sec. 30, PD No. 705, as amended.
60
Republic v. Caguioa, GR. No. 168584, Oct. 15, 2007.
r
CHAPTER1JI_ l'Ji'VJSJ:,
(P1·es1J t·
• \, I ',D Jt'OHK'1'f'HY
' COi)F'
( l'I) I II 1Dec,'l'(! No, 7or,) 113
I 111
• ber, and the ca paci I.~of henIt.hy l'PH id II nIH fr"·n llec1Jtl( I 1rrowl./1.
'l'h e
1
t '. j]ege shall automati~i'.ll.Y l.cr111i11111,o,evon hcfore I.hol!Xpirnlion of
01
P;~jcense a~r~emen_t license, I.he 1110111cnt.I.he lwrvo9l,11hlcl.imhor
tJlve been
}lll ·cialut1lizecl
ut1·1. without
•
1zn hon. lcnving nny. liwgcd-over
t, nrcn cnp11h/eof
coJJIJUeJ . . . .
The m11xrnrnm per10cl of nny privilege to harvest timher

,.five (25) years, renewable for a period, not exceeding twenty-
18
1,reni") years, necessary to utilize al] the remaining commercial
1l <
five
1
.i,
~r harvestable timber either from the unlogged or logged-
. ·1ege to
Q '. area. It s 11a11 be a co~d.1tion
•w ti ) • for _the contmue
· d pr1VJ
O"e t ti'mber under any license or license agreement that the
·censee
,es shall · d by
JhRfl
l 61 reforest all the areas which shall be determme
t11e B ureau.
12. Sizeof forest concessions.
The size of the forest lands which may be the subject of timber
tilization shall be limited to that which a person may effectively
~tilizeand develop for a period of fifty (50) years, considering the
utting cycle, the past performance of the applicant and his capacity
cotonly to utilize but, more importantly, to protect and manage the
;hole area, and the requirements of processing plants existing or to
beinstalled in the region. 62
F. Reforestation
13. Forestlands to be reforested.
The following shall be reforested and/or afforested as follows:
(a)bare or grass-covered tracts of forest lands with at least 50%
slope;(b) bare or grass-covered tracts of forest lands with less than
50%slope, but with soil so highly erodible as to make grass cover
(/)
C)
ll)
inadequatefor soil erosion control; (c) brushlands or tracts of forest
::,
Cl.
::,
CD landsgenerally covered with brush, which need to be developed to
~
~
increasetheir productivity; (d) open tracts of forest lands with slopes
(")
ll)
3
orgradients generally exceeding 50%, interspersed with patches of
(/)
C)
ll)
::,
foresteach of which is less than 250 hectares in area; (e) denuded or
::,
~ inadequately-timbered areas proclaimed by the President as forest
reservesand reservations as critical watersheds, national parks,
61
8ec. 27, supra.
62
Sec. 28, PD No. 705, as amended.
, UitCESANDHULES
1,/\\VON NA'l'Ul~\I,1i,~·i~moNMENTALCASES
11-1 OF PHOCEDUllEI•Oll E
. ntt'onal shrines, national historic

rl ctU 'll'lCS llu
game refuge, un· snn • d r' . st lnnds within forest concessions·
1.'
. ({) . rl tcly stoc1ce io1e • h ,

s1tes; 11111 equn • .db sturc lenses or permits aving n
(g) portions of nrcns covder e) _Yp·~anks easements, road rights-of
0
slope of nt least 50%; an 1 n~CI . b<-. d 'and beaches. 6:1 •
ways, deltas, swamps, 1 'cormer nve1 e s,
14. Industrial tree plantations and tree farms; priority.

r .• d of fift" (50) years for the establishment
A lease 1or a per 10 J £
of an industrial tree plantations, tree farm or agro- orestry fa~m,
may be granted by the Department Head, upon recommendat10_n
of the Director, to any person qualified to develop a~d exploit
• b er• or 1ro1·estlands of the public domain
natural resources, over t un 1
categorized in Section 33 (1) hereof except those under paragraphs

(d) and (g) with a minimum area of one hundred (100) hectares for
industrial tree plantations and agro-forestry farms and ten (10)
hectares for tree farms. The size of the area that may be granted
under each category shall, in each case, depend upon the capability
of the lessee to develop or convert the area into productive condition
within the term of the lease. 6'1
Over any suitable area covered by a timber license agreement
or permit, the priority to establish industrial tree plantation, tree
farms or agro-forestry farm shall be given to the holder thereof after
the Bureau had determined the suitability of such area and has set
aside the same for the purpose. The priority granted must, however,
be availed of within a reasonable period otherwise the area shall be
declared open to any qualified person and consequently segregated
from the licensee's or permittee's area. Priority shall also be given
to the establishment of communal industrial tree plantations by
barangays, municipalibes or cities, and provinces.65
G. Forest Protection
• 15. Control of concession area.
In order .to achieve the effective protection of the forest lands

and
, · the· resources
fi · thereof
. . illegal entry , unl aw f u l occupn ti'on,
from
,wingin, . ire, msect. . mfestatwn
. ' theft , and oth er 1orms
" of 101
r- •est
destruction, the utilrnatwn of timber therein shall not be allowed
63
8cc. 33, supra.
0
•soc. 3-1,PD No. 705, UR nmo111lcd,
6
~Scc.ao,ibid.

CHI\P'rEn lIJ - t' -,
(Pr 'fiide H~,NISJmFOHJ,;S'l'HYCODI•: 11r,

• nt111Il)l'Cl'Po No. 700)
except through licens .1 ,
s1rn.111
e tlg1· 'etnent
1ave t lle exchisiv, ,· .
I
.s ttnf er which I.he holden-;thereof
.
• ber 111
tun • t 11e1r
• resJJect·
e Pll v1 Icge t0 cu,I n 11the nllowublu hnrvct:il.nble
. tve cone •
occupat10n. possession , d cssions nnd the nclditionnJright of
ti
of all others, except 1 an control over the same, to the exclusive
obligation to adopt all etlgovernment, but with the corresponding
le prot t·
to ensure the continuity Of ·I ec ion and conservation measures
conformably with multipl t le productive condition of said areas,
e use and sustained yield management.
If .the holder of a lice nse agreen t
.
or unphedly waives tll .· . c
ien over a 1orest area express 1y
e Pnv11ege t 0 tT
mangrove species therein a . u 1 1zea~y softwood,hardwood or
1
for the harvest ther f . 'h icense may be ISsued to another person
eo wit out any .• ht f . •
over the areas wh th ng o possess1011or occupat10n
rotection and c ere ~y are found, but he shall, likewise, adopt
P onservat10n mea . •. .
by the license a ree . ~ures con_s1stentwith those adopted
g ment holder m the said areas. 66
16. Regulation of timber utilization in all other classes of lands

and of wood-processing plants. •
. The utiliz~t~on of timber in alienable and disposable lands,

private lands, civil reservations, and all lands containing standing
or felled timber, including those under the jurisdiction of other
government agencies, and the establishment and operation of
sawmills and other wood-processing plants, shall be regulated in
order to prevent them from being used as shelters for excessive
and unauthorized harvests in forest lands, and shall not therefore
be allowed except through a license agreement, license, lease or
permit. 67
17. Swamplands and mangrove forests.

Strips of mangrove forest bordering numerous islands
which protect the shoreline, the shoreline roads, and even coastal
communities from the destructive force of the sea during high winds
and typhoons, shall be maintained and shall .not be alienated. Such
strips must be kept from artificial ob~truct10~ so th_at flood~ater
will flow unimpeded to the sea to avmd floodmg or mundat10n of
cultivated areas in the upstream.
66Sec. 38, supra.

67Sec. 39, ibid.

·\11nH\lH!TO\'l' ~wnn,p~ ~t't. 11Hido fol' 1:011Hl.-pl'ol.<,c:l.i1111
JHlt'JH>iiw 1
~h~dl~,nt bl' ~{,h.kct to ch'nt·-cut.t.ing·ope 1·11t.ion,
i\ lnn~Ton' nnd ot.lwr ~wn mpH l'olottt-iocl 1.o I.ho Bw·o,111()f
F'i~hcrie~ ~uui Aqunt.ic Hcsourct'R fol' fi1.~hpo11d p111·poHoHwhich aro
n 0t utilizf'<l. or which hnvc bt'C'll nb11ndo1wd l'o1·five (G) yo1u·Hfrom
tht-' date of su ·h relen .... $hall revert. to (.he CHI, ·t~Ol'.Yof forc:ml.lnnd, 11~
18. Visitorial power.

The DENR Secreh1r), by himsc.lf or through the Director or
any qualified representative, mny investigate, inspect and examine
records. books and other docunients relating to the operation of
any holder of a license agreenient, license, lease, or permit, and its
subsidiary or affiliated companies, to detern1ine compliance with the
terms and conditions thereof, the Revised Forestry Code and other
pertinent la\~.rsand regulations. 69
19. Authority of forest officers.

When in the performance of their official duties, forest officers,
or other government. officials or employees duly authorized by the
Secretary or Director, shall have free entry into areas covered by
a license agreen1ent, license, lease or permit. Forest officers are
authorized to administer oath and take acknowledgment in official
matters connected with the functions of their office, and to take
testimony in official investigations conducted under the authority of
the Code and the implementing rules and regulations. 70
20. Mining operations.

Mining operations in forest lands· shall be regulated and
conducted with due regard to protection, developn1ent, and
utilization of other surface resources. Location, prospecting,
exploration, utilization or exploitation of mineral resources in forest
reservations shall be goyerned by mining laws, rules and regulations.
No location, prospecting, exploration, utilization, or exploitation of
mineral resources inside forest concessions shnll be allowed unless
proper notice has been served upon the licensees thereof and the
prior approval of the Director, secured. 71
68 Sec. 43, PD No. 705.

69 Sec. 44, ibid.
70Sec. 45, ibid.
71 Sec. 47, PD No. 706.

CHAPTER III - HE•VTSl'D I... ] 17
Pre · · !i 'OH.ES'l'HYCODE
( Sidcnt.tnl Decrtic No. '/Ori)
21. Mineral reservations.

~ineral reservations which ,
operations or where ope, t· are not the subject of mining
ra 10 11s have b
th an five (5) years shall be 1 een suspended for more
the Bureau. l'vlineral reserv pt·aced under forest management by
· a rnns where
. 1 • • •
b een ternunated due to tl le ex 11austron of ·t
nining operat10ns
• 1
have
to t h e category of forestlai 1d i s minera s shall revert
purposes. -,2 , un 1ess oth erwise
• reserved for other
H. Special Uses
22. Pasture in forest lands.
No forest land 50% in. sl ope or over may be utilized
•• for pasture
pu~pos:s. For:stlands which are being utilized for pasture shall be
mamtained with sufficient grass cover to protect soil water and
other forest resources. The size of forestlands that ma~ be all~wed
for pas~ure and other special uses shall be determined by rules and
regulations. 73
23. Wildlife.
Wildlife may be destroyed, killed, consumed, eaten or otherwise
disposed of, without the necessity of permit, for the protection of
life, health, safety and property, and the convenience of the people.
However, the Director may regulate the killing and destruction of
wildlife in forestlands in order to maintain an ecological balance of
74
flora and fauna.
24. Recreation.
The Bureau shall, in the preparation of multiple-use
management plans, identify and provide for the protection of scenic
areas in all forest lands which are potentially valuable for recreation
and tourism, and plan for the development a~d prot~ction of such
areas to attract visitors thereto and meet increasing demands
therefor. The construction and operation of necessary facilities_ to
10
accommodate outdoor recreation sha11 be done by _t} Burenu w_ith
the use of funds derived from rentals and fees for the opernt.wn
72 Sec.
48, ibid.
54, ibid.
73 Sec.
HSec. 55, ibid.

118
•
and use of rccrcat10nn \ 1·nc1·1·t . or operators , in
·,, by. 11rivate. persons
1 .,cs
Hrldit.ionto whatever funds mny be nppropnated for SUChpurposes. 75
25. Other special uses of forest lands.

Forest lands 111ay be leased for a period not exceeding twenty.
five (25) years, renewable upon the expiratio~ thereof for a sim~lar
period, or held under permit, for the estabhs~ment of sawmills,
lun1ber yards, tin1ber depots, logging camps, rights-of-way, or for
the construction of sanatoria, bathing establishments, camps, salt
works, or other beneficial purposes which do not in any way impair
the forest resources therein. 76
I. Qualifications
26. Diffusion of benefits.
The privilege to utilize, exploit, occupy, or possess forestlands,
or to conduct any activity therein, or to establish and operate
wood-processing plants, shall be diffused to as many qualified and
deserving applicants as possible. 77 In the evaluation of applications
of corporations, increased Filipino equity and participation beyond
the 60% constitutional limitation shall be encouraged. All other
factors being equal, the applicant with more Filipino equity and
participation shall be preferred. 78
27. Service contracts.

'J'he Secretary 1nay, in the national interest allow forest
'
products licensees, lessees, or permittees to enter into service
contracts for financial, technical, manage1nent, or other forms of
assistance, in consideration of a fee, with any foreign per::-on or
en LiLy for the exp1orntion, development, exploit at.ion or ntilizntion of
th foreRLr sources, covered hy their license agreements, lie =-nse~.
)e::ises or pc~r1111t.i-;.
Ji,xioLing vnlid nnd binding servic contracts for
financial, t.echnica1, mi11111gementor othor forms of nssi tance ar,
hereby recognjzcd HH H11c:h_-,u
76 Sec. 66, PD No. 70n.

7c.sec. 57, ibid.
77 8cc. 58, ibid.
78 Scc. 69, ibid.
70 Scc. G2, ibid.
CHJ\P'l'RH Ill , 1 ,
(Prei-dl Hl_WISl•,I) lt'Ol!Jt:H'l'llY CODE ·1HJ
1 11 111
" '- 1 Dr•c1·c•u No. 70fi)
Pursuant. t.o 1◄ 0 N0 ,
Congress otherwi~e IJ, . • 278 , clnted ,July 2fi, I D87, nnd until
• lUVH 1Uf4 the Dli'NI' S •
negotiate nn<l enter int . ·' • . ecl'cL111·ytH 111.1Lhorizudto
:.J \, •
1
ven t ure co-pro<luctioi ,o, or nnd 111l >eIlll I 1·o1·Lie
I government JOtnt • •
• 1, or prn<lu ·t'10 1 . .'
deve
.
Iopment and ut ·1· .·
.
c 11-srn1·rng ugrcemunts for the
,1 1zation of fi01. .
with any Filipino citiz est. 1ands nnd/or forest resources
,en, or corpor•1 L' . .
of w l1ose capital is owned b Fi . ; ' 10.n: or associntrnn, at least 60%
be for a period not e, d_Y hpmo citrnens. Such agreements may
not more than twenty-fl1 .ing twenty
xcee •
fi (25)
- we • years, renewable for
include the minii t ve (2 S) years, and shall conform with and
11 um erms and , . d't·· . . .
of the EO. .. con 1 ,10ns prescribed 1n Sect10n 5
J. Criminal Offenses and Penalties

28• C~ttthing,~athering and/or collecting timber or other products
w1 out hcense.
Section 6~, PD No. 705, as amended by EO No. 277, dated July

25, 1987, provides:
. "SEC. 68. Cutting, Gathering and/ or collecting

Timber, or Other Forest Products Without License. -Any
person who shall cut, gather, collect, removed timber
or other forest products from any forest land, or timber
from alienable or disposable public land, or from private
land, without any authority, or possess timber or other
forest products without the legal documents as required
under existing forest laws and regulations, shall be
punished with the penalties imposed under Articles 309
and 310 of the Revised Penal Code: Provided, That in the
case of partnerships, associations, or corporations, the
officers who ordered the cutting, gathering, collection or
possession shall be liable, and if such officers are aliens,
they sha]], in addition to the penalty, be deported without
further proceedings on the part of the Commission on
Immigration and Deportation.
The court shall further order the confiscution in favor
of the government of the timber or any forest products
cut, gathered, col1ected, removed, or possessed us well as
the machinery, equipment, implements nnd tools illegnlly
used in the area where tho timber or forest products are
found."

, , l'/\1 IJl•'SOUllCES/\ND JlULgS
N NI\ I U \ -' \, -" C/\SJ"S
120 LAWO , 1,, ,·,•on,I~NVJllONMl~NT/\L • !.
OF PH.OCl~DUH.'
EO No. 277 further nddcd Sections 68-A and 68-B which read
ns follows:
"SEC. GB-A. Adniinistrative ~uthority of t_he
u d ,. His Duly Authorized Representative
Department .aea 0 . . l .• f th'
to 0 ,.d,er Con_fiiscatz·
,01,,..,,_ In all cases of v10 ations. o 1s
Code or other forest laws, rules a1:d regulations, _the
Department Head or his duly authorized represe_ntative,
may order the confiscation of any forest products illegally
cut, gathered, removed or possessed or abandoi:ie~, and
all conveyances used either by land, water or air 1n t~e
commission of the offense and to dispose of the same 1n
accordance with pertinent laws, regulations or policies on
the matter.
SEC. 68-B. Rewards to Informants. - Any person
who shall provide any information leading to the
apprehension and conviction of any offender for any
violation of this Code or other forest laws, rules and
regulations, or confiscation of forest products shall be
given a reward in the amount of twenty per centum (20%)
of the proceeds of the confiscated forest products."
"Conveyance" is any mode or type or class of vehicle or craft or

any other means used for transportation either on land, water, air,
or any combination thereof, whether motorized or not, used for or in
taking and/or maintaining temporary or permanent possession or
control, g~thering, collecting, processing, disposing of, or otherwise
transp?rtmg, moving or transferring illegal forest products. 80
"Forest products" refers to timber including lumber, pulpwood,
firewood, bark, treetop, resin, gum, wood, oil, honey, beeswax, nipa,
rattan, charcoal, or othei· forest growth, such as but not limited to
gras 8 , shrub, flowering plants in forest lands and others.1s1
"Illegal fnrcol JJrocl11,cls"means any forest product.(s) that nrc
rem~v?d, cut, co11ected,processed nnd/or t:rnnsporte<l: (n) without the
requisite authorization 01· permit; or (I>)wit:h incomplot.o .supporting
documentw
. • '
(c) w·• J • • • • lHt t w }10sc
11, 1 gem 1111w 1111t.hor1z11 LtonH 01· pornuts
vahdity'. or (d) with 1-:ipuriottH(f'uku) 11111,)wriznt.ionH,pormits nnd/or
su pp01'Lrn g docun1 en 1,8 . tt~
kos,
Hi' c,:.
2( c,) I)l!JNH.
" J\O No. !l7-:li, Oct.. l(), 1!}07.
Sec. l (c), l:HIJJl'<I.
ttisec, 2(11), ilii<l.

Cllt\l''l'l•'l>
'' 111-- HIWIHIW FOllf.:HTIIY co,rn
(l',·t•nhll'tll l11l1>1•1•1·1•11N,,.·,or,)
n. OffPl\Ht''4 })\ 11 •
,, HH 1lt!d u1ulp1• S(•<'f1011 ntt' l'D No. 7or,, 11H
Hl\W1Hled • • '· ' , •
In Pcopl<', 0 11,H,
J ·,,tl.tlct , • • \ <' t.1H. Court. explninccl t.hnl. I.here nr< t.wo
n 1" • • 1 111
t Repnrnt , 0 ('('1
705, , ·...J cl '_ nHcs puni h ,d under S 1c:Liu11GBof PD No.
HR nmcnqe by li'O N 277 .
' ~ O. , f.o IOI,(:
. ll) Cutting , 1rntl

b
.•
, let mg co
11cdmg
. nnd rernovrng• t'1rnol r•
01 ot 1er forest })10
. d .
1
. bl ucts from nny forest land or t.1mhcr from
n iena c or. disJ)O
• snble pu bl'1cand,• or from pnvnlc
. ' land wit. hout
any nuthonty; and
.. 2) Possession of timber or other forest products without

th e leg~l documents required under existing forest lnws and
regulations.
In the fir~t offense, one can raise ns a defense the legality of

the acts of cutting, gathering, collecting or removing timber or other
forest products by presenting the authorization issued by the DENR.
In the second offense, however, it is immaterial whether the cutting,
gathering, collecting, and removal of the forest products are legal or
not. Mere possession of forest products without the proper documents
consummates the crime. Whether or not the lumber comes from a
legal source is immaterial because EO No. 277 considers the mere
possession of timber or other forest products without the proper
legal documents as ma.Zurnprohibitum. As such, criminal intent is
not an essential element. However, the prosecution must prove that
petitioners had the intent to possess (aninws possidendi) the timber.
"Possession, under the law, includes not only actual possession,
but also constructive possession. Actual possession exists when
the [object of the crime] is in the immediate physical control of the
accused. On the other hand, constructive possession exists when the
[object of the crime] is under the dominion and control of the accused
or when he has the right to exercise dominion and control over the
place where it is found." 8'1
In Mustang Lumber, Inc. v. Court of Appeals/~ petitioner
was charged with O violation of Section 68 of PD No. 705 (Cuttfog.
Gathering and/ or Collecting 1'iniber,. 01: Othc:r Forest Products
Without License). Specifically, tho mformat10n {1hnl'g0d thnt
s:1aR No. 120~Hio, Doc. J7, l!JIHI,200 fiCHA721; Soo nlso ldnnnn v. Peoplt),OH
No. Hl83U3, Murch 16, 2010. , ,
H1v·11 • I) ())110 , OH· • No • l7o2A!l, Au 11.,ll' 2011.
1 urm v .. o
fll\GRNo. 104H88,,June 18, 1006, 267 SCllA 480.

7
A'I'URALHESOURCES AND RULES
122 LA\\ ONENUUI,E•
JrOHENVIRONMENTALCASES
OF PHO !l \
. . r und in possession, without the required legal

petitioner "as 10 ,
docu1nents, of t.ruckloa<ls oi:
"(l) almaciga. and la.ua.n; and
(2) approxi1nately 200,000 bd. ft. of lumber and shorts
of various species including a.l,naciga. and supa."
Petitioner moved to quash the inforination on the ground that
the subject matter thereof is "lu1nber" which is neither "timber" nor
"other forest products" under Section 68 of PD No. 705. The Supreme
Court ruled against petitioner. It explained that Section 68 punishes:
(a) the cutting, gathering, collection, or removal of timber or other
forest products from the places therein mentioned without any
authority; and (b) the possession of timber or other forest products
without the legal docun1ents as required under existing forest laws
and regulations. While "lumber" is not specifically mentioned in
Section 68, the Court held that it is nevertheless included in the
term "timber." The Revised Forestry Code contains no definition of
either timber or lumber. While timber is included in forest products
as defined in paragraph (q) of Section 3, PD No. 705, the lumber
is found in paragraph (aa) of the same section in the definition of
''processing plant" which reads:
"(aa) Processing plant is any mechanical set-up,

machine or combination of machine used for the processing
of logs and other forest raw materials into lumber veneer
'
plywood, wallboard, blackboard, paper board, pulp, paper '
or other finished wood products."
1\J \,
This means that lumber is a processed log or processed forest

raw material. Simply put, lumber is a processed log or timber.
Indeed, even if lumber is not included in Section 68, the other
items mentioned in the information, like "almaciga. and lauan."
fall within the ambit of the said section. The legislative intent to
include possession of ]umber in Section HS is clonrly gleaned from
the expressed reasons for enacting the lnw which, under EO No.
277, are to conserve the remaining l'orost rosmn·coi:,of tho country
for the benefit and welfal'o of tho JH'0Hont nn<l fut.uro generations
of Filipinos and to penalize <.:el'Lninacts t.o mnlrn our forestry laws
more responsive to present situations nnd ronlities. 'l'o exclude
possession of "lumber" from tho nets ponali:lod in Section 68,~vo_uld
tainly emasculate the law itself. After all, the phrase. foieSt,
Cer . h h' h to reiterate,
pro du cts" 1s broad enoug to encompass lumber w 1c ,
CHA P'l'J,'H 111 1
"o~,.(, ,- H1, :VH:nm ]t'Olllt:H'l'llY(;()l)lt;
.1-11dl'llt.111l Doc1·t•o No. 7oti)
is manufactured timber H0
would merely result itl ti.\\ t nc ', 1:o nienl.ion lt11t1lw1· in Section H8
I ,0 1og-y,1111
In A1en:da v. Peoµl) 117 1

should be taken in it-s ·d· c, t. lO Cou,t l'ejf.crnl.ed that "Jumbor''
, o1 mary o1·cu111 • /' t
"processed log or timb . » 'l'l • mon usage mcnnrng to re or ,o
as in Mustan.a the ter~l. 't' lebC?ln't noted: "We sec no reuso_nwhy,
111 1111 er un l
in its common acce t t'1011
• b'
•. .c er Sec
, f,1011 ('8
.1 •
J
,·
cannot · be t a ken
~ . b ·1d· .£ p a as reiernng to 'wood used for or suitable
1or m 1ng or or carp en try . • · , . •
tree stems that ._ t . or Jomery. Indeed, tree suplmgs or tmy
.
1 . . a1.e 00 small for use as posts, panelling, beams,
bl
ta es, or c ians cannot be considered timber."
In blIdanan v • Peon ·10ners were f'oun d gm.1ty beyond
' ' 118 l)et·11;·
JJle
reasona e doubt of illegal possession of lumber under Section 68
of PD No. ~05. On ~ppeal, petitioner (Ernie Idanan) said that the
t~uck used _111 carrying the lumber was owned.by his father, hence
his possess10n of ~he lumber was only temporary, incidental, casual
and harmless. His companions were merely present at the crime
scene. The Court dismissed the allegation and stated that illegal
possession of timber is an offense covered by special law and is
malum prohibitum. Criminal intent is not an essential element of
the offense. The 29 pieces of lumber measuring 716.48 board feet
were valued at P275,884.80. The Court found petitioners guilty
and were sentenced to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua.
However, pursuant to Article 5 of the Revised Penal Code, the Court
ordered the transmittal of the case to the Chief Executive, through
the Department of Justice, recommending the grant of executive
clemency to petitioners, to wit:
"In this case, the resulting penalty is reclusion

perpetua. This penalty will be suffered by the driver and
the helpers. The operator of the illegal logging business
has not been apprehended. While we sympathize with the
plight of petitioners who were merely following orders and
were consequently caught in possession of the lumber, we
must still apply the law in full fo_r?e.Du~a lex ~~d le~. B~1t
considering the facts about pet1t10ners part1c1pation 111
the crime, and guided by jurisprudence on instance~ when
the facts of the crime elicited the Court's compassion for
the accused, we recommend executive clemency."
8<lLalicanv. Vergara, GR No. 108619, July 81, 1997, 276 SCRA 618.
87GR No. 1581.82, .June 12, 2008.
88 GR No. 193313, March Hi, 20W.

·iH<li<'tion over• the confiscation of
l 1) ENH 1\I\ i
14 . \t l .. ,' •I • 1 ' .
'· forN,(,
. l ·t·R
J)I 0( UL ..
.. ••
nncl eonveyunceH UHC< 1n th(!
of the oJlcnsc
~on1n11F-Rion
• GS f PD No 705 as umendc<l, lhe regional trial
l nd .r ,. )'~~~n t: orrler th.e cor~flsculion of the timber or forest
\\ld.·tms J\ll is '11,111s
t'.l1emachinery equipmen.t, j mplem.ents and
pro uct~ ns w " • •' • . f , d .
t ol~ ill gRllyused in the area where the timber._or orest pro ~cts
ar •found; 1· 10weve1,. t·l~e
, DENR Secretary or hJS duly authorized
1
d
~?.
. ,
repr sen ta live, under Section 68-A of PD No. 7~5, as a~en by

EO No. 277, has jurisdiction to order the confiscat~o~ and d1spos1~10n
0 f a11conveyances-
• by land , water
. or air - used
. 1n 11legally cutting, !)
gathering, removing, possessmg, or abandoning forest proc1ucts.

8
29. Unlawful occupation or destruction of forest lands.

Any person who enters and occupies or possesses, or r:iakes
haingin for his own private use or for others any forest land without
authority under a license agreement, lease, license or permit, or in
any manner destroys such forest land or part thereof, or causes any
damage to the timber stand and other products and forest growths
found therein, or who assists, aids or abets any other person to do
so, or sets a fire, or negligently permits a fire to be set in any forest
land shall, upon conviction, be fined in an amount of not less than
P500.00 nor more than P20,000.00 and imprisoned for not less than
six months nor more than two years for each such offense, and be
liable to the payment of ten times the rental fees and other charges
which would have been accrued had the occupation and use of the
land been authorized under a license agreement, lease, license or
permit. In the case of an offender found guilty of makino·b kaino·in
b '
the
penalty shall be imprisoned for not less than two nor more than four
years and a fine equal to eight times the regular forest charge ...due
on the forest products destroyed, without prejudice to the payment
of the full cost of restoration of the occupied area ns determined b~•
the Bureau.
The court shall further order the eviction of the offender from
the land and the _forfeiture lo the govornmont. of nll improvements
made and nll veh1clm;, dnmetitic nnimnlHnnd equipment of nny kinrl
used in the commission of' Limnffonso, Hnot. suit.nb\e for use by the
Bureau, said vehicles shnJJ be sold nt public auction, the proce~ds of
which shall accrue to tho Development. Fund of the Bureau.
89
DENR v. Dnramun, GR No. 1257n7, l1 ob. 15, 2002, 377 SCHA 3D.

Ill - Hl•'V ~ .
CHl\11'1'1.;J{
• ' ISl•,J) FOHf,'U'f'I y
(I)1•p11idon1,j t
11
J I) ""' l LODJ,; 12r,
N,,. 70r.)
''<:re•<•
In cnsc the offcndel' is

. l,J' • n govc,·nme I 0 f'f'1 • I
..;h:tll.lll nr u1(.10nto the nbovc . n' c111 or employee, he
rli:.:ini~~eci from o!rice and JJ . pcnnlt,cs, be deemed au tomn t,icnIly
,, f' .
• cnnnnently cJ'
,, cl ct.1veor apJJointive }Jo 't•
[111· SI 1011.00
JSqual'fiI eu rom holdrng
30. Pasturing livestock.

Imprisonment for not Jess th . .
two (2) years and a fine e uaJ an ~ix (6) months nor more than
. . q to ten tunes the regular rentals due
in ad d1t10ntot 11e confiscation of su 11 1· • '
. d d · . c 1vestoc1{ and all improvement
mtro uce m t 11e area m favor of the governmen t , sh a 11be impose
. <l
upon. any person, who sha11, without authority under a lease or
pernut,
d graze
d r or bcause to graze livestock 1·n. 1.r0 res
_ t 1 d . •
an s, g1azmg
1
Jan s ~ 11 a ien~ le and disposable lands which have not as yet

been dis~osed of in accordance with the Public Land Act. In case the
offender IS a corporation, partnership or association the officers and
directors thereof shall be liable. 9 1 '
31. •llfegal occupation of national parks system and recreation

areas and vandalism therein.
Any person who shall, without permit, occupy for any length
of time any portion of the national parks system or shall, in any
manner, cut, destroy, damage or remove timber or any species of
vegetation or forest cover and other natural resources found therein,
or shall mutilate, deface or destroy objects of natural beauty or of
scenic value within areas in the national parks system, shall be fined
not less than P200.00 or more than P500.00 exclusive of the value of
the thing damaged. If the area requires rehabilitation or restoration
as determined by the Director, the offender shall also be required to
restore or compensate for the restoration of the damage. Any person
who, without proper permit shall hunt, capture or kill any kind of
bird, fish or wild animal life within any area in the national parks
system shall be subject to the same penalty. The court shall order
eviction of the offender from the land and the forfeiture in favor of
the government of a11 timber or any species of vegetation and other
natural resources collected or removed, and any construction or
improvement made thereon by the offendel'. If tho offender is an
association or corporation, the president or mnnngor shall be directly
responsible and liable for the act of his emp1oyoes or 1nborers.!J.i
90
Sec. 69, PD No. 705.
91
Sec. 70, ibid.
92
Sec. 71, PD No. 705.

l
dllfeResources. , . ,
. tructionof WII . . f Section 55 of thrn Code,
32. Des 1·ov1swnso b (' d ]
• >lntingthe P <lcr shall e 1ne not e88
Any pcr~~m VHIJr·omulgntodther~un cl'1such violation and in
lnhons for ea
or t.hcregu • . d (Pl 00.00) pesos . d of three (3) years from
t,han one hundre . •. n ermit for a perJO •
addition shall be den~cd p •
the date of the violation.
Surveyby unauthorized persons.

33. ·l two nor more than four (4)
f . 11ot less t 1an d .
Imprisonment or t' f the implements use 1n the
• dd' • t the confisca ion o
years, m a 1t1on ·o. . d' tl cancellation oft h e 1·1cense, 1'f
violation of this section mclu mg ie ho shall without permit to
• d upon any person w ,
any, sha 11b e 1mpo_se . forest lands, whether covered by
survey from the Director, en!er any ·t or not and conduct or
a license agreement, lease, license, or per:1 ' '
undertake a survey for whatever purpose. •
34. Misclassification and survey by government official or

employee.
Any public officeror employee who knowingly surveys, classifies,
or recommends the release of forest lands as alienable and disposable
lands contrary to the criteria and standards established in the Code,
or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, shall, after
an appropriate administrative proceeding, be dismissed from the
service with prejudice to re-employment, and upon conviction by a
court of competent jurisdiction, suffer an imprisonment of not less
than one year and a fine of not less than Pl,000.00. The survey,
classification or release of forestlands shall be null and void. 9•1
35. Tax declaration on real property.
Imprisonment for a period of not less than two (2) nor more
than fo~r (4) year~ and perpetual disqualification from holding
an elective or appomtive office• ,
sl1a11b e imposed
· upon any pu 11·> 1c
officer or employee who shall isst1e t· d l ·
. . , .• . . . u ,ux ec aration on real property
without a
. '.) certification
_. from
. the , 1· o1·r~
. •D1 1·oct·o .•ores t l) eve Iopmen t an d
the Director of Lands or lhon· dnly dos1·g t rl t' th t
d l . . nn ,e representa .1ves , a
the area ec ared for taxation is nlion bl d . bl I d
• •n o un c11sposn e an s,
03
Sec. 73, supra.
81
Sec. 74, ibid.

unle~~ t.ht' pt·o1w1-t.vh tit t , I 111 1
('ti •. ·,(lot· 11ih1't'llm·c11p1Pd11ndpn1111NH1'dn.Y
rm lwr~ l • H' nnt.1onnl 1·nl1
111 1 I • , ,
• ,\lrn 11111w1·il.1()/1 pl'ior /.o ,J11ly 11,IO,,,,
,,-,
H, Dt'dn ring n fo"c'"'iInncI f'or tnxntion pu rpoHeH JH

•
,n, IJ
cl'i,ninnl net
In '·, • it• ,~,HS J1e1cl that petitioner's defense that the
RR 110
nrnne1Tv . forest
. nrea. is cove1e. d by a tax dcclan1t10n
· rn· hJS
· name
does not •1ushf"·' lus possess1·01.1 an d mtro
• · of 1mprovemen
duct10n · t s·
th r on. Pu~·s uant to Section 75 of P.D No. 705, the issuance of a
t.ax de~la~·ation of a land not classified as alienable and disposable
is a crmunal act. The tax declaration cannot act as a shield from
criminal liability.
36. Arrest; institution of criminal action.
A forest officer or employee of the Bureau shall arrest even

without warrant any person who has committed or is committing
in his presence any of the offenses defined in the Code. He shall
also seize and confiscate, in favor of the government, the tools and
equipment used in committing the offense, and the forest products
cut, gathered or taken by the offender in the process of committing
the offense. The arresting forest officer or employee shall thereafter
deliver within six (6) hours from the time of arrest and seizure, the
offender and the confiscated forest products, tools and equipment
to, and file the proper complaint with, the appropriate official
designated by law to conduct preliminary investigations and file
information in court. 97
If the arrest and seizure are made in the forests, far from the
authorities designated by law to conduct preliminary investigations,
the delivery to, and filing of the complaint with, the latter shall be
done within a reasonable time sufficient for ordinary travel from the
place of arrest to the place of delivery. The seized products, materials
and equipment shall be immediately disposed of in accordance with
forestry administrative orders promulgated by the DENR Secretary.
The Secretary may deputize any member or unit of police agencies,
barrio officials, or any qualified person to protect the forest nnd
exercise the power or authority provided for by law.
968
• ec. 75, PD No. 706.
96 Leynes v. People, GR No. 224904, Sept, 21, 20Hi.
97 Crescencio v. People, GR No. 2015016, Nov, HJ, 2014.

crs AND RULgS
N \'l'UHI\L ,rnsoUil N~l•'N'l'AL CASES
1,AWO~. ~trnFOH t~NVlllO "
12~ OF PHOChl>
. 1• , tho commission of any of
l • t 1'cgn1l1ng J • th
nd eo1np nm .s t· commit,tec in e presence
!'
Hcport. f,nc<l
1
in the Code, no,
l ,ee or any
of the <leputize<l officers
Offcn~ s llC "
the ~ t fficcr or cmP o) • '. t' gated by the 1.orest officer
of RHY _fol~cc;~h:llimmediately be in~e:e~ution of the violator.0s 'fhe
or ~ffic1da., the area leading to ~he pr_o nd is not governed by the
ass1gne lll d . . tr·ative in nature a
. t',10n is a m1ms
invest1ga d re 99
rules on criminal proce u •
earch and seizure without warrant
a. S . C t f Appeals, 100 it was held that
In Mustang Lumber, Inc. v. do~,trcoargoconsisting of lauan and
·t· 'struck an 1 s ·
the seizure of pet1 wner t ompanied with the required
almaciga lumber which were nt ace held to be a valid exercise of
i~voices and transport do;umetn ·sffi,
w:\y Section 80 of PD No. 705,
h ted upon a 1ores o ce .
t e power ves 1775 The search was conducted on a moving
~::i::~~!~~;J~~- lawf~lly conducted without a search warrant.
In People v. Que,101 appellant was apprehended
. b whiled drivingt
a cargo truck loaded with 258 pieces of tanguile lum er an coco~u
slabs without the supporting documents, and was charged with
a violation of Section 68 of PD No. 705. Appellant argued that he
cannot be convicted for violation of said section because EO No. 277,
which amended Section 68 to penalize the possession of timber or
other forest products without the proper legal documents, did not
indicate the particular documents necessary to make the possession
legal. Neither did the other forest laws and regulations existing at
the time of its enactment. The Court rejected appellant's contention,
holding that the phrase "existing forest laws and regulations" does
not refer to those laws and regulations which were already in effect
at the time of the enactment of EO No. 277 but should be construed
to ~efer to laws an? regulations existing at the tiine of possession
of t1m?er or other fore~t products. As to appellant's contention that
th~ seized lum?,er are madmissible in evidence for being "fruits of a
pmsonous tree, the Court stated:
''As in People v• JJauista

'b ,
wi t·l
, 1e
. of'fi
po 11ce .
.1cers 111
the case at bar had prolvlblo
' - e t o senrc l1 nppe ll nn t' s
C'llllS
98
Sec. 80, ihicl.
99
Gon;,;uIes v. M 1uIunw Piln.-F
• .111I)
111
JOOGR No 10'1088 Jun lfl 1ri . ovo 1op1111111t, GR No. 115880, Jnn. 23, 2007.
101
• , ' ' • e ,, !Hi, ~f>7SCHA '1UO
l
GR No. 1208G5, Dec. 17, rnnn,2(ioSCI1A •

102 79
GR No. 86218, Sept. 18, 19!12,21'1 SCRA G;_l.

CHAP1'PHlII
--(Pt't'Rtd.- 1mv1s1m
FormsTHY
corw 1w
,· I , '1
' l'll 111 nl'Cl'('(• No. 70G)
truck. A member of I l .
Logging r :,ceiYerl '.l' Prnvincinl TnRk f,orcu on fllevn 1
1
truck bearin pl· n1 l'P 1nhle- inf'ormnl.1011· I.11111,,, I.en-wheeler
'
lumber would p,l C tnunboi·P;\ D-orlHl011dc!dwith ii le,1:d
later "hile m 11HSR b , througl
' 1 II
• ocos
Nortc. 'f1wo weeks
1 1 s of f-11e p • . 1 k
patrolling Rlong Gener• • • rovmcrn tas Force were
ten-wheeler true}- d ~l Segundo Avenue, they saw the
apprehended, it ~ t:sc~ibed by the informant. When they
the O\\ ner of tl1 at, lle tfarcos Bridge, accused-appeJlant,
were sa,\ 11 lu .eb 1 uc. c and the cargo, acIm1tte • d t h at t h ere
the police Of~n ~r 111between the coconut slabs. When
documents accusedcei s asked for the lumber's supporting
11
Tl fi : -appe ant could not present any
~e oregoing circum st ances are sufficient to prove th~
eXISt ehnceof probable cause which justified the extensive
searc of appella 11t' t k
the i s rue. even without a warrant. Thus,
258 P eces of tanguile lumber were lawfully seized
and. were thus pr oper·lY a dm1tte • d as evidence
. to prove the
guilt of accused-appellant."
. In Crescencio v. People, 103 the DENR personnel were not armed

with a search warrant when they went to the house of petitioner.
When they arrived at petitioner's house, the lumbers were lying
under the latter's house and at the shoreline about two meters away
from the house. The lumber was plainly exposed to sight. Hence,
the seizure of the lumber outside the petitioner's house falls within
the purview of the plain view doctrine. The fact of possession by the
petitioner of the lumber, as well as her subsequent failure to produce
the legal documents, constitute criminal liability for violation of the
Forestry Code.
b. Forest products confiscated upon authority of the

DENR Secretary is beyond the reach of replevin
Section 68-A of PD No. 705, as amended by EO No.
277 authorizes the DENR Secretary or his duly authorized
rep;esentative, to order the confiscation of any forest products
illegall cut gathered removed, or possessed or abandoned, and all
Y
Conveyances ' sed ei'th,er by land, water, or air in the commission of
u · . ·l ·
the offense and to dispose of the same m accordance wit,~ pel'tinent
.
1aws, regu 1a t 1011s, or policies on the matter. Property lawfully taken
103GR No. 205015, Nov. 19, 2014 •

_j
l' l
• \ ,cnH'C \
l() b"' in c11stoclialegis and 1~
"
. l l l rorl'~~ lR cc •
\)y \"\l'\\H n{ l'g:l •• · 101
• , . , ·h < f l'C/ {l'I 111•
b y m\ t ht ll r\{ SI ..rr A1agumun,!Of, the Court held
, lJcput.y ic11,1 . 1 f 1 .
\n ,\1 m ~itco'· b DENR agents 1n the aw_u exercise
thnt pt p rty rn1ponnd d j.
1
todia /egis. The sheriff could not

. 1. d med rn cus .
of th ir nulhonty . dy subject of a pr10r warrant of
• • t11 })ropert) a1r ea .fI .
on ~ 11,m •
,11~1.;;t . ld be for the shen to inform
. 1"l . ·iale action s11ou .
~ 1zur . 1 nppi opt . . b ,ay of partial shenff s return
• t f the s1 uat1on Y \\ '
t h tna 1 m O . • • • the proper procedure to be
and wail for the Judges mstruct1ons on . . .
. . t blic officers acting w1th1n the scope of
ob en ed. A suit agarns pu .
· · ·
then· auL1rnnLy, 1s a sm ·t against the State which cannot prosper
wilhoul i s con ent. 100
ln Dagud.agv. Paderanga,ioi the forest pro~ucts were possessed
b) NM.CContainer Lines, Inc. without the required legal documents
and were abandoned by the unknown owner. Consequently, the
DENR seized the forest products and posted notices about the
scheduled administrative adjudication. Meantime, a certain Roger
C. Edma filed a petition in court praying that a writ of replevin be
issued ordering the defendants DENR, CENRO, and others to deliver
the forest products to him. The judge granted the petition and issued
a writ of replevin ordering the Sheriff to take possession of the forest
products then in custody of the DENR. Is the writ proper?
The Courl responded with a resounding no. The judge should
have clismissed the replevin suit outright.
First, under the doctrine of exhaustion of administrative
rem~d~es, c~urts can~ot take cognizance of cases pending before
admm1slrative agencies. Section 8 of PD No. 705, as amended,
slates that (1) all actions and decisions of the Bureau of Forest
Developme~t _Directorare subject to review by the DENR Secretary:
(2) t~1e dec1s10ns of the DENR Secretary are appealable to the
Pr' id nt' and (3) courls cannot review the decisions of th:. DENR
S er . Lary , , 'PL through a sp ec1a
. . •xc ,·. l c1v1
· ·1 action
· ·
for certzorarz · or
proh1b1t10n. I hus all a ·tions } • ·
. ' _ • see nng to recover forest. proch.1·b m
the custody of th DENH hould he nrec t ocl t o t 11 nvN-o
c)·
1!.. t\, no
t tl1,e
court .
10
'Fnctonm V. ourt of A1i1ie11h,,rm No. n~\MO 1) \. '· ' ( SC}'A. 530.
1of>AM N p . , ec. 1,J, 1£HHl,]20 \-
o. -98-126 1l 1 July 2B, Hl9D, :n 1 SCHA •)i::n
1oc.c 1 I. C -.i;,,
n lll) V, ourt of Ap1wals, cmNo. 11503-1 A -·197 9000 331 SCD\ 55.
107A M N , , , \ll l - , _ , 1U- '
.. o. H1J-0G-2017, ,lune Hl, ~008.

CHI\P'l'EH 111- HEVlSEn FOIU.~S'l'llY LODE 131
(Pt·eRidonl.inl D11crP11 No, 70fi)
Second, und .'r the doct.1·in, of primary juriRdiction, cou:ts

canno~ take co_gniznnc of en cs pending before u<lminiBtn.1~ive
z:igenc1esof sp crnl competence. The Dl!.iNR is the ugency responsible
for the enforce1nent of forestry laws.
Third, the forest products are already in custodia legis and
thus cannot be the subject of replevin. There was a violation of t~e
Revised Forestry Code and the DENR seized the forest products 111
accordance with law. Properties lawfully seized by the DENR cannot
be the subject of replevin.

chapter IV
MININGACT OF 1995
PHILIPPINE
A. Pre /i.111.i.na.
,y
01. Governing law. ,., or the "Philippine Mining

99" RA No. ' ' 1912 f •
On Mnrch 3, 1 •D, . t't· t·ing a new system o mineral
,, acted 111s 1 ,u , . .
kt of J.995, was en~ ' t utilization and conservation 1n
. t· developmen ,
resources exp1ora 10111
the country.
02. Evolutionof pertinentmining laws.

Before the cession of the Philippine _I~land~ ~o the l!nited
States under the Treaty of Paris, the prevailing m1n1ng law 1n the
colonywas the Royal Decree of May, 1867, otherwise known as
The Spanish Mining Law.
In the advent of American occupation, the Philippines was
governed by means of organic acts which were in the nature of
charters serving as a Constitution of the occupied territory from
1900 to 1935. Among the principal organic acts of the Philippines
was the Act of Congress of July 1, 1902, or Philippine Bill
of 1~0_2,through which the United States Congress assumed the
administration of the Philippine Islands.
The Philippine
. Bill of 1902
, cont a1ne
• d prov1s1ons
. . for among
many other thmgs, the open and free e 1 . • '.
CJ)
Purchase of' • . d . xp oration, occupation and

mme1a1 epos1ts and th l d
()
Cl
:::J I:.
:::J
Cl)
C. found. It declared "all 1 bl . e an where they n1ay be
~
;:.:
:::, the Philippine Islands vbautha e mineral deposits in public lands in
0
Q) , 0 surveyed d
3 and open lo explorntion .· an unsurveyed ... to be free
CJ)
()
• ' occupat10n nnd h .
w1nch they are foun<llo . ' pure ase, and the land 1n
Q)
:::J
:::J
~ U . occupation u l h ..
n1ted Stales, or of said Islands ,, nc pure ase, by citizens of the
urn
CHI\P'l'l~ll lV ' .
- I IIILIJ>PJNJ,;MININO AC'f'OF IB% 133
(HPJ111hlicAt! No, '1!l1J~)
Any qualified lWJ•t, 1>ti ) , .

e nter upon t.hc snm, " ·l I ( l',HI1'111f,r I,<> Iocnl.c! ,, rn111nr11
' J
cJ111m
' may
c n n c ocn 1 ' I f'
ossible, but. not t'X,, ~ t· • ,c n Pot. o f{l'otrnd nw11R11ring, w ere • h
P .. CUC( 11\g Oil ' 11 I (' ' I h h '
t;housHnrl feet. in bt'('ndt h .' e • IOt1Hnnc eet, m <JnJ{I. y on •
~orm Under the Pl11.1-. •. ' 111.nH ncnrly HH p<>AHihle1J red.nnguJ11r
11
• •• l PPme B111of 1<)()' J, ,. • , • , , l
clnuns so locnted is cntit-lc . • ~' I. 1c holde1 of t.hc m1~cr?
• 1• b t ' d to 111the n11nernJHwhich may lie vnthrn
1
l11s c a1m, u , 11e mny not- . •

_
. ·
• ~ The • . , mmc out.sale the boundary lines of hrn
c181 111
. • '-'•
1111 1
. . 1ocato·1 must lu1ve hrn
d neca1m • claim
• recorded rn · th
muung recor er w1tlun t] • t (
otherwise, he will bed . nr ~ 30) days after the location thereof;
eemed to have abandoned the same.
. . One of. the: continuin g requirements
. • ·
for the subsistence of t h e
mnung c1aim Is performance of not less than one hundred dollars'
worth of labor .or. undert· a 1nng • of improvements
• of the same va 1ue
e~ery ye~r. Tlus Is a strict requisite, the locator's failure to comply
with which shall operate to open the claim or mine to relocation
in the same manner as if no location of the same had even been
made. Unequivocal is the mandatory nature of the work or labor
requirement on the 1nine that the Philippine Bill specifically
designates the time when the work or labor required to be done
annually on all unpatented mineral claims, shall commence.
Subsequently, among a few laws passed amending the
Philippine Bill of 1902 was Act No. 624 passed by the United
States Philippine Commission and approved on February
7, 1903. Said Act prescribed regulations to govern the location and
the manner of recording mining claims and the amount of work
necessary to hold possession thereof. Such regulations reinforced
the annual work or labor requirement of not less than one hundred
dollars' worth as provided for in the Philippine Bill of 1902, in
accordance with Section 36 thereof which limits the power of the
United States Philippine Commission to make regulations but "not
(/)
()
in conflict with the provision of this Act [i.e., the Philippine Bill of
Q)
::,
::,
(I)
1902], governing the location, manner of recording, and amount of
a.
~- work necessary to hold possession of a mining claim ... "
s-
o
Q)
3
(/)
• On November 15, 1935, the Commonwealth Constitution
()
Q)
::,
::,
took effect. The 1935 Constitution declnred all natural resources
~
of the Philippines, including mineral lands and minerals, to be
property belonging to the State. However, as it turned out, not
really all of the Philippines' natuI;al resourcos were considered part
of the public domain. Those natural resources, and for that matter,
those mineral lands and minerals with respect to which there
already was "any existing right, grant, lease, or concession at the
, AND1tULl:H 1
unUJ1,H
H1,,HO 'N'f';\L cM-mH
N N/\'rt1u,,1, rNv1unNMI',
t,,\ W(); , t1Hl•!i,'Oll ',
OF Pl!OLidJ ' I 'Hl,uhHBhodundor thi

•11,ncn, . . l1
. f I.ho,,uvr' . l ' tho upp1Jell twn of th,,
• , ,r11t.10ll o . I . ,d oul.sH o t t· 11 . \i
t • , nf th, ,ni\\11,' •011HH "c 11•HonnlJ.Y or ,o ,u Y WJthin
lllH . • 11
" ,re tlwn I uncon< '
on~t,tut t<Hl . . t, lcnst no •
jin 1 ,cpo/10,• lm:·t•t'llH' ',01 .I\ ct,r1ne.
'
.
100
.th ontcmplnt10nof snt< , . l First Nntional .A~somb}y
o1 .
No, cin b ct 7'
]!)Hb, the
• , Jcnow11
as
. Act·
the Mining
~CA No }37, othcrwis.~. . e Bill of 1902 which was
tact~ ·Aditin tion with t.hc Plu ip~~:<leralMining Acts which
.1d nftcr the United StatMes.
n tct01~ : g Ad expressly adopted the
pa, 1 n , • t-hc mm C · •
·c t d the Rcgaliandoctrmc,' . . 8 of the 1935 onsbtution.
r J , 1 • .,the provJSJOTI . . . .
Regnlinndoctrine fol owmg ,. 1·ohibitsthe ahenatwn mmmg
1
Sine aid Constitution nccessm; Y/ se rights to mining claimants
lands, the MiningAct grnntcdlon J e~hemining claim itself. These
who are proscribed from pure rnsmg . . ·e ·expressly inapplicable
M' • A t however we1
provisionsof the mmg • c ' .
to mining claimants who had locate anc
d
l 1·ecorded their claims
under the Philippine Bill of 1902.
The nationalism underlying the adoption of the Regalian
doctrine in the 1935 Constitution was further eroded by the
amendment thereto which was adopted by the First Congress on
September 18, 1946and approvedby a majority at the elections held
on March 11, 1947. This amendment which came in the form of an
"Ordinance Appended to the Constitution" is what is known as
the "Parity Rights" amendment. It provided that, notwithstanding
the adoption in the Constitution of the Regalian doctrine and the
proscriptionagainst aliens participating in the natural wealth of the
nati~n, exc~ptedtherefrom were the citizens of the United States
and its • busmess
•. enterprises
. . which would have the , equa I ug ,· ht m ·
h d
t e 1spos1t10n,explo1tat10n development a d t·i· t' f'
, n u 1 1za 10n o our
natural resources, among them our mi'ni'ngla d . d . f'
th e period
• from Ju]y 4, 1946 to July' • , n s an mmera 1s or
3 197 4-.
In the meantime the provis• f P
regarding mining clai~s · 1. . ion ° t 11e_ hilippine Bill of 1902
claims acquired before 't}mso'lf'f' HI us the m1 •
.• .
l d
. mng an s nnu nunmg
,J • •
are concerned, continued le e ect.1v1ty .. of tl10 193h C.,,oustitution

. .
1.0 b . . • l)
1abor or undertaking of imin·, c Ill effect-'• A nnun l porformnnce . of'
annua 1 requirement non-eom ovomont"S
. ,, on ('} , le nnno . rommnec . I nn
• becommg • agnin' 1
, P iunco .·with
mme 011011 lo . ,] • wlnc • l1 resu l torl m. tt1el
lease prov~sionsof the Mining ~~tc:;,~:011. but, ~ow ,subj~ct to the

work ,
reqmrement to be u 81,.1.1•C.1, })l'Ol'O<l° .'1ntont10n
•t
lor tlus mrnuaJ
claimant's rights under the Phil' . lltsi O to mnintenance of u
lost on subsequent legisl,ators t.tPme Bill of 1902 apparently not
"' iey took the same us an nbso]ute

J-IA1''11tm
IV
- 1'1111,ll'PINI
(H"J111hll•/\ ',MININO/\C'f'()f,' lflJf, l~Jr,
1. ti N11, 'IIH~)
pr rcqui8itc with pi·nv(, ,

. . "\ l ' ' nae,·t n l11\,V Wnivin,
xptc~~) • to1111u1t1Pnc(•1 I I ,.
, , I Ill~< Hdt<!V<!d
,
d, nr:<:<!Hflnry tlJ
fro.111
tl:tlllllll') 1, 1Do2 to J I, ullH l't(flllt'{!r,l(]tJf, durinu tJw fJ(•ri()d
• • t n 11\I m·y I I< " , , ,
nc'cc~~1t.nt,d the 8nnrn. • ' .JG'1HAl.lw circumHf.sHH:eH 1,hrm
1'h"' l hilippine Bill 0 r

p'rfornrnnceofworkonth ... . lD02 clearly r•quired the annu,JI
. cnnncorf}, cJ .
t.hercon m order for the 111- ] . , 1C un crtakingof'improv ments 1
the ng . l1L accruing to him1lle, c aim. Iocat,or to eontinue enjoying all

nothing short of this was tl ~s ~Suc}~ under the said Bill. 'I'his and
18
of annual assessment work ; ~qmrement. The filing of affidavits
for in the Philippine Bill of ~gch. proced.urc is not even provided
2
proving that there had act~ail , is reqmred ?nly for purposes of
Such filing could not 1 b Y be?n work or improvements done.
.
work requirement ai d lave. . een. Intend ed t o rep 1,ace t he actua I
' 1 na1 y is there a b • • 1
conclusion to the contrar not . . _aSisrn aw to support any
b th t' f . Y, w1thst andmg what was appearing to
; e p~ac ice o mine claim locators of annually filing affidavits
0
a~nblua.as~essment but willf~lly not undertaking actual work or
tangi e improvement on the mme site.
On August .1,_1968, then President Marcos issued EO No.

141. ~hereas m1n~ng clai~ holders under the Philippine Bill of
1902 •·· are of the 1mpress10n that they may hold on to their claims
indefinitely by the mere filing of affidavits of annual assessment
work ... " EO No. 141 precisely declared that "such impression
is not correct, for what matters in maintaining and preserving
possessory title to the claim is the continuous performance of the
required assessment work, not the filing of an affidavit which may
be disproved by findings on the ground." Consequently, EO No. 141
established the status of such unpatented mining claims which have
not complied with the annual work requirement, as having been
abandoned and open for relocation, their declarations of location
being accordingly cancelled.
On January 17, 1973, the 1973 Constitution came into
force and effect. Unlike the former Charter, the 1973 Constitution
did not expressly qualify the application of the Regalian doctrine as
being subject to any right granted before the effectivity of th: 1935
Constitution or the 1973 Constitution for that matter. It provided:
"SEC. 8. All lands of the public dom?in, waters,

minerals, coal, petroleum and ot?er .mineral 011s,all forces
Ofpot en t ia. 1 ener gy , fisheries , wildlife, and other natural
,,
th
resources of the Philippines belong to e ate. • • •8t

UllCES AND RULES
F FOH1rnso
LAW O N. NJ\'l'UHAI, ENVIH.ONMJi'NTAL
_, CASES
1:JG OF PHOChlJUH '
I
Uut. t.he conrlitionn "/;/
• •
Jltcnt10n °f the Regaliun •3doctrine under
be found in PD No. 46 , enacted on
, 1D7:l Conslitut,o•'. c~u I .he Mining J\cL (CA !'10, 13~). While the
1\fny• 17 '. 1974. wl11chI'cv1scc
t.lw I" n111min
. c1···tl dcpos1 ts Jn public or Pnvate
L I ••
-~ ricer edeclares t, Ht, ... L l'cnably and imprcscnpt1ve y ... ,''

•
~nw ti Stnte Jna 1 h cl 1 d b
hmus,J
... belong
• to I, wt crnghtso11es
L '. ervations
• • a 1a rea
11 d'y een
·1 lso recog111zcsw rn cv . . . g J,1nds apparent ya u Ing to
, •n • t rtam mmm < ' • • B'll f
existing with r?s~ect,
•• hts of mmmg clmm 10o _ceI lders under the Philippine i o 1902 .
the ng •• • • of 1902 , the procedure was that a
• • Under• •the
1 Philippine Billapp Y c . a patent . soon afterc locating
t 01 • need not 1 101
nunmg• claim
Th t t may come 1ate1,. an d the said locator,
oca . 1or as. ong
1
the mme. e pa '.'n I t I work reqmrement, enioyed
as he complies witl~ the ann~a ac ula 1ining claim with or without
• I t with respect to sue 1 n 1 .
possesso.r~ n~ 1 ·s. nd . EO No. 141 , unpatented mining c rums
a patent therefor. U er fi d' that the holders thereof
shall be deemed abandoned upon a m m.g · labor or undertaking
had not been actually performmg any w01k or . h ir havino-
any improvement at the mine site notw1thstand1ng t e c
religiously filed annual affidavits of assessinent.
E
ven un der PD No • 46 3 which was enacted .in. 1974, . . the
possessory rights of mining claim holder~ under the Ph1h~p1ne_ Bill of
1902 remained effective for as long as said holders complied with the
annual actual work requirement. But on October 14, 1977, PD No.
1214 required all the holders of unpatented 1nining claims to secure
mining lease contracts under PD No. 463. Faced with the grave
consequence of forfeiture of all their rights to their clai1ns, holders
of subsisting and valid patentable mining claims located under the
Philippine Bill of 1902 were to file mining lease applications therefor
within one (1) year from the effectivity of the said decree. 'l'he filing
of such mining lease applications was considered a waiver of the
holders' rights to the issuance of mining patents for their claims.
Corollarily, non.filing of applications for mininn lease by the holder,
thereof within the one-year period would causeb the forfeitme •
of all
their rights to their c]aims. 1
• 'J'he 1987 C?nstit~tion, ncloptod on I• obrnnry 2, 1987,

reiterates the dommant lonturo of' tho l 9115and l 973 Constit.ntions
- ownerBhip by the Stoic of oil 11at11.ra/resource,,. 'l'lnts nil mineral
Ian ds, as pnrt of I.ho cnu n 1.ry's n a l.u 1·11I rosomces b~ Ion n to the
Pl1ilippino Stn I.e. Suction 2, i\rticlo XI I 1.hornorstn to~: 0
Sept. 9,'Aloi<
1996,Ilig-Wedgo
2GJ SCHAMining
528. Co. v. lntormodinlo J\pJiollnto Comt. GR No. 0862S,

Cl f APT}t;fl IV l .
• I flll,1l1plNI'
1\,, N•,
(U1•1111l,fl,. MININC'IA('.'I' Of,' lfJ Jf, I 'I'/
1
• o. ,/11,f
~)
"\"l.
,, I(. Il thp (' ' I '
' I • l.Ppt,011 of 11 ,
Jl:11,\ll'H 1'<'!40l11·<•ta, I II fP'1c11l1.111·,,II1111,n,1,
I II 01.,nr
I
·n~11,, OIi
1
.
dmC'lopnwnt.,llll<J lll'I' ~' l<• 11h,,n,it,Pd. 'l'I,, , x· I . ,·
1
' ' . • ,, li',n l.1011 of' • • P o, ,, .Hrn,
unn<1 t.Jwfull ('Oll' . l 1111
t 111·nl n~11011r·<·<•11,I II I)('
' I,)() fllld , ,, 1111
I.HI.fl mny
. •
dfr '<'I l\, \111(lc r I nI-H1pc!J'V11iion
, , ., I , ,~.'/'I H !
l•1,,1,,
of I,hP. ,--,
en tl'I' rn to CO·J)l'odu , 1. ·, ~ ci Aueh 11el.ivi t,i<!fi or ; 1. mn y
1011
·l ·• · c •
:-.rn1mg ngrcem n 1.8 w ·11 ' ,:101111
. . ' ven I.tir<\ o,· pmd'
ucl.ion-•
. , J,1fi11Jp1J 10 'I'
or nssocrnt10ns nt Je,rnf . c, ,l%CllA, or corpornl,ionA
•
1:-.own
,J
u
bysuchc ·1·,, ' 81Xf.y {)('I' C) l f' who~ect1rJil1tl
. 1 ,1,,ens.,, • 11..,1.111.0 • , •
On March 3' 1901':' Jl A

•• ,:11>, \.a N0 7<J
Mining Act of 1995 wa • • '12, 01· the Philippine
. • ' uS cnnctcd 1118 • . '.1 .
the
, exp1orahon
• , ' de, re]opmcnt, uf;j]j,, ' f " 1.ut,ng I 11 new •sy81<•m
.•• , for
naturRl resources oft he zn •1011 SHH conserv11t,on of t.hc
, country HAN0 79,f() I r· .
mineral agreements f ~ • . • • • • 'IL, < n mes the mod,~ of
for their fiHng and OJ mmmg . ' tiems, ou,f 1incH
• O})Cl''l •
the procedure
d fi, tJ · t 1
OpJ~ro.va' nssJgnment/tmnsfcr 11nclwithdrnw,il
an . 1txes 1e1r erms. Srnulnr provjsions govern financinl or l.cchnicnl
ass1s ance agreements. ,
The .law • . t-he
. prescribes
. , . qu· a rt· ., t·10ns of.con tn1ctors and grn n ts
.11ca
them cert.am r 1ghts, rncludmg Umber, wntcr and easement rights
and the. right. to possess
. . explos·1ves. Sur 1· ucc owners, occupants, or'
c?nces~10na1res ~re fo~b1dden from prcven ting holders of mining
nghts from entering private ]ands and concession areas. A procedure
for the settlement of conflicts fa likewise provided for.
The Act restricts the conditions for exploration, quarry and
other permits. It regulates the transport, sale und processing of
minerals, and promotes the development of mining communities,
science and mining technology, and safety und environment-tl
protection.
The government's share in the agreements is spelled out and
a1located, taxes and fees are imposed, incentives granted. Asid
from penalizing certain acts, the law likewise specifies grounds for
the canceJJation, revocation, nnd terminut:ion of ngreemonts and
permits.
On April 9, 1995, thirty duys /'oJJowingHs puhJicntion on Mnl'ch
10, 1995 in two newspapers of gencml eirculnl-ion,RA No, 7942 took
effect.
On August 15, 1995, the Dopnrtmont of Envi~·onn1~nt
and Natural Resources (DENR) issued D.ENR~dmhustrattve
Order (DAO) No. 95-23, series of l f}f)5,ot:horw1s0known as the

oURCES AND RULES
LAW ON NATUR~LRR:ivJRONMENTAL CASES
138 OF PllOCEDURE l•O ;j
d Itegulations of RA No. 7942. Th·

18
hnplcn1c11ting RulesD~~ No. 96-40, series of 1996, which w
was Inter repealed by 2
as
Rdopt:ed on December 20, 1996.
03. Declaration of policy.

The State shall ensure, for the benefit of th_eF~l~pino~eople, the
. d development as well as the Judicious disposition
full exp1ora t 1011 an · f h '
·i· t· anageinent renewal and conservation o t e country's
u t1 1za 1011, m • ' • · ff h
c1orest , n11ner,
· land , waters , fisheries , wildlife, o .-s ore areas
. . and
other natural resources, consistent with the necessity ?f maintaining
a sound ecological balance and protecting and enhancing the quality
of the environment and the objective of making the exploration,
development and utilization of such natural resources equitably
accessible to the different segments of the present as well as future
generations. 3
All mineral resources in public and private lands within
the territory and exclusive economic zone• of the Republic of the
Philippines are owned 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. 4
Mineral production is a major support of the national economy,
and therefore the intensified discovery, exploration, development
and wise utilization of the country's mineral resources are urgently
needed for national development. 5
04. Philippine mining laws are intended to promote national

growth through the grant of supervised exploration and
development of mineral resources to qualified persons.
In Liwat-Moya v. Ermita, 6 the Court, through Justice Nlartires,
un~erscored the policy of the country's n1ining laws to promote
national growth through the grant of supervised exploration and
2
La Bugnl-B'lnnn 'J'rihnl Association, foe. v. Rnmos, GR No. 127882, Jan. 27,
2004, 446 SCRA l, per J. Carpio-Mornles.
3
Sec. l, Chapter 1, Title XIV, EO No. 292.
4Sec. 2, RA No. 79'12.
6PD No. 463.
6 GR No. 191249, March 14, 2018.

CHAP'11EH1V
---(irllll.ll'PINg MININO J\C'I' OF HHJo 1~19
l p11hllcAct, No, '/!M2)
development of mint1r 1 .
1
tie comp 1etc und - n IORourc,At· ,o qun J·'f' I ••
1 10c pernorrn ncceEw1tatmv
1
instant cHsc docs n·totnpt complinnce wit.h n.iqui~·ementfL 'fhe
"° no • t11orel • I
requir mentR under DMO Y mvo vc the dcl11ycc.lfl1ing of the
thereof. Consequently f _No. ~7~07, but the complete ahF-Jencc
1 1 1011 8
to have been automati~ ~~ • ~ .er applicotion for MPSJ\. is deemed
her submission of the I.Ji~·t~. enicd whe_'nthe cJea<lline]apsecl without
er ,1nent rcq uu• .emen t s. 'fh e background facts
of the case are as follows:
PD No. 463 or the M'

1974 stressed tli'e · ineral Resources Development Decree of
' unportan f •
of national econoin d ·I ce O • mineral production to the growth
viz.:
i
undertake the ex an . t le need to encourage qualified persons to
P oratrnn and development of mineral resources,
"WHEREAS , 1n1nera
• 1 production is a major
~uppo~t of th e national economy, and therefore the
intensified
. . . disco very, exp 1oration,
• development and
wise utilization of the country's mineral resources
are urgently needed for national development;
. WHEREAS,the existence of large undeveloped

mineral areas and the proliferation of small mining
cl~ims deter modern development of the country's
mineral resources and urgently require well-
planned exploration, development and systematic
exploitation of mineral lands to accelerate
production and to bolster the national economy;
WHEREAS, effective and continuous m1n1ng

operations require considerable outlays of capital and
resources, and make it imperative that persons
possessing the financial resources and technical
skills for modern exploratory and development
techniques be encouraged to undertake the
exploration, development and exploitation of our
mineral resources;
WHEREAS the foregoing objectives cannot be

achieved withi~ the shortest possible time without
removing the deficiencies an~ limitations of. existing
laws and improving the same 1n ~rder .t?pro~1de_for a
modernized administration and d1spos1tion of mineral

•J'SAND ltUJ.il~S
, L u1,;so1JHL
~l~N'l'AI, CASl•:S
t.,\" ()~ ,N~;://.:l~~)H
1,:NVI
uoN
OF l't!OCl•,ll
-J c development
fc f' 1
111•11g
llld cuco • upp1ied)
11111o pronwtc l f' ,, (F111phns1sB
\1111d~ 11 • hcrco · :.J
l · loi1.n1.t0ll 1' .
nnc l'XP Mining J\ct o{ J.995, the present
.
1 ' Philipp111C 't·
HA No. 7D~:2.or~ ~c . nilnr policy, to WI, •
• • do1lt s ,1 s11
lnw nn11111ng.n ,. · rl . All
. f p Olicy.
m1nera _ -
"Section 2. lnJeel.aratwn .· , te lands
• °
Wl'th·in th e
ic 1-1nd pnva.. zone of the R. epu bl'ic·
puu-1·
• 1
). i..ourccs m
C 1 • economic " 11
!C'rrit.ory mid cxc us1ve d b the State. It sha be
·1· •
of Lhe Pl111ppmes are owne Y
h St te to promo e t th ·
e1r
t,hc_ rcsponsibiH~Y__
of t ~eve~opment, utilization
rational cxploi ation, the combined efforts
1
und conservation throug ~ te sector in order to
of government and the priva f'i.- t' 1
I
enhance nationa grow 1 Iti •11 a way that e l1ec .1ve
ht y
safeguards the environment and p~otects.t te rig s
of affected conu11unities."(Emphasis supplied)
RA No. 79'12 defines the persons qualified to undertake mining

operations as ":my citizen of the Philippines with capacity to cont~act,
or a corporation, partnership, association, or cooperative organized
or authorized for Lhepurpose of engaging in mining, with technical
and financial capability to undertake mineral resources
development and duly registered in accordance with law at least
~ixt.yper centum (GO'¼i) of the capital of which is owned by citizens
of' t.hc Philippines x x x." Relative to mineral production sharing
ngr 'ments under PD No. 463, EO No. 279 also instructs that said
ngreem 'nts should incorporate the minimum terms and conditions
enume1·ated therein. Towards this end, DENR Administrative
0l'dc:r (DAO) No. 57, providing the guidelines 011 mineral production
shnnn ' agr 'ments under EO No 279 t f' h h . .
•
n·qu1re111 nts that must be submitted b
• , se
. s ort
. t e m1n1mum
Y p1 ospective proponents .
. 'l'h ·sc provisions bring LoLhefore t1 . . . . •
1 111.1011111eco110my bv "l''ll)ti· . 1e mtent of the hnv to boost
• J b c , ng minernl e · I · t
only t.o quulified P 1.8011 . ' xp oration und ctevelopmen
1
undnt.itl{(• 1ni11i11~ •
OJJ(irntions H w lO cnn l'Oll
,, , lpe t,ont ly nnd promp . th'.
11
compl(:l.t: but. 11llmprninpt. c·o; • .iey u nd_urseol'Otho noocl not only for
0I• I J
t ie rn en. Compll!lu
, l)l 1lllJH:e with tl
1
coJHJ>I' . . •
·r· ' ti',
• 10 H}Hlct tc rnqun·omon •
~A J)SA • 1nnco IH ncH· 1. e
iv, ' /\ in II
11ppl1C'1111t I
c11111Jif'1c• to OllHlll'O t.hnt t,1
-Ot:1Hn1·y
l 111 .
• the r•qt118it1J HkillH finm ,· .
,( )ll.1'801\
ll I ('
H c tnod unclor tho lnw nn
O
d
• Iuct. llll!Hmd
• 1
' inn H.:111 i OHon1·c·,LH,
•. I . . . to
cone t!xplomt l\lH t.oehmenl nb1hty
•• 1 1
llnc c UVPlnp t
poIlCJe • Prompt. complinnce on Ll , rnont. consistent with sW e
, rn othor hnncl, ensures that non·

CHAPTER 1\ 1 .
-} HILlPPINE t\llNINCl AC'I' OF l!l!lli ltl I
(lwpublh: Act No. 7!1,1~!)
moYing·applicn t.io1rnnr, , ,r1~rl . . .,

. ~ . .
peisont- ..-111opportu 1nty to d "c • out. m
. onl 't' to gIvo ol.hol' qunld1ccl
• . l . d t· i • v' 1op llltning nr 'flH whoH< pol. •111.inlfor
nnnei a p1o uc .1011 1111n-ht 11 l .
•
na tJOIUl 1 econon1y. ,.., • -,er) ronhzed,t.othedot.l'imonl.of'our
Consistent
• d £ \\ith . this intent , S-,·t·· . . o1·1~A
ec ,IOn 113· . ,. No. 79,121· ·1,s
. ,, 1m 1
the peno or entenno-0 1• t · f
• • o- • . n o nuncrnl ngreements by n holder o
1nuu~i,...clauns and applications filed under PD No. 463 and still
pending wl~en the new law took effect. DAO No. 96-40, or the Revised
In1ple 1~1enting Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA No. 7942, sets
a spe~ific date for con1pliance and further provides that failure to
exercise the preferential rights granted by the law within the stated
period results in autmnatic abandonment of the pending application.
Thus: the preferential right given to applications still pending upon
the effectivity of RA No. 7942 is subject to the following conditions:
(1) that the applicant sub1nits the status report, letter of intent, and
all the lacking require1uents as provided by DMO No. 97-07; and (2)
that said compliance is perfonned within the deadlines set.
It is under the foregoing backdrop that the Court, in Liwat-Moya,
denied petitioner's MPSA with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau
(MGB) not only because of the delayed filing of the requirements
under DMO No. 97-07, but also the complete absence thereof. DAO
No. 96-40 authorizes the MGB to deny or cancel mining ap?lications
that fail to comply with pertinent laws, rules, and regulat10ns.
05. Ownership of mineral resources.

. 2, Art' ic1e XII of the Constitution, provides:
Section
" 2 All lands of the public domain, ':aters,
SEC. • t m and other mineral mls, all
• ls coal pe ro 1eu , . b
m1nera , , . fisheries forests or tim er,
forces of potential energy, d other n~tural resources are
'ldl'£ fl a and fauna, an . I I
Wl i e, or w·1th the exception of agr1cu tura
owned by the State. urces shall not be alienated.
atura 1 reso 1
lands, a 11ot h er n t and utilization of natura
t• develop men ' · ·
The exp 1ora 10n, tl18 full control and supervision
resources shall be u nd er • directly undertake such
Tl1 e State may . . . t .
of the State. . t co-product10n, Joint ven u1e,
·t
activities or 1 • ma y enter u1 o . . .
ts with F1hpino ·t·
c1 izens,
' • agreern 811
or production-sharing . . at least sixty per centum of
. ssoc1at10ns' "
or corporation~ or a ed by such citizens.
whose capital is own

• SAND RULES
J\'J'UH1,
iu~souncNEM•
AJ
JHO
ENTAL CASES
1AWONN r FOll gNV
J
142 01; PHOCgDlJH ,, .
t·l e concept of Jura regali

• roviHion ec l ••. domain be] ong t o th e StateQ
1oes , 1
Thr fore~~,;"~i/'1nnrlB of the 1'.ubl'\sserted right to ownership

pnrs,mnt to wlnc 1 • tlH' source of any 't·on of such patrimony. All
0 t1 t the St.nt.clR • ., . nserva 1 .
~n l ,dn•• .:i harged with the lco f p~·ivate domin~on presumptively
m Rn Rnn . to be clear yo
)1rndsnot appeanng '
t
belong to the Sta e.' . •ts name implies, is intended
• wluch, as 1 Th 1 .
The Regalian doctnne
O
f .• ate persons. e ru e s1rnply
for the benefit of the State '. not. pnv th t may be foun d 1n · pu bl'1c and
1
all mmer a s a . . 1 .
reserves to t he Stat e " . ltural 1ndustna , commercial
•
even private 1an d devoted to agncu th than mining.' " Th us, 1 a person ·r '
• • 1 (£ ) y purpose o er d"
res1dentrn or or an d. hich minerals are IScovered
is the owner of agricultural Jan m: · e him the right to extrac{
his ownership of such land does no giv . • f h S
• • 'd •
or utilize the sa1 mmera s • 1 wi'thout the perm1ss10n • o t e d tate
• to
wh1c• h sueh mmera
• 1s be1ong. Once minerals are d1scovere. 1n the
land whatever the use to which it is being devoted at the time, such
use ~ay be discontinued by the State to enable it to extract the
minerals therein in the exercise of its sovereign prerogative. The
land is thus converted to mineral land and may not be used by any
private party, including the registered owner thereof, for any other
purpose that will impede the mining operations to be undertaken
therein. The Regalian doctrine then extends not only to land but
also to "all natural wealth that may be found in the bowels of the
earth."8 ·
• . The right to possess or own the surface ground is separate and

d1stmctfrom ~he miner~l_rights over the same land.• And the fact
that the location of a mmmg claim has been perfected d tb
the g~vernment's exercise of its power of eminent . oes no . ar
of
• emment domai·n £
covers a11 orms of . t domain. The. right
mtangible, and includes right h' h Priva e property, tangible or
s w ic are attached to land.10
. ?wnership of mineral deposits b .
Principle expressed in PD N Y th e State 1s also a dominant
R 463 otherw· k
esources Decree of 1974,,, to. . '
o wit:
ise nown as the "Mineral
7
Rep I·I', .
u) le V, Nagu1ul en N '
!!RepublicV C ' .' ' 0, 1a12on, ,lnn. 21 20
160 SCRA'>28 • ou1t ol Appnnls nn<lDe }p ·1) , . , 06, 179 SCRA 585.
9 - ' ~-\OSn Gnl..T L 80
JO Buendia, onN ]
Coinilang V. ' i..,o, -43938, April 15, 19 ,
Benguet C 1·1 o.... -2'1757 Ocl 95
SCRA 466 onso Hated, Inc. v H l '. • .., ' 1967 21 SCRA 486
• • epn ihc GR 1
' ·
' No. 71412, Aug. 15, 1986, 143

CHAP'l'ER lV
0tllllLll'Pl>INE MINING J\C'I' OF HHJo Jtltj
opu > II! Act No. 7!M ~)
"SEC 4 .
f,o
• • ll11.nerals Ji' l 1 l
L ands. - '1'1 ••• Jxc ,u,cec, froni other Ri11hts
0
or pnvate lands
· • • le wnet·sl
0
. lip• or I:I10 r.1ghl

• to use pub]ic
· 1
agricultural Jogg· w 1ether
•. • exposec1 or submerged for
' Ing, mdustr· I • . ' .
petroleun1 explor t· rn , commcrcrnl, res1dentrnl,
a Ion and/o 1. l • .
or any purpose tl exp 01t11twnor purposes
o 1er than • •
ownershiJJ of 1101 . t] . mining, docs not include the
' · 1e right t d I
the 111ineral deposits fou . eve op, exploit or uti]izc,
0
such lands ex t . nd 111 , on or under the surface of

. , cep with res t t
provided for t·I · ]) • pee O quarry resources as
us. ecree.
SEC. 5. Mineral D •
Lease _ S b' eposits Open lo Location and
· bl u Ject
all valu . to a ny ex1stmg
• .• rights
• .
or reservat10ns
ti b a £e mineral deposi·t s 1n
• pu bl'1c land includmg
• • '
N:. ;;g or hor~st . land as defined in Presidential Decree
. : ot erwise known as the Forestry Reform Code
or 111 PrI:ate land not closed to mining location, and the
land wh~ch they are found, shall be free and open to
prospecting, occupation, location and lease."
Section 5 of RA No. 7942 on mineral reservations provides that

"[m]ining operations in existing mineral reservations and such other
reservations as may thereafter be established, shall be undertaken
by the Department or through a contractor[.]" Section 5 is a special
provision, as it specifically treats of the establishment of mineral
reservations only. Said provision grants the President the power
to proclaim a mineral land as a mineral reservation, regardless of
whether such land is also an existing forest reservation. 11
In Southeast Mindanao Gold Mining Corporation v. Balite
Portal Mining Cooperative 12 involving the Diwalwal gold rush
area the Court declared that "the State may not be precluded from
considering a direct takeover of the mine_s,.if it is the only plausible
remedy in sight to the gnawing complexities generated by the gold
rush."
L'k th l 935 and 1973 Constitutions before it, the 1987
. i te· e_ ••t Section 2 Article XII, prohibits the nlienntion
Cons t 1tu ·10n, 1n s 1 '
ept agricuhura J 1an(·1s. 'l'l •
. 10 snme sect10n
of natura I resources, exc
s ul hoHHt Mind11nuoGold Mining Col'J)Ol'otion,

GR
11Apex Mining Co., Inc. v. 0 ,
No. 152613, Nov. 20, 200n.
12GR No. 135Hl0, April 3 ,
2002
•

. d ,velopmonl und utilizatio
. "( )he explornt.1011, . .. I J . n of
1 ,.o,·Hl<'S t.hnt t. 1 ,. l'lw Jull conl.10 un< supcrvisio
nnt urnl l't'Ro,n·c R, s'l\l\.11he. \llH1 e1 ]icy
,
of the States ' "f'u 11control n of
t hl' t ntl'.
'' 1'11 'onst1tut.10nn po
ec ' ' . , i·ces JH'occeds rom
1· th e concept r ·and
. • .. . nnt urn 11csou . 0 1llro.
s\\pPrv,s,on o, e, ' ·t· of the importance of the count y'
• 11 the recogm 10 11 r
rc~nlw,ns we as , t l for national economic development h 8•
n•,turnl resources, no, on Y U d tl · . . ' Ut
Riso for its security and national d~f~nse. n er ~1s prov1s1on, the
tRt assumes "am oi·edyirnmic
., role 111the explorat10n, development
l'I
and. utilization of natural resources. •
The nationalization of the natural resources which character.
izes the 1936, 1973, and the present Constitution, is intended: (1)
to insure their conservation for Filipino posterity; (2) to serve as an
instrument of national defense, helping prevent the extension to the
country of foreign control through peaceful economic penetration;
and (3) to avoid making the Philippines a source of international
conflicts with the consequent danger to its internal security and in-
dependence. I~
a. "Full control and supervision by the State" in the

exploration, development and utilization of the
country's natural resources
The adoption of the concept of jura regalia that all natural
resources a~·eo~ned by the State embodied in the 1935 1973 and
1987 Constitut10ns as well th . . ' '
r th
o e country's natural re' as e recognition of the importance
d velopment but 1 r . source~, not only for national economic
, a so 1or its security d t· d
in the adoption of tl1 . an na ·1onal defense, us here
supervision by tl 1 e cSon sti tutional policy of "full control and
e tate" • h
and utilization of tl1 In t e exploration, development
e country's 11 t .
op ·n Lo the State a.1 tl . . a ·ural resources. The options
• e 1rough d' .
rnLo co-production . . irect undertaking or by entering
arr . ' Joint ventu 1, ··"
t:>rccmen ts, or by en L, 1.• . e, or prod uction-shtu·iug
cor·poi•ations fo 1, l, .e Ing into ugreen1ent with foreign-owned
ll ge-scnle cx.plorution
utilization
• , d eve 1op1ne11t, and
Upon Lhe •ff l • ,
1987 LI ettiviLy of t I10 ·
' ie SLnLellHHuniecl 1 • 1DS7 Constitution on February21
1 ino1·0 l • ·n
c Ynnm1c role in the exploratio '
Ia
La Bu1~nl-B'1 , '
2004, 44_f) scnA 1 HIii) I rilial Asi,oc·, l' 7
11
• lliicl.
• n IOI) l l J 2,
' nc. v. lurnos, GR No. 127882, an,

CH/\P'l't,:H IV
-- 1'1111.ll'l'INI'
<H11 I MININ(I J\(:'I' ()f,' 10111,
,, J,ff,
t\1!1.Nn. 'IIH\~)
1111hl1t:
<levelopm 'nt., nnd llt.il., . ,

Art. 1•c 1O -'Xll , Sect.ion
.., lznl,1on ol lh' 1111 111
2 I' 11 . • c 1. ·11I 1·0Hou1·crnI of' LIHi cou n 1.ry.
. 1 . t. ..l . o • \o Hn1d (,h 111·I , , 1• . .
exp 01 n ,10n, uevelopnw 1 . .u ex P 1<:1Lly onl111tH1 1.11111,
1
f.11(!
be un <l'l' t.l1' full ,01111 •ll • I\ ll d \I I iii· I 1011
• ,.
. 1 ' zn • 0 11111.111'111,. 'HoI11·<:e11 f.dwll
' l ' () I\ lld H\IJ) \ • • • ' '
t l1crcw1t. l, t.h' expl01·nt.io11 l ', u VIH1on ol l.110 Sl.111.e.Co11Hon11nt
resources mny he un<l , 1. 1. • ( cvolopmenL 1111d II LiIiinl.ion of' 11111.11 rnI
. • 1 by nie 14 I' 1·
,n,cm .
1t may opt. t.o enter into , • . nn 0 < 11·et1.11d ol l.lw Sl.nl.c~,or
• co-prod,1<·11)11 • •
sharing ngrcemcnts O . - , • < : Jotnl. ve11l.111·e, 01· produc:t,ion-
' l 11• mny <'Ill<•,· 1 I . . .
own d corporations 1 1 . • . - ·, n ,o ng1'<H1llH!11LH with fnre,gn-
nvo v1ng e11lwl' 1 , ·I1111 • ·i 1. . .
for large-scale exp] 01... t·• .J _ • - .ec c11 01· 11rnnc111I 11HH1Hl.ance
-
petroleu111 and 0 tl a. .1on . ' uevelopm'
. I I I ·1· •
en ·, lllH 11 •' 11.11
(' .
l.1011 o rn inern Is,
d a·(
1
, H~J mrnel'nl oihi nccording to t.ho Jfenernl t.ermR
an con_ ,tons pi~ovidecl by Jnw, hirncd on rcnl contl'il~ut.ionH to the
economic growth and g nernl W"lf'HICO . 1•11
V ,1CC:Olllll.l'y.
. . The. economic polic Y on t·l . .

, 10 exp 1or11l.1011, dovolopmcnt Hild
utih~ation of the country's natural rosom·c<~suncle,· J\rti<:lc xrr,
Sect10n 2 of the 1987 Constitution could not; ue any clcnrcl'. L\s
enunciated in Arti~]e XIJ, Section 1 of tho 1987 Co1rntituLion, the
exploration, development and utrnznt;ion of natund I·csourccs
under the new system mandated in Section 2, is geared towards a
more equitable distribution of opportunities, income, and wealth;
a sustained increase in the nmount of goods and services produced
by the nation for the benefit of tho pcop]o; und un expanding
productivity as the key to raising the quality of life for all, ospecinlly
the underprivileged. The exploration, clovulopmet~tuncl utiliiatio_n
of the country's natural resources oro mutters v1tul lo tho public
interest and the genera] we)fare of tho people.
1 of' the
'J,he recogn1·t·on , importnnco of l:ho country's. ,· nntural · l
,h.d as enrly ns tho l 984 Constttut10nn
resources was expressv •. . . ) .,. .
• t'1011 therew1t:h t:ho 1H86 UI Const1t.ut10n
Convent10n In connec ' • • l
. . _ . • :) . "The 1HB4 Const;itutionul Convontwn_rocogmz_ec
ProJect observed. . • t . 1 resources not. only for tt8 Hccunty
the imp?rtnnce ?l our na UJ '\urul resourcos which constitute Uw
and nai10nnJ <lefens~. Ourl ~]~ '. ·) nation should bo pros01·vodfor
] • J •L ) I t·ho ◄ 1 1P JJ1< ' I •
exc us1vc 1cn age < ' . . t ,·t,y of t.hnt nut.ion nnd for t, wu·
jh .1 } Pt'PJgJl IHI 1)OJI • • l l J
\, ose unucr t 1c HOV, , h , ,y'H 1,mrvivnl uH n Vtl\) t nnn
I
,
1111
prosperiLy. Thrn • w1•11en,,•·tJ r·c t c cou • 1
sovermgn • repu I)·1•

1c."Ill
. ' ' Fni:IOl'llll, onNo. UA3f12,1lnn. l(l,

----.--- . . ol' I.ho 1•1itl1pp1111u1
y,
lliMmorH J\HFJ<>c1111.1on
199G, 2'10 SCll/\ I 00.

' 'SAND ltULgS
I uF80UttCl~l'N'l'J\L CJ\Sft~S
' ""' oN N''\Y,1i~);! 1,:NVIttON ,,
1 ,rn • ,uoc1mll 1 '•
oF 1 ' development and
. t·'on
J]Ol u ,l 'h I'
cnt
L:lt of <~"I throug
u·t·ccs 1cense8
0 l(I S''" ' I J'CSO ,
b. rl'h ' • •n·' oJ, on turn . been om1'tted under the
ut.iH1.nt.10
. or Ie 11scs
. bnS •
co1\c( ,s~t0J\S
,, ~ .
titut1on
J987 Cons . , 1 to the old system of
1 J)ertai
der' . . t'onnee 1
Pl N AGS
o. 'J ,
as nrncn 1 ut-111za J · · of natura resources
• development anc • While these arrangements
exploration, . or lenses. .. • th h
Yl licenses concess1ons • l ·1 1973 Constitutions,
} •
t. noug 1 '
19 3i:;anc t 1e .. · ey· ave
were provided under ~,he• • oA ·t' l XII of the 1987 Constitut10n.
. db S ct10n 2 of HI ,Jce
been omitte Y e • . . d "full control and
•t t' nal po hey to war
With the shift of const i u
10
. . ources the Court in Miners
. • f·h St te"overnatm.a 11es ' ..
superv1s10no t e a . Fi t anl(i declared the prov1s1ons
Association of the Philippines v. ~alet~r of the express mandate of
trary to or v10 a ive
of PD No. 463• as con • . •· dealt with the lease of
the 1987 Constitution. The _said p~·ov1s10ns . g privately-owned
mining claims· quarry permits or licenses cover1n .
or public land~; and other related provisions on lease, licenses, and
permits.
RA No. 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, embodies
the new constitutional mandate. It has repealed or amended all laws,
executive orders, presidential decrees, rules and regulations - or
parts thereof- that are inconsistent with any of its provisions. It is
relevant to state, however, that Section 2 of Article XII of the 1987
Constitution does not apply retroactively to a "license, concession or
lease" granted by the government under the 1973 Constitution or
before the effectivity of the 1987 Constitution on February 2, 1987.
As noted in M'iners Association of the Philippines 11 the deliberations
of ~heCon~titt~tionalCo1~~nissionemphasized th~ intent to apply the
said const1t.ut10nalprov1s10nprospectively. While RA No. 7942 has
expressly repealed provisions of' mining luw tl t ~ · ·stent
•1 • • s 1a a1e 1ncons.1
wit 1 its own, 1t nonetheless resi)ect's . ·
• • 1ieenHeH,
•
• ·d l'd 11d
, •p1ev1ous1y issue va 1. a
existing as follows:
"Sb,C. 5. /\11:11cru/
Rc,'Wl'Vcttio . W .
interest 60 l'et1tiit·PR • nti,-
, , hen the national
1 • .. , Hue 1l llH
whon l'l . d t
preserve sti·utegi'c 1••,w in 1 . •1m·e 1s u nee o
' no1·1·1H('1 •1 l
national deV(•lo11111001 <)l , ' : or .ncllstries critical to
- ,, • cor 1nn1 1 111•
' n ornls for scientific,
HiJ/Ji<l,
17
lbi<l,
HAP'l'l•~HlV
- l'IIJl.t1 1 11 1NI'
(H,,p11hli1•A ·IN,,MININ(I t\C'I' (}II' l!llJ/i 1,17
I\L , ll, 7!1,1
~)
cul turn} or ec0 1 .
• og1rnl I
nun . rnl r,,,.
cs 1vnt1on . • "" He, th ...I-',, 1UHH• Ionl. 1111,y u11111hli11h
8
Dir. ctor
. • tl; lroug-h th."0 Hpon S tho
• 1·cco11111Hrnd111.ion • •of th,
ex1stn
•
•
• 10- nun 'rnl rescrvnt. , - y. M'111111g
ccrctnr • opurnl,iorrn in
as tnny therenft.--.,•b .ions nncl such ot.h ,,. rusuI·v1tl 1'onu
• ''"' - e cstn l ]' I • .,
the D partment or tl . , ) 1s wd, shnII bu undel'l.11ken hy
11oughnc t •
a sina 11 cale-minii on ;rnctor: Prouidccl 'l'hnt
· lg coopcrnt • '
N o. 7076 sha11 be · ,Ive covered hy lfopublic J\ct
given prefer t. I •
sn1a II -scale inining . • en ,IH right t.o apply for n
ag1ecment· f0 . •
area of twentv-fi , 1. n mux1rnum nggl'ugatc
J 1ve percent (25'¼) f
reservation sub; t . • 0
o such mineral
. ' , Jee to valzd exist' • •
rights as provid d d ·' • ' • ,ing muung I q_1tarrying
, e , un er Secli 112 Cl
All sub1nerged l d . . ,,on 1.apterXX hereof
the excl . an s_w1tlnn the contiguous zone and in
d 1 dus1ve economic . • le Of' t;J10 •-Pl11·1.
zo1 1ppmcs• nrc hcl'cby
ec are to be mineral reservations.
XXX XXX XXX
. SEC. 7. Periodic Review of Existing Mineral Reser-

vations. -The Secretary shall periodically review existing
mineral reservations for the purpose of determining
whether their continued existence is consistent with
the national interest, and upon his recommendation,
the President may, by proclamation, alter or modity
the boundaries thereof or revert the same to the public
domain without prejudice to prior existing rights.
XXX XXX XXX
SEC. 18. Areas Open to Mining Operations. -

Subject to any existing rights ?r reservations t~11Cl pri~r
ties a11mmeral resources 111 public
agreemen t s Of all Par , .
· t 1 ds 1·ncluding timber or forestlan<lsns defmo<l
orpnva e an , .
· · · I shall be open to mmeral agreements or
1n ex1st1ng aws, . •
. t h 1·cal assistance agreement upphcat10nH.
fi nanc1a 1_l' or . t}ec, tn ay arise' under Hus . . .
1n·ov1s1on shull ho
Any con f11ct 1a m the • panel of. u1·u1tr·nt.01·s.
1. • 111 11
heard an d reso ]ved })y
. • , und l)ovolopmont Corporntion, OH No. 1'10027,

18Repu bl'1cv. Roscmoor M1n1ng
617
March 30, 2004, 426 SCRA •
'f•'HAND HULJ~:8
I 1 ,,•N'f'ALC/\81•:s
I , 1 111,~H<JIJH<:,M"
'I'll 1/ fl!Oh 1
1,,\\\1n~,Nt,111•:FOil 1,:NV
1-1~ OF l'H( H i,.n .
ow ,wrHhJ p of natuhlq
, If' ('
I I'll l,(!H
N) 71),,
/.,
A II )'(I
,._ H c •. I 11,,,Ht11l.t\ .
,·t•Rolln•,iR >Y • , .. , ;\d of 1895, r 'It ·ra , h
•
1 PhilipplllL ,M1111n., 1 8 :-it
HA 1.7!M2.IH' 11 ,lhyLh,SlnL'.
11li1wrnln•.•mircf'f< I\ l'('• oWIH ( · .
• J.1/'nerulNcsonrces.-Mineral
"Slr . ~- Ownershipo( ,. ·,nte rind the exploration ,
~ 1 l t h C 8 1,, l , '
rrFlourccsnre owner. JY ' d Jrocessing thereof shall be
nl'v •loprncnt, u
tTzntwn
11
' '
on I ,, S
d J)crvision. Jhe tate may
• • 11 • t ro1 nn su . .
under 1ts fu con' 'lctivitics or 1t may enter into
directly undertnkc sue11 ' t .
• ,
minerRl ngreemen1.,SWl' ·th contrnc 01.s.
The State slrn11rec·ognize ·:1nd

' '·. . . the
. protect • . rights .of
• •
the 111d1genous cult UH•11commum.ties. . to ,,then ancesti al
lands as provided for by the ConStitutwn.
'J'hus the State may pursue the constitutional polic) of

full contr~l and supervision of the exploration, development and
utilization of the country's natural mineral resources, by either
directly undertaking the same or by entering into agreements with
qualified entities. Obviously, the State may not be precluded from
consideringa direct takeover of the mines, if it is the only plausible
remedyin sight to the gnawing complexities generated by the gold
i·ush. The Stat:e need be guided only by the de111ands or public
mterest rn11settlmg
feasibility. J
for this option, as well as its material and \ooistic
t1
DAOSection4 of
No.96-40 asRA ' S ction C of
No. 7942 substantively reitet·ated
follows:
"Sec.2.Declarationo(A l', A .
in pub1ic anll .• t o.icy.-
p11vn e 1ands 'ti.
llnnnornlrHsmn·co$
l .
excJusiv econ0111•1·c·, (' Wl • 1111 t 10 torntory and
1
,zoneo l10Bo 11· ,
ur • own8d by the Stnt ~ ]• , . , IHI l le of th( Philiµpilws
1
c..•t 1
e. Hl1nllhotho·• ·1·1· fl
.. at, to Pmmotpthc;i·..
·1· •
t·
, • ,11n,1onnlox
•
1 tosponHt
. , o t. w
n 1t.y
uti
0 f•ti
iz11twn und con8u1, 1• P 0 t•nt.1on,dovolopnwnt,
,1 th1·n\1nl t·l .
vn ,1011 . ,,
11n 1 .· h \ , \O con,hnwdt Hort~
11, 1•· l.a,vernmont
ll.!
I c P1.1v11t.(
H<) ·t , .
i1 ,101111 growlh • c ,o, 1n 01·dol' t.u c,nhnuco
, in ll Wny II I .. . 11
• •' ' ol {Ocl.1voty ~1nt't,HlU\l'd~

Cllt\P'l'lm IV
- (H11p11'
1'1111 IJ>l'INI'
'11' A ,, r,.11NI NCIAC'I' () ,,, '!HJfi I,in
1 1. rwl. No. 711,1
:'.)
the 'll viron m , 111

' . ' H ll ( 1 • LIH 1·ight.11of Hff •cl.<!d
I}l'O I• 'e,.H
comnntnttles.''
d. Activities which
connection. 'tl. ~nuy be undertnkon by the Stnte in
w1 ; l its "f' 11
, ' u contro I nnd supervision"
•
1he State, being ti
:lccor<lcd the primnrv J) 'lC. owner of' Llw n11Lt11·nl reHourc<~s.is
development and uti]' " owci . nnd ,·espons,·1H·1·• • l I1e explornt1on,
1,,y111 •
1
1zn .1011 thei·cof' A l •
these activities throu 11 r • s 8\lc 1, it msty undertake
g wur modes:
(1) The State mny d1rectly• unclcrtnkc such activities.
2
.( d) 'l'heStatcrnayent
. . . er.•rn.,o
. co-prouuct1on,
,1 • • •
Joint. venture
or pro
'fi d uct10n-sharmg .
., . . . . . . .
ugrcements w1th I•1hpmo c1t1icns or.
qua l1 e corporations.
(3) Congress may, by law, allow smalJ-scale utilization
of natural resources by Filipino citiicns .
. . (4~ For the large-scale exploration, development ·ind
utihzati~n of minerals, petroleum and other mineral oils,
the President may enter into agreements with foreign-owned
corporations involving technical or financial assistance.~ 11
RA No. 7942 provides for the State's control and super-
vision over mining operations. The following provisions thereof
establish the mechanism of inspection and visitorial rights over
mining operations and instjtute reportorial requiremenb; in this
manner:
(1) Section 8 which provjdes for the DENR's power of
over.all supervision and periodic review for "the conservation,
management, development and proper use of the State's
mineral resources";
(2) Section 9 which authorizes the Minos nnrl Geo-
sciences Bureau (MGB) under the DENR to exerciso "direct
· the administration and disposition of mineral
ch arge 1n,, d empowers
• • t Iie comp11nnce
tho MGB to "momtor •
resources, an -• f' 1 • 1
by the contractor of tho terms nnd cone11t:i~~1~ o t. 10 mu1ern 1
11
,, " onfiscate surot;y nncl p01 (01 munco bonds,

agreemen t s, c •
, . . E ironment nnd Nnh11·11l

HesourceR,GR No. 136386,
ioc1-u" Secrotury O1 :.OV
V
" • ' J t' Puno
Dec. 6, 2000, 3'17 SCR/\ 128, pol' ' UR ice •

I ,O 1 ( 'l•'S 1\NI) I{ u1.1,;s
I.·\\\ , ( )j 'I 'llll•'
(lf,'111(()('1•,l)I
\'l'llllt\l,
'
/'~OIW
FOi( fll•:N\
" ' " (',,\SI'S
Ill ONi'vll•:N'l't\l, • 1"
I (l(
11111
I 111
'Jltll iz1• wlH'IH'\'1'r
'l'l'~'-l/1 I\
'.H
• •n1h
c/11 ly toy•
,,. or. unj1, ofnon.
l'Ol(1sterecJ
·,·)111·,·,ngny,
the
1
1'hilippi,w 11
/'lH't'l'lllllt'llf N11ti11n11. I Pil1<·•
.. ·,. (.1011 'cNr:O) 01' 1111,Y """
I Ol •/_'r11111z11f • 1·r·
I IC( l Person to
111
1oli"' mining 'i.J1•ii.,e.s, 1.h, Regional Director
• 11 GG vhich VeRts 111
,1)
' ,' ct' 10l'c:11011
1 .) > ' •• , • ,.., inspection .,.·
OVCI Sil 1C ,,
of lnil. insta!Ja.
.
"•xrlu.wh
tions, '" thcr . ur1ncc
.1uni::;c •
r l . . nd," uti izec
or u11rc1giou 1n n11ning
op01·11t.ion,
.
(4)
CCI,JO11
35, .
which incol'!iorates ·in to a lJ FTAAs the
followi111;l.erm•, conu1,.,on111 .J·i • 1dwarranties·
"(g) Mining operntions shalJ be co~ducted in

ncco1·<lnnce
with the provisions of the Act and its IRR,
commitments.
(h) Work programs and minimum expenditures
xxx xxx
(k) Requiring Pl'oponent to effectively use
app1·opriuteanti-pollution technology and facilities to
tnined-out,ureas.
p1·otec1.the environinent nnd restore or rehabilitate
recoi·ds of g J · ·
(]) _'l'hecontractors shall fornish the government
• ,1.
for • in1mng
• • eoopel'ation
ogic, accounting andb othel'
and tliat k f relevant datad
,,,eco1·d sha]J be open Jo,.
• 'inspection
• 00 the
by ..
s o accounts tan
(111) Requi1·ingtho , . ,
1 gove1nmen
1 _0Poneiit to dispose of the ...
min r11Jsnt. the lii·g·} 1 t
I. 1·111snnd conditions_es P1·1cean d lllore advantageous

CIIAP'l'EH IV
-~ PIIJLIPl'INE MININr: t\C'I' OF l!Hlf, 1r,1
( f Pp11l1llt:t\cr No, 'llM:J.)
~wd DJ\O No. DG.,10 n l .

, Ho p1·ov1cl<' v, 1111
.• • I . . .
government. s eontt·ol ovei• . . HIH HL1p11 111.101111 co11f1rrr11ng tlw
l\lllllll~ e111.<11·priHeH,1.1
06. Rights of a locator t 0

, . a perfected mining claim.
\~ lu]c owncrshii> 0 f , 11
S t.ate t ]rnre was .1 time ,.1 c nnt•urn I rcAom·ccH rn• vestecJ m • t hc
. 'd'. ',
JUrIS Ict10n were comproi . .
Wtenthem·· mrng Inws prcvm ·1·mg m • h'
t 1s
1118111
•
rig
ht t tl •
s o 1e1r natural wealth. g of the Filipino 11coplc's inherent
Thus, in Mc-Daniel v. Apacibl ~i J n22 I . . . } 11

that a perfected l'd.
1
. •. • .e, n ,J c cc1s1on,1t was 1c. c
'thd • va .-1pproprint10nof public mineral lands operates
as a WI rawa] of the 1•r·1ct •· f.1om t 11c b.ocly of . the public. clomam,
.
d 1
an so ong as such appropriat' . . I' . .
land covered thereby . d . rndnr~mnms va ic 1and sub.s,~tmg, t_he
Is cemc pnvate property. A mrnrng clmm
Perfected under the law 1·s prope1•ty m • t•I1c Jughcst
• • may
sense, which
be sold and conveyed and will pnss Ly descent. It has the effect of a
grant of the right to present and exclusive possession of the lands
located. A valid and subsisting location of mineral land made and
.
kept up 1n accordance with the provisions of the statutes, has the
'
effect of a grant of the present and exclusive possession of the lands
located. The discovery of minerals in the ground by one who has a
valid mineral location, perfects his claim and his location, not only
against third persons but also against the government.
Mc-Daniel was reiterated in a catena of subsequent cases, to
wit: Gold Creek Mining Corporation v. Rodriguez (1938)/' Salacot
Mining Company v. Rodriguez (1939),21 13ambao v: Lednichy
(1961)/° Comilang v. Buendia (1967), 20 Benguet Consolidated, Inc.
v. Republic (1986),21 Republic v .. ~ourt of Appeals ancl De la Rosa
(1988),28 and Atok-Big Wedge Muung Co., Inc. v. Court of Appeals
(1991).:i9
, . , , , ·1 I A1:1socintionJnc. v. H111110A,GH No. 1~7882, n •c. l.

:i1La Bugal-B )nun 1rJ >U '
2001, 1'1GSCHA 1. . fi'l7 Ji'oh.7 tfl2~, ,12Phil. 7,w.

:l:lMcDunielv. Ap11c1h)e, GHNo. 17 ), '. '
:l:!GH N Afi81:'.9 Sopt. 28, l 9:18,noPhtl. 2fi0.
o. 'J ) I), I • Pl .I 1)7
:l4GR N Afi800 Morch 20, Jf):lU,(17 II • • •
(), 'J ) I SCHA 'l'IO
:lriGH No. L-lf>tlfiH,,Jun. 28, ]!)(ll, ,1. SCHAI:rni1.
:wGJ"> No J 2'17157 Oct.. 215,1967, 21
" • _,. ' , (' 14'1 SCHA it!HI,
i1aRN 7JAJ2AuuoJ.J8>, ,,
• o. 'J ·• • .' 8 100 SCHA 228.
21-1cn N 1· A 'jP'·l8
O. r•J• •1 ' 1
A11rd 1 n, 1OB 1
!)8 SCJlA71
:wanNo. 8888:1, ,Jun. IH, }!)!)1, l 1
• .J ,

,,·~ /\ND HULES
I 1n,:,'O[JH(, \1,•N'l'1\I, CM4J,~~
\'l'l)ll,\ ·NVIIION
I I
l \'. I,,\\\' 0' . ; Ill 1,:FOH l•,1

11' l'H( H l•,D
' ' ll'I' th<l l'hilippill(J ll'll

I 1'('d 1111< , • • f' t1 I
1
., I\C((ll
1• 1 f It'l't ;, , t 1 (' ('f'f'oct1v1ty o . l<] H)'1p,
~ f•'" 1•Hl2. 1 ' li)
i\. u, 1\1\l' 1 1,rlor t.o • •I.·,,ht~
,1.d(~( I.hut eoul<J not , 1)~ 1
•I'(' VL, ' 1

' Ir, ••
O • j
Con~tltution w< tic Movcrn1non,
• I l' V \ 11 hy ' l . y. l
i1n1uur '< • h I.he Cottrt. m in .u /Jico[
Tl •, J)rinciplr wns rrit.crn\l:cc
11s '/'ron s-J s, o
1
and 8ncrgy Deuelopmen,1
I I·
Ju
'I' • ' ("'orJJomtion
,, 1111111 , v. t' , J\crsnn
• 1·111conclu< '<.
• :,o"'hen' ,1u~ .1ct
( ,rpom t ,011 •
.
• 1• 11g pnten I,s. of Yinlu werecJissued

"ln<lc'<l. the 111111 _. .
13t.11 o!' 1902 nn were
1rn,·sunnt. t.o t. H l , Phtl1pp111c
. . .,
C . ..
f' 1he I D:16 onstitut10n.
• • •• t O llw t'lfccL1v11,y o , . . h l
suhsrnt.mg pnoi • • • l . . . dcccssors-in-1ntcrcst ac
t I y i 11l \I ll ll ( 11,S pI C . 1I
on. ~quen•Y, . . . , disini tccl m mer a ands
• l t 'CTnght ~ 1ll 11 , 1c . 1· h
ncqmrcn vcs ,c " l l 1. be impaired even 1n 1g t
I ] l ot nn<l shou c no,
t. mt. cou c n '. . • . with tho requirement of
of' their pa t, fmlurc t.o comp 1y . ..· . 1~l t·l
.. \,e evan y,
r •gistrntion nncl nnmin 1 work
. . obh yn_L1ons
. · y M··r, f' ·1
<l jl l)l4'NR's
w ~ n vert t.o 1e :J • • hndmg that
. l,.
f. f.
.
y s mN ure to
register the put.ent. m 1974 pursu~nL t.o l D. o. 463
was excusable becau e of its suffer.mg hnancial losses
at. thnt time, which eventually led to the foreclosure of
t.h mortgages on its assets by the MBC and PCIB as its
creditors. The failure of Yinlu's predece sors-in-interest
to register and perform annual work obligations did not
uutomntically mean that they had already abandoned
their mining rights, and that such rights had already
lnpsed. For one, the DENR itself declared that it had not
issued any ~pecificorder cancelling the mining patents.
Also, the tenets of due process required that Yinlu and
it predecessors-in-interest be given written notice of
their no~-complinncc with PD No. 463 and the ample
opporturnt.yto comply."
h.
But mere recor 1• f' • t
f • c •ng O n mining clnhn withou
per ormmg nnnunl wot'] bl' . ·d, ot
conv ~ t I l • t O 1gntion, oes n.
ei anc into llliuernl lnnd
Jlow ·ver, in !\tnh /Ji r. W, I ,·. . . .
!\p1>dlutl'Court :11 wh· .1 . ~ u ~c lYhning Co. v. Intermediate
I • • , ,c t , nvo1vocl I ho 188
• ." . r . ·ed
- L w 1111n111gdnim 11111 110 • Uo ns t.o who 1s pro1ou
•w llHWulyt·oconloclot· locnted u mining
:iocrn No ') 1 ,
•11 c I) N • ~07.l,12 ,11111 I') ')(Jlfi

I • ~. - )
• J \ () (i'lfi')H L' •
• ' i_ ',1upt, !l, I D!)(i 'J(i' I L°'('I)"
•- •• , ,,\ 02n.

t ~lit\ P'l'MH IV I'1111.
11'I' IN1rMI 11111
(H111111lille1
/w1 ,:, , t\(;'f' OJt lf1f1f Ir,::
'flt, /IM~) I
.11,iin without. lh'l'f'lll'\ninp Ih 1

:hi' I'hilippilH' !\ill 111' I no.:;,,.': 1','(
,"\llf11'· wo,·lt r,1,li,:,tf.ionr"'111ir,,d I1y
I J J ' "PP 11'1 I f' ' 1
,,,,,,,:si'l 1._wnnd 11n,lm111,,,,, I,
0
/iii, •I·'."· ''.r '"f(inl.rnt.i,,n wl,,, }w
1
:!l)~'l'lll'~ pnor to tlw fflhw of'hi' '- 1. "'!llof r,wnnrnhip for sit Jr::,,1t
'{' ] l 1
H I\IH 1l'l'l'lfl 1 ,· ,
('0\1rt. clnn H'<• t. mt. I.ho llH re 1.,. , . • ,ru .mn ripplic:1it.ion -- th,~
·. r. . 1
Ut01<1n1rorl, 1· • • ,
d (':::not l ,-;o,nclo n n<l llT 'V 'l''Ribl ,.., out .JOnof n m inrnf{ cla J m
J
lttl1ll. "Ml'l'( lou1 , t,1011
· ,]
uOeR not Y convorl' the , InncJ mt<, • •
minc::r:tl
.J 1 .,J • • • mean nlrnoluf ... 1 •
fftctcu nnu or mlmng clni, 11 , .c own rnh1p over th•
1 , • 1,, merely
Jnn<lor nl' n from the Jrnblic· l . He~regntes the locntcd
• <ommn by l •
lo·ntor from locntiniT fl1c ni,,n c un<1 np • >Hrrmg
:i , "' • •
other would-he
th min rnls found th rein" , , proprintmg for t.hemRclvcs
· 11w proecs 0 f
clnimsis not the opernt.iv net 0 f 1 : . ~
1·
recon mg mining
]Hnds.The recording of n . · • ' l c_nss,fymg lands into mineral
mmmg c mm onl t
the registrant exclusive rigl t t
· 1 s O un erhko m
d Y o~e~·n cs to• reserve
•• to
the land subject of the cln1111 ·. 'l,J10 . '' • mmg nct1v1t1csupon
r.. d . . · · rights of a mining claimant arc
connne
· 1 to· possessing
I • the )and for· purpose8 0 f' ext.rnctmg •• therefrom
mrnera s Jn exc us101~ ?f any or all other persons whose claims are
subsequent to the or1gmal mining locato • ..1•, '/· ·r .•
. 1,ius,
1 , i no minera l s are
extracted
l d · therefrom,
· z notwithstanding the record;,,
~ ~b11 of tiie claim,
• tiie
an , is not miner~ land and registration thereofis not precluded by
suchrecorded claun.
On October 14, 1977, PD No. 1214 was issued requiring all
locators under the Act of Congress of July 1, 1902 (Philippine Bill
ofJ902)to secure mining lease contracts under the provisions of PD
No. 463 (Mineral Resources Development Decree of 1974), thus -
"SEC. l. Ho]ders of subsisting and valid patentable

mining claims, lode or placer, located under tho provisions
of the Act of Congress of July 1, 1902, as amended, shall
file a mining lease application therefor with the Mines
Regional office concerned within a period of one (1) year
from the approval of this Decree, and upon the filling
thereof, holders of the said cluims shall be considered to
have waived their rights to tho jssuunco of mining patents
therefor: Provided, however, 'fhnt the non-ming of th
applicnti on for mining Jeuse hy the holdorRt.h(;1·o?t:
within
Lheperiod herein prescribed shnll cnuso t.hotorlo1tureof
a]] his rights to tho clnim.
SEC. 2. No mines temporary pormil.sl111llbe requir~d
of a holder of u patentable mining claim, lodo01· placer, m
the extraction and disposal of minerals taken therefrom

"SOUHCES /\ND RULES
LAWON N/\'l'U,H~\LH~..,... oNMgN'l'AL CASl•~S
164 OF PHOCl':DUJUi,
l•Oll l•,NVrH
: . t tl , r.11· of' the 111i11in1~

r lonse npplication
pno1 .o . \C 11 mi,., r 11•1
r Ih
O •
therefor: Prouiderl, 'l'hnt. upon the mg. e said
'
npplicRtion, the provisions ol' PrcHidc 11tw I Decree !'1o •.163

shnll npply: Pmvided, {11,-the,.,'l'hnL _patent npph~at1~ns
Rlready published shall be exempted from th~,pubhcat1on
requirements of Presidential Decree No. 463.
In the case of Zambales ChromiteMining Co., Inc. v. Leido:i2

the Court ruled that PD No. 1214 is in accord with Section 8, Article
XIV of the 1973 Constitution and Section 2, Article XII of the 1987
Constitution. The Court cited its earlier ruling in Santa Rosa Mining
Co., Inc. v. Leido 33 where it upheld the constitutionality of PD No
1214, thus: •
"We now come to the question of whether or not

Presidential Decree No. 1214 is constitutional. x x x
(W)e hold that Presidential Decree No. 1214 is not
unconstitutional. It is a valid exercise of the sovereign
power of the State, as owner, over lands of the public
domain, of which petitioner's mining claims still form a
part, and over the patrimony of the nation, of which 1nineral
deposits are a valuable asset. It may be underscored, in
this connection, that the Decree does not cover all mining
claims located under the Phil. Bill of 1902, but only those
claims over which their locators had failed to obtain a
patent. And even then, such locators n1ay still avail of
the renewable twenty-five-year (25) lease prescribed by
Presidential Decree No. 463, the Mineral Developn1ent
Resources Decree of 1974.
Mere location does not mean absolute ownership
(/)
over the affected land or the mining clai1n. It 1nerely
()
o.>
~
~
segregates the located land or area from the public don1ain
(1)
0.
!i:
;::.
by barring other would-be locators from locating the same
:r
()
o.>
and appropriating for themselves the minerals found
3(/)
()
therein. To rule otherwise would imply that location is
o.>
~
~
~
all that is needed to acquire and maintain rights over n
located mining claim. This, we cannot npprove or sanction
because it is contrary to the intention of the lnwmnker
32 GRNo. 49143, Aug. 21, 1989, 176 SCRA no2.

aaaR No. L-49109, Dec. 1, 1987, 156 SCRA 1.
Cl IAP'rt,;)l IV >
- I llll,IPl'INI•' Ml ,
(Hop11hlii•t\ , N, NIN(, t\C'I' OF llHJfi Jfjfj
• I.·1 II, 71"1:l)
thnt the locntol' 1

• , HlOttldfnit)f
with the rcq\li l'etnent J' • 1 u Ily II nd conHiHtonl.ly compJy
• t·l\C Iocntcd tnin1'11 H 10 1·. nnnu n I wo,·I<and improvomonf
in • tt
g c u11n.'' •
c. Abnndo1uncnt
The word "abando,1 ,, • .
· 1 ' ' ' ,, 111 l ts o · f'111111.
entire y; to forsake or ren . t< Y sense, me11nHto forsuke
ounce ut-tcrl 'l,l 1· . .
wor d to t l1e root idea of" . tt' . ' y. 1c <.1ct10nurrnstruce this
the finality and the publi ~~ n~g llllcl~r u bun." 'J1heemphasis is on
1
1t,h
put in the control of ano~{ Y_~ wh tch some thing or body is thus
1
absolutely, with intent . 1e_r,• ~d hence the meaning of giving up
, never agnm t-o . I .
interests. In other w 01·d tl .- . ' 1 csume or c mm one's rights or
absolute and 1·rrev bls dle act_ofabundonment constitutes actual,
' oca e eser·t10
• • n o.f' one,s nght
• or property.~,,
Thus, abandonment m b .d
ay e sm. to result where there is
concurrence
. of. two elemeilts· • t·J1e fi1rst• bemg . t 11e mtent
. to abandon
a nght. or claim
. . and the secon d b • I
emg t 1e external act by which ·
that intention is expressed and carried into effect. There must,
mo_reov~r, be an actual, as distinguished from a merely projected,
rehnqu1shment of a claim or right; otherwise, the right or claim is
not vacated or waived so as to be susceptible of being appropriated
by the next owner .. In a case, the Director of Mines and public
respondent Office of the President had found that, in point of fact,
private respondent Supreme Aggregates had performed its annual
work obligations. Supreme Aggregates could not therefore be said to
have intended to abandon its mining claim or lease, notwithstanding
the fact that it had failed to submit the normal documentary proof
of performance of annual work obligations - that is, the affidavit of
annual work obligations. 36
In Greenhills Mining Co. v. Officeof the President,30 the Court
ruled:
"The cases of McDaniel v. Apacible, Gold ~r~ek
n
(/)
Ol
. .
M ining Corporation
,, v • Rodriguez, and Salacot . . Mining
:::J
Company v. Ab ad illa relied upon. by the pet1t10ner, and

:::J
(l)
Cl.
::i
. ·f • . II d
t the appropriat10n o a mme1a an
~ where we e h ld th a • h bl'
(")
Ol .
pursuant to a va , J"d
1 claim segregates 1t from t e pu 1c
3
(/)
n
Ol
:::J
:::J
~
:i
1
Mc<lrun11v. Office of tho President, GR No. 8500'1, Aug. 21, 1900, 188 SCRA
818.
ar,Ibid.
:lllGRNo. L-7M)62, Juno 30, 1988, 163 SCHA 360.
LAWONNATURALRESOURCEStN~ RULE~
156 OF PROCEDUREFOR ENVlRONMEN1ALCASES
· ar·e t in point. 'rhe petitioner assu1nes that the

d on1au 1, 110 • • 933 d 193
clai1ns of other clain1unts recorded 111 1 an 4 w~re
still valid when the Southern Za1nbales Forest Reservation
was established in 1956. According to the Office of the
President, however, the original claimowners had failed
to perfonn annual develop1nent work on the claims in
violation of the provisions of Section 36 of the Philippine
Bill of 1902. As a consequence, the area became 'open to
relocation ... as if no location of the same had ever been
n1ade.' Conversely, assuming that the government lost the
property when the petitioner, or the original claimowners
staked their clai1ns in 1933 and 1934, it reverted to the
public dominion upon abandonment thereof. Accordingly,
when President Magsaysay established the Southern
Zambales Forest Reserve in 1956, the areas covered by
the said abandoned claims already formed part of the
public domain. The petitioner cannot moreover claim
. . . ' '
pr~v1tyof title with the owners of the prior locations. Such
pr10r locations had been abandoned or at most forfeited
and :he p~titioner's own location c~nnot be co~sidered ~
continuation thereof."
The present Constitution in express terms states that with

the exception of agricultural lands, all other natural resources shall
not be alienated. Mineral resources are thus clearly beyond the
commerce of man. They cannot be the subject of patent. As held
in Republic v. Court of Appeals and De la Rosa, 31 the Regalian
doctrine reserves to the State all natural wealth that 1nay be found
in the bowels of the earth even if the land where the discovery is
made be private. Accordingly, a registered owner of land does not
have the right to extract or utilize n1inerals discovered underneath
his property without the permission of the State which owns the
(f)
Cl minerals.
"'
::,
::,
(1)
0.
:,
;:;:
It should be noted, however, that not nny nn<l nll fonns of
::,-
0 utilization of natural resources nre prohibitod. 'l'ho Constitution
"'
3
(f)
Cl
itself states that Congress mny, by lnw, nllow smnll-scnle utilization
"'
::,
::, of natural resources by ils citiions. Further, Section 6, Article
~
XIII directs the State, in the cHs1)0sitionnncl utilization of natural
reso~rces, to apply the principles of ngt·m·inn reforn 1 01 , stewardship.
Similarly, Section 7, Article Xlll mnndutes the State to protect the
37GR No. L-43938, April 15, 1988, 1G0 SCRA 228.

CIIAP'l11•;HIV
--m111
.•Ill ,11'1'1NJ,:MININUA<:'1'OF 1onr, 1r,1
t•p11hlit:Act. No. '/U~Y.)
of sub~iRl.ent•p fl
1·i1rht.t1
' ~ 111' ' . , , 141l ()J' Ill(' 11 I () j I I f' . ' .
(1:-. ng lt'~ourc<'A, Cl, . :i •
•
'· IL pin "''(!11l.11tl turn of rn11}·11H: nnd
• • - • L/11 1y R('('I' 1011 1) ;\ •
lll v1ew of I.he pt·o-Fil' , ·' • • • "' rl.1clP Xff, wlw11 int.,~rprnt.<:d
..J , 1))1110 )>l'O J I .,
IHW, nnu 111 hn1·ntolly . ' • >orn· P 11 crnophy of our f11nd11mentSJI
1
··1tl1 ,,. I\'s a sequeA(• \V)t,
i. • c . 1 the ol•hu1· ))I'() vrn,onH ' •
o f' I,I1c1c·1.✓ cnH-d.1• tu t.,on
'
11 pro1ll·tHt.1011 ,0 1et 1 p1·onot11_1 cenwn

· • ngnino( 1
,, I
,, c:11111101,he COMltrtH:d Hf-;
. , ~. nny nn I 11II f' . . .. . .
rcso\lrecs w1thout th SI • , <. .'I Ol lllH of ut.il1znt1on of nnturnl
e ,nte H c,•I ))Hr 1.1c1p11l.1011.:
cl11·c • • • 1~
07. Mineral reservations.

Section 5 of RA No ?<)A .
• • ,,2 prov1de1-1:
"SEC h.
inte 1•est ◄ o. M,:neral
•
. _,••P,.
wse,.uatrn,u.;.
. • -
-When .
the nnt1onnl
. - . so reqmres - . , sue l1 as when there is n need to
prese1 ve strategic r . . ,
.· nw mnterrnls Jor industries criticnl to
nat10na] • develoJ)meiit - , or cer t·nm • mrncntls
. for scientific
cu.1tural or ecoJog1ca • 1 value, the -President mny establish '
nuneral
•
reserv•:1t· ·] .
c. 10ns upon t,1c rccommcnc.Jation of the
.
Di~·e~tor t!1rough the Secretary. M:ining operations in
ex1st1ng mineral reservations and such other reservations
as n1ay thereafter be established, shall be undertaken by
the Department or through a contractor: Provided, That
a small scale-mining cooperative covered by Republic Act
No. 7076 shall be given preferential right to apply for a
small-scale mining agreement for a maximum aggregate
area of twenty-five percent (25%) of such mineral
reservation, subject to valid existing mining/quarrying
rights as provided under Section 112 Chapter XX hereof .
All su brnerged lands within the contiguous zone and in
the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines are hereby
declared to be mineral reservations."
(/)
C)
Ill
The above provision states that the establishment of mineral
:J
:J
(1)
0..
reservations resides in the President. Henco, it is beyond the powt'r
:E
~ of the DENR Secretary to withdraw lnnrls from forest resorves
0
Ill
3(/) and to declare the same as an area opon fol' mining .opot·ntions.
C)
66 dec1f.lring729 hoctnrns ot tho nrens
Ill
:J
:J
Inescapa bl y, DAO No• , :,
!!l covered by the Agusan-Dnvao-Suriguo ~•orest Ro1101·vo n~ non-fore~t
mining opornt;tonfl,wnAhold null nnd void
l.and open t·o sma 11-Scalo
:rncru:1.v. Sceretury of rnnvfronmontnJHINnt:\ll'nlHoRomcoA,

Hupm,pol' ,Justice
I<upunnn.
\
Hc•FHJ\NI) JtUt,Jt:8
L/\ WoN Nt\'t'\ mAI, u ,_,:H<\li10N~n~N'l'J\" cM-mH
H,H OF l'lt01 :gn\ lit g FClH1,,NV
,,. t.o i:011 vort. fornHL roHorveH int
He llw 1)1,:Nll :4,.,.,.,,,.11
ry ho H 110pow<· .o
11
n 0 n •fr,rr•1:t r1•1-.('rv
t''-', ' ' . , thnL nrcnH within a foro t
1100
lt mnv · lw ~t.ntcd in t.h1R , t ion •l'urALinn 1, 1-,o (JO
. . con\nee' • N o '1f'''
'H •
r,·ePn't' 11rr nnl. open IA>111111111~ocn • 1•Orat ,10n development • >,,,
whi<"hflovrrnrcl the old eyAt.cmof exp 11 "1tccnse • • ' concesg .'' and
ulifo.nl.inn of minernl reAourceA I. ,roug 1 • • ' • JOn or
ll'f1ac," one cAn ncqnirc mining rights within forest reserves by
initinlly applying for permit. Loprospect. with the_Bureau of Forest
8
Development (BFD) and snbscqnently for n permit to explore with
the thon Burouu of Mines nnd Geoscicnces (BMGS).4°
.. Note, however, that. Sect.ion 6 of RA No. 7942 provides that
mmmg operations in reserved lnnrls other thnn mineral reservations
may be undertaken by the Dcpnrtment of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) subject to ccrtnin limitations. It provides:
"SEC. 6. Qt.herReservat,ions.- Mining. operations

in reserved lands other than mineral reserv~t1~ns ~ay be
undertaken by the Department, subject to hm1tations as
herein provided. In the event that the Department cannot
undertake such activities, they may be undertaken
by a qualified person in accordance with the rules and
regulations promulgated by the Secretary. rrhe right to
develop and utilize the minerals found therein shall be
awarded by the President under such terms and conditions
as recommended by the Director and approved by the
Secretary: Provided, That the party who undertook the
e~plora.tion of said reservations shall be given priority.
'Ihe mmeral land so awarded shall be automatically
excluded from t~1ereservation during the term of the
agreement: Prov1,ded,further, That the right o·fth l
'd · · e essee
of a vall mmmg contract existing witl11·ntl . t·
t th .· · . 1e reserva 10n
a e time of its estabhshment shall not b . . d' d
(/)
(1
Ol
:::,
impaired." e preJu ice or
:::,
(l)
C.
::E
§
0
. . Clearly, RA No. 7942 does not clis111 . . . .
Ol
3(/) 1n all forei,t resel'ves hut only tl • l. ow tn1n1ng applications
0
mining applicutionA undel' Soc~{~
~ t~)oc.ificnlly declined closed ~o
(1
Ol
:::,
:::, 1
~ •• o{ tho lnw, such as: (a) 1n
'"Apox,June
No. 152613, Mining Co., Inc.
2:1,200<.i,102v.SCRA
SnnlhonHl
ilfio.
Mindnnno Gold Mining Corporation, Gil
'°Apox Mining Co. v. Gnrcin, GR No. 92606, July 16, 1991, 199 SCRA 278,
CHAPTER IV - PHILIPPINE MINING ACT OF 1995 159
(Republic Act No. 7942)
mi~itary and other government reservations, except upon prior

written clearai~c~ by the government agency concerned; (b) in areas
expres_sly proh1b1ted by law; and (c) in old growth or virgin forests,
proclauned watershed forest reserves, wilderness areas, mangrove
forests, 1nossy forests, national parks, provincial/municipal forests,
parks, g~·eenbelts, ga1ne refuge and bird sanctuaries as defined by
law and 111 areas expressly prohibited under the National Integrated
Protected Areas System (NIPAS) under RA No. 7586, and DAO No.
25, series of 1992, and other laws.
Even if the area is a government reservation defined as
proclaimed reserved lands for specific purposes other than mineral
reservations, 41 such does not necessarily preclude mining activities
in the area. Section 15(b) of DAO No. 96-40 provides that government
reservations may be opened for mining applications upon prior
written clearance by the government agency having jurisdiction
over such reservation. Moreover, Section 18 of RA No. 7942 allows
mining in public or private lands, including timber or forest lands
subject to existing rights and reservations. Similarly, Section 4 7 of
PD No. 705 permits mining operations in forestlands which include
the public forest, the permanent forest or forest reserves, and forest
reservations. 42
DENR Memorandum Order No. 03-98, which lays down the
guidelines in the issuance of area status and clearance or consent for
mining applications pursuant to RA No. 7942, provides that timber
or forest lands, military and other government reservations, forest
reservations, forest reserves other than critical watershed forest
reserves, and existing DENR Project Areas within timber or forest
lands, reservations and reserves, among others, are open to mining
applications subject to area status and clearance.
The case of PNOC-Energy Development Corporation v.
Veneracion13 involves the conflicting claims of petitioner and
respondent over the mining rights over Block 159 of the Malangas
Coal Reservation, Alicia, Zamboanga del Sur ..On_October 18, 1991,
petitioner submitted to the DENR an apphcation/proposal for a
Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) over Block 159 of •
the Malangas Coa] Reservation. However, it was only on April 13,
11 Sec.6, Chapter I, DAO No. 96-•10. . .

12PICOP R esources, Inc . v • Base Metnls Mmernl Resources Corporation, GR
No. 163609, Dec. 6, 2006.
1:iGR No. 129820, Nov. 30, 200H.

ttUFHAND1tlJU~B
oNMFN'rAL CASES
N NNrtmt\1, Hl•iHOU
mo 01,:~~~(\)cwHmrn
FOilMNVlll '
, suod oxclu<ling Block 159
N 890 Wf\H lf3 ' 't
UHl2when Prodnmnt.ion o•. ;tion und <leclormg l a~ govern?'~nt
from t.hl'Mnhmgns Con\ ]ll aotvr. , ·1' puail,ion t,o quahfi.ed mining
. ,n fcH c lH
minm·1\l roscrvnt1on opi' ,
0 270
npplicnnts, pursunnt. to bO N • , f ferential rights ove
. .. ·'s clunn o pre . r
Ruling agamst. pct1ttonet , . r's MPSA,which was filed
Block 159, the Court held thnt pettti~ne roper and could not have
prior to Proclamution No. 159, wns ,mp . till within an existing
• the aren wus s
been legally acceptccl smco ' . the respondent filed an
. . •• '\ And smce on1Y . .
government 1cse1vnl,10 1 1
• . •
890 the preferential right
MPSA after the issunncc of Proclamation '
over Block 159 was acquired by the respootlent.
rrhe Court explamed· t l1a t prosp ecting . and exploration . of
minerals in a government reservation is prohibited un_der Serction 13
of PD No. 463 unless authorized by the gover~ment itself• rh~ law
enumerates the requirements for the prospecting and exploration of
government reserved land, to wit: (1) u prospecting permit from the
agency that has jurisdiction over the area; (2) an exploration permit
from the Mines and GeosciencesBureau (MGB); (3) if the exploration
reveals the presence of commercial deposit, the permittee applies
with the MGB for the exclusion of the area from the reservation;
(4) issuance of a Presidential proclamation excluding the area from
the reservation; and (5) a mining agreement approved by the DENR
Secretary.
08. Classification of minerals.
Land le~s~d for mining purposes are classified under CA No

137, or the Mmmg Act, as follows: •
First group - Metals or metall' f •

e1·ous ores.
1
Second group - Precious stones.
Third group _ Fuels.
Fourth group - Salines und .
.. nunerul waters
Fifth group - Building ston •. . • .
nnd other non-metnls.H e in Place, clays, ferbilizera,
L~nds of the /ir8 t.g,·oup shnll b . •
metulhc elements or minoruls o1· t\o t;hose which contain any of th
, \0\l' coinb. .
1nat1ons, such as gold,
11sec. 15, CA No. 187, onnclod Nov 7 10

• , .an.

Cl-lAPl'li'R IV
" - Pl·JILlPPINE MINING /\C'I' OF HHJ5 161
(Hopuhlic Act. No. 7lM2)
silver, platinum tin cl . . · •

• . • ' ·' 1tom1u111, ll'on msmganc8o copper, nickel,
lead, zinc, c1nna bar-, ht•
ngste 11
l t l ' - 1r
,nnc :1e 1ice.·
'
1
nd
• La s ?f the second group shall be those which contain
nunerals 111a1nlyused £ • . 1 ·
or ornamenta purposes such as chamon<l,
~·uby, einerald, sapp~1ire, topaz, amethyst, zircon, aquamarine, opal,
Jade, agate, tourinahne, beryl, garnet, turquoise and the like: 16
Lands of the third group shall be those which contain
con1bustible substances in solid, liquid, gaseous form, such as peat,
coal, n1ineral oils, natural gas, oil shales, asphalt, and the like, but
not the recent products of organic life.17
Lands of the fourth group shall be those which contain surface
or subterranean soluble substances or waters which by their mineral
contents are classified as mineral waters, such as salt, nitrates,
sulphurated, carbonated, sodic, calcic, and other waters. 43
Lands of the fifth group shall be those which contain nonmetallic
substances, such as:
(a) Those used for building or _construction purposes,
such as marble, granite, clay, and the hke.
(b) Asbestos, feldspar, li11;1e,mica, guano, phosphate,
potash, saltpeter, niter, and the hke. _
(c) Other substances used in t~e manu_factur.eof pa!~ts,
• an d 11certilizers and for other industnal purposes.
ceramics
• be classified under more than one group,
Mineral lands may d s of the minerals contained
depending upon the nature an use
therein. 50
09. Definition of terms. h ther· i·n singular or

. h A t the following terms, w e ••
As used 1n t e c '
plural, shall mean: c t all lands exclusively
z d 8 " re1ers o
(a) ''Ancestral an • d utilized by indigenous
and actually possessed, occupie ' or -
-rnsec. 16, ibid.

16sec. 17, ibid.
11sec. 18, ibid.
,rnsec. 19, ibid.
19sec. 20, ibid.
50sec. 22, ibid.
'H ,'\ND ltUI ,l1~H
I
1111:HOIJHLl'M"
f1'N'l'/\L CM•ll1:8
\'l'tJH/\I, , v1uoN '
1.t\WON ,N,Ill 1,;FOH 1,,N
0 r ,•11oci-.1>1 I .
' , or t.hi·oui~h L 101t· anc
11HI' IVLH ' ' ' 081,()}"~
, • ,14!iv 1.ho1 -
1 011 \\ll\it,11' ,
nd Lr11d1L1onH 1-nnce lih,.
I otllH II . , •11(!
cult urn I • "' ,ith Ull'il' cuH ·, ,cl1111(1 dolinonted by law.
in nrcnnl11nc1' '' • be duf111L
lllY
im@'morinl, ,11,d nHn • . . l blm:h"monnA1111'.11·011
houndoct
l) "H/od.-''or''111tinr':';"t1~ude nnd ono-hnlf ('112)rninut,(!
01 11 1
( ' 1 lf' (l/2) ,ninul.c
h~ 1)1W-,n ',
. ing npprox1mn, , oighty-one hectnreij (SJ
l'cly
of' lmwit.mll', cont.nlll
hns.). , Mines and Geo8cienccs Burcntt

" 1ncnns• Lile
(C) ''H11.re011. • 111ncri 1·an c1Na t·,ura 11~
"e8ottrces
under the Depnrtment.ol'Fnvll'0 :,J , .
'
, .- . •
~.
..• ," refers to the c,t.pnc,Ly of natural

(d) "Carry,.ng capaci}J ccommodate and absorb change
• rnien t s to n , ,
nnrl humnn on_viro~ , " l't' 118 of in tnbi'lity and attendant
without. expcr1cnc.111g
con( l ,10 ,
dcgrtHhlLion.
• • zone"
(e) "Con 1,1,cr11,ous , refers
, • • to water, . ] sea·1 .bottom
(2 and
sul>strat·um mcu Sll) ·ed t-wont·y·
' ,. -four
. .nan
. ti.cu.
. · · 1 4 n.m.)
mLes
. tl1C b,,180 11•110\ of'the
seaward f rom ' ·Pluhpp1ne
· · · arch.1peago.
(f) la~d or body of water
"Contra.cl a1'ea" means
delineated for purposes of explorati.on, development, or
utilization of the minerals found therein.
(g) "Contractor"means a qualified person acting alone
or in consortium who is a party to a mineral agreement or to a
financial m· technical assistance agree1nent.
(h)"Co-production agreernent (CA)" means an
agreement entered into between the Government and one or
more contractors in accordancewith Section 26(b) hereof.
(i) "Departnicnt" means the Departn1ent of Environ-
ment and Natural Resources.
, 1 ~) . "Development" menns the work undertaken to

ex_p.°1
e and prepare nn ore bod , . , . 'or
m1nmg inc1udil 1 g t·l Y or a 1n1ne1aldepo.s1t 1 1
, , w consLl'ttct-ionL' · , t 11'0
and reJated fnd1ities. ' o. necessary 1nfrastruc \
(k) "Director"inonr)A l'l l)' l
C losciencc! 8 Burnnu. • •10 11·0ctor ol' the Mines anc
, (I)_ "Eeolouicot pm/ilc or , , , ,, . ,.
b.ised l1RLruinont r· .
1
cc,o-pro/ile refers to geogrupluc
• ,R
01
l11nnno,· · h' h
J>l·esents nn evnh 1• s Hnd decision makers w ic
• •1• 1• , 111,ton of' th . " • . d
O 0
cm Y ng enPncil·y
•• of' 'll
• 1 u1·0u. nv1ron1ne11tal quality an

CHAP't'l~H,IV , .
- I IJILIPPINI•: MININO • ", '
(Bop11l,lic•
Act N , AL I ()le lll!lfi I('''
. : · (), /0 11i) "'
, (tn) "~'nvfr
refers,
t.o t' lle" docll
onmcntul
llloll , ComI ,I..,.anu., , Ccrll.ju:fJ.le
, ,, (f,'CC\"
concerned cert. f . 1• IHHuodhy I Ii ' . :J I
not br. .1 Ylllf~t.hnt, I.ho ) .. ,·, • o ,~ovornmon t, agency
ti . Img nboul; nn unncc' ·' '"JLcl, ,11,Uurcn1rni1lurut.ionwill
, lH~ t le proponent him co ept.l~•b.lc onvil'onrnunt.111imrmct nnd
envn·on 1ncnt:nl tmpnct • ~ st· t·mp ied• w1,•ti1 t 11C reqt11ruments
• ' thri
of
,a ,cment system
(n) "E'i' . . ,• •
d ocun1ent whi'cl·i nvuonmcnt l I
. •,a,to ·mpact • th
. allns d .· Statement : , ('1?/S'\"
J!.J 1 1s , e
con~1~~un1cRt~ information re Ir ~n~1fy, pred1et: inte_rpret, and
quality associated witl gm dmg chnnges m environmental
the range of alter11at1·1 a ~roposod p1.~oject and which examin;s
th e1r
· impact
· on the vos . 1or th e obJect1Vos
• • of the proposal and
environment.
(o) "Exclusive e • ,,
bottom and subsu f cononuc zone means the water, sea
Philippine archipel: aie mea~ured from the baseline of the
n.m.) offshore. g up to two hundred nautical miles (200
(p) "D.8Xisting
' •
min • ; . • ••
and subsistin · · ' ,i~g qua, rying right" means a valid
. . g m1n1ng claun or permit or quarry permit or an
mmmg lease. contract or agreement covering a mineralize~
area granted/issued under pertinent mining laws.
.
(q) "Exp l oration
• " mean~ the searching or prospecting
for mineral resources by geological, geochemical or geophysical
s~rv~ys, remote. sensing, test pitting, trenching, drilling, shaft
s1nk1n~, ~unnehng_ or any other means for the purpose of
determ1n1ng the existence, extent, quantity and quality thereof
and the feasibility of mining them for profit.
(r) ''Financial or technical assistance agreement" means
a contract involving financial or technical assistance for large-
scale exploration, development, and utilization of mineral
(/)
(")
Q)
resources.
:::,
:::,
(l)
Q.
(s) ''Force majeure" means acts or circumstances
:;;
;::;:
:::; beyond the reasonable control of contractor including, hut not
(")
Q)
3(/)
limited to, war, rebel1ion, insurrection, riots, civil rlishnbance,
(")
Q)
:::,
blockade, sabotage, embargo, strike, lockout, uny dispute with
:::,
~ surface owners and other ]ubor disputes, opidemic, earthquake,
storm flood or other adverse weather conditions, explosion,
fire adverse action by govornmont or by nny instl'umentality
or ;ubdivision thereof', uct of'God or any public enomy und any
cause that herein describe over which tho nffoctod party has no
reasonable control.
l
rs AND RULES
I' , vt1tON!JM,
N NJ\'l'UHJ\
HgsoUttC li'N'J'J\LCASES
:J
HM LAWO ' u1rn FOH,J4,N

OF PHOC14-D
. t 'cJn"mean A any corporation
·pol Cl,,1, l .· '
"l'10 ,.,,,·,111.-01011,edco1 o1Jorativc du y reg1steretl in
(t)' . "·... •
,~odntwn, or .co
~ than fifty per cen t,um (50%)
pnrtnerslnps,. ns~ . which less ..
nccorrlnnccw1th lnw l~\ Filipino c1t1zens.
of the cnpitul is owne y tl government of the Republic
.l
t "ineans 1e
(u) "Governmen
of the Philippines. tl actual market value of
t" means 1e
(v) "Gross out,pu f. its mining area as defined
. l products 1.om
minerals or nunera Code.
. l Revenue
in the National Interna . ,,
lt 1. l community means a group
(w) "Indi,genou,sc~,. ~ a who have continuously lived
. . . d' us F1hp1nos
or tribe or m igeno ll .bounded and defined land
•t' 011 communa Y . .
a~ com_mun~ ies .· and have succeeded 1n preserving,
since time unmemona 1 . on bonds of languages
. . . nd sharing comm ,
maintaining, . ~ d' tinctive cultural traits, and
customs traditions, and ot1ier is •
as may be defined and delineated by law •
(x) "Joint venture agreement (JV)" means an agreement
entered into between the government and one or more
contractors in accordance with Section 26(c) hereof.
(y) "Mineral processing" means the milling, ben~fi?ia-
tion or upgrading of ores or minerals and rocks or by s1m1lar
means to convert the same into marketable products.
(z) "Mine wastes and tailings" shall mean soil and rock
materials from surface or underground mining and milling
operations with no economicvalue to the generator of the same.
(aa) "Minerals"refers to all naturally occurring inorganic
substance in solid, gas, liquid, or any intermediate state
excluding energy materials such as coal, petroleum, natural
(/)
(")
gas, radioactive materials, and geothermal energy.
Ol
~
~
(I)
a. (ab) "Mineral agreement" means a contract between the
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gove~nment and a contractor, involving mineral production·
Ol
3(/) sharmg agreement, co-production agreement or joint-venture
(")
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agreement. '
~
~
(ac) "Mi~eral land" means any area where mineral

resources are found.
. (ad) "Miner~l r-esource" means an concentration of

minerals/rocks with potential econ . Y
om1cva 1ue.
I CIII\P'l'li;H IV --- l'llll,11 1PINI,: MININO /\C'I' OF l!HJri
( Hl'Jlll hli(: 1\1!1, N11. '71),1
~) I (;r,
(ne) ''!\!/' •
111111
'd .• ·
1 ont.1hcd hv t I
H <11·,,u" ,
1 0 f' 11
Ill( ,111,~ II l>Ol'l.io,
mi111' ,. , , •. • \(' l'Olll.1·111•f nt· f' •w c:onl.rw:I. 11ret1
•
111
...., l1 ,.111i11'' 10
• •
1
• 11, n11d
''
• ,. ,
OI' J>lll'JH / •
'H.N °f' <I<!Vrdopmenl,
lllltnerltnt(' vicinity or in the;
o(' tho A1f:l 1~ fut· IHIJ>J)~Jt'I, f'11c.:ilit.ir?11
''llf' , lllllJJ llj{ llJl1~1•11l.10,1,9,
. (I \l) 11
1
111111. ,
1nvol • U opera.1.1011"
. v11~g- oxplol'n(.ion, fenHil T. IIH!llllH mining 11c;t.ivitil'.!H
p1 ocess1ng. , JJ 1ty, developrnenl., ul.iliznl.ion, ;ind
(ng) "'Non-govern.111 l . .
non-_stock, non-p1·ofit ~~':la·. or'!a,uzot.r.on (NGO)" includes
deahng with rcso . gn1117,nl.Jons involved in activities
u1cc nnd .. , , •
tnanagement and 111·o,,ec·rnn.
,. t· cnv,ronmcnLnl conservation • ,
(ah) "Net a.sseis"
• ,,
. f'
1 c crs f'o t J
equ1pn1ent as reflected in··} '. , i_c property, plnnt Rnd
contractor net· of d . t i_ctrncbted fmancinl statement of the
. , eprcc.1at10n •.1sco
exc Iud1ng apprRis 1 • ' '
,. l 1·
mpu,,cc or tax purposes
. , a 1ncrcuse and construction in progress. '
subsu~;~ce"Offsh~rc" . means the water, sea bottom, and
low t. d I f~om the shore or coastline reckoned from the mean
I .e eve up ~o the two hundred nautical miles (200 n m)
exc Ius1ve
. economic • Iu ding
. zone inc • the archipelagic sea and
• •
contiguous zone.
. (aj) ~'Ons!iore"?1eans the landward side from the mean

tide elevat10n, 1nclud1ng submerged lands in lakes, rivers and
creeks.
(a k) "Ore ,, means a naturally occurring
• substance or
material from which a m.ineral or element can be mined and/or
processed for profit.
(al) ''Perm,ittee" means the holder of an exploration
permit.
(/)
()
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(am) ''Pollution control and infrastructure devices" refers
:::,
ro
a.
:::,
to infrastructure, machinery, equipment and/or improvements
~
~ used for impounding, treating or neutralizing, precipitating,
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3
(/)
filtering, conveying and cleansing mine industrial wnste tlnd
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:::,
:::,
taiJings as wel1 as e1iminnting or roducing hnznrdous effect~
~
of soJid particleA, chcmicnls, liquids or other hnrmful by-
products and gases emitted from uny fodlity utiJizod in mining
operations for their dispmml.
(an) ''President,, mennR tho Proaidont of tlrn Republic of
the Philippines.
CFS AND RULES
"'WON NJ\'l'UllJ\I, tt~•;Nf;VOIY)~NMgN'J'AL
CASES
1(Hi I''' t ' t 'O Il h
OF t11lOCtmUll. ~ '
nY ]and belonging to any
" . fen~ t,o IJ •
"Prirmfc /an<I 1 c 1· nuble an
d a·rnposa bl e land
(no) . 1 • <'JudeA 11 JC t h
privntc pcr~on wlnc l in, , . dnirnnnt, or occupan w o has
being· clnimc(l hy n hol<le!'I t t·hereto under the law' although
nlrc1Hi" ncqnfre<l n vested r1g l , 1·denceof title or patent has
·' ·r. te or ev
the corresponding cert111ca
not. been nctually issued. h bl' d .
" . " . fers to lands of t e pu ic omain
(ap) Public land re . ltural lands and sub1·ect
. 1 'fi1 d as agricu
wluch have been c ass: e . . or concession under existing
to management and disposition
laws.
,, any citizen of the
(aq) "Qualified person means •.
·1· · 'th ·ty to contract or a corporation, partner-
Ph 1 1pp1nesw1 capac1 , . d th • d £
ship, association, or cooperative organize ~r au onze _or
the purpose of engaging in mining, with technical and financial
capability to undertake mineral resources developm:ent and
duly registered in accordance· with law at least sixty per
centum (60%) of the capital of which is owned by citizens of the
Philippines: Provided, That a legally organized foreign-owned
corporation shall be deemed a qualified person for purposes
of granting an exploration permit, financial or technical
assistance agreement or mineral processing permit.
(ar) "Quarrying" means the process· of extracting
removing and disposing quarry resources found on o;
underneath the surface of private or public land.
. (as) "Quarry permit" means a document .granted to a
qualified person for
. 1 1za t·10n of quarry
the extraction and ut·l·
resources on pubhc or private lands.
(at) "Quarry resources" refers to
or other mineral substances as the D. any com~on rock
Geosciences Bureau may decla t b irector of Mines and
b~t not limited to, andesite, b:esa~t e quarry resources such as,
d1atomaceous earth diorite d '. conglomerate, coral sand,
. , , ecorative st b •
11mestone, marble marl red b . ones, ga bro, gr·an1te,
'I? • ' , urn1n l
Q)
::l bn~ks, rhyolite, rock phosphat g c ays for potteries and
::l
CD
a. tuff, volcanic cinders and vol e, ~a ndst0 ne, serpentine shale,
:.,:
;:;: ' can1c I . . '
::,-
quarry resources do not coilta· g ass. Provided That such
0
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. in met I 01. . '
3(/) and/or other valuable min ., .a s inetalhc constituents
()
. . JJ . era 1s •
quan t 1ties: rouidccl, further rn 1 10 econon11cally workable
Q)
::l
::l
~ • f':el<lspar, bull qu, 1t 1at non -ineta 1he
as lcaolin, • minerals
• such
pebbles,_ bentonit~, talc, asi~s~~s qt~ar~~ or silica, sand and
magnesite, dolomite, mica ' pr·ec1ous
. ' and ante, gypsum
. , bauxite ,
. sem1--precious stones,
CIJJ\PTEH IV--l'llll.lPPJNl•~MININ(IAC1l'Olt' IIHJT, 10'/
(U1•p11hlln Al'f.No. 'l!l,l'.l.)
nnd other non•ll~t'lnl1ic 111iiw1·11ln thnl. ,w,y 1,,,.,.,.'"' difl<:flv,,rrid

1111ct whieh the l~1~·l•cfo1·del!ln,·tiH f.11(~H111nP.loIH•of <!l:<HHJ1nir:1illy
worknhl<•qunnt.it.teH, Hhn]I 1101,IH! clnnHifind11nd,?rI.hor:11l.<!l{<1ry
0 f ll. \11\ l'l'V
' re~Oll l'Cl'H.
(nn) "U<'gr'onnlrlfrcc/o,-"menllH tlw 1·e1do1111

Id; reel.or of n ny
min<':-;regional office unde1· the Depnrl.n1enl. of' I•~nvironrrwnl,
:rn<lNnt.urnl Rc:-,mn·ceR.
) "1., • l rr ,,
(nv 11Cgwna • 011ice means any of' the mirwR region11I
offices of the Department of Envirn11me11t 11nd Nnturnl
Resources.
(aw) "Secretary" mcnnR the Secl'et111·y

of' the Depnrtmcnt.
of Environment anrl Natural Rcsoul'ceH.
(ax) "Special allowance" refoni to payment to th
c1aim-owners or surface right-ownel's pnl'ticul:irly during
the transition period from Presidonti11l Dcc,·cc No. '16:l nnd
Executive Order No. 279, series of 1987.
(ay) "State" means the Republic of the Philippines.
(az) "Utilization" means tho extruction or disposition of
minerals.
10. Authorityof the Department.
Pursuant to Section 8 of PD No. 7942, the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) sha11be the primary
agencyresponsible for the conservation, management, development,
and proper use of the State's mineral resources including those in
reservations, watershed areas, and ]ands of the public domain. The
Secretarysha11have the authority to enter into mineral agreements
(/)
on behalf of the government upon the recommendation of the
Director,and promulgate such rules and regulations as mny be
()
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~
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(I)
Q.
~
necessaryto implement the intent and provisions of the Act,
g:
0
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3
(/)
a. Validity of administrative orders issued by tho
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~
~
Department Secretary; PD No. 4(ia 1·eponled
~
'I'he rule-making authority of tho Dl~NH Soorohn·y wnR
v, .Nwtormi/' 1 In
sustained in Miners Association of the Philippiri.e,q
01
GR No. 983::32,,Jan. rn,1090, 2'10SCRA 100,
'H /\NI> Hf Jl,l•:S
'HOIJll(~I•,,
I ('/\HF'-{
l!IH L,\\VnNN,\'l't~H~''·11,\~v1HnNMl•:N'I'/\,,. "
()l,'l'l!OCl.;i)IIHl•,l•()II'
'NI' /\drni11i11Lr11tiveOrder
• • • •
111111i1H d I.in,
1 I I I) 11 , '· • ., 1ivo Ordor (DAO)
I I\l t,; (•I I Hl'. )) I' I.I l.1111H'I Ill ", ,, NH J\d ' ll I 111I /-{1' I I ' , .
(l)AO) Nn. r,'7.in r,,lnt.1011 1.11 ~)I, "lnW-Jl! j 11 ffoc:L1on 10, J\rt1elc
N(1 ~•) vinlntt• 141.lw1w11-in1pn 11 11 1111
• l u,
• 1t. • ;) f' 1)/\0 No. o7 11nduly
/\ 1·I I(' 1{' ' () I pre!.
Ill nl' llw Cnnst.illlt.ion ht'CllllHC' • • • nining lenf-WH anc other
11,rmin:llc•s nnd nut.omnt.icn -' , . • 11, ('OllVl!ll.H I
·ing 11grecment,8 wit.'h' 1n
1
min1111~111rn'l'lllt'nl.s •
into P10• duct
. ,, 1011-1-1
. . llll, while - 1 •
Sec.:l.t0n 0
,., o f' f) 1\0
1 111w,
01w ,·c•nr fl'Om • .. • • of sni d gu1<c
effccl.1v1l.y . ,ttcrs of . r ntent. · (f ,Of s) and
• f' ·1 . \ I R\il)llllL 1.,c ,, '
No. 82, dc!clnrc!-4t.lrnt. 111 \II L •0 ' . . , •, of OJ\0 No. 57 or until
--. • • . f'· thedfccl,ivi.y
MPS/\H w1t.h111 t.wn yen1s iom • ,nt of' mining, quarry, and
,July 17, 1991 shnll cnuse the nhnllclonmc
~nnd grnvcl pc1·mits. _
•
The Court. chsn~1·ccd • pct,i
with , ·,.·
,ionet,\. holding that. DAO
h' ·hNo. 57
• only t.oall ex1st.111g
applies • • mrnmg • • Ie,tse" ,8 or· agree. men. ts w 1c were
grnntcd after
• the cffcct.1v1ty
• • • of' Lie
.1 J..tJ87 Const1tut1on
· . , pursuant to
EO No. 21 l. EO No. 279 which hns the force and effect of a statute
01· luw validly modified or altered the privileges granted, as well as
the terms and conditions of mining lenses and agreements under EO
No. 211 uf'tcr the effectivity of the 1987 Constitution by authorizing
the DENR Secretary to negotiate and .conclude joint venture, co.
production, or production-sharing agreements for the exploration,
development and utilization of mineral resotu·ces and prescribing
the guidelines for such agreements and those agreements involving
technical or financial assistance by foreign-owned corporations for
large-scule exploration, development, and utilization of minerals.
The Court further stressed that mining leases or agreements
granted by the State,_such ns those granted pursuant to EO No. 211
are subJect to alterations through a reasonable exercise of the
power of the Stute.
r '
po ice
As regards petitioner's insistence that PDNo. 463, as amended,

continues to govern the acceptance and approval of declarations
of location nnd all other kinds of applications for the exploration,
(/)
()
Ql
development, nnd utilization of mineral 1·esources pursuant to EO
:::,
:::,
(1)
No. 211, the Court was unswnyed, holding:
a.
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:,
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3
(/)
"PD No. ~63, ns umonded, portuins to the old system
(")
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:::,
:::,
of exploration, developmont nnd utiliintion of natural
~
resources through 'license, conc:ossion or louse' which,
however, hnR been disallow()(]by Article XII,Section 2 of
the 1987 ConHf.itution. By virtue o[' tho snid constitutional
mandnte und itR implomonting law, EO No. 279 which
superseded IW No. 211, the Pt·ovisions dealing on 'license,
IIAPTEI! IV ,
- I llll.lJ•l'INF M
(l! .. p11hlir Act .N'' ININ<l /\CT ()F 11111r, Jf.'J
fl. 71"1,') •
concession or •
1('lll~l' of 111·
,f6'3
'' ns l\ll\t.•111h,d. 1\1 l llll'r11l l'('Ho11n:,.,, u11d"r Pl)
dccme l " nt h<•r • • t'4o.
. r l'C'!)L'nh•cl lllld th ~ _<'XIH11111erninirqr l11wn itrr•
g-ovcrning lnw. x x x· L' i•n: ~,n., t:1•r1111•d to OJH•;nl1· 111.1 ti •
No. ·lG'~ '· ns, nme1Hlcd'
0
1wc:1ficnll Y,• l Ite JHOVIHJ<,ns
• • of• •l'IJ
''
hapt C'l . Vlll . qUl\lTV ' ))". I
Oll L'IIRC
. • 0 r llllllllll,!
• • •
cls11rns u11clr•r
orqun·. try 1·lCCllHC on ~pub]' '-"lllll8ot •
I .. l pnvnlcly-ownccl In ndfi
other rclntcd provis1· tc nndR under Chnptcr XIII nncl
no t on ly mconsist.cnt
. • orrn
w't)
on le )'
1 nsc._ tcensc nnd permits nre
No. 279 WHs pnssccl I ti, l t 1c r01so11 d'etre for which EO
o fA
. r t·]tc e XII. Section • Ht2 contr·lv
f I ' c12ctic I express mnndnt,,
and efTectivitv is th r o t 1c 198 / Constitution. (Le; for
.J • us iorecloscd."
b. Role of 1oca I govcrn1ncnts
Subject to Section 8 of tl
Government Code and other ~~ Act and pursuant to the Local
Units (LG Us) shall 1 1pci tmcnt luws, the Local Government
. . ... 1ave t 1C follO\ • , 10. } • • • •
w1th1n their respe t· • . d' . vmg cs m 111111mgproJects
C JVC JUrIS 1ct10ns:
consu~~a . To ensure t~iat rel~~ant laws on public notice, public
tion and public participation are complied with;
b · . I n coor d.~nat10n
• . w1_th
• the Bureau/Regional Office(s)
and _sub!ect to vahd and existing mining rights, to approve
applicat10ns for small-sc~le mining, sand and gravel, quarry,
~ano, _gemstone gathering and gratuitous permits and for
industrial sand and gravel permits not exceeding five hectares;
c. To receive their share as provided for by lnw in the
wealth generated from the utilization of mineral resources and
thus enhance economic progress and national development;
d. To facilitate the process by which the commtmity
shall reach an informed decision on the social acceptability of a
mining project as a requirement for securing an Environmental
Compliance Certificate (ECC);
(/)
e. To participate in the monitoring of any mining
(")
Ol
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activity as a member of the Multiparlite !vlonitorin~ 'l'enm
Cl>
0.
:E
;::.:
referred to in Section 185 hereof;
::r
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f. To participate ns a memboroftho.Mino Rohnbilitntion
3
(/)
(")
Ol
Fund Committee as provided for in Sections 182 to 187 hereof;
:J
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~
g. To be the recipient of social !t)l'rn~tructure t111d
community development projects for the ut1\tz11t1011
of tho host
I ;,1 ' <>N N \ 'I'll I(",. II ,,:sor /1/t: ,,;u"NO II I It ,/,;,y
1,,'.:1\;; 11, 't,;11;JI<1,;FY)// 1•:NVII/ONhfl•:N'J'/\1, C;\!-1/•;,y
I • / I ,,·init ,·11111111111iit.i1•11
/11 11c,·111·,/1111cp wit.Ii ('I'
/1111 111'1/! I ll )flJJf
/ 1t ',., 'fl (; ,
·''r x\f V
I 'l'n 11,., 111~ IH•t.w,,,,,, 1.IH• i11di1r,
111,•tli11t111· <,,
1.
,·111111111111ilit'.4 nntl I Ii,• c1111t.1'11r:tom 1111 1111,y
IH! 111
l'<!CfttfJf1/.fJ<I;,
11,,.
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11
; 'J'o mordi1111/1• wit.I, l.11<• l)q>111'l.111<J11/, IIIJcJ f>
1111
, ;,,,,,Jt, 1t•11t11t
' 11 •
inn of 1./ipAd. 1111(/ 1./1<•1111p/cm1e 1.;n,, 'llr <!tq ;
11 • • •• • • I 11 1-.r1 J< 1 r,
l'('f ;11I / inn H j II t/1(• 11' l'('H J}( ·cl.1 V{' .J111'IH( 1IC!'·" J/ I 1-l. IJ II r·e11H , 1 :1, I)'1 /
1 ('AJ111Jc1 '/ /' or· /' e11c:c1 1111<1De {;()V(Jr <1<1
11<•Sr!III /J<'rn P/11'/' rpp1111•H • f,I
(Sl'CP/J). /\11lo1rn111011.'<H<•gion of Mw-di1n MincJ Vu/oPr11,!ri·t
",r(/ r,,t 11,.,, si III i / 11,. 1111i I.a, 1.he 11/llll'O/J ri11 t.i, o/Yices / _(' 1Hivf
111111 /\J)
Hl11,JJ conrdi1111t,, wit.Ii I.lie Dep111·t.111e11t. 1111<1 Ptir 8 ' d t1n;t,, 0
11
j Ill p/e111e11 /.,r t.in1111/' I.he Acl. II 11t/ l.h """ j 111/l /e,n -> en11.
C n l.j n , r
I 1J to,
,,
rc•,:11/11/,ions;1111d g Lile!, flr,rJ
'l'o J>erfon11 s11ehol.her powen-1 1111<1

j. funct·
/JeJJl'oviclucl /'or hy 11pp/ic11b/el11ws, rules :ind re r 10 ~s as lllay
gu 1at1ons.r.2
11. Authority of the Bureau.
1 M
I) '/'1, , mes 1JJ1 • " .
(II I I'(!C: ,())' II

1•
J 11• d - Gcosc1·"11Ccs
• . Bu1·cau G (.Ouren . u), headc,i . by
• t ,·I ssi·sl<'cl
111 11 by 1111 Assis tuut D irectoi·, a bsorbect the
•Ill](, ·r,l()JJ.<,
• • () r Ilic
' B -c u of Mmes and 1 G· eoscieuces,
ld '/\11·· • l\1meraJ
flcsc,·v11lions
1 nevelopmcnt
13om•cl,n~d t ie · o, ""ning Industry
IJcveJo,mcnt. Bo111·c/ which were a,boh~J1edby J;Q No: 131, except
line /i111c1.io1rn
1111<//JOwci·st/1e1·colwhich Were trans/erred to the
r~gio,1111field of1iccs.1'/ie 13urcuu shaJJ advise the Secretary on
m11llc1·s1w,·t11ining lo geology and mineral resources exploration,
deve/opmenl, utili,11 lion, nnd conservution.'"
1'l1cJJureuu sha// have the following authority, among others:

11. 1'o hnvc dfrect chm•ge in the administration and
disposit,ionof minei•a/ln11ds11ndmineral resources;
b. 1'o unde1·l11lccgcoJogicnl, mining, metallurgical,

hem,cu/Prou,'rl
SUPveys• nnd olhc1· 1 t J' 11swejJas mineral exploration
>d 'J1·esenrcJ1es, . ' 1
(/)
()
Q)
ns J)l'ov1cJed
• '. • fol'
, .,,c t·10• or
in S·, l
nu 16111·cus
J closed
, . · k
to mining apphcntions
::,
::,
~
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, • for
studies , PU1·/Joses n • .1e1·co/,
eco/' resunl'c)illlld the Bureau can undertn e
development;
~ , 'I' f'
•• 0 co,116 ,11 , '. ·
~
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Q)
3(/) 11
()
Q) nncJ , iu1, •"n ly lionifo to, /tc,,
c111),u,, dueofpr•ocess,
llol;ico surety, perform11nce
v iolnl:ion;
~
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::,
~
H, n110No,fJ(j_,,o
I <.'t.
t1:1Se 1(' ) .
t. ,, :J '['j1J
Cii111,t.01• XIV l '
O
I L ' ,~oNo,2n2,
CIIAl''l'l,:I(IV· - i'IIJLll'PINI•: MININ<I AC'I'()JI lllllr. I'll
(U111111hllc
Act. N11,'/IWJ.)
rl. 'l'o t't)Cn111

n1<1111(1.n I.ho HPc1·01.n ry I.ho r,rn n 1.inf( of
Mincrn 1 Agl'ee Ill on I.H111·l.11111ul111•1ui
l.11I.Iio Hrn:roI.IIry Iii r ncl.ion
by tho Pl'oHidun I. I.ho ,:i·nn I. nl' I•'I'A A1t, i II vor
11
r ;,r
q II n Ii fl od
µersonH nnd l:o ll\onil.ot' co111pli1111co hy I.ho co11l.1·ncl.or wil.li I.he
1.enns nnd cont! il.ionH ol' I.he Mi norn I t\l(i·cmnt,n I.Hnrul r,vf't\t\H.
11
For t.hiA Jl rpoHo, n n ul'nci unI. 1111d cfl'ecl.ivc mon i Lorin r:HYH l.cm
Ahnll be estnbliHhorl 1.nnRcm•t.ninpol'iodicnllywhcl.hor or not
these objectives nre rcnlized;
c. To cancel or 1.ol'Ccommcnd cunccllnl.ion, nftcr due

process, mining rights, mining npplicutions nnd mining claims
for non-compliance with pertinent luws, rules, and regulations;
f. 'l'o deputize, when necessary, any member or unit
of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and bnrnngay, duly
registered and Depadmen t-uccrcditcd Non-govcrnm~n. ta 1
Organization (NGO) or any qualified person to police all m1mng
activities;
g. 'l'o assist the Envitonmental Management Bureau

(EMB) under the Department and/or the Department Regional
Office in the processing or conduct of environmental impact
assessment in mining projects; and
h. To exercise such other authority vested by the
Act and as provided for in these implementing rules and
regulations.
The Director may delegate such authority and other powers
and functions to the Regional Director, M
There shall be as many regional offices in the country as may
be established by the Secretary, upon the recommendation of the
Director. 66
a. Trend to make adjudication of mining cases a

(./)
()
0.)
::,
purely administrative matter
::,
(I)
C.
~ Under PD No. 1281, the Bureau of Mines, now Mines and Geo-
g:
0
0.)
sciences Bureau (Bureau), was vested with jurisdictional supervi-
3
(./)
()
0.)
sion and control over all holders of mining claims or applicants for
::,
::,
!!?
61Sec. 7, Consolidated Implementing Ruloa nnd Rogulutionsof RANo. 7942

(CIRR).
liliS ec. 9, RA No. 794-2.
1 'NVIIWN
, AND JtULl•:S
NA'l'UIII \ I I 111,:soUIWIM•,s,,'N'l'AL
J C/\SES
l
1, \\V 0~. I JI! 1,:FOIi I•,
, l'l!(H.l•,I>
rr:, ot• ·1
>Ul'Jll I ,H,
le11seH and/or
,
operator3
1 1
I/ 11 • , •, ,
>I 11111111 ,
lice11HeH,
,
I . , H HIHI service contrac,t,>r,
·011L111c;"1 , , f'L' f · ]
Ill( •1,,r
tll
, 11t1•1•:4 • , 111
I'111I( 1111111 cll'U c;onv "Orncd. Io .c ,,cc ,1vc, y di~.
, se1·v1co
, ,
lh,•r<•O'
' , i11l'l\11C, • • ' t.1eH,.1 11rm ,n
1111111111(
,ict.iv1 '
. t·he .
ud m1nislrntion nncJ
••
"'"" 1'1r II~
' •, ,Jc "" I.I1C, I,,ove1'J1111un,
f11t,, s , 7 of' PD
, , , SccL1on . .No. 1.281.
h ,, conferred
, !IH
,·l111r1'" • 11t11.
0 •
r 11\llll'I •n I 1·esou1ceH, ·hrn1vc . J't1rh,c.l1ction
· to• car dand de.
,. rinnl 1111d cxc
di~JH)l4it10
B11·cn11m1g
1 111110
I ,,·s • trn 1
"(e) cnnecllat10n
. h 1.an /or E!n.
upon t lw .'
11 '.10invo •vmi....
• r
011 1 ic lot, h ct, ·ef'usn I of t ef'"c a1mowner/
11g oL w ''
A 1 .
<'id1• e11He~ • r ,.
f 111111111J.." t,rncU, c l
d con 1 d · t,·ons thcrco •
. na Y7.1n,,
o
t0 1 • 1 , hy t.he terms
1111
, ·ly snjd Scct10n 7 thereof,
l'orc<' H'n •
1·to·1>He. 1 ·1rhcu,n, .
1 I
open, • '
t.hc nhj<'ct.1ves o f l'I) No. 128 , P•
, \ the ncljuclknt1ono m .' f' i ning cases a Pure y ad.
II
•l
C I.rend is t.o mnkcr.tl , .
minisl.1·:il.ive mnl.l.or. , . t r,1 the subject agreement

1 /J l
en ,rue/. Corpora • n, v • Levis e,clent in sec k'ing a JU. d'1c1al
.
n ·h • I wi·ivatc respon ,. .
•l• nining cont1·nct.
is " I ••
nnc
1 Pclul
11'1 . not.. w1s. h to abide by its. terms
h and
.
"cl•ir·\t.ion
'" • ' of 1t.s nu ,y,
8 0 11 ll1, 1·these e e
1 mctlts alone bring t e action
.
1
co11clit.io11s.
lt. "'." h < •••
• /' PD No. 1281. Whatever the basis for
'
wit.bin the ambit of Section 7 o ... t' ter·rns
1. • IOb the con true s · and conditions, the basic
c
the refusal •to nuic, 0f 1•Y •.
ts cuncellat10n, w111·c,}1 is precisely what PD No.
1281 places
i8~ue w1thm the exc
1·em11ms.on? _ ·lus1ve
• on,.ginal jurisdiction of the Bureau. '.:I
b. Doctrine of prhnary jurisdiction
In recent ycurs, it has been the jurisprudential tre?d to apply

the doctrineof primary jurisdiction in many cases 1nvolvmg matt.ers
thut demand the special competence of administrative agencies.
'l'hus, the doctrine o{' primary jurisdiction finds application in
u cnse where the question is what coal areas should be exploited
und developedand which entity should be granted coal operating
contracts over said ureas since the question involves a technical
<lcterminutionby the Ilureau as the administrative agency in
possessionof lhe specialised expertise to net on the matter, These
issues preclude an initin] iudiciul determination."
(J)
()
0)
::,
::,
~ In this conn~clion, it shotild be stated thut the findings of
:'i
g: govn1·111ne11
l ugencrnswtth respect to the construction of statutes the
()
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()
0)
l,11A 11 (, ,. I ,
(
::,
::,
~
,, ,1H o,11,0 i, llfl•d M111i11,, i"'- D<JvI als
, , "· fi-1.ior, 1,,,1, ,,, 1,1,11, I •j•J t•c•i)lA\ 1(i(i •n 1011 v. ou1
'/J N ' • I
"U I! No. <lf>o~

,
'•H, 11d111,f1'1111
•
• I • •'
~
I ( o n111110111:
.:,
I' Nov, I I!lllI 1ll'l "C.n/\

1,;llfo1·p 1•jH H, 1 , ,v C , ..1 JI\
1'1Cor1)0. t'
~Go·
I \ C ·t ofAppe '
0
111
1!1!1(),181 HCf!,\ .,,.<I, ' .. ' "" 1'1.of Ai>PuoJs, an No, 88660,ApriI:-18,
CIIJ\l''l'lt;H IV. l'IIILIPl'INI•~ MININ<I /\CT OF umr; in
(Ht1p11hlh: Ad No, '/IM~)
implemenl:nt.ion ol' whith hni; IH'(IIJ ,·opoHod111t.liorn,a.ro c<Jnt,rollinv

on t.lw cmn't.R."
11
c. Non-int(~rful'ence by the cout'tA on purely ndrninis--

trn ti vc nln ttcri:;
1n rcviewini~ ndminiHtrnLivedeeiHion1-1 of Lheexc<:uti ve brn nth

of the government., I.he findings of fnd made therein must bi,
rrspectcd, as long ns they nre Rllpporl.cd by suhHLnntialcvidenc~,
even if not overwhelming- or preponderant. IL is not for reviewing
court. to weigh the conflicting evidence, determine the crcdihility of
the witnesses, or otherwise irnhstitute iU-iown judgment for that of
the achninistra tive agency on the su rnciency of the evidence. The
administtative deciRionin mntt:erHwithin the executive jurisdiction
can only be set nsidc on proof of'gross nbusc of discretion, fraud or
error of law. 00
12. Recording system.

'!'here shall be established n national and regional filing and
recording system. A mineral resource database system shall be set
up in the Bureau which shall include, among others, a mineral rights
management system. The Bureau shall publish at least annually, a
mineral gazette of nationwide circulation containing among others,
a current list of mineral rights, their locutions in the map, mining
rules and regulations, other officialacts affecting mining, and other
information relevant to mineral resources development. A system
and publication fund shall be included in the regular budget of the
Bureau. 01
C. Scope of Application
en
0
Q)
::,
13. Areas open to miningoperations.
::,
Cl>
Q.
~
;:;:
Subject to any existing rights or reservations nnd prior
:::,-
0
Q)
agreements of a11parties, all minernl resources in public or private
3
en
0
lan<lH,ineluding timber or forestlands ns dofinod in oxisting lnws,
Q)
::,
::, shal1 be open to minol'f1l ugroomonts 01· finnnoinl or toclmicnl
~
\'Apux MininK Co. v. 011rci11,

'1 011 No. U200fi,,July 10, lUUt, ID9 SONA278;
Co. v. Offlcooft.ho Pro~idont.,Ult Nu. L-7f\002,163SCRA350.
Greenhills Mi11i11u
1\1)11,i<J.
111Scc. 1'1, J{A No. 7!M:l.
,•r\JIIAl, I11,:Hll
I 111
I,1II'()~ .N' '" Fllli t,:NVIHON
rn,:HANI>Il lJ Ll•:H
M1,:N'l'A
L CMH:H
1
1
oF pnOI 1,,1)\ll
\71'
,,,1il'n1,\on11,/\IIY conflicl. t.h,,1. 1
,isl 11111·1•"il 11. '"''H'n'
, . 1\\ 1,,,
hi• • \ •11rt I 111111 1·e110\ ved I,y 1.h<,
nny ~,,,,
11
. I"'~ \,,.01•1~'"" 11 11 P•1n,,1
•:
110
1111trl • ,.
\ ,· "
"rhHrnh 1"~· '
to m'""'g operations.
d
. cIose . c,ncnl or finuncinl or technicul
14. Arens fl" ,
Mrncrn ngJC ' . • ' nRIHt.s
1 ·cations shnll not be allowed, nv,
ap \)\lIn militnrY and other government

1
[\g,·ceincnt,(a) ,
reserv ,
e:xceJ)t agen
upon prior written clearance by the government at,ons,
concerned; "'!
(b) Nearoru~der_pu?licor~rivate b_uildings, cemete •
archeologicaland h1stonc sites, bridges, highways, wat nes,
railroads, reservoirs, darns or other infrastructure e~ays,
public or private works including plantations or pr~Jects,
crops.'except ~pan written consent of the governmen:a uab\e
or private entity concerned; agency
In areas coveredby valid and. existing m1n1ng
• • rights·
•
(c)
In areas expressly prohibited by law; '
(d)
(e) In areas covered by small-scale miners as defined
by law unless with prior consent of the small-scale miners, in
which case a royalty payment upon the utilization of minerals
shall be agreed upon by the parties, said royalty forming a
trust fund for the socioeconomicdevelopment of the community
concerned;and
(f)Old growth or virgin forests, proclaimed watershed
forest reserves, wilderness area, mangrove forests, mossy
forests, national parks, provincial/municipal forests, parks,
greenbelts, game refuge and bird sanctuaries as defined by
law and in areas expressly prohibited under the National
Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) under RA No.
(/)
()
Q)
7686, Department Administrative Order (DAO)No. 25, sel'ies
:::i
:::i
Cl)
0.
of 1992 and other laws.63
~
~
()
Q)
3(/)
()
Q)
:::i
:::i
~
ll~Scc. 18, RA No. 7lM2.

1
msec. 19, llA No. 7~M2.
How ,, Ol', Uw foll .
1. '.
.
• ow111,, 111'('11 1 I
npphcnt.10n8t.lw npprovnl 0 H ~111.Y 10 opori<!d for mininH
conditions: which IH 111d,jedl.o tlw followinf{
(n) Militn1·y nnd >fl

prior writ.t.,11 cle.m•nn ,l itll' gove,·11 1w11I.
,. H•rv11tion~,upon
1
th
inris<ii t.ion ov '1' s\ 1 cc Y e governrnent ngenty huving
• 1c l l'eHervn lionw
(b) Areas near or d ' .
emetcries 'lrcl 1 . . un er pubhc or private huildings,
·. •l ' ' 1
,ieo ogicul and historjc sites hridges
lng 1WRy ' water-ways ~. ·1. . ,' ,
• f .,. t. . . ' 1 <ll JOads, reservoirs dams or other
111 1 as 1 ucture proJect b]. '
I t t' • s, pu le or private works including
p an a iodns or valuable crops, upon written con~ent of the
concerne government , . . .
. __ . . • agency or private entity sub3ect to
technical evaluation and va-- l'd t· b h B
1 a 1011 y t e ureau;
(c) Areas covered by Financial or Technical Assistance

Agreement (FTAA) applications which shall be opened for
quarry resources mining applications pursuant to Section
53 h~reof upon the written consent of the F'I'AA applicants:
Provided, That sand and gravel permit applications shall
not require consent from the FTAA, Exploration Permit or
Mineral Agreement applicant, except for Mineral Agreement
or Exploration Permit applications covering sand, gravel and/
or alluvial gold: Provided, further, That the Director shall
formulate the necessary guidelines to govern this provision;
(d) Areas covered by small-scale mining under RA
No. 7076/PD No. 1899 upon prior consent of the small-scale
miners in which case a royalty payment, upon the utilization
' .
of minerals, shall be agreed upon by the concerned parties and
shall form a Trust Fund for the socio-economicdevelopment of
the concerned community; and
(e) DENR Project Areas upon prior consent from the
concerne d agency. ('1,,
e opened for mining operations with•
. b
No ances t ra 1 ]an d Shall .
.
out th e prior consen t of' the indigenous cultural commumty con-
cerned.6r,
61
Sec. 15, CJRR.
Hrisec.16, ibid.

' ()N N 1\'l'\JH/\L HEHOUHCt,:H;\ND HULE8
1i(i \ \\\ •
OF,/ Pnoc1mu1n: FOH ENVIHO N1''1l'N'I'
iv ,, '
\I , C/\8F8
••••
JJ. l~xp/o,·otion Perrnif,
15. Exploration permit.

l'dic n 20 of HA No. 791\2 provides:
" EC. 20. Exp/oral.ionPermit.. - An ~xploration

p-rmit grants the right to conduct exploration for all
min rals in specificrl nrcas. The Bureau shall have_ the
Rut.hority to grunt un exploration permit to a qualified
per on."
An exploration permit grnnts the right to conduct exploration

for all minerals in specified areas. The Bureau shall have the
authority to grant an exploration permit to a qualified person. 00
Exploration activities may be directly undertaken by the
Department or, in the event that the Department cannot undertake
such exploration activities, by a qualified person in specified areas as
determined by the Secretary: Provided, That the conduct of mineral
exploration by a qualified person in all areas open to mining shall be
initially undertaken through an exploration permit, subject to the
provisions of Chapter VII on the FTAA.
In case an immediate te~hnical study of an area is necessary,
the Department or any of its authorized agencies/instrumentalities
and the exploration permit applicant may enter into a memorandum
of agreement to jointly undertake such study.m
a. Section 3(aq) of RA No. 7942 is not unconstitutional

An observation has been made that Sections 3(aq) of RA No.
7942 - which allows a foreign contractor to apply for and hold an
exploration permit - is unconstitutional. '!"'he reasoning is that
Section 2 of Article XI.Iof the Constitution does not allow foreign-
owned corporations to undertAke mining operut:ions dfroctly.
The observation, however, is not; well-l'ounrled. ln La Bu{!al-
B'laan Tribal Association v. Ramos, 1111 tho Court ruled thnt while
Sec. 20, RA No. 79'12.

1i 6
17, CIIR , 116 amended hy Sec.~, DAO No. 2oon-4fi nncl further amended
li7S ec.
by Sec 1 DAO No. 2005-16.

~;BGRNo. 127882, Dec. 1, 200'1, 4'16 SCRA 1.

Cllf\f ''l'f,,H IV
-- l'IIIL/1'1'/N/,' M
(fl,.1111lili(•A ·I NI !NIN<l /\C'l'OF lfHJ/i IT/
• (\(.. (), /!Jtl:'.)
th ' Cmrnti tu tion Ill

. • • Hile 1111.nH I.Ii , u
supc1vrn1011OV<!I'lh, . . < ,, 1,111.o1.o mu l'<'iw, frill(' 1 . I 1,nr 1
· • 1
• <'XJ>o1f11fion I' . • ' ,,,,1,10
it req11:1:re l~1'go1 ern.n,,,,,.tlo·l,;J/d o ",".'H1'111 llt1whae rlor!IJ
':<!11011n:cm,
1
au t.lw, • <1t1011s. 1n f'nt·I 11 . •all ctplorult.on /)(!f'/11 it.11and• 11t',.,i1.'Lr1.1·
} • ·, , lC're I H , ', ,, ,
or ocnJ cm•pornf.ions or C<>t,l . 110IJ1'oliibil.io11ttl, 11/l 111{1ti11HI,f'or<!if'n
1 ,t 11elo1·H
J • '
I10 11·
< lllf{ uxplontl,i"n ,c·r·rr,,·1u
•
I lll'~\l"l It ' 1 , "''
.. <I l ' () ect1011 20 r H
111'r ,]y .,.~·uni. ton qua)if1ec1 °, .• ;\ No. 7:Ytf~, an exp/orntion fH.!rmit,
for all m1n 'r:ds in ,J)' ··r·'I pc, Hon the ,·,ghl. l.o conducl, uxplorntion
u 1cc nl'e•tH S I ..
to an. authorr:zatfon lo , ·t,1. ' • • w: '· a perm,.l doe.c; not u,mowl.l
•
t Iw.,t may he dr:scov, . d !\ ,
• c.x• act and car 1• rr ll
• ' • • Y 0 11 • w muwru.Lresource,q
·
c1e,. snoexll'·1·1· ..
revenu s 01· jnconie t· . • ' c ,,on J!-l involved, there :ire no
• ,0 SJ) 'H 1{ Of fi18101 J I J1
authorization for t-J1e . • • ·, t c explol'fl I.ion permit i8 an
programs thni· , '. g, an 1.cc to 8 Pe nd jt,,, own f'undH on exploration
I,
' ell ~ })J' '·'1 ppr
C \l l
any right to re . ' . ovcc )Y the government, without
~ cove1 nnythmg sho 1I . .
q uantities b e d'1 covered. • u c no mmeruls ,n commercial
Pursuant to Sectjon 2'1 0 f RA N <.

rante J d . .• • o. 7.)'12, rm exploration permit
g e. ·J
w.Jo etermmes . the commc•·,·1· "l v1·,r1u•-,·1·1·
u
'·y
L.
of' a mmrng
1 . . area
"
may, _w~t1111 th: term of the perm:it, fiJc with the M.GBa declaration
~f. mining pro3ect feasibiJity accompanied by a work program
foi develo~ment. _The approva] of the mjffing project feasibility
and compliance with other requirements of RA No. 7942 vests in
the grantee the exclusive right to an MPSA or another mineral
agreement, or to an FTAA.
In brief, the exploration permit serves a practical and legitimate
purpose in that it protects the interests and preserves the rights of
the exploration permit grantee (the would-be contractor~- foreign
or local - during the period of time that it is spending heavily on
exploration worhs, without yet being able to earn revenues to recoup
any of its investments and expenditures. Minus this permit and the
protection it affords, the exp]oration works und expenditures may
end up benefiting only claim-jumpers. Such a possibility tends to
discourage investors and contractors. 'J'hus, Section 3(aq) of RA No.
7942 may not be deemed unconstitutional.
b. Submission of' work progrmn

Under Section 24, an explorut;ion perm~I. holder.w,hodetermines
the commercial viabiJity of tl project covormg_u m1111ngm·en_may,
within the term of the permit, file with the Mmes and Geosc1ences
Bureau a declaration of mining project feasibility. 'J'his doclnration
. ,,1 worli pronram for development for the
l·s t·o b e accompam ·ed LJy

ltC'li'RAND RULES
1 /\w oN NJ\'l'U\V\1, ,u~svo1u,,c>NM
1,, \•'Oil ,,~N "
FN'l,AL CASES
1
178
OF' \>HOCl1;DlJH
·
.. i>rolude for entering into an

Hnrcn\\•s np1n·ovn\, the
• neeeHHlll Y (MPSA)
1 ·t' 1 8 \1nr1n• g 1,g·,r<'ement
·.,
.. . - , or sorne
FTJ\A, n minernl proc ue ,101. 1· l'l ., submiHsion of approved work
ot.hr1·m,nerHl ngrccmcn~. \N_\1t, 1 , 1eloration and the development/
l "f(ll's for t, 1c exp . .
.
.1 '-
programs nnn uucg ·,,
l ~ t\ governmen , WI
t· ·n be able to scrut1n1Ze and
.
con~truct1on l~rnses, 1e 'tures. lt will be well-informed as to
approve or re.7ectsuch ex~end1 d t·her expenses that the contractor
tl1 • amoun t s Or P1 -
•e opcrabng an o, .
. ·oximate period of time needed
may legitim.ately recover and the app1.
to effect such a recovery.
The aforecited provisions on approved work p~ograms and
· sect'101135, which deals with. the terms
budgets have counterparts 111 . .
••
an d cond1tions exc1usive
• ly app 1·1cable to FTAAs • The said . prov1s10n
• certain
requires • terms and cond'1t10ns
• t·o b e inc
• orporated
. into FTAAs·
. ,
among them, firm coni,nitment ... of an amount corresponding
((a
to the expendit,ure obligation that will be invested in the contract

area" and "representations and warranties ... to timely deploy these
[financing, managerial and technical expertise and technological]
resources under its supervision pursuant to the periodic work
programs and related budgets ... ," as well as "work programs and
minimum expenditures commitments."GH
c. Term of exploration permit

The term of an exploration permit shall be for a period of two
years from date of issuance thereof, renewable for like periods but
not to exceed a total term of four years for non-metallic mineral
exploration or six years for metallic mineral exploration: Provided,
That no renewal of permit shall be allowed unless the permittee
has complied with all the terms and conditions thereof, and has
not been found guilty of violation of any provision of the Act and
these implementing rules and regulations: Provided, further, That
the conduct of a feasibility study anrl filing of the declaration of
mining project feasibility shall be undertaken dnl'ing the term of the
exploration permit, subject to the provisions of Section 30 hereof.70
cm1.,
8 Buga1-Il'lnnn 'l'l'ihnl Associnlinn, lnc. v. Rnmos, GR No. 127882, Jun. 27,
2004 446 SCRA 1.
' 7llSec. 18, CIRR, ns nmended hy Sec. 2, DAO No. 89-57 nnd further nmended by
Sec. 2, DAO No. 2005-16.
CHJ\P'l'f!.H JV - PJJJLJJ'PINJ,;MJNJN(I/\C'I' OF l~J% 179
(H('p1thlir A<'!No. '/IM~J
d
•
rrrnnsfc.n·of(' , I .
,:xp ornt.1011 perndt,
Section 2G of RI\ No 7<)ilf) ,I
• • L. 1ll'OVIC (~H:
:· h • 2G. Trano(er or 11..c;siunmenl.

- /\n C!Xplornt.ion
P rmit 1llH~' be t1·nnsf'crrccl m· HHHigncd to a qu:dified
P r~on ub.1ec!,to the approvnl of the Sccrctnry upon the
r commendnt10n of the Dircctor."11
The required prior approval is necessary hecause exploration

permits are strictly granted to entities or incli~iduaJs possess-ing the
resources and capability to undertake mining operations.
In Apex Mining Co., Inc. v. Southeast Mindanao Gold Jl1ining
72
Corporation, it was held that the respondent (SEM) has not
acquired any right to the Diwalwal gold rush area because the
transfer of Exploration Permit 133 was not with the prior approval
of the DENR Secretary. 73
e. Maximum area for exploration permit

The maximum area that a qualified person may hold at any
one time shall be:
(a) Onshore, in any one province -
(1) For individuals, 20 blocks; and
(2) For partnerships, corporations, cooperatives,
or associations, 200 blocks.
(b) Onshore, in the entire Philippines -
(2) For partnerships, corporations, cooperatives,
or associations, 400 blocks.
19-A CIRR prOVJ 'd es.. "'J1·•tlnsforor nssignmont . of oxplomtion lo· pomlit
1
71Sec . .
• '. • • ' ' d h ·cct to the npprovnl of tho D1roctor/Hog1onn n· cto1·
apphcatwns shall be a11owe su J . . I li'o wolfnro· Provided '!'hat such
t k' • tl . ational mtm·c.mtunc1 JHI > · • •
a mg mto ac~ount 1e ln 11i-. • I J·eC'tto uligihilit.yroquil'onwnt.snnd shall not be
transfer or assignment s rn ,,o SU_J ;, · •
allowedin cases involving speculntwn. ._ r.
72GR No. 152613, ,June 23, 200H,492 SCRA 3~t>,_ .
73• t . .
1 ,d
See also Moncayo 1n egr n .e · . SmnJl-Sculu MmorsA
v. Southenst Mindanao
• • Corporatwn,
Gold Mmmg • GR No. 1A9f38
.,. ) ' Dec. 10' 20h.

For inc\ividunls. 100 blocks; nncl
( 1)
.,, , • )S cnrJ)Ol'!l tions, coop 'rntives,
(2) 1•or pn r l.n ,1 .,1•11 •
,1011s,1 •Q()(.) blocks.
• t•
m· n.ssocrn
r. Rights nnd obligations of the pcnnittcc

. ·t \\ (Trnnt lo the pcnnittee, his hefrs
J\n xplornt10n pcrmt · s1,n r- ' ' <l l h
. • l t t,
or ~ucces ors-in-mt rest, l.11"' ng 1 • o nter
• , occupy
. nn exp ore t e
area. Th permit.lee shall undertake nn cxplorntwn work on th e area
· · by 1ts
a specified • pcnmt• ,.unsc d on nn n1)})roved work. program. 'l'he
•
perm1ttce • npp.1y f'or n mmCl
mny • •·,\l 1)1·oclt1ct·1·
, on shnrmg ngreement. ,
joint venture agreement, co-production agreemen.t or financ_1al
or technical nssist.nnce agreement over the permit area, which
application shall be granted if the pcrmittee meets the necessary
qualifications and the terms and conditions of any such agreement.7 1
g. Tern1s and conditions of exploration pern1it
An exploration permit shall contain the following tern\S and
conditions:
a) The right to explore shall be subject to valid, prior
and existing rights of any party(ies) within the subject area;
b) The permit shall be for the exclusive use and benefit
of the permittee or its duly authorh~ed representative and, shull
under no circumstances, be used by the pennittee for purposes
other than exploration;
c) rrhe term of the permit shnll bo fm.· n poriod of two
years from date of issunnce th roof, ronownble for like periods
but not to exceed n total term of four yonts for nonn, tnllic
mineral exploration or six yonrs for m t.n\Hc n,in rnl
exp lorn Lion.
<l) 'l'he permiU.co Hhn\\ H\lbmit. to tho l1uronu/.Rogionul

Office concerned within BOcnlondnr llnys nllor tho end of each
semeRtor a report under onth or tho l X\)lm·nt.ion work progrmn
implementation and oxpo1Hlit.u1·0R Hhowing cHscrepancies/
deviations including tho 1·mmlts of tho R\n·vey, laboratory
7•1Soc. 23, RA No. 7~)112.

CIJAJ>'l'fi.HIV ,
- l llll,Jl'l'INI•: MININCI t\C'I' OF 11/IJ/i IHI
(HPp1thlic /\ct. No, 71M~)
l'eports, g:'olo1y1'c1,J .
•
msµcction nnd "' , . •Hit111
.,. 1 l'))Ol'I 11m 1-111I >J
' •cf. to HC!m111nnunl
•
'l'l'l 1cnl.1011 I tI I' - , ..
concerned n1 11 'Y • 1e ,11rc11u/ll •g10111d Off1t<]
• , le cxpcnHe of the permit.tee.
e) 'l'he p 'rmittee 8 1 11 .
Office cone rncci w·n':1 1111
, lfl Fmhmit. to the Burcnu/Regional
months after 11 • .30 cnlcnclnr days from the end of Hix
... , 1c npprov•il of t1 •
(EVlP) nnd . . ' le env1ronmcntal work program
eve1 y six months t1 f'
compliance wit) , 1 ·a • icrca "er a status report on its
, 1 "1e sai EWP·
'
200/
f)
f tl The permitte
. • e sJ18 ll nnnua1ly re]mqu1sh
. . at least
/o O 1c permit are d • ·)
and at least 10'½,of tha . un_n_g~ 1c first t_woyears of exploration
th e extended exJJlor 1- e rcmamrng permit area annually during
• l •
a ,lOn peno• d . However if the permit area
is ess than 5 ,000 liec t-,ares,. .
t 11e perm1ttee '
need not relinquish
;ny par~ thereof. A separate report of relinquishment shall
e s~bmitted to the Bureau/Regional Office concerned with a
detailed geologic report of the relinquished area accompanied
by maps a~ a scale of 1:50,000 and results of analyses and
corresponding expenditures, among others. The minimum
exploration expenditures for the remaining area after
relinquishment shall be based on the approved EWP;
g) The Secretary or his duly authorized representative
shall annually review the performance of the permittee;
h) The permittee shall submit to the Bureau/
Regional Office concerned a final report upon the expiration
or relinquishment of the permit or its conversion into mineral
agreement or FT AA in a form and substance comparable to
published reports of respected international organizations and
shall incorporate all the findings in the permit area, including
locations of samples, assays, chemical analyses and assessment
of the mineral potential. Such report shall include complete
detailed expenditures incurred during the exploration;
i) In case of diamond drilling, the permittee shall, upon
request of the Director/Regional Director concerned, submit
to the Bureau/Regional Office concerned a quarter of the core
samples which shalJ be deposited in the Bureau/Regional Office
core library concerned for reference and snfokooping;
j) Offshore exploration nctivitios shall be carried out
in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the
Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and in a manner that will not

182
nch ,rs \ , aff ,ct. t.h, saf ) of na 1 1 u 10n a ·1n

•
n, ~ommodnlion wit• }1 t l1 r m ''lr i n a c Iv1 i es :· ch a:
nqun u1 ur ', lran.'por a 10n.
k) Onshore xploration activiti hall b- earn o • ii~
a manner that\\ ill, a all tim , af guard h n -rro ~ e t:
1) If the permittee applie for a mineral a~ eme o:-
FTAA o, er the permit area, the xploration period co,·er
the exploration permit hall be con ider d a he exp ora··
period of the mineral agreement or Fr.~ :
m) The permittee hall comply with pertinent pro is·o ...
of the Act and these implementing rule and reQ"uJation~: a
n) The permittee in the ca of a juridical e .
shall annually submit a copy of its Securitie and Exchange
Commission-received general information sheet: and
o) Other terms and conditions which the Bur .. I
Regional Office concerned ma) deem appropriate. 75
h. Registration of exploration perinit

Upon evaluation that all the term and onditions A.nd !,ll
pertinent requirements are in order and that th subj r Rl~!l
has been cleared from any conflict, the Director hall appr ye . nd
issue the exploration permit, and the permit.t ..hctll cause tht'
registration of the same with th Bureau/Regional Offic ·on erne
within 15 working days from rec ipt of th writ.t n notice and ui '-n
payment of the required fees. 71;
i. Exploration pern1it revocnble when do1nnndl'·d hy

the police power
The explorntion, dev-'lopm nt nnd utiliznt.ion of tlw country'~
natural minernl l'(J80t1rcesn1·0 mnt.tnr ll\\\H'l'~Sl'rl with gn'!\t. public
interest. Lilrn Limhel' permit.H, mining l xplol'ntil)\\ \Wrmits do not
vest in the grant \u any }Hl'llll\lH nt. O\' inc vocable, ri~ht within tlw
purview of the non-impnirmc nt. ot' L:ont.1·nct. nnd cha 1n·ocess clnusE's
of the Constitution, since t.hc St.nl.l, undc r it.s nll-encompussing
'lliSec. 22, cmn,I\S 11nwnclctlhy til (:. •I, DAO No. fH)-57, S<'C,~I. DAO No. ioml-
46 and further amended hy Secs. 5 nnd (.i, DAO No. 2006-1 o.
10sec. 23, ibicl., ns nmcnrlctl by See. 7, DAO No. 2005- 16,
Scanned with camScanner
CHAPTER IV - PHJLIPPJNg MINING AC'J'OF Hl9G 183
(Hepuhlic Act No. 7fl42)
police power, may alter, modify or amend t.he Ramu, jn accordance

with the demands of the genc1·nl welf'are.n
Indeed, a mining license, being a mere privi]ege, cloes not
vest absolute rights in the holder. Thus, without offending the <lue
process and the non-impairment clauses of the Constitution, it can
be revoked by the State in the public interest.1s
E. Mineral Agree,nents
16. Forms of mineral agreement.
For purposes of mining operations, a mineral agreement may
take the following forms as herein defined:
(a) Mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) - is
an agreement where the government grants to the contractor
the exclusive right to conduct mining operations within a
contract area and shares in the gross output. The contractor
shall provide the financing, technology, management and
personnel necessary for the implementation of this agreement.
(b) Co-production agreement (CA) - is an agreement
between the government and the contractor wherein the
government shall provide inputs to the mining operations
other than the mineral resource.
(c) Joint-venture agreement (JVA) - is an agreement
where a joint-venture company is organized by the government
and the contractor with both parties having equity shares.
Aside from earnings in equity, the government shall be entitled
to a share in the gross output. 79
A mineral agreement shall grant to the contractor the exclusive
right to conduct mining operations and to extract all mineral
resources found in the contract area. In addition, the contractor
may be allowed to convert his agreement into any of the modes of
mineral agreem.ents or financial or technical assistance ag-reement
77Southeast Mindanao Gold Mining Corporation v. Dalite Portal Mining

Cooperative, GR No. 104047, April 3, 2002, 380 SCHA 145.
78Republic v. Rosemoor Mining and Development Corporntion, GR No. 149927,
March 30, 2004, 426 SCRA 517.

79
Sec. 26, RA No. 7942.

. . . . .• I 1·ti,, orioinnl ngrecmcnt HUbJ'eclt
the 1·om1u1nn~ pot 10< 0 •
'O\ l'\'\\\)Z h o
0
t.hr• np1n·ovnl ol' t.he Secn~tn ry ."
n. Scope of 1nincrul ngrec1nents

!\~1neral 1woduction shnr.ing, co-production and joint venture
agre men.ts are collectively clnssifiecl by RA No. 7942_ as "m~neral
agr cm nts." '\'he government pnrticipute8 the least 1n a mineral
producbon sharing agreement (MPSA). In an MPSA, the government
grAntRthe contractor the exclusive right; Loconduct mining operations
within n contrnct nrcn nnd shares in the gross output. The MPSA
contrnctor provides the financing, technology, management and
personn 1 neces ary for the agreement's implementation. The total
government shnrc in ·1nMI SL\is the excise tax on mineral products
under RA No. 7729, amending Section 151(a) of the National Internal
Revenue Code, as amended.
ln n co-production agreement (CA), the government provides
input to the miningopcrutionsother than the mineral resource, while
in a joint venture agreement (JVA), where the government enjoys
the greatest participation, the government and the JV A contractor
organi'.le a company with both parties having equity shares. Aside
from earnings in equity, the government in a JVA is also entitled to
a share in the gross output. 'l'he government may enter into a CA or
JVA with one or more contractors. '.l.'hegovernment's share in a CA
or JV A is set out in Section 81 of the law.
All mineral agreements grant the respective contractors the
exclusive right to conduct mining operations nnrl to extract all
mineral resources found in the contract m·en. A "qualified person''
may enter into any of the mineral agreements with the governm nt. st
b. Eligibility
A quu1ifiecl person mny ent.or into nny of th, threo modes
of mineral agreement with Lho govornmc nt. l'or t.hc oxplorntion
development and ut.iliinl.inn ol' minornl rosmH·cos: Provided, 'l'hat
in case Lhe applicant. hm, boon in the mining inctustry for nny
length of time, lw Hhould poHHCHHn t-ml.iHl'nct.m·yonvironmentnl trnck
record as dct.erminud by tho Minrn; nncl hioHcioncosBuronu and in
80
S11pm. . . .
H11, Bu~nl-H'lnnn
11
'l'l'ihnl J\HHoc1nt10n, Inc. v. Hnmos, GR No. 12788i, Jnn. 27,
2004. 446 SCH.Al. Scanned with CamScanner
CHAPTER JV >
- J JJJLIPPINE MININO /\C'l' OF HJ~Jr, J85
(Hopuhlic /\ct No, 7!M~)
consultation with t-Jw

• li'"nv11·011111c11f
•
D epartment. 11i A <lU' rr .nJ M un111{orrwnl. Burcnu of the
,\ l ied })Cl'AOll llll!H11H -
a. ln case of an indi ,d
of legal age and with ,vi uni - must be a Filipino citi'.l.en
capacity to contract; or
b. In case of a cor -·
cooperative_ must be or por~twn, partner_ship, association or
of engao-ing in • . ganized or authorized for the purpose
bi m1n1ng duly •t d • •
law, at least GO¾ f tl ' . regis ere 1n accordance with
O O
citizens.Bs le capital of which is owned by Filipino
c. Maximum are a £or mineral

• agreement
The maximum
time under am· are a th a t a qualified
• person may hold at any
inera 1 agreement shall be:
(a) Onshore, in any one province -
(l) For individuals, ten blocks; and
(2) . For partnerships, cooperatives, associations, or
corporat10ns, 100 blocks.
(b) Onshore, in the entire Philippines -
(2) For partnerships, cooperatives, associations, or
· corporations, 200 blocks.
(c) Offshore, in the entire Philippines -
(1) For individuals, 50 blocks;
(2) For partnerships, cooperatives, associations, or
corporations, 500 blocks; and
(3) For the exclusive economic zone, a larger area
to be determined by the Secretary.
The maximum areas mentioned above that a contractor 111ay
hold under a mineral agreement shall not include 111ining/quarry
areas under operating agreements between the contractor and a
claimowner/lessee/permittee/licensee entered into under PD No.
463. 84
82 Sec. 27, supra.

83Sec. 32, CIRR, as amended by Sec. 12, DAO No. 2006-15.
84Sec. 28, RA No. 7942.
l
> HU1,l•:H
('I'~ /\NI '8
111-:sotJH , .,. ••N'I'"" <'M-lh,
L WON Nt\'l'l '.,'~~~;l1,:N\IIHONMI,
!RO OF l'HOClmllHL • t
. . I uJ'rccn1en ,f:I
1of1u1n(tll ., . .
''l' ,,r nnd npprovt1
l 1111' 1 II \Jc filed in I.he region
d. I
11IHRlll . . , ..
. . l nirr<'('lll< • • er11IreHetval.lon~
1 m1n<, ll ' \ ,xcPP,1 In 111111 1
A1lprnpnf<l'( tcr'R, t Ill'(', locnt.cr'L 'l'hc
r· , .,, (' \'111'' or H propof-m for
I t-,
wh l'\ tlw11n·n~n"' ·t·l thr. Bur'llll.
• L the prjor dght to
whkh ~hnll l r filcrl w11''11i ~ivc t.hc propon~n ,r;il agrecmc~t will
• l 11m• Ill nt. s 11 sccl rn111c.
n mmcrn t-· 'l'hc propo 1· }·all be submitted
. rover rl by Lh srune. • ies thcrco s l . • . ,
:tlCH, d l tl1e Secretary nnd cop -. l t· sh'11l provide a hst to
b npprov JY , l Prcs1c en, · ' . . . ,
l • 1 ·cl·nt Thereafter, L 10 • mcnt within thuty (30)
to ti r s1 •• . d mincrn 1 agree
ongrcss of every approve s· ·etary.flr,
day from 1t. . approvA1by. the , cc1 .
c •
A ss1gn1n e11tor transfer . · d
• . . Of : lltS and obligations un •er
• t • trans{ei ug ·
Any ass1gnmen • 01
1
fi• •·ia) or technical assistance
11
any mineral agreement_ except la .~nrca·J)pl·oval of the Secretary.
11b b t to t 1e puo ·
agreement sha e su Jee . b •d . ed autoinatically approved
11
Such assignment or transfer sha e ~t~l•~thirty (30) working days
•f t t d 11 by the Secretary WI 1111
l no. ac ·e. upo . . tl f unless patently unconstitutional or
from official receipt rnreo ,
illegal.11(1
f. Tern1 of a 1nineral agreement

Mineral agreements shall have a term not exceeding twenty-five
(25) years to start from the date of execution thereof, and renewable
for another term not exceeding twenty-five (25) years under the
same terms and conditions thereof, without prejudice to changes
mutually agreed upon by the parties. After the renewal period,
the operation of the mine may be undertaken by the government
or through a contractor. rrhe contract for the operation of a mine
shall be awarded to the highest bidder in a public bidding after due
publication of the notice thereof: Provided, 'l'hat the contractor shall
have the right to equal the highest bid upon reiinburseinent of all
reasonable expenses of the highest bidder.H1
g. Publication, posting, rndio nnnounce1nont

Within fifleen (15) working days l'rom rocoipt oft.he necessary
area clearanceo, LheBu1·eau 01·Jle,rioni•l O1•r.
1 d l 11' tie
b 11ccconcerne s 1a 1ss
1.msec.29, TIANo. 7!M2.

tlllSec. 30, ibid.
878cc. 32, ibid.

CIII\J>'l'l,:HIV - "' 11 I l
(H Lll I INI•:MININ<lAC'l'()I,' ,rmr, Jlj7
np111, 1h? l\d No, '/0,1~)
to tJw :tpplicnnl. the Nolie 0 1• I\ . .

. ·
pn bl 1cnt.1on, post.111 , nnd• l', . pp)1e11I•I 011f'OJ' M'1/HH'tdJ\r{reemonf, for
1
'}' 1m ff1 t<~en(l G) wot·ki lllClO1 llllnot11 ,,
wit . iccnw11f, wj'11chHhtdf bu done
1111(1ll)'H ( ,·om 1• 'cuipl, of tho notico.M
h • p\.el{1strntion
• of .•
• 1lUuerul ng-reement
Upon Hpprovnl of the ininern]
same slrnll be forwRrded 1'oH B ngrecmcnt by the Secretary, the
shall noti(y the contrnct~r ,' lC .• urcnu for n~unbcring. 'I1heDfrcctor
' 1,0 cnusc nwrcg1RI . f • •
j. ]
agreem nt with the Bul~c· f' ' . • ,J1h10n o its mrnera
. ,1u or nr<1ns l 11 1• I • I
or with the concerned p , . ~,. ~ <c mmern reservations
. · ,.cgtonn1 OJflee tor •, 'd •
reservations within fifteen 5) . . . m e;~s outs1 ~ mrnera]
written notice. Regisfrn1'ion O •. ~ot kmg dnys from receipt of the
· d~ A ' • JS effected on]y upon payment of the
reqmre
· t t'
1ees f ( • nnex. 5-A)• F m'Jlll .e Of the contractor
• • to cause the
regis ra ,Jon ~. ~ts m1ner11]a_greement within the prescribed period
shall be a sufficient ground for cuncelJation of the same.R11
1. Issuance of special inines permit

A~ ~pplicant for mineral agreement whose application is valid
and existing, has been granted an area status and clearance, NCIP
precondition certification and endorsement from the concerned
Sanggunian, and has no pending mining dispute/conflict as certified
by the concerned Panel of Arbitrators/Mines Adjudication Board,
may file an application for special mines permit (SMP) with the
Bureau/Regional Office concerned. A SMP may be issued by the
Director upon clearance by the Secretary. The SMP shall be for a
period of one (1) year, subject to renewal.
In cases where public welfare so requires, the Secretary may,
after verification and evaluation of the Bureau, grant other forms of
special mines permit so as to address the specific conditions in the
area concerned.1)0
j. DENR Secretary has the authority to cancel 111i11eral

agreements
The DENR Secretary, and not tho Pnne:,Iof Arbitrators (POA),
has th:.e J·u ri ·sd'JC,, • n ,,0 cnnceJ existing minurnl
,i JO j.
,
lonso
. contl·acts
• • t •or
. J 'f J 1•8 powor omnnntoR from 111anc1mm1s·c1•attve
j 1
m mera agrecmen,;s. 1
llHScc. 38, cnrn..

Auscc. ,13
'J'' 'l 'I
/,'}l,l,.
008cc. 48, ibid.

LAWON NATUHALRESOURCESANDRULES
188
OF PROCEDUREFOR ENVIRONMENTALCASES
authority, supervision, 1nanage1nent, r ~nd control over mineral

resources under Section 2, Chapter I, r1tle XIV of Book IV of the
Revised Adininistrative Code of 1987. A petition for the cancellation
of an existing 1nineral agree1nent based on the alleged violation
of any of the terms thereof, is not a "dispute" involving a mineral
agreen1ent under Section 77(b) of RA No. 7942, which lists down
the cases under the jurisdiction of the POA. Appeal from a decision
of the DENR Secretary shall be taken to the Office of the President
under AO No. 18, series of 1987 .91
F. Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement

17. Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA).
A financial or technical assistance agreement (FTAA) is defined
as "a contract involving financial or technical assistance for large-
scale exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources."
Like a CA or a JVA, an FTAA is subject to negotiation. The
government's contributions, in the form of taxes, in an FTAA is
identical to its contributions in the two mineral agreements, save
that in an FTAA:
"The collection of government share in financial or

technical assistance agreement shall commence after the
financial or technical assistance agreement contractor has
fully recovered its pre-operating expenses, exploration,
and development expenditures, inclusive." 92
a~ A financial technical assistance agree1nent (FT.AA)

is a contract or property right which n1erits
protection by the due process clause
Unlike a timber license agreement which mav be validlv
revoked, rescinded or withdrawn by executive acti~n wheneve;·
dictated by public interest or public welfare/ 3 a financial technical
91 BasianaMining Explontlion Corpornlion v. DENR Secretm-y, GR No.

191705, March 7, 201G; Nana Nickel Minin~ nnd Development. Corporation v.
Redmont Consolidated Mines Corpomlion, GH No. 202877, Dec. 9, 2015; Celestial
Nickel Mining Exploration Corporation v. :tvfocronsiu Corporation, GR No. 169080,
Dec. 19, 2007.
92La Bugal-B'laan Tribal Association, Inc. v. Ramos, GR No. 127882, Jan. 27,
2004 445 SCRA 1.
' 93Qposa v. Factoran, GR No. 101803, July 30, 1993.
CHAP'l'gll lV - PI-Jll lPP
(H '. INl•~MININ(l AC'I' Qt,' l!HH, 1HO
• )Hthhc Act.No. 71M:l)
ilssist:nnce ngreem<'llt· - • ~.
(l:,
◄ '111\A) •
•
development:
. . .
nnrl utili:t:11t ,· (r.il)
. • . 011 ,_!_i U) r .
lur 1111·1~0-Hesilcoxr>lor'if , ,1·cJr1,
mineral m ls rn a con t.rnC't· . o m I no1·rilH, put.l'olo11rn u ncl of her
• · · 01 propert· I.• I • • ,
of t.I1c Constttution. Given tl· --.. ·Y lg ti. wl11chmeriLH protection
·l l · l • le 1nndec1un • 1·1··1· •
t cc 1110 ogy 111 m· re-sen le ]i'l)U • ... cy o ◄ 1 1p1no ca.pit.al :ind
· l 11
tie C,} P O ff' 01 ·Clgn
· COl\11') •• . ncl.tvtl.tu1:1
;J I • SI,SlI,0 may Hecure
' I'lC
.. . ...Hl11C8 111 ll II t' •I ' • •
finnnc1al and tcchnic·\l . u ovnnt. mnUerH - oHpccially
. . ass1st.unce -
i' . •I' •
the State n1a1ntains its • . . JH ovic eel I.hat., at. all t1mcH
11
or contractor assu meH •'lllr1 gc. L of. (uJl c·r>nI,,•oI• '1'1w f•ore1gn • • '
aHHrnLor
. k . • , . ,1n n n cta I t· ' •I1111• I 1
r1s s 111 the EDU '\c·t·· ·t·· ' .cc. cn ttn( cntl'cproncurial
• , ,IV} ,I.CS; 1le11 ' •I •
manage111ent, operational 1 ·l __ cc, 1 ' ~ 11Y he given r·onHonn ble
· · ' nni {Cting ·1ucl1f· •111cl 1·1 •
t o })ro t'·ect 1ts 1·nvest·,m c n t;s an cl. t'O c n a. l>''Je I.he· ·'.business
• o, wrt.oprurog·1t1vcs
' ,
1-,uc:c:ccd.'11
•
Jn Na.rra Nichel Minin l
Redrnont Consolidat d M' .g Cane IJe~elupm<inl Corporation v •
., ,, . ,e , incs orpo . l % I I1 C
Justice Perlas-Ber b t ' . ra,wn,·' ; e ourt., through
'd· t b na e, 8 ressed that un l◄ 'J'J\/\ entered into by t·hc
P resi
in thaten it onc ehalf of the Stat e invo
• 1vcs , .. '-'
. mnttcr o{• pubhc• concern
'
tT t' overs the large-scale exploration, dcvelopmPnt an<l
u 1 1za 10n of mineral _resources. Hence, it is properly clns~ifi,cd as
a government or pubh_c contract which is "generally subject to the
same laws and regulations which govern the validity and sufficiency
of contracts between private individuals."
b. Eligibility
Any qualified person with technical and financial capability to
undertake large-scale exploration, development, and utilization of
natural resources in the Philippines may enter into such agreement
directly with the government through the DENR. For the purpose
of granting an FTAA, a legally organized foreign-owned corporation
(any corporation, partnership, association, or cooperative duly
registered in accordance with law in which less than 50% of the
capita] is owned by Filipino citizens) is deemed u "qualified person."
Other than the difference in contractors' qualifications, the
principal <liBtjnction between mineral agreements and F'l'AAs is
Lhe maximum contract orca to which n qunlifiocl penion may hold
or be granted. "Larfic-Hcale" under RA No. 79'12 is clolorn~inod by
the size of the contract areu, as opposed t.o tho amount. mvesbld
(US$50 000 0(J0) which waA the Htnndurcl unclor bO No. 279.'J<.'
' ' I
1111,
11
Bugnl-l3'luun 'l'rihul J\HHociulionv. Rumon, tlll/'1'<1,
or,GJlNo. 'IH5o80, April 21, io1'1.
110Jbid.; Sec. :-rn,H.A No. 7!)'12.

~
LAW ON NA'l'UJV\li1n:HOUH.Cf•:8
AND JtUL1•!8
190
OF PHOrn1:uu1n: FOH.J•:NVIH.ONMl•:N'f1AL
CJ\[:·Hi:8
1
c. Mincrnls subject of' F''l AA
An F'l'J\A mny he entered into for the explorution, ,development
and utiliint.ion of gold, coppc1·, nickel, chromite, lend, zinc and other
111inerals;however, no FTAJ\s muy be grunted with respect to cement
raw materials, marble, grnnHc, snnd nnd grave] and construction
aggregates. 117
d. Maxiinun1 contract urea

The maxin1um contract urea that may be granted per qualified
person, subject to relinquishment shall be:
(a) 1,000 meridional blocks onshore;
(b) 4,000 meridional blocks offshore; o.r
(c) Combination of (a) and (b) provided that it shall not
exceed the maximum limits for onshore and offshore areas.
e. Term of an FTAA
An FTAA shall have a term not exceeding twenty.five (25)
years from the date of execution thereof, and renewable for another
term not exceeding twenty.five (25) years under such terms and
conditions as may be provided for by law and mutually agreed upon
by the parties. The activities of each phase of mining operations
must be completed within the following periods:
(a) Exploration- up to two (2) years from date of FTAA
execution, extendible for another two years;
(b) Pre-feasibility study, if uJarranted - up to two (2)
years from expiration of the exploration period;
(/)
0
Ol
:::J
:::J
(c) Feasibility study - up to two (2) years from the
ro
a.
:E
expiration of the explorntion/pro-fo1rnibilit.y study period or
~ from dec]arntion of mining project fonsibilit.y; and
(")
!ll
3
(/)
0
!ll
(cl) Development, construction and utilization
:::J
:::J
~ remaining yearA of FTAA.
The mine should have a pl'ofitublo opornt.ing lifo of mot·~thnn
ten years, to ensure the collection of ~:ho~ovm·nmont.shnro, g·1venn
maximum five-year cost rocovol'y por1ocl.11t1
- D7Sec.50, CIRR.
nor< - - r::'> ;J,irl nA nrnendod hy Sec. 1, DAO No. 200,t-0'1.
PP! N 1,;MIN IN<I AC'I' 0 ft' ID!Jf,
CII APTl~lt IV - 111111,1 IHI
Ac!. No, '7!"1:J.)
(H11p11hli1:
f. Ncf;(otinf;ionH
Like n CA 01· I\ ,JV/\, nn 1'1'/\A iH Htil,j,~d l.o rw1{0Li11l.io11.'f'ho

11
in 1rn F'I'/\/\ iH
,rovernnu.mt.':,::cnnt.ributionH, in I.he for111of l.11xe11,
icicnticnl to it.:--cont.1·ibutions in the two minm·11l11gr<!t.Hnunt11, ~WV''
thnt in nn F'l'/\A:
"'1'1 ]I • . I
co cct10n of government share in financinl or
le
technical nssiHt.ance agreement shnll commence after th"
financial or technical nssistancc agreement contrnctor has
fully
• recovc·\1•'"'d
\;, 1·ts, lne-operatmg
• • expenses, explorat1on,
•
and development expenditures, inclusive." •
An FTAA involves terms, conditions, and warranties which

must be agreed upon by the contracting parties pursuant to Section
36 of RA No. 794-2 which provides:
"Section 36. Negotiations. -A financial or technical

assistance agreement shall be negotiated by the
Department and executed and approved by the President.
The President shall notify Congress of all financial or
technical assistance agreements within thirty (30) days
from execution and approval thereof."
g. Filing and evaluation of FTAA

All FTAAs shall be filed with the Bureau after payment of the
required processing fees. If the proposal is found to be sufficient
and meritorious in form and substance after evaluation, it shall
be recorded with the appropriate government agency to give the
proponent the prior right to the area covered by such proposal:
Provided, That existing mineral agi·eements, FTAAs and other
mining rights are not impaired or prejudiced thereby. The Secretary
shall recommend its approval to the President. 00
(/l
()
[l)
:,
:,
(1)
The proposed contract area shall be closed to other mining
Q.
~
;::.·
app]jcHLionsfor minerals mentioned in Section 50 hereof, but shall
::r
0
[l)
be open for quarry resources mining applications upon tho written
3
(/l
()
consent of the F'J1AAApplicant and verification by the Burenu/
[l)
:,
:, concerned RegjonaJ Office, except fot· sand und grnvel npplicntions
~
which sha11require no consent thoroof: Provided, 'l'hut. if consont is
uiisec. :J7, RA No. 7!M2.

.,
Lt\ WON Nt\'l'UH.t\L tn:HOU H,CJ•:H /\ND nuu,:8
JH2
OF PHOCl1:JHIH.t,:FOil l•\NVI ltONM l•;N'I'/\ L CM·Ht:8
\tnrensonnbly withheld, the cnHe Hhull he rmmlvod by the Pnnol

/\rbitrntorf-. 11111 of
h. Publication, posting and radio unnouncemcnt

Within fifteen (15) working duys from receipt of the nece~rnary
areR clearances, the Bureau/Regional Office concerned sha11 issue
to the applicant the Notice of i\pp]icntion for F'l'J\A for publication,
posting and radio announcement which shall be done within 15
working days from receipt of the notice. '.rhc notice must contain,
among others, the name and complete address of the applicant
'
duration of the FTAA applied for, extent of operation to be
undertaken, area location, geographical coordinates/meridional
block(s) of the proposed contract area and location map/sketch
plan with index 111aprelative to major environmental features and
projects and to the nearest 1nunicipalities. 101
i. Terms and conditions of the FTAA

The following terms, conditions and warranties, among others,
shall be incorporated in the FTAA, namely:
a. A firm cominitment, in the form of a sworn statement
during the existence of the agreement, that the contractor
shall cOinply with minimum ground expenditures during the
exploration and pre-feasibility periods;
b. A stipulation that the contractor shall not, by virtue
of the FTAA, acquire any title over the contract/mining nrea
without prejudice to the acquisition by tho contractor of the
land/surface rights through any 1node of acquisition provided
for by law;
Cf)
Cl
O>
:,
:,
(1)
c. Representations nn<l wnrrnntirn~ thnt tho contrnctor
0.
:;;
;::;:
has, or has access to, all tho finnncing, nrnnngorial nnd
:::,
(")
O>
technical cnpahility and technology roquirod to promptly
3
Cf)
Cl
O>
and effceLivcly cnrry out tho objoct.ivos of tho ngroomont with
:,
:,
~
the understanding to timoly utilizo thoso 1·osourcos undt1r
its supervision pursuant. to I.ho po1·i()(licwork prog-rnms i~nrl
related budgets, nnd whon pl·opor, providing nn oxplorntwu
100 8cc. 53, ClRR.

101 8cc. 56, ibid.
Cll/\PTEH IV - l'llll,ll'PINI•~ MININO /\C'I' ()ft' IU!JG Iua
(H.,1rnhlk /\d No, ?!Jtl~)
period \ll) to two Yl'lll'H. ext.undihlo for 111101.hur two yearH,

~uh.it'd, to nnnunl t·t~view hy t.ho Secl'otnry in 11ccordsincowith
t.hc::wi m Pkmen t.in1.tntlrn-i n nd 1·egulntio1111;
XXX XXX XXX
i. J\ stipu lntion thnt the con true tor shall give preference
to goods flnd services producecl and offered in tho Philippines
of compnrntive quality nnd cost. [n particular, the contractor
shall give preference to qualified F,ilipino construction
enterprises, construction materinls and HkillRnvnilnblc in the
Philippines, Filipino sub-contractors for rond conHtruction and
transportation and Philippine household equipment, furniture
and food;
J. A stipulation that the contractor is obliged to give

preference to Filipinos in all types of mining employmcn t
for which they are qualified nnd that the technology shall be
transferred to the same;
XXX XXX XXX
q. A stipulation that alien e1nploy1nent shall be limited
to technologies requiring highly speciali:1.ed training and
experience subject to the required approval under existing
laws, rules and regulations.
The Department shall formulate and promulgate such
other rules, regulations and guidelines necessary to ensure
compliance with the terms and conditions herein stated and
to establish a fixed and stabl~ fiscal regi1ue with respect to
FTAAs. 102
j. Assignment or transfer
(/)
0
Q)
:,
:,
A FTAA 1nay be assigned or transferred, in whole or in pnrt.
(D
Q.
:E
lo a qualified person subject to the prior approval of tho President:
;:;:
:::T
(")
Q)
Provided, That the President shall notify Congress of f)Very
3
(/)
0
Q)
financ;ja]or technical assistnncc ngreoment. nssignocl or convol'tod in
:,
:,
~
a~cordanccwith this provis.ion within thirty (aO)days from the dnte
of the approvn l thereof. w:'i
S ioisec. 6G,snJH'<t, nH unw1Hled by Sec. 9, DAO No. 200B-46nnd furthe1·iunondml

1
Jy cc. rn, DJ\O No. 2000-1 o.
10:is
'- ec. t10, ll/\ No. 7Bt12.
'l•'H AND JtULgS
•"()UHL " 1r•j\Sl•'u
1 I
\'l U1!/\L I!,,.-, NM FN'l AI IV '-- IU
1,/\ W () N N/ ' i,'NVlllO I

l !M l)J,' iiunc1,:1>llll ,,: H>ll '
, <)()f> pn rt.icu In rly Sect.ion '1()
. . /\cl ol 1• • ' •H
'l'hl' J1hilippi1H' M11\tllH •• , , l'rcHidunL w1, 1 ~rn-1pect 1,0
. . • I 11 ii1rovn l ol t,110 , • pcrstl 10n 101
t.lwn'o{
. n'll\lll'lll!! t.,ll'., . 01r F't'A/\H,. ,,1-1P' •()..,
Ll)Jed1VO in ° ' •
as~1gnnwnt. nr t.rnnsllt
42 nd oAO No. 96-40, s. 1996
79
18. FTAA provisions of RA No. a '
earlier held valid.
,'l' .. , 1Associution, Inc. v. Ramos
a. Ln Ilugal-13 lnan · r 11>U
Initial decision: Utiliza,ti~n of inali~nable
1)
la,nds of t.he pu./Jlic dom,aui through license,
concession or lease is no longer allowed under
t,he 1987 Constitution
10
In La. Bugal-B'la.a.n Tribal Association, Inc. v • .Ramos, r.
petitioners assailed the constitutionality of RA No. 7942, or the
Philippine Mining Act of 1995, along with the implementing rules
and regulations, (DENR) Administrative Order (DAO) No. 96-40,
and the Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTM)
entered into on March 30, 1995 by the Republic of the Philippines
and the Western Mining Corporation (Philippines), Inc. (WMCP), a
corporation organized under Philippine laws.
Petitioners claimed that the WMCP FTAA,which was entered
into p~rs~ant to EO No. 279, violates Section 2, Article XII of the
Const1tut10nbecause, among other reasons:
(a) It allows foreign-owned co1npanies to extend more
than mer~ fi~ancial or technical assistance to the State in
th~ explo1tat10n, .development, and utilization of minerals,
petroleum,
d and• other" m1neral oils , a11d eve n perm1•t s f'ore1gn
•
owne companies to operate and manage m·1n1ng • ac t'1v1•t'ies."
(b) It allows foreign-ow d • •
technical and financial . t ne _companies to extend both
or financial assistance."assrn ance, instead of "either technical
(/J
.,
()
::,
::,
ct)
a.
Petitioners argued that, in accordance with the text of Sec-
:E
g: tion 2, Article Xll of the Constitution, P'l'AAs should be 1i1nitedto
.,
0
3(/J
"technical or financial nssistnnce" only. 1'hey observed, however,
.,::,
()
that, contrary to t~e ln~gu~ge of the Constitution, the WMCP Fl'~
::,
~ al1ows WMCP, a f.ully forc1gn-ownocl mining corpot·ntion, to exten
101
Lepanlo CornmlidulcdMining Co, v. WMC llosourcos, GR No. 16233l, No¥,
20, 2006, J. Chico-Nazario.
10
1iGllNo, 127882, Jnn, 27, 20(M, '121 SCRA 148.
CH/\P'l'RR lV - PHlLIPl'INI•! MINING AC'I'OF IOBG mo
(Hop11hlit:Ad No, 7!M:l)
rno.rc_t~l~:u~
me,·~ finnncinl m· technicnl llHHiHt.1111ce
Lo tho.State, _fo~it
\\ MCl t.o m1tnnge nnd operate every nHpoeL o( the mining
pe1_m_1t.s
RCt1V1t.y.
_On January 27, 2004, the Court en bane, through ,Justice

Carpw-Mo~·nles, prmnulguted its decision grnnting the petition
and dechinng the unconstitutionality of certain provisions of RA
No. 7942, DAO No. 96-40, as well as of the entire FTAA executed
between the go_vernment and WMCP, mainly on the finding that
FTAAs are service contracts prohibited by the 1987 Constitution. The
decision struck down the subject F'I.'AAfor being similar to service
contracts, whicli, though permitted under the 1973 Constitution,
were subsequently denounced for being antithetical to the principle
of sovereignty over our natural resources, because they allowed
foreign control over the exploitation of our natural resources, to the
prejudice of the Filipino nation.
The Court held that unlike the 1935 and 1973 Constitutions
authorizing the State to grant licenses, concessions, or leases for
the exploration, exploitation, development, or utilization of natural
resources, "the utilization of inalienable lands of public domain
through 'license, concession or lease' is no longer allowed under the
1987 Constitution."
2) Resolution on motion for reconsideration:

Initial decision reconsidered; the State niay
secure the help of foreign companies, especially
financial and te~hni~al. ass!stance, provided
that the State maintains its right of full control
H owever, b Y a resolution dated December
. •
1, 200,1, the Court,
1· d · · d
• p an gani'ban ,w<1 reconsidered
th roug h J us t ice . its ear 1er ec1s1on.an
declared RA No. 7942 and its implementing rules and reguln~1ons
. _ • . d • DAO N 9640 valid insofar as they relate to the F"lAAs
I f~h c . ·t t·
Cf)
()
0)
conta1ne 1n o. • .
::,
::,
(I)
0.
" . •
reierred to 1n paragrap h 4·, Section 2 , Artrnlo XI o t e onstt u .ton
:;;
;:.-
:,-
()
which reads:
0)
3
"The ·preSJ'<len t m ay ent·er' • into
. ngre0monts with
Cf)
()
0)
::, . •
::,
~ ., . d .
fore1gn-owne corpora ,J •. t·-'ons involving 01t.hor tecluncnl
l ·
•• . .-. , . tance for Jurgo-scnlo exp orntlon,
or flnanc1,1] nssrn '.. , ...• f minornls, petroleum, nnd
development, and ut1hiat,ion ° ·
Lu
1011 Bugol-B'lnnn 'J'rihnl Associntion, Inc. v. Ramos, GR No. 127882, Dec. 1,
2001, 416 SCRA 1.
. AND JtULEH
cM-m8
'. H;\I, 111,:f4()1JHC:l~,,:N'l'Al1
L,\ W () N NAI ll. FOII i,:NV I II() N
HIO OF l'llOClml lll h
11
,,rrd t.errnH fl ncl
t lw 1''! , • •
ti cont.r1hut.t0nH
1
.1 ·cnrding t.o • • .,
, ·nl o111 111 I oil ,u f' L

ot l,pr 1l111w1 . I ·, 1,,, l11W hrHH'' I W<'lfnre o t.,w
I •• 11nw11 ,,, '· •nt•1·n ,
cn111 it 1nll~ .
• ,,rov. ., 11, 1u11 1 gc
, '
t l·,silI promote
t lw t•co11nnn(• ,, 01
t lw .-,.r1 .....
H
1 h . I
II
I t
ll 1 14 ,)l nrrre,!nwn .H, , ~ . t ific unl tee n1cn
•·o\lntrv.
'- '
n "c ') \IRC O f lc,<•nl
'
Hcten, ,
t lw dl Vl'lopmcnt. nlH
1
n•flou rcl'fl." d
. . 1 1·c,murces arc owne hy
, t nil mrncrn
'l'h, Court. rcitcrnt.cd t,1,,1. 1 ••
,nt and ut.1·1·11.at',10n (E•DU)
c . . • dcvc opmc ' • •
t.hc Stnte nncl thmr cxplm nt.10n, f II •ontrol und superv~ston of
mu .,
",1
nlwll"H be 1mbject t.o tbc . u c
., . tl , urn<1cqunc
·y of Filipino capital and
t lw
•••• St ,,t,.c However, ' . 't. ,_, the Stnte may secure
J-Dvcn • 1e
1,FDUact.1v1.1Cu,, .
t·c•chnolo,nr
, h.r
in lnrgc-Ac.·n
c •
J.
• ·1 ll •int·
re 1cv, , matters
. - especrnlly
the help of foreign compn 111?8 111
' • '<led that at all times,
. • 1 . t nncc - prov1 ' . .
financial and. tccl~mc? n~RIS• of, full control. The foreign ass1s~or
the Stntc mamtams its rig. ht . . · ., l and entrepreneunal
1 ancml tee 1101ca
8 11fi
or con_tractor assumes . .. · n_ ' it may be given reasonable
rislrn m the EDU a_ctivities, hen.ce, audit and other prerogatives
manag"emcnt operat10nal, marketing, . t d 'l,h
. : . d bl~
to protect 1ts mvestments an to ena e · the business o succee . e
Court ratiocinated:
"On the first ground, petitioners assert that paragraph
4 of Section 2 of Article XII permits the governmex:it to
enter into FI'AAs only with foreign-owned corporations.
However, a textual analysis of the first paragraph of
Section 2 of Article XII does not support petitioners'
argument. The pertinent part of the said provision states:
'Sec. 2. . . . The exploration, development and utilization
of natural resources shall be under the full control and
supervision of the State. The State may directly undertake
such activities, or it may enter into co-production, joint
venture, or production-sharing agreernents with Filipino
itizens, or corporations or associations at least sixty per
centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens. . ..'
Cf)
()
OJ
:::J
Nowhere in the provision is there any express li1nitation
::,
(1)
C.
or restriction insofnr us urrangoments othor than the
:;
;::.
:::T Lhree aforementioned contrnctunl schomos nro concernod.
0
OJ
3Cf) XXX
()
XXX xxx
OJ
::,
::,
~ From the foregoing, wo nro im1rnllod to conclude
Lhat the phrnAe a/.fn!c11w11 In involvinl-[ eithe,· technical
or financial asHiHt,.rnc,J,rofonod to in pnrugrnph 4, are
in fact service cont.ruct.H. But unlike thoso of the 1973
vnriety, the now ones uro botweon foreign corporations
CHAP'l'gJl IV_ > ,,
I INI~MINING /\C'I' OF rnnr,
1,1111.1.1 197
(Hepuhlic /\cl. No. 70'12)
actin1r aA contrnct .
t h e ciovernment P-01 R Oil, I•.ho o nc' lurn cJ; und on I.he other
I n t.}1e new ~ervi,s. , Pl'lllCIJ>lll
,
• " " •
OJ owner· of I.he works.
'
•
provide CtlJ)itnl t.ce I cou f•rucf •i; ' f•IlC· f'ore.,gn
• contrnctors
• ·, ec 1nolol'Y 11 J •
and n1unngoriHl CXJJ, .1• ~
, et .t8e u 1 I h'H.tcchntcu1
, . 1,·
know-how,
.
of lnrgc-scule 1111·111·11 / ', e c1 eu ion unc1 operut,on
• g ext ruct •
govcrnn1ent, througl .' ive :nterprrnes; und the
actively exercises cont:·ol its ugencw_s. (DENH, MGB),
operation. UJ1clsupervision over the entire
Such service contr• t

respect to ,nine l , ac s may he entered into only with
gr ant thcr;) f ~a s, pb~troleum and other mineral oils. The
J• h . eo 1s su Ject· t·o
·h .
. , , severa 1 safeguards, among
w nc are t ese requirements:
XXX XXX XXX
T.o repeat, th e primacy of the principle of the State's

sovereign ownership of a1J mineral resources and its full
contra] and supervision over aJI aspects of 'exploration
deve]opment and utilization of natural resources must b~
uphe]d. But 'full control and supervision' cannot be taken
literally to mean that the State controls and supervises
everything down to the minutest details and makes all
required actions, as this would render impossible the
legitimate exercise by the contractor of a reasonable degree
of management prerogative and authority, indispensable
to the proper functioning of the mining enterprise. Also,
government need not micro-manage mining operations
and day-to-day affairs of the enterprise in order to be
considered as exercising full control and supervision.
Control, as utilized in Section 2 of Article XII, must
(/)
()
ll)
be taken to mean a degree of control sufficient to enable
Cl>
a.
::,
::, the State to direct, restrain, regulate and govern the
~-
,;. affairfJ of the extractive enterprises."
0
ll)
3
(/)
()
ll)
::,
b. J)jdipio Earth-Saver's Multi-Purpose Association v.
::,
!!i Gozun
The petitioners for prohjhitio11 11nd mandamus in Didipio
107
Earth-Suuer'H Multi-Purpo11e A111wcialionv. Gozun alleged thut HA
!07 OR No. lf,7882, Murch :W, !WOO,tl8fi SCllA 680.

, '8 /\ND RULES
,,:sotJHCf•,,_
FN'l'/\L CASES
NNl'llll"' H,•NVIHONM
I I
1.AWON Jt!F i,Oll I, •

\llK
('J'l>l
oF 11110
, •,
I 1 .
n<l regu at10ns, rnakti
. , ru ]cH n f' . 1:s
. I ,n1cnt111J., . to H fu)]y orcign-ownetl
'tR ,111)) c le ovct , . .
l) I'' nR w<'ll,11~l. t ,·11C'l,8 t,o ecc , l of ,11101ng entcrpnses, With
Nl • 7 • ... " 'J\ \ coll , , en ·
,t pofli-:ihlrfor li I / . '1nnd n1t1n11gctn.ducc<l to a passive r~gulatc,r
. rJ)<mt.ion f\111cont.to l is nllcgedly 1 c ·ts with weak review antl
(o I t 1he SW c • t d rcpor ' h . l .
the r 1mlt,t.Hl • • . ) I JJlans A.D h law, t e 1mp ement1nu
ub1n1ttec d thal t e . 1 h' o
<lcpcnd nt on 8 ntende d benefic1a owners 1p of
'l'hcy co FTAA ce e
n\Hht. powers. 11 C.f\MC ' . ntractor. However, the
r gulntions, n nd t .e to the forei~n cot d that this argument
• l rcsou1ccs N no no e
t.hc mmern J , 1•cc Chico- aza ' T·'bal 1 l,
Association, Inc. v
•t through us" z B'Laan •
our ''1·' cly raised in La Buga - 1 t1'ondated December 1, 2004,
wns urea .- in its reso u h ·
J?amos,10H where the Court, 1.11 fact es tablished the mec an1sm of
. d· ·
h eld that RA No. 7942 1ms • ·ng operat10ns an institute
1
. . . 1 : h ts over min . . . h
inspection and v1S1tona ng . t d -0 the dec1s10n wh1c ensure
. t enumera e I • M
reportorial reqmremen 5 . . . mining operations. oreover,
1 d su perv1s10nover . . 1 .
the State's contra an _ also provide various stlp~ ations
nd 96 40
both RA No. 7942 a DAO, t ·ol over mining enterprises, as
confirming the governmen_ts con r
enumerated in said resolution.
G. Quarry Resources
19. Quarry operations; general provisions.

Quarry sand and gravel, guano and gemstone resources in
private and/or public lands may be extracted, ren1oved, disposed
and/or utilized: Provided, That in large-scale quarry operations
involving cement raw materials, marble, granite and sand and
gravel and construction aggregates, any qualified person may apply
for a mineral agreement subject to the provisions of Chapter VI of
the implementing rules and regulations.
a. Size of area covered by quarry perinit

. . 100~n Republic v•.Rosemoor Mining and Develonment Corpora-
tion the quarry hce • · ~
M. '. D nse perm 1t lSSued in the na1ne of Rosemoor
rnrng eve1opment Corporation 11 d l
an d d1spose
• . of' marblmzed
. . .
hmesto a owef t 1e corporation to extract
d
in San Miguel Bulaca.n ,.rl . ne r~m n 33.0.3062-hectare lan
' • 1e 11conse 1s } .• the
terms and conditiorrn of PD No , 1owe~7er, subJect to.
463
it was granted. Oy tho sumo l 0 1• , ; ~he gove~·1ung law at the t1?1e
rnn, 1 roclamatton No. 2204 - which
108
GR No. 127882, Dec. 1, 2004 446 SCRA
I0!JGRN ' 1.
o. 149927, March 30, 2004, 426 SCRA .
617
CHAPTER IV
- PHILIPPINE MINING J\C'J'OF J!JCJFi 199
(.Republic Aet. No. 7!M:l) ,, >
awarded to Rosemoor th:\ .· 1 . .

utilizati?n of the mineral esi:~g~ ~f c~c~clopmc1~t,exploitation, and
was subJect to "existing . . exp.Lesslycaut1one<lthat the grant
. , po1ic1es laws r 1 d . 1 .
hcense was thus subject t 0 8 .·' , u es an regu at10ns." The
• ection 6 9 of PD No. 463, which reads:
"SEC. 69. Maximu,n A.7 . .
Notwithstanding tl .. ea of Quarry License -
a quarry license sh:ll prov1s1ons of Section 14 hereof,
one hundred (J001\ cover an area of not more than
1 1iectares in .
more than one th any one province and not
Philippines." ousand (1,000) hectares in the entire
The Court stated that th 1 . .

• t
t erms, requires hat a q e
- aw, 111
. categorical and mandatory
. 1
uarry 1cense, hke that of Rosemoor should
cover a maximum of 100 h t • · '
'th "d ec ares 111any given province. The law
ne1 er prov1 es . any
. excep t·1011nor makes any reference to the
number of_apphcat10ns for a license. The intent of the law would be
brazen!y circumve~ted by ruling that a license may cover an area
exce~d1~g the max1mu_m by the mere _expediency of filing several
apphcat10ns. Such ruhng would indirectly permit an act that is
directly prohibited by the law.
b. Provincial/City Mining Regulatory Board

The Provincial/City Mining Regulatory Board shall, among
others, accept, process and evaluate applications and determine
administrative charges and fees for quarry, sand and gravel, guano,
gemstone gathering and small-scale mining permits duly filed with
the same. It shall be chaired by the concerned Regional Director or
his/her duly authorized representative with the following members:
Provincial Governor/City Mayor or his/her represen-
1)
tative as Vice-Chair,
2) Small-scale mining representative,
3) Large-scale mining representative, and
4) Department-duly accredited_ environmental non-
governmental organization representat1vc.
'I,h ned regional office shall provide tho tochnicul
e cancer . .. . I"> . ., B .,l 110
secretariat to the Provincial/City Mmmg .\,ogu1ut.mY • om c •
I 10Sec. 70, CIRR.

200
20. Qunrry pormll.

Anv q\lnlilil d pt 1·1mn mny npply l'or II qt111tT~ "· 'rmi.t, with 1.h(1
.... . : (' /("' 1 Mi,\t(>I' th rnllJ'h I.he Prov, ncin l/C11.y
1'l'O\'llWl:\
1 ,t Vl'l'11()l' 1 ,y ., ' , . .Mini·n
. i{
, 1 11 l r·
1 \l I\ 1Ol'V }()Ill'( 0 ,
\('( 1
1. tl't' cxti·•,ct.1on,
1 J , • ,
rcmovnl ttnd d1Hpo811.
,
1nn <,f
•
qunrr\' l't'HOlll'CPR covcrmg•
· not' more I.Imn five h •ct,,,
nn n1• , 11 <)f' • , rt!H,
n nrl a· prnch1ct.innrnt.c of not. more Lhn n 60 000 t.orn-i1ln nun I ly nndfor
who~c project ·o~(,iR not mor, thn 11P 10,000,000.oo, f'ot..H t~rm of five
venr~ f'rom th dntc of issuance thereof', rencwnhlc for like P ·riod
but not t.o exceed a t:ot.nlterm of' twenty-five (25) ycnrH. However,
xisting qunrry p ,1·mits unclcr which t.he pr?duction _rnt.cis more
tlrnn 50,000 tons nnminlly nnd/or whoHc proJect. cost 1s more than
I 10 000.000.00 shn 11not l~, renewed but, shn 11be given preferential
right to n mineral agreement npplicaLion which shaJl be evaluated
and approved in accordnncc with Chnpt:er VI of'DAO No. 96-40 and
the pertinent provisions of. nid order. 111
21. Sand and gravel permits.

a. Conunercial snnd and gravel pennit
Any qualified person may apply for a commercial sand and
gravel permit with the Provincial Gover.not/City Mayor through the
Provincial/City M·ining Regulatory Board for the extraction, removal
and disposition of sand and gravel and other loose or unconsolidated
materials which are used in their natural state without undergoing
processing covering an areu of not more Urnn five hectares for a term
of one year from date of issuance thereof, renewable for like period
and in such quantities as muy be specified in the permit: Provided,
That only one permit sha1l be granted to n qualified person in a
municipality at any one time under such tel'm nnd condition~ ns
provided herein.
h. Industrial sund and gravel ponnit:

Any qualified person mny apply l'or nn inclustrinl snnct nnd
gravel permjt (MGil Form Nos. 8-1 or 8-] /\ nnd 8-2 or 8-2A) with the
Provincial Governor/City Mayor through tho Provincinl/Cit.yMining
Regu]atory Bonrd for the oxtrncLion, romovnl and disposit.ion of
sand and grave] and other lomio 01· l111co1wol idn t.od mntorials that
necessitate the use of mechnnicnl pt·ocoHHing covoring nn nron of not
more than five (5) hectares at, any ono tin10 for n t.orm of five (5)
lllSec. 71, ibid., ns nmonclod by Soc. rn, DAO No. H!l-o7.

CHI\P1'ER 1V-PHILIPPINI~ MININO AC'I' OF l!Hlli
201
(Ropuhlic Act Nn. 7!M~)
Years from dnte of issu1lllcc ti. 1ereot,

. ,. rn11cw11blo• hke
for · periods
· but
not to ex~eed H total term of twenty-five (25) yeul's: Provided, Thut
nny ~uuli_fied person_ 11\nyapply for an industrial sand und gravel
pernut witl~ the Reg10nnl Director through the Regional Office for
ureas covering more than five (5) hectares but not to exceed twenty
(2~) hectares at any one time for a term of five (5) years from date
of issuance thereof, renewable for like periods but not to exceed a
total ~erm of twenty-five (25) years: Provided, further, That only one
permit s~all be granted to a qualified person in a municipality at
any one tune under such terms and conditions as provided herein.
c. Exclusive sand and gravel pcnnit

Any qualified person may apply for an exclusive sand and
gravel permit (MGB Form No. 8-4B) with the Provincial Governor/
City Mayor through the Provincial/City Mining Regulatory Board
for extraction, removal and utilization of sand and gravel and other
loose or unconsolidated materials from public land for its own use
covering an area of not more than one hectare for a non-renewable
period not exceeding sixty (60) calendar days a~d a maximum volu1?e
of 50 cubic meters: Provided, That there will be no commercial
disposition thereof. 112
d Rights and obligations of the quarry or commercial/
• industrial sand and gravel permit holder
Th uarry or sand and gravel permit holder,. its heirs or
e q_ • t eres t shall have the right to exclusively
successors-1n-1n d . I . extract,
•
• and/or utilize quarry or sand an grave iesmuces
re_m~ve,dispose . area with full rights of ingress and egress, the
~1th1n the permit 11 ther rights provided for in the Act
right to o~cupy the ~am;~l:s :nd regulations; and the obligation to
and these implementing d ditions of the permit. 1rn
fully comply with the terms an con
en
0
OJ
22. Gratuitous permits. .
::,
::,
/1)
a. a Governmen t gratuitous permit d
:!;.
:T • . . . strumentality in need of quarry,. san ~
(")
OJ Any government entity/~~ t d materio]s in the construction of
3 8
en
0
OJ
and gravel or ]oose/unconsoh _ . e fi public use or other purposes
::,
::,
~
buil<ling(s) and/or infrn 9 t;ruc~ur,;at:touR pormit (MOB Form No.
may apply for a gover:n~en Jovernor/City Mayor thl'ough the
8-3B) with the Provincinl
ll:lScc. 7~, cm.H.

I iascc. 78, ibid.
1
1,AWoN N/\'l'Ull/\1, m~soun.cEs AND RULES
202 OF PHOCgtJUlH~
FOll gNVIHONM
l~N'l'ALCASES
1 t •y Bourcl for a period coterrn·

Provincial/City• Mining H.cgu{'n H.01. • . t ·1·
' l)t'OJCC ut not to exceed 0 lnolls
O
with the const.rnction st.ngc • c . 1 J J , I
f
•
t
'
ne (1)
. . .
year 1n pnbhc/µnvnte 1nn< l(8) covenng
, .
an area
•
o no more than
•two hectares. The npphcunt
• . s1Hl 11submit a proJect proposal st at1nr, .
to be t a }cen shall be used and the estin-.
0
·
where the mnterrnls ·•1ate<1
volume needed.
b. Private gratuitous permit

Any landowner may apply for a private gratuitous P~r~it with
the Provincial Governor/City Mayor through the Provinc1al/City
Mining Regulatory Board for the extraction, removal and utilization
of quarry, sand and gravel or loose/unconsolidated materials from
his/her land for a non-renewable period of sixty (60) calendar days:
Provided, That there is adequate proof of ownership and that the
materials shall be for personal use.
23. Guano permit.

Any qualified person, whose domicile is within the municipality
where the area applied for is located, may apply for a guano permit
with the Provincial Governor/City Mayor through the Provincial/City
Mining Regulatory Board for the extraction, removal, disposition,
and/or utilization of loose unconsolidated guano and other organic
fertilizer deposits in specific caves and/or confined sites for a term of
one (1) year or upon the extraction of the quantity as specified in the
permit: Provided, That only one guano permit shall be issued for the
same cave or area: Provided, further, That the maximum area for
the guano per1nit that a qualified person 1nay hold at any one time
shall not be more than five hectares.
a. Gratuitous guano permit

A gratuitous guano permit (MGB Form No. 8-6) may be granted
(/)
(")
to an individual for his/her personal use or to any government
a,
::,
::,
CD
agency in need of the material within a specified period nnd in $\lCh
0.
~ quantity not more than 2,000 kilograms.
§:
0
a,
3
(/)
(")
b. Commercial guano pennit
a,
A commerc~al p~rmi~:r_nnybe gr~nt~d _toa qtrn~ifiedpe~:son~~

::,
::,
~
sale or commercial drnpos1t10n thereof w1th111 a specified penod a

in such quantity as may be speci fled thereof. 11•1
114Sec. 81, CIRR.

Ht'\f'TRH IV -- PIHLIPPJNF, MlNJ:--lO /\CT OF' 199f> 203
(H1•p11hlh-At·t. No. 7SM?.)
c. Right.R nnll ohliJ(r\'UouH off.hf! J{lHHH> permit, ho.1cler

ThC' gnnno Pl'rtntt. holclPr, il.H lu~irn <ir HU<:t<!H1-J<Jrn-in-interes
~1rnllhnvC' t.lw right ·tn
exchu~ivdy conch1ct extrncf., remo-v~~1di:;pos
~nd/or ut.ilize g1111no 1·enou1·ces ;,,it.hin t.he permit. area with full
rights of ingress nnd egress, the right to occupy the same, all other
rights provided for in the Act and these implementing rules and
rPg11lations; and the obligation to fully comply with the terms 8 TI
conditions of the permit. 11,,
24. Gemstone gathering permit.
~y _qualified person may apply for a gemstone gathering

permit with the Provincial Governor/City Mayor through the
Provincial/City Mining Regulatory Board for the extraction, removal
and utilization of loose stones useful as gemstones for a term not
exceeding one (1) year from the date of issuance thereof, renewable
for like periods: Provided, That the application for renewal shall be
filed before the expiry date of the permit: Provided, further, That the
permit holder has complied with all the terms and conditions of the
original Permit as provided herein and has not been found guilty of
violation of any provision of the Act and these implementing rules
and regulations. 116
25. Cancellation, revocation, termination of a quarry, sand and

gravel, gratuitous, guano, and gemstone gathering permit.
The quarry/sand and gravel/gratuitous/guano/gemstone
gathering permit may be canceled/revoked/terminated, after due
process, by the concerned Regional Director/Provincial Governor/
City Mayor based on the following grounds:
(a) Failure to comply with the terins and conditions of
(J)
()
the permit and ECC, if applicable;
Q)
::,
::,
(D
0.
(b) Violation of any provision of the Act and these
~
~
0
implementing rules and regulations;
Q)
3(J)
(c) Failure to pay the excise tax for two (2) consecutive
years;
(d) Any misrepresentation in. any statement made in
the application or those made later in support thereof;
116
Sec. 86, ibid.
116
Sec. 88, ClRR.
H'Jt'8/\ND JllJf,r,:s
,,,nN N/\'l'tJHAL,n_,;HO','/c,;tMl•~N'r./\f,
c:/\Hf~H
li \ , i·ol! I•NVI
nF Pll(H!tmt 1111,,
' ,
, ·liil(•<J
l'I in th, ponnil. h1rnh(•<·n
111.lpll
,, ,,
( t') lf't.lH'('OllltllOf~,y I l<'lht'roof;nnd
II'\' ( II ' , • ,
l It 1ht,f'ol'I'1,h(' (' p. • ,
t'>: llHl, < t . • I s1r1cl r>ublicwelfare Hon:quirc,
. I ,n1,,, eA, •
(I) Wlwnnnt.1olln ',.' r ceol<wic11
J reuHonH.
. l rotedH> 11 0 t:,
or fo1· ('\1 \I )l'Oll llWJl 1,1\ p. 'j
.. , >ennil., the HUH nreaH Hh:111
U pon , l '( 1Jnt10n of 1,1l f , . ] ( 117
en H, - I 1· •1Hor1gmu sta ,us.
· ll 1Je
H\lt< tnl\1.lCI\ )
, ·1l•<i bne t ,o 1 ,.
l'l'VL1 • •
ocessing of Minerals
H. 1'n1.nsport.,Sale a,nd, P r •
26. Ore transport permit.

•. • : •r' , d c uantity of non-processed
/\ permit. s1wc1fytng t:11Congm '111 1. .. •
. .• 11 l , ·eqmred for their transport.
mrnern l ores or mmera 1 s1w >e J . • • •
'I'ransport. penmts · slrn11bc issue
• . ,d by . the mines
• reg10nal d1rector
· · 1· · t·l ll'C" whe•rc t·he ores were extracted.
1 11as J\ll'tS( 1ct.1onover , lC i u
w.10 , . •
ln the cnsc of mineral ores or minera]s being transported from
th, snrnll-scale mining areas to the custom mills or processing
plunts t.h Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) concerned
sha11formulate their own policies to govern such transport of ores
produced by small-scale miners. '1'he absence of a permit shall be
r
considered H ' prirna acie evidence of illegal mining and shall be
sufficient cuuse for the government to confiscate the ores or minerals
being transported, the tools and equipment utilized, and the vehicle
containing the same. Ore samples not exceeding two metric tons to
be used exclusivelyfor assay or pilot test purposes shall be exempted
from such requirement. 118
a. Mineral trading registration

No p~rsonsh~])engagein the trading of mineral products, either
locally or mternat10nally, unless registered with the Department of
Trad.e and.Jndu~try and ~ccredited by the Department, with a copy
of said reg1strat10nsubmitted to the Bureau.1w
b. Minerals processing per1nit

No p~n;on sho_l1cngnge in the processing of minerals without
first
. sccunng u .minerals .processing· pcr·in 1·t, 1·.
10m , e sec1e
t·h . tu1y.
.
Mmern 1A processmg pm·m1(; shnll be for n period of five (5) years
117
8cc. 100, CIRll.
118
Sec. oa,RA No. 7fM2.
110
8cc. GtJ,ibid.

CHl\fl•r,,,Hrv
Pf IJJ,JPPI 1·.
m,,,,111,1;.A ,, , ,,,NoA<:T<wici •-1
, "''I \ft,, 'l!l,f ?,J • • 7.01)
rcn0wnhh, fin· liJcp .
.. (' r.) I
JV(' I '('Ht·~ t,, PP1·1o<f,
fI .t )Ill, 1101 I()
• ,. (• <:(•( cl I I f
' t.lw srnn'll~,~<'n)
hy
• ' ' • \( ,
. 1.1\tH• of 11,j 11" ' l,t 11 f.orm r,f t.wfmt,y.
111 I
h. .t'fl~lllf'. of' t I • ·. <' 111,n,.
• ' ' 14, I.lip 1 .0 r .orP11 •
or •
rr,1rH!rn fl prod11r:<!r ,iu1 w,dI ""' th,J
.' • H,n.o
c nl.roJJ d cor .,'

. .
• le J>t·o • •
VtAH>JtAof JJ A N
oc.emH11111,J11r
-. fc J JI c:ontm1H!
i ,,1 H Ill
•
, POl nf.1on 111 1. \.t\ o 707f t:>() /\ r •
H.Yuo grunt d : '· ,or 'lf(n-own,!d/
, H rnmer11 I proc '8Hi ng p<:rm it. u,
I. Safety and En .
. -Viron,ncntal Protection
27. M tnes safety and .
environmental r .
AJ] contract P otection.
. ors and permitt
the mines safetv rules a 11d ees sha11strjctly comply with all
h S ,, · .1 regul • t'
t e e~i:etary concerning the safe a IOns a_smay be promulgated by
operat10ns and achie . and sanitary upkeep of the mining
Personnel of the DENR . ve waste-free a d r·c..
. n e .11c1entmine development.
safety, health and env· _involved in the implementation of mines
nonmental I
covered under RA No. 7305_122 ru es and regulations shall be
a. Mine labor
~o per;on_u~der sixteen (16) years of age shall be employed in

any p ase o. m1n1ng operations and no person under eighteen (18)
years of age shall be employed underground in a mi·ne 12:.1All · ·
d · . . mmmg
an quarrying operations that employ more than fifty (50) workers
shall have at least one (1) licensed mining engineer with at least five
(5) years of experience in mining operations, and one (1) registered
foreman. 124
b. Power to issue orders

The mines regional director shall, in consultation with the
Environmental Management Bureau, forthwith or within such
time as specified in his order, require the contractor to remedy any
practice connected with mining or quarrying operations, which is not
in accordance with safety and anti-pollution laws and regulations.
In case of imminent danger to life or property, the mines regional
120
sec. 55, RA No. 7942.
121
Sec. 56, ibid.
122
Sec. 63, ibid.
123
Sec. 64, ibid.
msec. 65, ibid.

'S /\ND )lULl~S
1
N NA'i'UHAI,
n~•:S~1li/c\~~gN'l'J\L
CJ\SI\S
206 L/\WO, ' u1rn FOHl•,N
OF PHO(.Id) .
. . nu or q,inrrying operutions
·ilyR\tRpetH , , : t·c mcn8ureR ure) t,aken hy
\thr,1111111 t
dire hw nrnys,,m~tllll • , l or nppropl Jll,
. ,~ remove( '
until i.h dnnge1 ~ .t tee ,2r,
th ront.rRcto,·or pcrnn •, • . d. ·t··
nder t 1e ·l J·uris 1c 10n of' the
Pollution cases . ud' ation Board
c. . d AdJU ic
Pollution an • . ··d (PAB)under RA No
Ad. d'1cation Boar . C •
The Pollution and JU (National Pollut10n ontrol
98 4
3931 as amended by PD No•. t d of its authority to try and
Decr~e of 1976) has no.t been dr~relse • ·ng operations by virtue of
ted w1t1 m1m . M' .
hear pollution cases connec N 7942 (Philippine 1n1ng Act
0
·eau was created under EO
the subsequent enactment of ~A
6
of 1995). The ~ines a_ndGeosc~:~~~7) :: absorb the functions of the
No. 292 (Admm1strative Code . Mineral Reservations
•h dB f M'
1 nes and Geosc1ences,
abohs e ureau O ld M' • g Industry Development
t
Devel opmen oarB •d and the Go mm
d l' ies regulations and
Board to among others, recommen po ic ' . .
' . .
programs pertammg to mmera 1 • resources development; assist
d m• the
monitoring and evaluation of the Bureau's program~ an proJects;
and to develop and promulgate standards and operating procedures
on mineral resources development. On the other hand, the P~- was
created and granted under EO No. 192 broad powers to adJud1cate
pollution cases in general. 126 •
Section 19 ofEO No. 192 vested the PAB with the specific power
to adjudicate pollution cases in general. Section 2, par. (a) of PD No.
984 defines the term ''pollution" as referring to any alteration of the
physical, chemical and biological properties of any water, air and/
or land resources of the Philippines, or any discharge thereto of any
liquid, gaseous or solid wastes as will or is likely to create or to
render such water, air and land resources harmful, detrimental or
injurious to public health, safety or welfare or which will adversely
affect their utilization for domestic, commercial, industrial,
agricultural, recreational or other legitimate purposes. The
authority of the mines regional director is complementary to that of
the PAB. Section 66 of RA No. 7942 gives the mines regional director
exclusive jurisdiction over the safety inspection of all installations,
surface or underground in mining operations. Section 67 thereof
vests upon him the power to issue orders requiring a contractor to
126Sec.
67, supra.
12sRepublic v. Marcopper Mining Corporation, GR No. 137174, July 10, 2000,
335 SCRA 386.

GHAPntn lV
- l'IIIL1Pl1JNr 11
(H l . MT, lr O /\CT OF HJ% 207
Pll lhc: /\tt, o. 'l!M~)
remedy an) prnct.ice cmln , ·t . . ,

.I ' t • • l (. ,l'( 1w ii h I11111111' •
w]11c 1 1s no· 1n nccordiu , , , • g or qunrrying op ,rnt.ions
t' 'l'l
regu l a .ion~. 1 ' po,,(~\· '1'H.( W1t.h
,
Rllf(,f y
- •. 111 I ,' • .
H n n t.,.pol I II f.1on In Wf:l iind
'{' . f" n n Lt cl t.o h <'
purpos s O f (' ( ('c(,l\ ely l'' 1 1 . I• , 1llllWR r<w1<irwldtr<!ct.OT
• . , , .
1H for
• • • • f l1 nt.1ng nnd n10 1·, . . . . . .
111111mg 01 crat.101p nnd in t . within
11 ,onng nc:t.1v1t.1eH
· s,n 11 nt10ns • · .
proted10n nnd ::inhnncen 1rnrnunnt. to th' 'nv1ronmenb·JI
. lent, pro gr a r11 l I
Rll<l p rnut.t. e in procurii tl . . . unc erta <en by contractors
1
r gional director has expre sgs~~en·.1~11ltn~ permit. Whi] the min -'8
d . ~ 11118t
1
0 yer mining operations _rativean<lregulatory powers
st
powers over complaints~~~- v\n a~latwns, he has no adjudicative
and regulations.121 olation of pollution control statutes
d. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Except during the ex 1 ~ t· .
. P ora ion period of a mineral agreement
or financ1a
.
1 or technical as • t
. sis ance agreement or an explorat10n ·
permit ' an enVIronmental c1earance certificate
· ·
shall be reqmred
based on an _e?-vi~onmental impact assessment and procedures
under the Phihpp1ne Environmental Impact Assessment System
including Sections 26 and 27 of the Local Government Code of
1991 which require national agencies to maintain ecological
balance, and prior consultation with the local government units,
non-governmental and people's organizations and other concerned
sectors of the community: Provided, That a completed ecological
profile of the proposed mining area shall also constitute part of the
environmental impact assessment. People's organizations and non-
governmental organizations shall be allowed and encouraged to
participate in ensuring that contractors/permittees shall observe all
the requirements of environmental protection. 128
J. Surf ace Rights
28. Easement rights.

Section 75 of RA No. 7942 provides tha_twhe~ 1:1iningare~s m:e
so situated that for purposes of more·convenient ~1~mg operat_10nsit
. t b 'Id construct or install on the numng area o1lands
is necessary ?du1 1' d by other persons such infrastructure as
owned occup1e or ease . .~ .h
' . ·n . waste dump sites, tailmgs ponds, wa1e ouses,
roads,
. railroads, m1 s, r. ·i·t· t ainways , runways '
staging or storage areas an d port .i:aCI 1 1es, r
127 . • Corporation supra.

Republic v. Marcopper Mmmg '
128Sec. 70, RA No. 7942.

- i,AWON NA'l'IJl!AI, AND lllJl,1,:H
10,:sotJltCl•:H
''0~ I': l'Oll 1,;NVlllONM l•:N'l'/1
OF PIHH:1,;1Jllll I, G/IHJ,;H
. ~t.·, t rntl'rnllRRton t.eJephone or tel(?f{raph JineH, dnn,o 17

'}JO\'( 4
nn ·-., . t'1PL ,l lC •
flood ' '
nnd cnl.chmcnL , .
nrens, 8ttt!8 f'or wntcr wellf-!
nnd 1 ~
. t.lwtrnotnm ,,cw nvcr . . ..
beds, p1pc'1ncs, flumes,' cut8, . ,,
Ahstfts
d1tcht'S, ennn18 , •• •• ,
. 'lln ,1,ccontrnctor upon payment of JUSt compensation
tumH' ls, or nn .::i, l, , ' • • •
slrnllbe cnt.itledto enter and occupy s,ud m1mnf!areas or lands.
29. Entryinto lands.

Section 76 of RA No. 7942 reads:
"SEC. 76. Entry into Pn:vateLands and Concession

Areas. - Subject to prior notification, holders of mining
rights shall not be prevented from entry into private
lands and concession areas by surface owners, occupants,
or concessionaires when conducting mining operations
therein: Provided, That any damage done to the property
of the surface owner, occupant, or concessionaire as
a consequence of such operations shall be properly
compensated as may be provided for in the implementing
rules and regulations: Provided, further, That to
guarantee such compensation, the person authorized
to conduct mining operations shall, prior thereto, post
a bond .with the regional director based on the type of
properties, the prevailing prices in and around the area
where the mining operations are to be conducted with
surety or sureties satisfactory to the regional direc;or."
On the other hand, Section 107 of DAO No. 96-40 states:
"Any damage done to the property of the surface

(/)
()
owner, occupant, or concessionaire thereof as a
Dl
::::i
::::i
ro
consequence of the mining operations or as a result of
0..
:E
;:;:
the construction or installation of the infrastructure
:::J"
0
Dl
mentioned in Section 104 above shall be properly nnd
3
(/)
()
justly compensated.
Dl
::::i
::::i
~ Such compensation shall be bnsed on the ngreement
entered into between tho holdo1·of tho mining rights and
the surface owner, occupant or concessionaire thereof or,
where appropriate, in accordance with PD No. 512.
In case of disagreement or in the absence of an
agreement, the matter shall be brought before the Panel
of Arbitrators for proper disposition."
,llAJ>·r,~n l
V. - P1111.11111rN,,'Mr
(Hpp1,1i1,·,,A I N' NINU t\(;'J' ()fl If)% 20()
• "'' o. '/IJrlY.J •
n. Policy of
, . • llltdf.iplo lnttd IHw
1Jwµoltcyof'Hll1l('
] • ,l p
1(' I
I 1'
••
t.hc enn l.lrnt lh, , ' 11H 111H tllt'llHI 11111
.• 1 ,.
• l t.011111.rv\~
1111
' '< 111011rl11w11tow1JrdR
e.xplon'tl. developed ni,·i· • 1.u,·fll t't'fH>urc,11-1 ,npy ,·
) . • • tze, 1 n I 011 - • \, 1H! rs,.,onn 11
~
105•.t.1w 1,evtst'd 'l•'ot·e.~1.ry c' tc
c. Herved, 'f'huH, Sect.ion~ f,f) J'IO
mull.1pl<\uses of fore~( 1.,· oc O of I.he Philippine~ ~,-,. "'' ih', t "t.h •
. .__• ' lH 1s ~hnII I . . • ' • . 11 i. ,1 • • e ,1,.;.,
Hl~O progress t·equircmcn{;s 'r ' )C oriented to the development

8Ctcnce nnd technology, nnd l'l~e the _country, the ndvanccmcnt of
HA_No. 7942, the .Philippin~ M!Jl~blicwelfare.'' On the other hand
equ1ponderm1ce between . . in1ng Act of 1995, recognizing th
rninmg ·rn I t. b . ..
contr~ctor the right to ent-er a .~ t un er rights, gives a mining
therein provided that th , r tnnber concession and cut timber
·1
proper Y compensated fo.1 ,
c suriace own;) . 0 .
eJ
. .
1 concess10naire shall be
consequence of miniilg op ati~ydamage done to the property as a
• era 'Ions S f 2 f
t~at a.c~ntractor may be granted~ ,_ec~o_n. o_RA No. 7_942pro~d?s
h1s m1n1ng areas as in b nght to cut trees or timber w1thJn
. ay e necessary r 1 • • • .
subJect to forestry 1 • . ior 11s mrn1ng operat10ns
aws, rues 1 and re. 1 t· A d S .
thereof provides that b• . . . gu a rnns. • n ect10n 76
rights shall not b ' ~u Ject to pr10r notific~tion, holders of mining
· e Pl evented from entry into private lands and
concession areas by surf ace . . .
. . . owne1s, occupants, or concess10naires
when conducting n11111ng operations therein.120
b. Historical background of Section 76

Section 76 was first found in Section 27 of CA No. 137 which
took effect on November 7, 1936, viz.:
"Before entering private lands the prospector shall

first apply in writing for written permission of the private
owner, claimant, or holder thereof, and in case of refusal
by such private owner, claimant, or holder to grant such
permission, or in case of disagreement as to the amount of
(/)
C1
CJ
:::,
compensation to be paid for such privilege of prospecting
:::,
m
a. therein, the amount of such compensation shall be fixed
~
;:;:
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()
by agreement among the prospector, the Director of the
CJ
3
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C1
Bureau of Mines and the surface owner, and in case of
CJ
:::,
:::, their failure to unanimously agree as to the nmount of
!!l
compensation, all questions at issue shall be determined
by the Court of First Instance."
12!JPICOP Resources, Inc. v. Boso Motuls Hosourcos Corporntion, GR No.

163509, Dec. 6, 2006, J. 'ringa.
Lt\W ON Nt\'l'UHAL 1n:HOUH.Cl~SAND llUL~S
210
OF PHOCEDUtn: FOil t•:NVIHONMEN'l'/\L CASES
Similnrly, the 1wrtinent prov1H1on ol' PD No. '163, otherw·

known ns "'l'he l\1i.,wrnl /h~80/l.n:es /Jeuelopnwn/, Decree of 19;s~,
reads: ~
"SEC. 12. Ent,ry t.o P11,l>lic
and Pr,:uat,eLands. - /\
person ,vho desires to conduct prospecting or other mining
operations within public lands covered by concessions or
rights other than mining shall first obtain the written
permission of the government official concerned before
entering such lands. In the cnse of private lands, the
written pennission of the owner or possessor of the land
1nust be obtained before entering such lands. In either
case, if said perinission is denied, the Director, at the
request of the interested person 1nay intercede with the
owner or possessor of the land. If the intercession fails,
the interested person 111aybring suit in the Court of
First Instance of the province where the land is situated.
If the court finds the request justified, it shall issue an
order granting the pern1ission after fixing the amount of
compensation and/or rental due the owner or possessor:
Provided, That pending final adjudication of such amount,
the court shall upon recon1111endation of the Director
permit the interested person to enter, prospect and/or
undertake other n1ining operations on the disputed land
upon posting by such interested person of a bond with
the court which the latter shall consider adequate to
answer for any da1nage to the owner or possessor of the
land resulting fro111such entry, prospecting or any other
mining operations."
Hampered by the difficulties and delays in securing surface

rights for the entry into private lands for purposes of nlining
operations, PD No. 512 dated July 1.9, 1.974 wns pussed into lnw in
Cf)
()
D)
:,
order to achieve full and accelerated mineral resources development.
:,
ro
Cl. Thus, PD No. 512 provides for n now systmn of surfnct:} rights
:;
;::.
::,- acquisition by mining prospectors nnd clni,nnnts. vVheren~ in CA
0
D)
3Cf) No. 137 and PD No. '163, eminent clomn1n rnny only bo exercised
in order that the mining clnimnnt:R cl\n huihl, construct or install
()
D)
:,
:,
~
roads, railroads, mills, warehouses Hnd otho\' t'ncilitios, this time, the
power of eminent ~o_n~ninmny now _ho_invokod by 1n_iningoperators
for the entry, acqurn1t10n nnd uso ol prtvnt.o lnncls, viz.:
"SEC. 1. Mineral prospecting, location, explorntio~1,

development and exploitation is hereby declared of public
Clll\PTtt;H lV - Pllll.ll 1 l1INJ1~ MININO/\C'l' 011' UHJ,,
21 l
(Hl'J)t1hllc /\ct. No. '/!JtlY.)
use n_nd hcnel11;,1111d fill' which I.hi) power of' eminent.

donuun mny be invokt•d nnd exo1·ci11ed for I.he <mt.ry,
acquisition nnd use of'pl'ivnl.<~lnndR.... ,, •
The evolution of 111ini11glaws gives poHil.ivuindication I.hat

mining operators who are qualified to own lands were granted th,,
nuthority to exercise eminent domain for the unt,·y, acquisition,
and use of private lands in areas open f'or mining operations. This
grant of authority extant in Section 1 of PD No. 512 is not expressly
repealed by Section 76 of RA No. 7942; and neither arc the former
statutes i1npliedly repealed by the former. These two provisions can
stand together even if Section 76 of RA No. 7942 docs not spell out
the grant of the privilege to exercise eminent domain whjch was
present in the old law Y10
c. Section 76 constitutes co1npensable "taking" for

public use '
In Didipio Earth-Savers' Multi-Purpose Association, Inc.
v.
131
Gozun, petitioners sought to nullify Section 76 of RA No. 7942
and Section 107 of DAO No. 96-40 which they claim allow the
unlawful and unjust "taking" of private property for private purpose
in contradiction with Section 9, Article III of the 1987 Constitution
mandating that private property shall not be taken except for public
use and the corresponding payment of just compensation. They
assert that public respondent DENR, through the Mining Act and
its implementing rules and regulations, cannot, on its own, permit
entry into a private property and allow taking of land without
payment of just compensation. Holding that Section 76 of RA No.
7942 and Section 107 of DAO No. 9640 are not unconstitutional, the
(/)
()
Q)
Court ruled:
::I
::I
rt)
a.
~
;::.
=r-
"Considering that Section 1 of PD No. 512 granted
0
Q) the qualified mining operators the authority to exercise
3
(/)
(')
Q)
eminent domain and since this grant of authority is
::I
::I
~ deemed incorporated in Section 76 of RA No. 79,J2, the
inescapable conclusion is tho t the Jntter provision is a
taking provision.
i:ioDidipio Earth-Savers' Multi-Purposo Asiwciution, Inc. v. Gozun, GR No.

157882, March 30, 2006, 485 SCRA 58(j,
1~1 Tl • .7
~
212 LAW ON NJ\'l'UHAL Hl•~SOUH,Cl•;8
AND lllJLl•:8
OF l'HOCEDUltE FOH l~NVIHONMEN'l'AL CAHJ•:8
\\7hih, t,hi~ Court. clc,dnn~Rt.hnt, Urn HHH11ilod

proviHion
it: a t.nking prov,~ion. t.hiR doef➔ not mean that. it j 8
\\twnn8t.it.ut.ionnl on the grouncl t.hnl it allows taking of
privntc• property without. Lhe clcterminnlion of puhlic use
nnd the payment. of just compensation. xx x
Mining industry plays a pivotal role in the
economic development of the country and is a vital tool
in the govern1nent.'s thrust of accelerated recovery.
The i1nportance of the mining industry for national
development is expressed in PD No. 463 (which
states that mineral production is a major support of
the national econ01ny, and therefore the intensified
discovery, exploration, development and wise utilization
of the country's 1nineral resources are urgently needed for
national development).
Irrefragab]y, n1ining is an industry which is of public
benefit."
d. Determination of compensation by the Panel of

Arbitrators is only preliminary
As to the contention that RA No. 7942 and Section 107 of DAO
No. 96-40 encroach on the power of the trial courts to determine
just compensation in eminent domain cases inasmuch as the same
determination of proper compensation are cognizable only by the
Panel of Arbitrators, the Court held:
"Although Section 105 confers upon the Panel of

Arbitrators the authority to decide cases where surface
owners, occupants, concessionaires refuse pennit holders
entry, thus, necessitating involuntary taking, this does
(/)
not 1nean that the determination of the just co1npensation
()
Q)
::,
::,
by the Panel of Arbitrators or the Nlines Adjudication
C1)
C.
:E
Board is final and conclusive. The determination is only
;::.
::,-
0
0)
preliminary unless accepted by all pnrt.ios concot·ned.
3
(/)
()
There is nothing wrong with tho grnnt. of pri1nnry
Q)
::,
::, jurisdiction by the Panel ol' Arbitrators or the :Nlines
~
Adjudication Board to determine inn proli1ninnry mutter
the reasonable compensation <luc tho affected landowners.
or occupants. 'l'he original :1ncl.exclu_s_ivejurisdiction_ of
the courts to decide determination ol Just con1pe1_1sat~on
· intact despite the prelin1inary deternunat1on
remains . . . ,,
made by the administrative agency.
CHAPTERIV -PlllLIPPINI•~ MININClAC'I' OF rnnr, 2 1a
(Hl•puhlicAct No. 7!M2)
e. Surface l'ights nurnt be hirncd on complinnec with

legal i-cquircincnts
Under the Regalian doctrine, minerals found. in one's land
belong to the State and not to a private Jandowner. 1:i2 Nonetheless,
a condition sine qua non is that the prospecting, exploration,
discovery, and location must be done in accordance with the Jaw.
Where applicant's rights to use and exploit the mineral resources
discovered and located never matured because of its omission to
comply with a condition precedent, its claim for surface rights and
right of way is not only unwarranted, it would be to countenance
illegal trespass into private property.13:1
30. Voluntary agreement.
A voluntary agreement between a surface owner, occupant or

concessionaire thereof permitting holders of mining rights to enter
into and use its land for mining purposes shall be registered with
the concerned Regional Office. The said agreement shall be binding
upon the parties, their heirs, successors-in-interest and assigns. 134
K. Transport of Mineral/Mineral Products and

Confiscation, Seizure, and Disposition of Illegally-
sourced Minerals/Mineral Products
31. Ore transport permit.
The transport of all minerals/mineral products and by-products,
including gold bullions, by permit holders, contractors, accredited
traders, retailers, processors and other mining rights holders must
be accompanied by an ore transport permit (MGB Form No. 12-1)
issued by the Regional Director concerned or his/her duly authorized
representative: Provided, That the transport of sand and gravel
Cf)
(")
D)
:,
:,
shall be covered by a delivery receipt.
Cl)
0..
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;::;:
For MPSA and FTAA Contractors, Ore Transport Permits
::r
0
D) (OTP) shall be issued under the Agreements: Provided, That a written
3Cf)
(")
D)
notice prior to shipment or transport of ores shall ho furnished to
:,
:,
~
the Regional Office concerned for the purpose of monitoring mining
132Sec. 2, Art. XII, Constitution.

133 Standard Mineral Products, Inc. v. Court of Apponhi,GR No. L-43277, April
26, 1990, 184 SCRA 571.
131Sec. 106, DAO No. 96-40.
~
2H
Li\WON Nt\'l'lllU\L 1u,:HOlllWl :H/\NIJ l<,ULl•:S
1
1
OF l'HOCl1:l)t I1n: FOH 11\NVI 1U>NMI,;N'l'/\L Ct\Sf :H
nctivit.ll't~in t.lw col\t.1·11d 1\1'(~11:l'rouiderl,fnrt.lwr, That 1-rnehactivity

i~ in 1wrnl'lln1H'(' wil.h 1.hn t.n,·nw11ndcondiLionHof' the Agreement.
\n OTP ,~ not. lH'et~HHlll'Y 1'01· ol'e f-!nmpluH not exceeding tw<,
metric tons to ho ll~ed uxch111ively l'o1·nRl:WY nnd pHot tost purposes.
lnstenrl, n certiHcnt.ionre1-~nnli11g the snmc shall be issued hy the
Hegionn l Director conccl'ned. For ore sn mplus oxcce<ling two metric
tons t.o be trnnspol't.c<lexclrrnivolyl'oi:assay an<lpilot tests purposes,
~n ?TP shnll be iRsucd by the 11c~g.ionnl Director concerned for a
hnntecl nmonnt based on the type ol' ore, rnctall.urgical tests to be
undertaken nnd other justifiable rensons ns determined by the
Rcgionnl Office conccrn~cl.,:,r,
32. Arrests, confiscations, and seizures.

The absence of any of the required docu1nents shall be
considered prima (acie evidence of i11cgalmining and shall cause
the confiscation/seizure of the m:incl'a'ls/mineral products and the
tools and equipment including conveyance used in the commission
of the offense in l'avor of the government pursuant to PD No. 1281,
subject to ful'the1· invcstignt;ion. If it is found that the minerals/
mineral products seized hnve been mined, extracted, or removed
without any permit or authority under existing mining laws, rules
and regulations, Hnal confiscation can be effected to be followed by
the filing of the comp"ln.intl'ot theft of minerals. The Bureau officers
which include the Regional Dfrcctor and other Bureau personnel,
duly authoriied by the Director, DJ~NR personnel duly authorized
by the Secretary, permiltec, contractor, permit holder and other duly
deputized personnel slrnll have authority to nnest offenders, and
confisca te/sei'.l,e i1legally-sou rcecl mi nernls/mi noral products and the
tools, equipment and conveyance used in tho commission of offense.
(/)
It sha11 be the prim:ny 1·eHponsibility of the penuittee,
0
Ol
::i
::i
contractor, or permit holder to poHco tho pennit/contl'nct nren from
('[)
Q_
::E
any i11egnJmining opern tio11s.1:111
;::.:
::r
(")
Ol
3
(/)
33. custody of the confiscated/seized minerals/mineral products,
0
Ol
::i
::i
tools, equipment and conveyance.
~
a. J.n cnse ol' npp1·<)l1UnMio11

by I.ho Bu1·oau field officer, the
mineral products, t,oolA, equip1nont. and convoynnco used shall be
t:ir,scc. 117, CJRH.,us n111ondodby Sec. Io, DAO No, 200:1.46 •

1
1
:wscc. l I 8, GIHJl, nH 11mondrnlhy Sue. I 1, DAO No. OU-67.
CH/\J>1'RHIVI
--(H :llllil,l'l'INl i MININfl /\<:'I'Of,' l!IHfi
1
::!Jfi
1
Ad No. 'lf"1~)
1>11hltc
<lepo!4ited,,vith thl' l'Olt

· • • r.<'l'lll'< 1 I?<'t i 1 I ()f'f'
convcnwnt. fo1· HHf'l'kl'epill, If' 'nnti _,,~n,,,. wlH!r<!Vr!r it, irimo~t,
to the nfnrl'citcd o('(frp~ • I,, . l.lin l.i·s11rnf,i,. of' Urn w!i1.<1<Iprodll(:t..<i
-· IH not. 1111111'I' 11 I f' •
I . u '. I.(~
he plncerl undel' tho cust
J}CHJ'CS(.locnl publicornci
Cit.y MRyor, .Provincin]
11
r .Y e11mhlo,Uw 111rrn£! Hh:ill
y of nny lice,JHedmine opcrntor ()( the
suc~h118 1.lieBnrangny Cnptain, MunidpFJJ/
0 ovc1 nor or t I JJ}1·1· •
(PNP). Ht the discretion (' } , ie ~ 1ppme Nntionnl PoJic
11ccount the safety of th_
0
c t
10 c~mfiscntrng officer taking int()
. . •
1s 1rnt.horized to s 1 , .
e con nscn ted 1t , 'l'J
ems. 1e apprehending officer
•
ee c assistance fr • .
provjde transportation f Tt' . , om 1icensed mine operators to
1
items from the JJlace f aci . 1es f?r th c transfer of the confiscated
0 app1e 11ensrnn to t} , J , f I I
event the custody l ]] b i 1C P ace o custoc y. n any
· '] t ] · . s 1a e c u]y '·1c]rnow ]e d ge d and received • by the
officia . a nng custody thereof- p.1 'd , , . .
confiscation by the Bure . • ovi ed, .lhat rn the case of seizure/
R · I Offi . . . au ~he case sha11he referred to the concerned
eg10na ice for further investigation and disposition;
b. In
. case
. of apJ)rehen Sion
• by t}1e PN
. P, Economic• Intelligence
•
and Investigatwn Bure~u (EIIB), Coast Guard and other government
law enforceme~t agencies, the apprehending agency shall notify the
concerned Reg10nal Office and turn over the seized items thereto for
proper investigation and disposition; and
c. For _confiscated gold and/or other precious metal(s), the
concerned Reg10nal Office shall first determine if they conform with
the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) specifications or requirements
for acceptance. If the confiscated gold and/or other precious metals
satisfy the minimum weight requirements but it does not conform
with the physical requirements, the said metal(s) shall be delivered
by the accountable officer escorted by security officers to the Bureau/
concerned Regional Office Meta1lurgy Laboratory for processing.
In cases where the weight requirement is not satisfied, the chief
cashjer/accountant of the concerned Regional Office shall store the
(/)
(")
confiscated metal(s) in a safety deposit box of the nearest rnµutable
Q)
::,
::,
('[)
banking institution duly accredited by the Depnrtment Regional
a.
l Office. Once the inventory of metn1(s) reaches the minimum 138P
:,-
()
Q)
weight specifications, the chief cashier/nccou ntn n t shall turn over the
3
(/)
(")
Q)
confiscated metal(s) to the MetaJJurgy Office. Tho lntlot· shnll tm·n
::,
::,
!!?
over immediately after proeessing into Anlonblo l'orrn t.ho mot~d.(~)~o
the Chief Cashier/AceountunL In ouch l,111·11ovo1·, nccmmtub1hty 1s
7
transferred through a memornndum rocoipt.Y
137Sec. 121, CIRR.

.,
1
Lt\W ON Nt\'\'lJHt\L \Ui~HOU1tCl
~H/\ND1 ltULl~S 1
2lG CW\'HOC\ 1~DU\n: \i'OH \•~NVIHONMl 1~N'l /\L C/\81 ~8
L. s,~alc1ncnl. of Con/Ucl,H
34. Pane\ of Arb\trators.

Chapter Xlll (Settlen1ent of Conflicts)of RA ~o. 794 ~ pr_ovi~es
for the powers of the panel of arbitrators and the Mines AdJud1cat1on
Board (MAB).
There shall be a panel of arbitrators in the regional office of
the Depart1nent composed of three (3) members, two ~2) of whom
n1ust be members of the Philippine Bar in good stanchng and one
a licensed mining engineer or a professional in a related field, and
duly designated by the Secretary as recommended by the Mines and
Geosciences Bureau Director. Those designated as members of the
panel shall serve as such i11addition to their work in the Department
without receiving any additional compensation. As much as
practicable, said 1ne1nbersshall co1nefrom the different bureaus of
the Department in the region. The presiding officer thereof shall
be selected by the drawing of lots. His tenure as presiding officer
shall be on a yearly basis. The me1nbers of the panel shall perform
their duties and obligations in hearing and deciding cases until their
designation is withdrawn or revoked by the Secretary. Within thirty
(30) working days, after the submission of the case by the parties for
decision, the panel shall have exclusive and original jurisdiction to
hear and decide on the following:
(a) Disputes involving rights to mining areas;
(b) Disputes involving n1ineral agreen1ents or pennit;
(c) Disputes involving surface owners, occupants and
claimholders/concessionaires; and
(/J
(d) Disputes pending before the Hurenu and the
n
Ol
::i
::i
Department at the date of tho effectivity of the Act.t:l~
(1)
0.
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a. Settlement of mining disputes by t.he Pnnel of
3(/J
n
Arbitrators
Ol
::i
::i
~ The provinions creating tho Pnnol of Arbitrators (POA) for the
settlement of conf\iets rcl'orR to diRputos involving rights to mining
areas, mineral agreements or pormit.R nnd thoso involving surface
1:18 Sec. 77, RI\ No. 7942.

l~lll\P'l'l'
, ',HIV -- Pl lll.ll 1 l'INl 1~ MININO AC:'I'OF ISHJf, 217
Al!t No. 1/IM~)
(H11p11lil11•
0 w1H'l'~. 1wc,1p1t1\I f~ nn 1l ·I , . , · ·
. . L 1111111\nldnrn/to1H:orn11011111rcfl, /\ mining
diq1nd1' 1141\ drnp\lfp inv 0 I ., ( ) , . . · I
• ,r, Vlllf! n 1·11d1LH l.o 1n111111f~nrnnH, (b) mrnem
,tn'P<'I\H'nl.t-1.l ◄ l /\AH or 1 , . • .llC:1! owrwrn, OC:Cllpan t,8
l ' ' • ll.l 11111.H, 111111(c) Hllrf
1,nnclmm holdt'n~/conernrnio11ni reH.
.
Under
. .
HJ\ No • 79A2 •
1
,
t·I
• 1e
·1JQA
1\
I111s exeluB1vc
· anc I origrna
• ' I
1 10
jun~~ ct: ~~ t.~ l_ictu~ai~d . decide these mining diRputes. But th
pn_ncls JUl •~d•ctwn 1s hm1ted only to those mining disputes which
1•01~e
"' ... questions
. of f'ncf·
" , or ma tt·:crs requiring· · t h e app 1·1cat10n
• o.f
technol?g•cRl_knowledgeund cxperience. 1:i!l The question of whether
issues involving the rescissfon of a contract arc arbitrable was
~rnsweredby the Court in the affirmative. 110
In Pearson v. Intermed,:ate Appellate Court, 1•11 the Court
observed that the trend has been to make the adjudication of mining
cases a purely administrative matter. Administrative agencies are
considered specialists which "can deal with the problems [in their
respective fields] with more expertise and dispatch than can be
expected frmn the legislature or the courts of justice." 1'12
The POA is a quasi-judicial body which forms part of the DENR,
an administrative agency. Hence, the provision on mandatory resort
to arbitration, freely entered into by the parties, must be held
binding against them. 143
Decisions of the Supreme Court on m1n1ng disputes have
recognized a distinction between (1) the primary powers granted
by pertinent provisions of law to the then Secretary of Agriculture
and Natural Resources (and the bureau directors) of an executive
or administrative nature, such as granting of license, pern1its,
lease and contracts, or approving, rejecting, reinstating or
canceling applications, or deciding conflicting applications, and
(2) controversies or disagreements of civil or contractual nature
(J)
()
between litigants which are questions of a judicial nature that
OJ
~
~
(D
may be adjudicated only by the courts of justice. This distinction is
Cl.
:!:
~
0
OJ
3
(J)
()
1a9Gommlesv. Climax Mining, Ltd., GR No. 161957, Feb. 28, 2005, 462 SCRA
OJ
~
~
607. • •
~
°Cargill Philippines, Inc. v. Sun Fornnndo Rogol 'l'rnding, GR No. 175404,
14
,Jan. 31, 2011.

111Cited in Gonzalos v. Climnx Mining, Ltd., supra.
112Zoleta v. Land Bank of the Philippines, GR No. 205108, Aug. 9, 2017.
11:iBenguet Corp, v. Department of gnvironmont und Natural Resources, GR
No. 163101, Feb. 13, 2008.
,
·soUHCl•:S AND RULgS
LAW ON NA'l'U,H~\l,H1,~N
..V1H()NN11~N'l'/\L
CASl~S
2l8 OF PHOCl•~DUH\i,t•OH l•, •-
. d . , ·\ N ?tJ,11)'\1he court in Gonzales v. Clima

carne on l'Vl'l\ 1n 1.\,l o. • t..,. x
Mining Ltd.' e:s.plninec\:
11
"Arbitration before the Panel of Arbitrators is

proper only when there is n disagreement between the
parties as to some provisions of the contract between
them, which needs the interpretation and the application
of th.at particular knowledge and expertise possessed
by members of that Panel. It is not proper when one
of the parties repudiates the existence or validity of
such contract or agreement on the ground of fraud or
oppression as in this case. The validity of the contract
cannot be subject of arbitration proceedings. Allegations
of fraud and duress in the execution of a contract are
matters within the jurisdiction of the ordinary courts of
law. These questions are legal in nature and require the
ap~lic~tion and interpretation of laws and jurisprudence
which 1s necessarily a judicial function."
Consequently, where what was being protested are the alleged

negative environmental impact of the small-scale mining operation
being conducted by mining entities, or the authority of the governor
to issue mining permits in favor of these entities, or the perceived
indifference of the DENR and local govern1nent officials over the
issue, resolution of these matters does not entail the technical
knowledge and expertise of the members of the Panel but requires
an exercise of judicial function. 145
In Narra Nickel Mining Corporation v. Redniont Consolidated
Mines Corporation, 146 the Court, through Justice Velasco, reiterated
that the POA has jurisdiction to settle disputes over rights to
mining areas which involved the petitions filed by Rechnont against
Cf)
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ll)
:::l
petitioners Narra, McArthur and Tesoro. Redmont, by filing its
:::l
(ti
0. petition against petitioners, is asserting the right of F 1lipinos over
::i
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0
mining areas in the Philippines agninst alleged foreign-owned
ll)
3
Cf)
mining corporations. Such claim const 1tutcs n "dispnt.e" under
(")
ll)
:::l
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~
144
Supra; See also Koppo!, ~nc.. v. M11lcnti Hot.l\l'y Club Foundation, GR _No.
l98076, Sept. 4, 2013; Dolot v .. I nJo, GR No._rnnum,Ang. 2?, 2013; Olympic Mines
and Development Corp. v. Plutmum Group Melnhi Corpomtion, GR No. 178188, Aug,
14 2009.
' t45Dolotv. Paje, ibid.
1i10GR No. 195680, April 21, 2014.
,....
Cll/\P'l'l•;H IV 1
1
l llll,ll fllNl 1: MIN/N() t$;'I'OI•' lfHJfi ~HJ
(H11p11hll1•/\(:f No, '/11,fY.J
Seel.ion 77 or II.A No. 7fJ,f2. I ncid ..111.11 lly, I.ho Co11rl. ru 1011I.hr,I. 1.h"
111,;door dul.urnii11i11u wlwthor
"conl.rol t,,,,, ... iH HI.ill f.lw 111·cv11ili111:
0
,. not n co1·p01·n1.iun ia II I•'iIi pi 1111co,·po,•11I.ion, w j th j the II rn hi I, of
II
Seel.ion 2, Arl.iclo 11of I.ho I !l87 Conal.il.ul.ion, enl.il.lod l.o 11ndcrt11ku
the cxplorntion, 1lcvclopnwn1., and ul.iliml.ion of the nuturnl
resources of the Philippinei-,.
b. Appeal
The decision or ordcn· 0 f I')1 .
be appcn]cd by the pmty 1" n • e 1.)mwl of' i\rhitrntors (PO/$ may
within fifteen (l 5) d•\ys 1•.. ,o 'le ~1nc1-1Adjudicntion Bonrd (MAB)
. • n, .. I om l'CCCJJ)t I') f . i
case within thi1:ty (00)
•>
,J,. t··
1,lyS l'()Jl) 8, I.
• • wrco
• •
which ,_nustdecide the
• • llumrnmon thcl'cof'for decision. 1'17
35. Mines Adjudication Board.

The Mines Adjudication B .. I (MA· .
(3) members, with th~ S, .. , . ~<ll < • L\.13)18 composed of three
. d G c. cc.1et,ny as chmrman, nnd the Director
of th.e M
. ines an eosc.ienccs •-uruHu
13 • ,,me
. ·1t·hc .Undersecretary for
Ope1a_t10ns of the Department :is members. The Board has the
following powers and fu nct;jons:
. (a) Pron:iulg~tc rules and regulations governing the

hearing and d1sposition of cases before it, as well as those
pertaining to its jnternal functions, and such rules and
regulations as may be necessary to carry out its functions;
(b)
Admjnister oaths, summon the parties to a
controversy, jssue subpoena requiring the llttenc.Jance and
testimony of witnesses or tho production of such books, papers,
contracts, records, statement of accounts, agrcomonts, and
other documents as may be mnterial to a just dotormination
of the matter under invc:-;tigation, and to testily in any
(/J
()
investigation or hearing conducted in pursunnco of this Act;
<l>
~
~
(I)
Q. (c) Conduct hearings on a11 mnttor·s within its
~
;:;:
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0
jurisdiction, proceed to hear and determine tho disputes in
<l>
3
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the absence of any party thereto who hns boon summoned or
()
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~
~
served with notice to appear, conduct its procoodings or nny
~
part thereof in public or in privntc, ndjourn itH honl'ings at any
time and place, refer tech n ic:~I mn /;t;cr~or ucco~mts !:oan oxp?rt
and to accept; his report srnovHloncunHor ho11 ,·mg ot tho purtrns
1178cc. 78, RA No. 79/f2.
All
I .AWoN NA'l'il 11,\1,11EHOIIIII:1,:HANH JlUI ,1,:s
2i~\l OF 1'1101'1',lll1111,:
FOIi J,:NV1110
NMJ•:N'l'Ai,CAHJ•:H
"I""' 1h 11• untie<', di n•d. pn rl.i"" l.o hn jo0i ncd i_n1 or 11cxcl ll <led
from llw procc<'•IingH, correct, 111ne11I, r w ~ v~ " Y error
1
cc or tn for_m, 1:ive ali

d,•fpet.or irrcgn Inri l.y, w hcl.hc•· in All h»t.1111
m1ch direct.ions ns il mny deem ncc~smtrY o~ cxpcd1Cnl. in the
~
dclcrminnt.ion or the dispnt.e before 11.,nnd drnrnrns the minin,
d1sp11l.cns pnrl thereof ' where ii. is l.rivinl or where f1trth , {!r
proceedings by t.he Bonrd nrc no!. necessary or desirable:

.any person in . contempt, . directly or
(1) Hokl 1mposc appropriate pena 1ties therefor· !
indirectly, and
nnd
. . . 11 acts involving or arising
(2) EnJom any 01. n ' . . •
. d' 1 b "fore it which, 1f not restrained
from any case pen mg e •. :. , ble <lama e to an
forthwith may cause grave or urepara • g. y
' t' t
o f t l1e par 1es o 1
tl e case or seriously affect social and
economic stability.
In any proceeding before the Board, the rules ?f evide_n~e
prevailing in courts of law or equity shall not be controlling and it 1s
the spirit and intention of this Act that shall govern. The Board shall
use every and all reasonable means to ascertain the facts in each
case speedily and objectively and without regard to technicalities of
law or procedure, all in the interest of due process. In any proceeding
before the Board, the parties may be represented by legal counsel.
The findings of fact of the Board shall be conclusive and binding on
the parties and its decisions or order shall be final and executory.
While the MAB's jurisdiction covers the settlement of conflicts
over mining claims, the Provincial ·Mining Regulatory Board
(PMRB)_-, created under RA No. 7076 known as the People's Sn1all-
Scale M1mn~ A~t of 1991 - granted powers that include functions
more executive 1~ ?ature such as declaring and segregating areas
for small-scale m1mng.
a. Adjudication of' n1ining cases an adn1i.nistrative

(/)
()
Ol
matter
:,
:,
(1)
0.
~
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::T
The trend al present is to mnko the ndjuchcation of n,ining
0
Ol cases a purely administl·ativo mnt.t.or. '\'his ·does not. 1nenn thnt
3(/)
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Ol
:,
administrative bodies have comp\ot.o roin ovor n1ining disputes.
:,
~ Questions and controversies that. nre judidnl, not achninistrative,
in nature can be resolved only by tho rogular courts in who1n
is vested the judicial power to resolve and adjudicate such civil
disputes and controversies between litigants in accordance with
Cl IJ\P'l'l~U lV )
, -1 IIILll'l'INI•~ Ml NINO ACT OF 1!/fJfi 221
J\!'f N,,. 71"1~)
CH1•p11ltlic•
the cRtabli1lh<.'d nm·mn 1)f I .

.. cogniil'rl 11 cli' , , , nw 1111d .1u11t.ice.'l'IH! H11pn:mr: (;<,11rt. }rns
Je • • H1,111r.t.10n h ,1 (l I .
., • t ' . t .\V('Pll ) I. I(' J)rllllflry fJf>Wf!rH vtnntr~d
b y pet i.llH'll , p1·ov1mon1-1fJ '
• .:, N t . I 1) • 0 IIW lo the 1.hun Secrt'tnry of /\vrieult.ur,,
n n II n ,\ll n , eAom·cPA ( I 1 . '
1 •• , • • nnc I. ie hurcnu rlirectorn) of an OX<!cutiv,1
or nc1m11rn-,t.rnt1vc nnt.Ht·c ,) " . . •
_ .:, , H\lc 1 HH grnntI11v of l1cen~w permits
lcnsl' n nu con Lrnct 8 01• . . --. . ' . '
. . . . ' HJ)J11'ov111g, I·eJeding, rernHL:t trng or
cnnce 11 mg Hpp11cnt1ons m· I • 1. . . . . ,,
•)) t . ·' < cc1t mg conflicting sipplicnt1ons, and
(.., con .rovcrs1es or dis•,gr) ~ . .
, .. · . ' eemcntH of civil or contractual nnturr•
between 1.1ttgants which nre c • {' · · ·
. ,.J' 0 · d I 1ucs 1.tonA o n JUd1c1alnature thr1t mny
bc ,lu.Jll icn 1,c on y by the courts of justice.
.,. .This
distinction is curt•i'cd
" on even un d er t h c present 1aw.
l◄ mdmgs. of
. fact by tl·1e M./\13, wlnc• l1 exercises
• · · c1·
nppc IIate Juris •
1ct10n
over dec1s10ns
. . or order·s of•th c pane 1of nr b'1trntors, shall he conclusive
•
and binding on the parties, and its decision or order shall he final and
exe~utory. Bu~ reso_r~ to th~ npproprinte court, through n petition for
review by certwra.n, 1nvolvrng questions of luw, may be made within
30 days from the receipt of the order or decision of the .MAB.1•111
b. PAO has no authority over pollution cases

The scope of authority of the Panel of Arbitrators (PAO) and
the Mines Adjudication Board (MAB) conferred by RA No. 7942
clearly excludes adjudicative responsibility over pollution cases.
They have no authority to adjudicate cases involving violations of
pollution laws and regulations in general. 1•1u
c. MAB decisions are appealable to the Court of

Appeals
Decisions of the MAB are appea1uble to the Court of Appeals
under Rule 4.3 of the Rules of Court. In Carpio v. Sulu Resources
Development Corpora.lion, ir,o the Court clarifi~d that whil~ _Section
79 of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 pro~ules that pohhons for
• f MAB decjsions are to be brought d1rccUy to the Supreme
review o • • l ld
(J)
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Court the MAB is a quasi-judicial agency whose r1ec1s1ons s \OU
::,
::,
(1)
C.
'
::;;
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wJGon:1.aleHv. Climax Mining Lt.d., OH No. t(i I !lfi7, l•'oh.~~. ~005, ,lG2 SCHA
::,-
0
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3
(J) 607; I'carson v. Intermediate Appulluto Court., CH Nll. 7-l•lo•I, Sopt. ~\, um~. •l62
cm No. L-,rnR~\o,Dl'C. ts,
(")
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::,
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SCH.A(S07; Twin Peulrn Mini11,t/HJHOci11tin11v. N11v11rro,
~ 1979, 9'1 SCRA 708; PNOC-Enuruy Dovolop11H11tl. Corpornt io11v. Vomn·ncinn,OH No.
129820, Nov. :10, 200<i.
l1! 1Republic v. Murcoppe1· Mininii Cor(HJ1'11lio11,
OH No. 1~1717;1,
,luly 10, 2000,
356 SCRA 38G.
1r111GR No. 148207, Aug. 8, 2002, ::187SCHA I ~8.
~
.,
I AW ON NA'l'U)IAI 111•:!JOUIIGl•:8 AND 1tUI,l<H
0 ,,: l'HOC I'll U II1,;FO; 1 1,;NV
)IIONr,1J,;N'l'/1I, C/18 J•:S
222
be brouµht 1 l.hll Cou rl. of J\JJP"" le,'"' 'l'hc Coll rt. h cld in a line •
cnse~ 1.lrnt np1wnlfl frolll j t ent-H 1111«1(i1111l ordcrA of quaHi-J.ud· _of
b rl. .0 . 111 11111
. ' • IC) ''1
,cs nrc rcqt1ir1•d 1 bo l,rotl µht. t.o t.hc Court, of Appeal a u d'
0
0 ,.,.quiremcn1.s nnd conditions sci, forlh in Ruic 43 of the
e Rui" er
Court.,.,
th es of
. . t determine validity
f .
isd1ct1on o
d. DENR devoid o JUr disputes
. . contracts or
of n11n1ng . . . of the Department of
. . th jurisdiction .
A mining dispute is w1tl11n e (DENR) and has the authonty
Environment and Natura 1Resources '
xpertise • •
over any m1n1ng
to exercise its technical knowl~d~edor ~ d of jurisdiction where the
. H ever it is evo1 . . • di .
operations or dispute. ow '. . tracts as this 1s a JU c1al
'd't of mm1ng con . •
issue involves the val1 1 Y_ . . d hen the determ1nat1on of
question. A judicial quest10n 1~ rai;e . ~icial function; that is, the
the question involves the exer_cise_oa ~u hat the law is and what
question involves the deterr~unat10n ~thwrespect to the matter in
the legal rights of the parties are wi
controversy.163
. · · 1 · ·11 strated in Asaphil Construction and
ThIS princip e IS I U
Development Corporation v. Tuason 154 where responde~t (Tua~on)
filed with the then Bureau of Mines, DENR, a complaint agamst
Asaphil and Induplex for declaration of nullity of two contracts,
namely 1 the Contract for Sale and Purchase of Perlite Ore between
Tuason and Induplex, and the Agreement to Operate Mining Claims
between Tuason and Asaphil. The Court held that the allegations
in Tuason's complaint do.not make out a case for a mining dispute
or controversy within the jurisdiction of the DENR. While the
Agreement to Operate Mining Claims is a mining contract, the
ground upon which the contract is sought to be annulled is not
due to Asaphil's refusal to abide by the terms and conditions of the
agreement, but due to Induplex's alleged violation of the condition
imposed by the BOI in its Joint Venture Agreement with Grefco, Inc.
Also, T~ason sought the nullity of the Contract for Sale and Purchase
(/)
of Perhte Ore, based on the same alleged vi'ola t·1On. ObVlOUS • l y, th"1S
(")
Q)
::,
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(1)
a.
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~
() 151
.Asaphil Construction ancl Development Corporation v. 'l'uason, GR No.
Q)
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134030, April 25, 2006, 488 SCRA 120.
::, 152
~
PNOC-Energy Development Corporation v. Venerucion, GR No. 129820,
Nov. 30, 2006.
53
I Gonzales v. Climax Mining Ltd., supra,
164
Supra.
CHAPTER lV - PHJLIPPlNE MINING ACT OF I.HOG
223
(lfopuhlic Act No. 7fl,t2)
raises a judicial question which is propeo· for determinntion by the

regular courts.
The scope of authority of the PAO and the MAB conferred by

HA No. 7942 excludes adjudicative responsibility over pollution
cases. The internal structure, organization and description of the
functions of the DENR, particularly the Mines and Geo-Sciences
Bureau, reveals no provision pertaining to the resolution of cases
involving violations of the pollution laws. 16G
M. Government Share
36. Government share in mineral production sharing agreement.
The total government share in a mineral production sharing
agreement shall be the excise tax on mineral products as provided
in RA No. 7729, amending Section 151(a) of the National Internal
Revenue Code, as amended. 156
37. Government share in other mineral agreements.

The share of the government in co-production and joint-venture
agreements shall be negotiated by the government and the contractor
taki~g in~o consideration the: (a) capital investment of the project,
(b) risks involved, (c) contribution of the project to the economy,
(d) other factors that will provide for a fair .and equitable sharing
between the government and the contractor. The government shall
also be entitled to compensations for its other contributions which
shall be agreed upon by the parties, and shall consist, among other
things, the contractor's foreign stockholders arising from dividend
or interest payments to the said foreign stockholders, in case of a
foreign national, and all such other taxes, duties and fees as provided
for under existing laws.
(/)
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OJ
The government share in financial or technical assistance
::i
::i
(I)
a.
agreement shall consist of, among other things, the contractor,s
~
;:;;
~
corporate income tax, excise tax, special allowan~~' withhol~ii~gtax
0
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3
due from the contractor's foreign stockholders ar1s1ngfrom d1v1dend
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or interest payments to the said foreign s~ockholder in cnse _ofa
::i
!'.!; foreign national and all such other taxes, duties and fees as provided
for under existing laws.
I66R bl' M r Mininrr Corporution, GR No. 137174, July 10, 2000,

epu 1c v. arcoppe o
355 SCRA 386.

166Sec. 80, RA No. 7942.
~
Lt\\V ON N/\'l'Ullt\L Ht•:HoUttCl•:H AND JtULJi:8

~~M OF l'HOCIWlJll I•: FOH 1,;NVIHONM t•:N'l'AL CAHJt:H
. 'l'lw eoJh,ct.ion of' gove1·11me11t. Hlrnre in fl~11ncir~lor technical

ns~~~t.lllH't' nizrecmcnt. shnll commcnc~ nft,01· the fma~cinl or technical
nss1~t.nncc ngrcemcnt.cunt.rnctor hns fully recovered 1tH pre-operatinrr
expenses, exploration, nnd development expenditures, inclusivc.1r.1 !"I
N. Incentives
38. Fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.
The contractors in mineral agreements, and financial or
technical assistance agreements shall be entitled to the applicable
fiscal and non-fiscal incentives as provided for under EO No. 226,
otherwise known as the Omnibus Investments Code of 1987:
Provided, That holders of exploration permits may register with the
Board of Investments and be entitled to the fiscal incentives granted
under the said Code for the duration of the permits or extensions
thereof: Provided, further, That 1nining activities shall always be
included in the investment priorities plan. ir,s
39. Incentives for pollution control devices.

Pollution control devices acquired, constructed or installed by
contractors shall not be considered as improvements on the land
or building where they are placed, and shall not be subject to real
property and other taxes or assessments: Provided, however, That
payment of mine wastes and tailings fees is not exempted. urn
40. Investment guarantees.
The contractor shall be entitled to the basic rights and

guarantees provided in the Constitution and such other rights
recognized by the government as enu1nerated hereunder:
(a) Repatriati'.on of investments-'l'he right to repatriate

'I?
Q)
the entire proceeds of the liquidnt:ion of the foreign investment
::l
::l
CD
a.
in the currency in which tho investment wns originally made
:.,:
;:;:
::,- and at the exchange rnto provniling nt: tho timo of repntrintion.
0
Q)
3(/)
()
Q)
(b) Remittance of earnings - 'l'ho right to remit
::l
::l
~
earnings from tho invostmont: in tho c\UToncy in which the
rn7sec. 81, HA No. 7!H2.

. , i.,>U'l •
lfillSec. 90
1608cc. 91.,RA No. 79'12.
Cllt\P'l 1 li:HIV
PIIII.IPPINI•; MININO /\C:'I'OF HHlfi ~~/)
(Bpp11hll1:/\1·1. Nn, '/!1,1~)
foreign i1n:t:~1.11w"1. wn,~oi·inirrnlly 1111 ,d,? """ 111, UH?<!xcl111nw•

rnlr' J)l'<'vmlm1r nt 1,h<'t.i11w of' l'P1111t.1.11111:o.
(r)1 Fon•,·1,•11loons nnd eonl/'(lc/u - '111wril{lil. t<, rnmit,

Ht:the c xchnnt-te rnto p1·evniJingnt t.ho t.imoof remitt11nceEmch
sums n.s mny be neceAsnry to meet I.he paymentF.iof intereRt
nnd principn I on forci15n Jonns n nd fm·ujgn obligations nriRing
from fin11ncin l 01· tech n icu l nssistn nee con tr1H.:tR.
(d) F1·cedom from, cxproprialfon - 'I1lw right. to he

free from expropriation by the government of the property
represented by investments or louns, or of the property of the
entei·prise except for pub]ic use or in the interest of nntional
welfare or defense and upon payment of just compensation.
In such cases, foreign investors or cnterprjscs shall have
the rjght to remit. sums received as compensation for the
expropriated property h1 the currency in which the investment
was originally made and at the exchange rate prevailing at the
time of remittance.
(e) _R_e~uisition of investment - ~rhe right to be free

from requ1s1t1011of the property represented by the investment
or of the property of the enterprises except in case of war or
national emergency and only for the duration thereof. Just
compensation shaJJ be determined and paid either at the
time or immediately after cessation of the state of war or
national emergency. Payments received as compensation for
the requisitioned property may be remitted in the currency
in which the investments were originally made and at the
exchange rate prevailing at the time of remittance.
([) Confidentiality - Any confidential information
supplied by the contractor pursuant to this Act and its
implementing rules and regulations shall be treated as such by
(/)
()
Cl
::,
the Department and the Government, and during the term of
::,
(I)
Q. the project to which it relates.
1
::,
0
Cl
3
(/)
()
Cl
0. Grounds for Cancellation, Revocation,
::,
::,
~ and 1'ermination
41. Late or non-flllng of requirements.

Fa'l f the permitteo or contructol' to comply with any of the
1 ure o . . . • l d
requirements provided in the A.ct or m 1ts 1mp1emontmg rues nn
J,AWON N/\'l'UHALH.l~80UHCE8 AND JtULJ~S
1
1
22fi FOH l1;NViH.ONMf~N'l,/\L CA8f~8
OF PHOCl1~lHJIUt:
regul:1ti01rn.
. wit.ho11t."
. vnlirl
. I II Ill! HUfficicnl,
rcnROll, Hhn •I I I wound
- for the
susp,'ns1on ol any p,,,.11111.
or 11grco1ne11 , pr·ovH c< u nt er the Act,"•
42. Violation of the terms and conditions of permits or

agreements.
Violation of the terms and conditions of the permits or
agreements shall be sufficient ground for cancellation of the same.Mi
43. Non-paymentof taxes and fees.

Failure to pay the taxes and fees due the government for two
consecutive years shall cause the cancellation of the exploration
permit, mineral agreement, financial or technical assistance
agreement and other agreements and the re-opening of the area
subject thereof to new applicants. 162
It has been held the business of manufacturing and exporting
cement does not partake of the exploration, development nor
exploitation of mineral resources as defined in Section 2 of PD No.
463, hence, it is outside the scope of application of Section 52 of said
Decree. 163
44. Suspension or cancellation of tax incentives and credits.

a. Grounds for suspension or cancellation
The Bureau may suspend or cancel wholly or partially any
incentive granted under the rules and regulations for any cause
including the following:
Any violation of the Act, rules and regulations
1)
implementing the same or of the terms and conditions in the
(/)
0
Mineral Agreement or FTAA;
Ol
:::l
:::l
(1)
c..
:E
2) Any material misrepresentation or false statements
~ made to the Bureau at any time before or after the approval/
0
Ol
3
(/)
0
conclusion of its Mineral Agreement or F'l'AA;
Ol
:::l
:::l
~
160sec. 96, RA No. 79'12.

16 ~Sec. 96, ibid.
162Sec. 97, ibid.

J63FJoro Cement Corporation v. Gorospe, GR No. 46787, Aug. 12, 1991, 200
SCRA480.
Cl-lAP'l'mt JV- PIIILIPl'INJ,; MINfNO AC'I'(W rnur, 227
(H,111H1hlic
Ad No, 7!Mi)
B) Whonove,· tho proj,Jct co111-H1HLo ho vinhJo nnd it,H

continuod 01w1·nl.ion would l'oq11i1·0 11dditio11alc<mtH f.o the
economy. l 11 t.hiH en He, I.ho Uu1·011u HlwII ovllltw l.o I.hoHtsJ tw:J of
the project nnd shnlJ deci<lcif susperwion/cnncollntion HhtJII he
imposed.
b. Withdrawn} from the minel·nl agreement or 11,TA.A

Whenever a contractor decides to withdraw from business or
suspend its operations covered by the agreement, written notice
thereof sha]] be sent to the Director before decision is implemented.
Withdrawa] from business operations shall automatically cancel the
mineral agree1nent or l?~l'AA.Upon such withdrawal, the contractor
shall cease to be entit1ed to the incentives.
c. Refund and penalties

In case of cancellation of the 1nineral agreement or FTAA, the
Bureau may in appropriate cases, recommend to other incentive-
dispensing agencies the cancel1ation of registration without
prejudice to the imposition of the corresponding penalties and refund
of incentives availed of, pursuant to the Act and these implementing
rules and regulations and under EO No. 226, laws creating export
processing zones and other laws. 104
45. Effect of expiration and cancellation of a permit and mineral

agreement or FTAA. •
Upon the expiration of a mining permit/mineral agreement/
FTAA,the mining operations may be undertaken by the government
through one of its agencies or through a qualified independent
contractor. In the latter case, the contract shall be awarded to
(/)
()
the highest bidder in a public bidding held after due publication
Q)
:J
:J
(1)
of the notice thereof. 'fhe contractor/permit holder shall have the
Q.
~
;:;;
:::r
right to equal the highest bid upon reimbursement of all reasonable
0
Q)
3
expenses of the highest bidder.
(/)
()
Q)
:J
:J
Upon cancellation of a mining permit/mineral agreement/
~
FTAA, the Director shall cause the same to be entered in the
registration book and a notice thereof' shaJI be posted on the bulletin
hoard of the Bureau and Regional Office and tho mining area covered
thereby shall thereupon be open to new applicants.
1111
8cc. 231, DAO No. f)(:3-40.
'ees causing tho cancellation of
t 0 f t nxes nn d ( ~ a
.
Non-})nymcn• • nt·/F'l'AA
. • ~ . l greeme , · ·
shall have also the effect
minmg P ,·1mt/nnne1n 11 pplicants. 11iri
. • • g areu to new a •
of re-opemng the mmm
. . n of facts in the statement.
46. Falsehood or om,s5 ,o
in the exploration permit, mining
All statements made . .
• l or technical assistance agreement shall
agreement nn d f,1nnnclll , • t· 1 t8 thereof d
be considered ns conditions and essen -ia par .an any
· 'd tnt•ri. ents
f a1sel100 d m sa1 s u ,\- 111- or•
omission of facts therein which
may alter, change or affect substanti~lly the facts. se~ forth in
said statements may cause the revocation and ter~rnnation of _the
exploration permit, mining agreement and financial or techmca1
assistance ugreement. 11" 1
P. Organizational and Institutional Arrangements
47. From staff to line bureau.

The Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau has been transformed into
a line bureau consistent with Section 9 of the Act. Under the Bureau
are the necessary mines regional, district and other pertinent offices
- the number and specific functions of which shall be provided in
the implementing rules and regulations. 1117
Q. Penal Provisions
48. False statements.
Any person who knowingly presents any false application,

declaration, or evidence to the government. or publishes or causes
to b~ published any prospectus or other information containing any
false stntemen.t rel~ting to mines, mining operations or minernl
agree!11ents, f1nanc111l?r. technical ussist.unce agreements t~nd
permits shall, upon conv1ct1on,be penulizod by n fino of not exceeding
Pl0,000.00. lllll
1110sec.232, cnm.
HlfiSoc.99, RA No. 7Ht12.
111sec. 100, ibid.
1
1°8sec. 101, ibid.

IIAP'l bH IV - PlllLll'PINJt: MININC, /\LT OF IH% 229
(H,•1rnhllc/\ t No. '/!H~)
49, Illegal oxploratlon.
Any l l't'ROll undp1·tnkinn l'XJ)lol'IJt.ion work without the

ncccssnry 'Xplot·nti.on JH:l'lnit.~hnll upon ·onvicl.io11,h • pennliz · I by
.0 fin, of not ('X '<' chnr{PG0 000.00. 11.4
1
50. Theft of minerals .
. ~ny person xt.racting mineral and dispo ing the same wjthout
n mmmg Agr ment, lcnse, permit, license or steals minerals or
ore or the product· thereof from mines or mills or processing plants
~hall upon conviction, be imprisoned from six months to six years or
pay a fine from Pl0,000.00 to P20,000.00, or both, at the discretion
of the appropriate court. In addition, he shall be liable to pay
damages and compensation for the minerals removed, extracted,
and disposed of. ln the case of associations, partnerships, or
corporations, the president and each of the directors thereof shall be
responsible for the acts committed by such association, corporation,
or partnership. 170
a. Elements of the offense

'I'he elements of the offense are: (1) the accused extracted,
removed and/or disposed of minerals; (2) these minerals belong to
the government or have been taken from a mining claim or claims
leased, held, or owned by other persons; and (3) the accused did not
possess a mining lease or a temporary permit or any other permit to
mine granted by the Secretary or the Director under existing mining
decrees, laws and regulations. 171
It has been held that receipts merely showing payment of taxes
do not constitute the authority to extract, remove, and/or dispose
of minerals. Such receipts are insufficient evidence to prove that
the proper government office had, in effect, granted the required
permit to extract minerals from said quarry. In crimes punished by
special laws, the act alone, irrespective of its motives, constitut ls
the offense. 172
•1
• cc. 102 I,. ·,JU.
iwis
170
8cc. 103, il>id.
i11Pcople v. Abud, CH No. L-65132, Aug. BO,1088, tn6 SCHA 67,
17'1.Jl,id.

'SAND RULl1S
,q 1u~souncN1,Mj
FN'J1/\LCASES
N NA'lUH,, "NV11t0
1
J :J
230 LAWO , UHg fOH b

OF PHOCbD
tructures,
tructlon of mining s or damages structures .
51. Des , 1 destroys 1 . lll
ho willful y ·n
sites shal ' upon conviction
Any pe~·s?nw rea or on the tnl ed five years and shall i,
or on the mnnng n • d not to exce h'ch may hav b, n
•
be impnsone d ~101• a J)e1'1°
. f r the dam ages w
1 e eeh'l
addition, pay compensation o

1~3
caused there b Y• '
52. Mines arson. _ fi .. to any mineral stockpile

•nf lly sets re ,
Any person who wi u . shall be guilty of arson and
. f,tt' . s or a nune, .
mine or workmgs, 1 mg . t' by the appropriate court in
011 1
shall be punished, upm~ ? v \ ~~' Revised Penal Code and shall,
r°
accordance with the provisi?ns theedamages caused thereby. 17"
in addition, pay compensation or
53. Willful damage to a mine.
Any person wh o w1·11£ ully damages a mine, unlawfully causes .

• t
water to run m o a m ,·
1 ne or obstructs any shaft or passage
. to a mme,
.
or ren ders usel esS, damag es or destroys any machine,
. appliance,
. .
apparatus, rope, chain, tackle, or any other things u~ed in a mme,
shall be punished, upon conviction, by the appropriate court, ~y
imprisonment not exceeding a period of five years and shall, m
addition, pay compensation for the damages caused thereby. 176
54. Illegal obstruction to permittees or contractors.
Any person who, without justifiable cause, prevents or obstructs

the holder of any permit, agreement or lease from undertaking
his mining operations shall be punished, upon conviction by the
appropriate court, by a fine not exceeding P5,000.00 or imprisonment
not exceeding one year, or both, at the discretion of the court. 176
55. Violation of the terms and conditions of the environmental

compliance certificate.
An~ person who wil~f~llyviolates or grossly neglects to abide

by the terms and cond1tions of t11e e · t 1·ance
- nvironmen a 1 comp 1
17:lSec.104, RA No. 79'12.

174
Sec. 106, ibid.
msec. 106, ibid.
170
Sec. 107, ibid.
Scanned with camScanner

certificate issued t.0 Rnid I)('.1 . . .
damage through pollut 101 • i-:ion" 1.1_<1 whrt:11tt1U8eH e11v1ronmcntal
8 1
Of six mont:lrn to Rix , , • . l ~ nl~ sulf~,· l.lio pe1111ll.y
of irnpriHonmcnt
8 1
• t·] "lttl,c <l1'
l >o, • '(. ) Cl\1. ()} I\ f ne ol PG0,000.00lo P200,ooo.oo,or
1, : , , sc1e ,H>nol the court,. in
For R violation of Section 108 ('I)"' N 70,12 't t t....

est::tbl•1s11e d t l1at t ]1ere is w'l]f 1 •· I o· "n o. :1'1- , 1 mus 08
Part of the accused t 0 b'd1 ub v10 ut1on and gross neglect ·· on the
• a 1 c y the terms ancl conc!Jt10nsof the
environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
56. Obstruction of governmentofficials.
Any person who illegally prevents or obstructs the Secretary,

the Director or any of their representatives in the performance of
their duties under the provisions of the Act and of the regulations
promulgated thereunder shall be punished, upon conviction, by
the appropriate court, by a fine not exceeding P5,000.00 or by
imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both, at the discretion of
the court. 178
57. Other violations.

Any other violation of the Act and its implement_ingrules and
regulations shall constitute an offense punishable with a fine not
exceeding P5,000.00.110
58. Fines.
• h • d to charge fines for late or non-
The Secretary is aut ori~e 'th the implementing rules
submission of reports in accor ance w1
and regulations of the Act. iBO
msec. 108, ibid.

17HSec. 109, ibid.
17!JSec.J.1.0,ibid. '1
rnoscc. 111, RA No. 79 2•

Chapter V
SCALE MINING ACT OF 1991
PEOPLE'S SMALL- . N 7076)
(Republic Act o.
A. Prcli1ninary
01. Governing law.

• • 1·s governed by RA No. 7076,,, otherwis<:
Sma11-seal c nnn1ng
lcnown as tl•1e "P
. eopl,e's S,nall-Scale, Mining
· Acl of 1991, enacted on
June 27, 1991.
The law established a People's Small-Scale Mining Pr_ogramto
be i1nplemented by the Secretary of the Department of En:1r~nm~nt
and Natural Resources (DENR) and created the Prov1ncial/C1ty
Mining Regulatory Board (Board) under the DEN!l Secreta11;s
direct supervision and control. The statute also authorized the Board
to declare and set aside small-scale mining areas subject to review
by the DENR Secretary and award mining contracts to small-scale
miners. 1
Small-scale mining refers to mining activities that rely heavily
on manual labor using simple tools and methods. It does not use
explosives or heavy mining equipment and requires only a small
capital investment.
Small-scale mining in the Philippines has been practiced long
before the Spaniards colonized the country. However, until the 70'$.
small-scale mining was limited to intermittent alluvial aold placer
jn whjch recover~ was through direct panning or using c;ud sluice
box. In the 80's, 1t became a significant contributor to the 1ninerals
jndust:y ~nd the national econ01ny with the discovery of the gold·
:ush s1te 1n Dav_aoand th~ sporadic panning activities that followed
1n 37 other prov1nces. During thnt time, prorluction frorn sinall-scale
1
SoutlrnusL
•
Mi11d1111110
, :-1, ,] Por•"'l
C:olcl, Mininirh C()l'l)Ol'I\ L'\0\1 \', \"l•\l1'tc" ~, ~nnh\i
11
Coopernhve, GR No. 135 moo,l'qH·il :1, 2002, :rnnSCHA _
146
2;32

(\)\ <l p I\" \l l l\ If I\ ct' iVit' ,·.
,.(' I \t \ l\t' l
"
' ,,
t.ht' production of tH·,·
,,, • ' " t't't'tll'II hl1~h111'I I t 01111 liiitl1111· t l1r111
. I\ I'\' I\ I\ I 111 I • '
r,00.000 tnHH'l'H nnd t.lwir ·, ' '<!0l\ll111·y prnd\1t'fll'II, whik nv<'I'

' . , . 1 0 l\nt1lwld11 w111·11 dlr11dly li1 1wflt1,cl
1
. , l
H'<'Of!l\lz1n1~ t.lw in,., •
U l 1\1\\ l\j' 11• , ,
• • •
ll\ttlll\11' :wdo\'. t.ht: tYOV• ,, ' cot\lltt\lc 1111p111•t. ol' 11111nll-m·11IP
, ' ' l\l\Wlll 1• I • •
t.ht' flr~t lnw:l t.hnt. cHt'l'<'l l\, ,. • >t onHt J!lll.t•d l'D No. I 8DD, 0111• of
o. K--()()
.. promolt'<l ..,'. I-.O\'(l\'tH'd ll • I 1111111111~
Htnltll ·HI.II,, ' ' opornl.1C.HH1, •
11) N . l · ..1nn . 14 nl• 111111
cnp:1 ,t.y to l~l'lW\'I\(., incom I' , ' m
·, ,
1: op,•rnl.101111 in view of il.,i
01 t.ho 1·\1r11l 1)001·
rl' fn rt.her promot t' 1l •
n1ininp'o :1 ·t.iviti ,~ tl,, •,, ovt lop, nnd 1·1tt.io1111liz(•H11111ll-Hc11l<i
Pcopl ,'!4 mnll- , ' .
c•ll M' Ollffl'OHH
. I•
1)1\HRe< m I DDI IU\ No. 707(i or t.lw
to CT n rnt mo,·,
, llllllf' Ad • •• w lnw WIIH p1·111c1p1dly
'1'1 , • • •111l.011dcd
nndr:- to , brin1i-
,
t 1oynwn
•tl "'1111) . . l t ' 01 )))0\ ·t .\lll\l.H'H • • •
Ill Hlllllll•HCI\I(!
• •
111111111g.
''. sotit·c of' tl • lO\l , cqmt.n lh •~1\Ill .-mg o 1- t 1H wt 1111.h1111d 1111t.ur11l
~ . . ., ·
,1ccount.r\1(hrour),tl t... , \' imp • 1 1\H 11t.nLm11
1 • ol•t,h, P •oplc ,~
1
~ nm. \' l) 1~NR ~mh~mquo11t.ly1HHt1cd 1)/\0
Snm 11- en le M 1n1· n IT· l ro•rr· , '1'1H nn< , •
. . b
No. 3'1, s n's of 1991 or tlll' t'\tlo l regu 1l\l,IOI\H

• • 1,men!. t.lw
t.o 11np
progrnm.

It is I.he policy of I.he t.11L
• Lo p1·om0Le,dov, lop, protect 11ml
rationnli,; • vioblc smnll-scnl • mining nctivit.ies in ordor t.o g n •rnl.•
more employment: opporl.unit.ieH nnd provide n11eqniLnble sl1111·i11g
of the nut.ion's wenlth nnd nnt.mnl reso,11·coH,~ivin1;due rcgnrd t.o
existing rights ns herein provid •d.~
03. Definitions.
J•or purposes of Li1 • /\cl, the f'ollowiII g l.e1·
111H
nre dofinod ns
follows: (u) "Mineralized a,-eas" r •l'o•· "'.' nr<nH with nnt.111·11lly

· · ei••Jl ,J •J><>u1·t of gold Htlvor, chronnlo, lrnoltn,
0
0
oceurnng
.. min
bl gi·iJV, ,J clay ., • nd like 1tt11H rnl rotiourcuH:
• ' •
11
s111cu, mur "Se, ll-••cafo , ,
;nit1//" rof<,·11l.o nu111n~1u:t.ivit.i1"
( >) ma. ,. ., 111 • HtlltP
• l c •unp Il nwn l•
. lt I l 'Jy on mnnuul lnbor uHII\I~
w}11c 1 re~ y .11cn vi I ll> not use t xplonivcH (II' lt1 nvy mm1n1~ • •
nn<l methous un< < ,
equipment; ; ,,rn" ,·ofor 1.0 l•'ilipino ci(,i,,on~who,
(c) "S1110 I t: 1 11
,-1101
' II. t fl c >nipnllY
•• of ot.ho1· 1•,.1hprno
• • c1t.11,onH,
, •
I10
individunllY or 111 ' ' •
~soc.i, Ill\ No, 707G,

I.AW ON N/\'J'UH/\1. ,rnsouuc,,:s /\ND HULES
OF l'HOCEDUHI-: FOH l•:NVIHONMl•:N'l'/\L C/\!:iES
vohmtnrily form II coopernt.iv, duly licensed by the DgNR to

cngnge. u;Hh'r the terms nnd conditions of n contrnct, in the
cxt.ntct.ion 01· 1· \movnl of mincrnls or orc-bcuring materials
from t.he ground;
'' mall-scale m,:ning contract" refers to co-produc-
(<l)
t.ion. joint venture or mineral production sharing agreement
b tween the State and o smnll-scale mining contractor for the
:-:.nrnll-scHlcutili~ation of a plot of mineral ]and;
(e) "Small-scale mining contractor" refers to an
indivichrnl or a cooperative of smaJI-scalc miners, registered
with the Secui·ities and Exchange Commission or other
appropriut.c government agency, which has entered into an
agreement with the State for the small-scale utilization of a
plot of mineral land within a people's small-scale mining area;
([) ''.Active ,nining area" refers to areas under actual
exploration, development, exploitation or commercial
production as determined by the Secretary after the necessary
field investigation or verification including contiguous and
geologically related areas belonging to the same claimowner
and/or under contract with an operator, but in no case to exceed
the maxirnum area allowed by law;
(g) "Existing ,nining right" refers
to perfected and
subsistingclaim, lease, license or permit covering a n1ineralized
area prior to its declaration as a people's small-scale mining
area;
(h) "Clai,nowner"refers to a holder of an existing mining
right;
(i)''Processor" refers to a person issued n license to
engage in the treatment of minerals or ore-bearing n1ateriRls
such as by gravity concentration, leaching bcneficintion,
cyanidation, cutting, sizing, polishing Rnd other sitnilnr
activities;
(j) ''Licentw" refers to the privilogo granted to n ~1erson
to ]egitimaiely pursue his occupntion nA n srnull-scnlc nunor or
processor under this Act;
(k) ''Mining plan" refers to n two-yonr pro~ram of
tivities and n1ethodo]ogics en1ploycd in the extracti?n aucl
a;oduction of n1 inera1s or ore-benri.ng mate1·inls, incl~1d1ngth e
p . _1 ~ 1,.........nnrl rit:hP.r resources 111 suooort thereof,
~
CHAP'l'lm V - PROPJ.t,:·sHM/\1,l,.HCJ\Lt•: MININO AC'I' OF HHJI iar,

(lhipuhlltl Aot.No, '/0'/0)
<2 _l ''Di,·ccfo,-"l'cfors t.otho rogionnl oxeculiivoclirector of

the DENh; nnd -
(m) "Sec,-eta,-y"refers to the Secretury of the DENR;:1

(n) "Min.ahang bayan" or ''People's Small-Scale Mining
Area'·' refers to the entire area declured as People's Small-Scale
Mining Area pursuant to RA No. 7076;~
(o) "Board" refers to the Provincial/City Mining
Regulatory Board composed of the Regional Director concerned
of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau as Chairperson, and four
members composed of duly appointed representatives of the
following offices/sectors: Governor or City Mayor, small-scale
miners, large-scale miners and environmental non-government
organizations;u
(p) "Qualified Person" refers to any Filipino citizen of
legal age and with capacity to contract; or a 100% Filipino-
owned corporation, partnership, association or cooperative
organized or authorized for the purpose· of engaging in small-
scale mineral processing, with technical arid financial capability
to undertake mineral processing, duly registered in accordance
with law. 6
04. Types of agreement under the Philippine Mining Act and

Small-Scale Mining Act.
Under the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 (RA No. 7942) and the
People's Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991 (RA No. 7076), the three
types of agreements, i.e., co-production, joint venture or production-
sharing, may apply to both large-scale 7 and small-scale mining.t1
"Small-scale mining" refers to "mining activities which rely heavily
(/)
on manual labor using simple implements and methods and do
r,
0)
~
~
not use explosives or heavy mining equipment."u "Small-scale
(1)
0.
:a:
mining contract" refers to "co-production, joint venture or mineral
;::;.·
::r
(')
0)
3
(/)
r,
0)
~
3
~
~
Sec. 3, RA No. 707H.
4
Sec. 4(m), DAO No. O:J-1fi.
11
Sec. 4(e), ibid.
11
Sec. 4(ah), ibid.
7
Sec. 26, RA No. 7fM2.
8
Sec. 34(d), RA No. 7076.
0
Sec. 3(b), ihid.
,
'l•'HAND H.ULl•:H
?.:111 Lr\\\l ON NA'I'1Fi Iu, iJ in:m"
1•'011 M
"/>'r:i,,:N'l'A"CM·Ht:H
1,:NVIU
()1,'l'IHH'.IW\lH '
Hw Htnl.o nnd
I 1ol.wt•oll '
II Hnutll-Hc:nl
l • Hl \nt·mn
\H'lH \H'hol\ • ,11rt·1•0111011.
, >
· o1·" no,
Io ll,1'1li1.11t.1<m
ll-iu:,, '
I t o(' tn1no}•t11
· ()
minin1~·rnnt.1·1H'tor f tn I·IH'· '411\11
l •
' 11
lnnd." 111
' . II-scaleminingprogram. . ' ,

05. Peoples smo , . Section 2 ol the J\ct
• J1'nv1de< 1 111 . , n
'l'o cnnv• out the •policy
• 1
I
Pl'Ogrn 111
l1ns been o8t.nbl1Hhod
.
Which
People's smnll-scnlcMuun~ t·emntic nnd rat1onnl Hchcrnc
, dc~igned
iR
•
•
t:n nc1,wvc ] ~ • 1•U,1.1·1·,,,ntjon
1111ord<\t·ly' HYH,
ent.nn< ,, ,
. . I
of mmern . l'esourc •
for the smnll-scnlt!devc opm . , t·cchnicnJ and cnvu:onmcntaJ 08
1•• 1 economic, • ' .
nn<l to nd<lrosR t. w Roun , . .
nct··
• sm11 11-senl'e 111111mg
conncctc<lw1th
· .•
,1v1,1108 .
'l'hc progrnm
-
includes
the following fenturcs:
(n) 'l'hc .•fi
1uent11cn
• ,J .-011
1,1 ·, •segregation
and . reservation
.. , . of
ccrtam
• 1mne1·nl
• lnnds ns pcopJO' 8 small-scale mm1ng nrnas;
(h) 'l'he recognition of prior exist-ing rights and

productivity;
(c) 'l'hc encouragementof the formation of cooperatives;

(cl) The extensionof technical und fi.nancial assistance,
and other socinlservices;
(e) '!'he extension of assistance in processing and

marketing;
(I) '!'he generationof ancillary livelihood activities;

(g) The regulation of the small-scale mining industry
with the view to encouragegrowth and productivity; and
• (h) The efficientcollectionof government 1·evenue."
06. Declarationof people'ssmall-scalemining areas.

(/)
0
Q,)
::I
'fhe Provincial/City Mining Regulatory Board (Board) is
::I
t'1l
0..
authorized to declare and set aside people's small-scnle mining
::E
;:::.:
:::r
areas onshore suitable for small-scale mining, giving priority to
0
Q,)
3(/)
areas already occupiedand actively mined by small-scale miners. It
0
Q,)
is required thnt 1:henrens nre active mining areas and the minornls
::I
::I
~ found thercin nrc technicnlly ond commereiul!y st i tn blo for s mnll·
1
wSec. 3(o), RA No, 707(1;Cruz v. Socrot.111•y 111' ll11viroumo11t.

1111dNnturnl
Resotn·cea,
1 Gil
I Sec, '1,N 11, 136386, ll oc. G,2000, 347 SC IlA 628, po,. J. Pu 110.
ihid.
('llr\P'l'J,:U V l'l,:OPl.ti:'HHMt\l.L HC'r\11 11;MININ<It\C'I' ()J,' 111111 'W'I
J\1°1N,,, '/0'111)
(1!••111111111°
...r,d<· 11\tl\in1~ru·I iv_it.it'H,l•;xc:htclf•d111•11111·<•1111 t!<1vor"'I by ,,xl11t.ini<

fon•~I. I nu l'iHI, m,u· 11w n nd p111·lu1 1111d\-VI IdIi f'1•t'( 11Prvn t.ioJ111.
1 11
07. Arons open for doclaratlon ns m/11nhn11r1

lwynn,
'l'IH' f'ollnwinn mitw1·nlized 111·e1111 01111hol'<) rn11yhe cl<'c:l11r<id
hy
(ht' tlnnnl ni-; J1i11aho11Nlluyun:
I\. !\ l'('l)I-~ II Il'l'tl(I •
141tlllll-sc:nlemitWl'f4 I). f' y oc.:t:ll))tPd nnd ndiv<)ly mi11od by
., ' u oi·e J\u1ru I I IC)87 /J • • '
such n 1·enH I\ n· IH)t ,. . -~_~• • • : rou1derl,(1) l'hn t
the mllH.!l'I\I:-; f'ound . .. ~ ' Ile. .1ve m111111~(111·e1Hi; (11)tJ,nt.
. ' d)llHll 1l!l'('d l 14 ·I' • ' ••
. . 1.11u, rnn n re t c•C'I • • 11 I •
H\lttnhlc f'ol'f4mi,ll . . . •- • ui,cn .Ynnc c:ornnicrc1nlly
· -Hen1( mm 1111 ,. (' •')
. ..., /Ill( 1 Ill 1.1llll. the fll'CSUI nrc not
1
covered by u-v1···t · f' •

lw<mdeclnred· •'· ",lllff .- ~ ' l'lf'hl
I' t ....Ol'C'A1 •
-. ,A or reHerv11t1ons nnd hnvc not
,R .ou11Rt. m· prot c•t'I ed • I • I •
nf4 frnch nre w·11 I· I· • , , • 111om1, 1111CSR t, 1011·At.nt:uA
1 ·H I awn >ycompot<~nt, nuthority;
!J.. Publ.ic.lnndH covered by llliJ1ingnpplicnt.ion!1!iUbjcct
t.o cc, t.11111cond1t.,on::;; '
~- Pul>~iclnndR covered hy exi11tingmining permit(s)/
cont.rnc.:t(s)which nre not ntt:ivc mining incnA;
d. Privnt:e .lanclA, subject; to the conAcnt of the lnnd-
owner(s) and n royn!Ly pnyment that slrnJl in no cn~e exceed
one percent. of the grons vnluc of the mincrnlA rccovere<l nnd
payment: of ndunl dnmngcs ns dotcnnincd by the IJourd clue
to the deda rn I.ion of the Minahcuigfla.ya.n,nmong other rights
and conc.1itions; u ncJ
J\ncestruJ I,11nds/J\11cusl;rnJ Oomnins, 8ubjcct of
Certificates of Ancei;trnl Domuins/AncoHLral Land Titlo
(CAD'J'/CALT)or in i,rouHverifiod by Uw l(cgionnl Office and/
or other office or agency of the govcrnmont nuthoriwcl by law
for such purpose ns ncL111dly occupioclby ICC under u claim
of time immemorial posscHHion,with Jo'roo,mcl P1·io1·Informed
(/)
(")
Ill
:,
'unsent (FPJC) from LhcmiiclJCC obLnincclin nccordnncowith
:,
(D
Q_ the procedures prescribed by I.ho Nnt,ionnl C()nunissi()ll on
~
;:;:
:::,: lndig-unous Peoples (NCI I'): l'roviderl, 'l'hnl. if au(:h nnco8trnl
()
Ill
3
(/)
Junds/domuins are clcclnroclna Mi11ahu11/! /Ja,r<m,t.ho mcmb(ll'fl
(")
Ill
:,
of th c ICC th ere j II H1111II ho g-ivun 1,ho P1'i1J1·i
l.y "" s mu11-flCHlo
:,
~ 111
mining-c.;c,n
t,n1ctorH.
JU!,1(J(;, f>,HA No. 7070.

1:1~fo<:.
B, IJ/\0 No. O:l-1f>.
~
2:-18 LAW ON N/\'l'UH/\L HESOUHCl•:HAND ltULEH

OF PHOCtmu1m FOH ENVIHONMENTAL CJ\Sl•:S
08. Future people's small-scale mining areas.

The following lnnrls, when suitable for small-s_ca_Iemining, may
be dechlred by the Bonrci us people's smull-scnle mining areas:
(A) Arens nlrenrly occupied nnd nctively mined by small.
scale miners before August 1, 1987;
(b) Public lands not subject to nny existing right;
(c) Public lands covered by existing mining rights which
are not uctive mining areas; and
(d) Private lands, except those with substantial
improvements or used as a yard, stockyard, garden, plant
nursery, plantation, cemetery or burial site, or land situated
within 100 meters from such cemetery or burial site, water
reservoir or a separate parcel of land with an area of 10,000
square meters or less;
(e) Ancestral lands with prior consent of the cultural
communities concerned; and
(f) Areas occupied by a community of traditional small-
scale miners subject to the approval of the said c01nmunity. 1-1
09. Ancestral lands.
No ancestral ]and may be dec1ared us a people's small-scale

mining area without the prior consent of the cultural communities
concerned. If ancestral lands are declared ns people's small-scale
mining areas, the members of the cultural communities therein shall
be given priority in the nwnrding of small-scale mining contrncts. 1~
The rights given to the indigonous peoples regarding the
exploitation of natural resources unclor Soctio1rn 7(h) and 57 of RA
Cf)
()
0)
No. 8~171, or "The 1ndigenous Pooplmi 11ighUi Act. of t 997" (1PRA).
::,
::,
(D
a.
amp)ify what hns been grunted to t.hom undor oxist.ing laws, such ns
:E
~
the Peop)e'H Smull-sc11Je Mining- Act. of 1DDt (HA No. 7076) and tho
(")
0)
3
Philippine Mining Ad nf I nno(HI\ No. 7fM2). Suet.ion 7 of HA No.
Cf)
()
0)
::,
7076 exprmmly providoH t.hnt. Hhould an nncoHt.rnl land bo clcclnrod ns
::,
~ a people's fHnn1J-Hcnlomining n1·on, tho llHHHhors of tho indigenous
14Sec.0, RA No. 707H;Hee.0, DAO No. iH, i:;, HlD2.

8cc. 7, JlA No. 707G.
111
,,-
CHAPTER V - l'li:OPLlrs SMALL-Sr',\l,E ~IININ(l ACT OF lfl!)I

(Hq1uhlic A..:t Nu. 7071\) 230
µeoplesliYingwithinsnirl, .,
·. 1
ucn~rnllbe1riv, • • •
of 8111~1ll -sea l e m1ntn~! contt· ·t S . , en J)l'1onty 111the nwurdinr{
!\c S Cl't l 1 (' 0 f 1·
th:tt no nncestrnl lancl shnll b • ' on > {J\ No. 7fH2 dcclureR
. e opened for 1111·,1• • • h
the pr10r consent of the it1d' • mg opcrnt,ons w1t out
• , tgcnons cult · I • concerned
.111d Section 17 ot said Act t t uin comrnu111ty
• s a es thnt • ti
of such indigenous cultural . .' lll .ie event that the members
. COlllllHlllll\' give ti ' . .
oper:1t.10ns within their a . • ieu· consent to rnmmg
them b,· the parties to th ncesti • . al land • r oyn It'tes s IrnII be pn1c • l to
• e mmmg contract. ir.
1O. Small-scale mining under PD No. 1899 _

On January . . 93
~ •
1984 , PD N o. 1899 was issued establishing
sma 11-sea 1e n11n1ncr
0 as a. ne,v d.11nens1011
• m· mmernl
· development
based .upon the . f?ll~w1ng considerations: abundance of cheap
labor _in the . P!11hpp1nes, relative flexibility and simplicity of
operat~ons, n11n11:n_uncapital requirements, less fuel dependent
operat10ns and nunnnal effects on the environment; existence small
mineral deposits that are being or could be worked profitably at
small tonnages requiring minimal capital investments utilizing
manual labor; and generation of more employment opportunities,
thereby alleviating the living conditions in the rural areas thereby
contributing additional foreign exchange earnings.
The decree defines small-scale mining as referring to any single
unit mining operation having an annual production of not more than
50 000 metric tons of ore and satisfying the following requisites:
'
a. The working is artisanal, either open cast or shallow
underground mining, without the use of sophisticated mining
equipment;
b. Miniinal investment on infrastructures and process-
ing plant;
(/)
()
C.
Heavy reliance on manual labor; und
"'
:,
:,
~ . ged or controlled by an individual
:E d. Owne d ' mana , . . . . .d
~ . 1·fi d under existing m1n1ng laws, l ules nn
0 or entity qua 11e
"'
3
(/)
() regulations.
"'
:,
:,
!:!1
"Cruz v. Secretory of Environment nncl Nnturnl Ro,ourco,, GR No. !36885

0 ec. 4, 2000, 347 SCRA um.Per J. Knpunnn. •
~
~
\.AW ON NJ\'l'UHAL 1rnsou1u~1,:sAND llULES

•).I()
OF \1HOC\~DUIU:
FOil to:NVIHONMl•:N'l'AL CASES
. t bctwct•n PD No. t899 nnd RA No. 7076

n. N o con ti 1c -
..,"![ I· 1,,c· v Ueyes"1 pet.itioneni (mining corporntions)
1n SI \Hl!CJ~,1 ,,. •. • .' .• .• PD N0 189 ·
challenged the constitul10nnhty of Sec~t~n 1 , • 9 ~s
violntive of t.he equnl proleclion clnusc. I _hey argue th nt there 1s
• l l \'rnt,me,
no sn b stnn t.11\ • ·t 1•011 bet •ween the
·' miners covered under RA
No. 7076. who cnn extract ns much ore ns they cnn, n_nd t~o~e
•l 1>1)N O. 18""
COVCl'e(l Un< Cl' ,m wl10 were im11oscd
. . an extract.ton
. . hm1t•
The cont.rovcrRy \ie8 in the nppnront. confhct1ng prov1s1?ns on the
definition of ~mnll-Rcnle mining under the two laws. Scct1~n l of PD
No. 1sngllefine 8 small-scale mining ns referring to nny single unit
mining opcrntinn hnving an nnnunl production of not 1;1orc than
o0 000 metric tons of ore. On the other hnnd, under Section 3(b) of
RA No. 707G, smnll-scnlc mining rct'ers to "mining activities which
rely heavily on mnnunl labor using simple implements nncl methods
nnd clonot use explosives or heavy mining equipment." Significantly,
this definition (locs not provide for nn annual extraction limit unlike
in PD No. 18m).
In denying the petition, the Court held us without basis
petitioners' nverment that the 50,000-M'.l's production limit does
not apply to smnll-scnle miners under RA No. 7076. Recognizing the
DENR's mnndnle to regulate the country's natural resources under
EO No. 192, both PD No. 1899 nnd RA No. 7076 delegated to the
l)gNR, through ils Secretary, the power to promulgate the necessary
lRRs to give effect lo the said laws. 'l'he DENR, in the exercise of
such power, issued DMC 2007-07 01· "Clarilicatory Guidelines in the
]mplemcnlntion ol' the Smnll-Scnle Mining Laws.'-' By imposing the
unnual production limit o[ 50,000 DM'l' to both SS:NlPs issued under
PD No. 1899 nnd Small-Scale Mining Contracts (SSlVlCs) under RA
No. 7076, the DgNll hnnnoni:t.cd the lwo laws. 'l'he OENl{ tn'nts
all smnll-scnle mincrn equally as the production limit applies to
all of them. 'l'he D l~NR is lhe agency vested with the authority to
promulgate rules and l'cgulations for tho implomcntntion nf minin~
(/)
lnws.
()
Q)
::,
::,
(t)
0.
t 11. Registration of small-scale miners.
s-
oQ)
3(/)
All pm·AollHu1Hlo1-taldng fHnnl\-Hen\o mmmg ndivit.ics s~udl
()
Q)
::,
register UHminol'H with I.ho Honrcl I\\Hl mny orgnnizo thomsolvos ll\to
::,
~
•
coopern l 1vcs ' oi <I01• t.o qun 1·I 1·
rn ~ • • ol•n poop lo.'s •!-11\lHll·
y I'01· t.Irn nwnnhng
111
Henle mining cont.rncl.
17Gll ,Juno I\, :.wI ,1.

No. 171)(1(11),
Suc. 8, HA No. 70711.
111
~
CIIAP'l'l.:H
V - ,_PJ,:cwi.,~·H
HMJ\1.1
,./·H!Al.I•:MININ(l ACTOF I !1!11 7AI
(HPp11l,li1! Ac:t N11, 7070)
B. Awn,.d u11<lCondit.ion of ContracLR

12. Award of people's small-scale mining contracts.
A people's smn11-Rcn1cmining contrnct may be awarded hy the
}3onrd to smn11-scale miners who have voluntarily organized and
h:WC been registered as an indivi<lua1 miner 01· coopcrntivc'. h~t only
Ol1c mining contract . may be uwar<led at nny one time w1thm one
ycnr from the date of award.H 1
13. Extent of contract area.
The Board shal1 determine the reasonable size and shape of

the contract area following the meridional block system established
by PD No. 463, or the Mineral Resources Development Decree of
1974, but in no case shall the area exceed 20 hectares per contractor
and the depth or length of the tunnel or a<lit shall not exceeding
that recommended by the Director, taking into account the following
circumstances:
(a) Size of membership and capitalization of the
cooperative;
(b) Size of mineralized area;
(c) Quantity of mineral deposits;
(d) Safety of miners;
Environmental impact and other considerations;
(e)
and
(f) Other related circumstances.2°
14. Easement rights.

. Upon the declaration of a people's small-scule mining nren, the
Director, in consultation with the operator, claimowner, lnn<lowner
(/)
()
or lessor of an affected area, shall determine the right of the smnll
Ql
::::,
::::,
(I)
scale miners to existing facilities such 11smining nn<l logging ronds,
0.
~ private roads, port and communicntion fncilities, nn<l processing
~
()
Ql
plants which are necessary for the effective implomontntion of ti,,,
3
(/)
()
program, subject to payment of reosonnhlc foos to tho oporntor,
Ql
::::,
::::,
~ claimowner, landowner or lessor.~'
19Sec. 9, RA No. 707fi.

20 Sec. 10, ibid.
i 1Sec. 11, ibid.
.,
,, UJ{Cl~H AND HULES
I \ \VON Nt\'l'IJIU\I, lll!N,8VO/ll(JNMl•:N'l'/\L C/\SJ,;s
''I!? ,I
OFl'HOCl•:IHJ,' f' f•' J,'()JI ,,
Rights under a peop le's small-scale mining. contract.

15. 11 1, Ill i 11i ng con t.rnd en titles the srna1I.cnJ
' >le's smn -~en e l 1· " f . 8 ' f!
• • J\ pcoJ • •t • ·1otwr1g1 • l 1t·., I<>rnine ' extl'nct n nc. c rn_pose o rn1ne ,nI
..
Ill Ill lllf«:011 l.111c-m ,
r
, '
11ercrnJJHlJ poses.
I 11 no cusc sh u II· II sm a II-sea
"
le lllinin g
ores ,01·comr
contract. •
be subcont.rnctecl, . • ,. , I ol" othorw1He transterred .22
ttss1gner
16. Terms an d con d ·itlons of the contract.
" t
J\COl1,J'llC1, ' s11·111
( l1•1ve
< n term of two (2)
• yen• rs, r_cncwable.. for like
h th
•
per10ds -ns 1ong ns f·l
, w conlTnctor
- · co mph es
. - w1 t; · ·•. e prov1s1ons set
fol'th i;, I.he Act, The holde,- of a_sm~Il-scule 11110111g
contract shall
have the following duties nnd obhgat10ns:
(a) Un<lertnke mining activities only in accordance with

a mining plan duly approved by the Board;
(b) Abide by the safety rules and regulations of the

Mines nnci Geosc.iences Bureau;
(c) Comply with his obligations .as the holder of an

existing mining right;
(d) Pay all taxes, royalties or govern1nent production

share us nre now or may hereafter be provided by law;
(e) Comply with pertinent rules and regulations on

environmental protection and conservation, particularly those
on tree-cutting, mineral-prncessing and pollution control;
(I) Vile under onth nt the end of each month a detailed
p1-oduclion and financinl report to the Board; and
working
_(g)1n
, AsSume responsibility
the mjnes.~:i for the safety of persons
(/)
17. Rights of claimowners.
(")
Q)
:,
:,
CD
a. Jn cnsc 11 Hite deeJn1, l )
1
. · in<
~
g: • • l J 1 U< n nc sot us1do ns n people's-sen le 111111t-1
(") aren JR cove, e'. 'Y '"' existing n1inin ' ,· ' - - ' ' . r nnd the
Q)
3 smaJJ-,;caJo m1ne1,8 11 . • g I tght., t.he clnunowno ,v
n1·0on. , i· d . ,. . olunt1ll;
and ueeeptnhJu eoni, 1•, 11e1u1n
(/)
(")
Q)
:, ·t
I eotn Hgo t.o onto1 into n v , tle
:,
~ , i c_; lln ngt·u 1110
utiJizal'ion of thp 1l 11•
• ,.
°
• I I nI1-sc1
nt.:w1t:1tospecttot 1esmI · 1 , ,tie
• ' • -
elnimownc1·RhnllheOIJl.if-lo
n 01·111 v J ('
n lillH 1:oni tho lll'OH under 1
C ~ 1.n ·,es:
• d to I.ho following- l'ights nnd privileg
:nsoe. 12, /j//J)/'(1,
i:'See. l :J, ilii<f.
CllAPTlm V- Pl•'OPI11··,.
' •,8 ~~IAl,L.f-iC/\1,J,;
MININny111n111.
of occ11pnl.ionfol!~, n,nl.111,11ndre11/
property tnxeH:
(b) Subject to the nppt·ovnl of the Bonni, free 11cceAfi to

t.he cont rnct area to conduct mcLnllurgicnl tests, explorntions
and other activities, p1·ovidcd such m:tivitics do not unduly
intcrfe1·c with the opcrntions of the 1,nu1ll-sc11lc
miners; and
(c) Royalty equivalent to one nnd one lrnlf percent of the
gross vnlue of the metallic mincrnl output or one percent of the
gross value of' the nonmetallic mincrnl ouLpul:to be pnid to the
claimownc1•.:.M
18. Rights of private landowners.
'rhe private lat1clowncr or lawful possessor shall be notHicdof

a~y. plan or pet~tion to dec1are his land as a people's small-scale
mm1ng ~rea. Said landowner shall be duly heard by the Board in
case he interposes any opposition.
If a private land is declared as a people's small-scale mining area,
the owner and the smnll-scale mining contractors are encouraged to
enter into a voluntary and acceptable contractual agreement for the
sma11-scale utifo1,ation of the mineral values from the private land.
The owner shall be entitled to the payment of actual damages which
he may suffer as a result of such declaratio~. Royalties paid to_the
owner shall in no case exceed one percent of the gross value ol the
minerals recovercd.1.r,
19. Ownership of mill tailings.

. . . ,. tJ"tdor shnll be the owner of all
. . .~ s~a ., ,,uced from the contract area. He. may sell the
Th , )] sen1e mining ..,011 ' , ,
(./)
()
m1J] ta1hngs prod . . y cust-omuull m the uren. If
Ql
::::,
::::, ...· ,. ~ l"J processcc 1 In un , the cl111111owncr
•
ro t:uhngs or have , 1cm · . . .. .11111iling-s shall
Cl.
~ _, ·1 1·ose1l1tsrn1, ., ••
;:.:
::::,- the contractor ueCJC cs ' . Ilic 111110nt J>rovn1hng-
1 ;_, mnrket
() . . ) f· 1·0 pll )'C 1l[lflU , ., ,,
1
huvc a preemptive rig
Ql
:3 ' ,
(./)
()
Ql
::::,
::::,
priccs.:tu
~
z~scc. 1'1, !{A No, 7070,

:t11Scc. VS, ihid.
:tngcc.· 1.o,
11
•i
/,·t)/,(,.
~
,
LAW( IN N1\'l'llu,11' I( ,,:~oill((H•:cl/\Nil I( UI ,t,:H
~"" IIF l'IIOl' t•:llll 111,:
1'0II 1,:N
VIll ONMI•:N'l'AI, CAfll•:H
20. Solo of gold.

\\\ tro\d
.. iroduc,,.t hy. sn1nl1-HcnlominorH
. in nny rn'inur0I
1 . \lnnk,
nrl'n shall be sold lo t.he Ccnt.t'lll . or ,I.H duly
. . nulho rize
._ I
l'l'prc~c_nt.nt.ives.
which shnll buy tl nl. pnccH.compcltltvo wit.h lh~'
prcv:uhng m the world mnrkoL rcgnrdlcss of volume or woiRhL, A•
cntrnl Bnnk shnll cstnblish ns 1nnnYbuying HtntionH in gold: rhc
nrcns to fully service the reqniremcnts of the smnll-scnlo mi/UAh
thereat." ernli
21. Custom mills.

The establishment and operation of safe and efficient custom
mills to process minerals or ore-bearing materials shall be limited to
mineral processing zones duly designated by the local government
unit concerned upon recommendation of the Board. ln mining ureas
where the private sector is unable to establish custom mills, the
government shall construct such custom mills subject to the viability
of the project. The Board shall issue licenses for the operation of
custom mills and other processing plants subject to pollution control
and safety standards.
The Department shall establish assay laboratories to cross-
check the integrity of custom mills and to render metallurgical and
laboratory services to mines.
Cust?m mills sl~all be constituted as withholding agents for
the royalties, product10n share or other taxes due the government.2~
22. Government share and allotment.

The revenue to be derived by the government from the operntion
of the mining program shall be subject to the sharing provided in the
Local Government Code.w
(/)
(")
D>
:,
:,
23. People's small-scale mining protection fund.
(1)
a.
:'i:
;:;:
~
The law hns created a people's smull-scnle mining protectitn~
0
D>
3(/)
fund which shall be used primnrily for information disseminntion Hll\
(")
D>
:,
training of smnll-scnle minors on safety, honlt.h nnd enviro1unont~\
:,
~ protection, and the ostnbHshmont of' m'ino rescue nnd rccovoi)
~7Scc. 17, Rupra.

1.8,ibid.
t 8 Sec,
:!!JSec.19, ibid.
1
CHAP '1;:I(V - Pl,:OPl,l\'HHMAI.L-HCAf.l,;
MININO ACTOF 11!!11 ~r,
(UepubHcAct No, '1070) 2
tc11ms_inclu?in1~tho Pt:oouro111ont.of l't!Bc11n equipment.in omorl(enc:y

situntwns hlrn lnnciHltrlos,l.11111101collnpHu,or tho like. 'l'he fund
sbnll Riso be mndo uvnilnblo to ndclrcAsthe ncurlHof I.ho Hmnll-scaf,,
miners brought nbout: by uccidonts nnd/or fortuitous events."
24. Rescission of contracts and admfnlstrallve fines.
Non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract,

violation of the rules and regulations, and abandonment of the
mining site by the contractor, shall constitute grounds for the
cancellation of the contract and the ejectment of the contractor fr?m
the mining area, without prejudice to the imposition of penalties
therefor. 31
25. Reversion of people's small-scale mining areas.
The DENR Secretary, upon recommendation of the Director,

shall withdraw the status of the people's small-scale mining area
when no longer feasible for operation or when safety, health and
environmental conditions warrant reversion thereof to the .State for
proper disposition. a2
26. Actual occupation by small-scale miners.

Small-scale miners who have been in actual operation of
mineral lands on or before August 1, 1987 as determined by the
Board shall not be dispossessed, ejected, or removed from said areas,
provided they comply with the provisions of the Act.3:1
C. Mining Regulatory Board

27. Provincial/City Mining Regulatory Board.
The law has created a Mining Regulatory Board which shall
(/)
exercise the following powers and functions:
(")
a,
::,
::,
(I)
(a) Declare and segregate existing gold-rush areas for
C.
~
;::;:
::,- small-scale mining;
(")
a,
3
(/)
(b) Reserve future go]d and other mining areas for
(")
a,
::,
::, small-scale mining;
~
:iosec. 20, RA No. 7076.

31
Sec. 21, ibid.
'/ 'd ,
:-iis ec. 22 , in
a:isec. 23 , in·1 'd.
Li\\\' ON N,\TUllAL 1t1-~soUHCl•~S
AND RULES
' 1 ,lfi OF l'HOCEl)UHE FOil ENVJllONtvrnNTAL CASES
mnll-scnle miners;
(c) Awnrd contrncts
t O 5
· lement rules and regnil •
(cl) Formulnle n1~l.l itnP at1on!!
related to smnll-scnle 1111111ng;
(e) Settle disputes, conflicts or li~i~ations over conflictin
claims within a people's small-scale mining area, an area th g
. d . . d at
1s eclared a small-nunmg; an •
(f) Perform such other functions as may be necessary
achieve the goals and objectives of the Act." to
While the :MA.B'sjurisdiction covers the settlement of confl•
over mining claims, the Provincial Mining Regulatory B?ard (P1m~
1s granted powers that include functrnns more executive in nat )
such as declaring and segi·egating areas for small-scale mi ~re
Section 24 of RA No. 7076 provides for the PMRB's power to "dtrg·
~nd segregate existing gold-rich areas for small-scale minin( :•
under the direct supervision and control of the Secretary."3s ut
28. Composition of the Board.

The Board shall be composed of the Regional Director concerned
or his/her duly authorized representative as Chairperson; Provincial
Governor or City Mayor or his/her representative as Member; one
small-scale mining representatives as Member; one large-scale
mining representative as Member; and one representative from an
environmental non-government organization as Member.
Technical Secretariat/Staff shall be provided by the Regional
Office concerned.
The representatives from the private sector shall be nominated
by .their ~·espective organizations and appointed by the DENR
regional dll'ector. 36
29. Administrative supervision.
The Secretary or his duly authorized representative shall

(/J
(')
exercise direct supervision and control over the progi·am aud
0,
::,
::, activities of the small-scale miners within the people's small-scale
ct>
a.
~
mining area.
§:
(')
0,
3(/J
(')
0,
::,
::, "Sec.
5
24, RA No. 7076:Sec also Sec. 20, DAO No. 03-15. . danao
~
:J Moncayo Inte~l'atoil S1nnll-ScnloMiners Association v. SoutheaS Min
Gold Mining Corporation, GR No. l49G38, Dec. 10, 2014. t
36Sec.25, supra; See also Sec. 21, DAO No. 03-15.
('lli\PTl.:H V --1'\i:()l'\.E'S ~M,\1.\..~('AI.E ~IININ(l ,\CT OF l!lfll 2 I'/
(H1•1111hll1• Al'I N11. 7ll'lll)
'\'lH , ..._
~t'Crl't nrv• Rhn .
l\ 1H·n1,,,,1 ,~nt l' I'll l l'!t nnd l'l'~11lul101\11 • L
for 1111•
1
,tfr<'l"• •1' ,·\\\I) h' I\ H' l\, t I\ t \01\ l) I' t ll t' 1\t.'t • ll l'H11·1t~
• ' 1 )
!-I \Ill
J j .
>l' J.!IV<'ll to ~Ille 1
}
r\th'~ nn cl n'1..-ulntrnnR
~ thnt • ,,,,·11ernmt .e ti ll' l l'nsl drnruplton · · · I
111 t. w
..,1,·0 n~ oft.he ~m1,ll-~cnle minct·!'l .11
11})1'1 ' ' '
n. DBNH Sccrct.nry hns control over smnll-scnle

1nining in t.hc provinces
expmrnc~cd. in l.,cag11c of Provinces of the Philippine.c; v.

A-2,
J)cµnrtmcnt ~f E71viro, 17ne11t and Natural Hcso11rccs,:1,1 the Court,

through tlust.,ce Pernltn, held thnt under t.hc i\dministrntivc Code
of 19S7. the DENR is. subject to law and higher nut.hority, in
chnri;c of cnrrying out t.hc Stnte's constitutional mnndnt.c. unrlcr
Section 2. Article XIl of the Constitution. to control and supervise
the cxplorRt.ion, development. utilizntion nnd conservnlion of the
country's natural resources. Hence, the enforcement of smnll-scnle
mining lnw in the provinces is mnde subject to the supervision,
conlrol and review of the DENR unrlcr the Locctl Government
Code of 1991. On the other hnnd, smnll-scnle mining is to be
implemented by the DENR Secretary in coordination with other
concerned local government agencies. The Local Government Code
did not fully devolve the enforcement of the smnll-scnle mining law
to the provincial government, as its enforcement is subject to the
supervision, control, and review of the DENR Secretary.
The Court has clarified that the constitutional guarantee of
local autonomy in the Constitution refers to the ndministrntive
autonomy of local government units or, cnst in more technical
language, the decentralization of government authority. It does not
make local governments sovereign within the State. Indeed, Sec-
tion 4, Article X (Local Government) of the Constitution states that
''[t]he President of the Philippines shall exercise general supervision
over local governments," and Section 25 of the Local Government
(/)
"
Q)
:J
Code reiterates the same. Genernl supervision by the Presi<lcnt
:J
(1)
a. means no more than seeing to it that lnws nre faithfully executed m·
:_;
;:.:
:::T that subordinate officers act within the lnw .
(")
Q)
3
(/)
The power of the Provincin~/City Mining Rcgnlntory Honr<l to
"
Q)
:J
:J
~
settle disputes over conflicting claims in small mining nron unclor
37
Sec. 26, HA No. 707H .
3
rlGHNo. 17n3G8, April 11, io1:l.
...._
LAW ON NA'i'UHAI.1t1'SOUllCViS AND RULES
1).1~ 0 F 1•noc1,:1Jtlll1,:FOil 11NV1HONM
BN'l'AL CASES
Sect.ion 2•1of RI\ No. 707G is "subject t.o ,.cview by the Se cretaty,, I
thu~:
"Sec. 24. Provi1tcial/CitY Mi1ti1tg Regulatory
Boa.rd. _ There is hereby created under the direct
supervision and control of the Secretary
provincial/citymining regulatory board, herein called tha
Board, which shall be the implementing agency of th:
Department, and shall exercise the following powers and
functions, subject to review by the Secretary:
xx.x XXX XXX
(e) Settle disputes, conflicts or litigations ove

conflicting claims within a people's small-scale mininr
area, an area that is declared a small mining area; ••• " g
urt upheld the decision of the DENR

Consequen tl y, the Co
Secretary which declared invalid and cancelled the small-scale
mining permits issued by the Provincial Governor as a legitimate
exercise of his power of review under RA No. 7076 and its
Implementing Rules and Regulations.
b. Distinction between the power of control and

power of supervision
Section 21.1 of DAO No. 34-92, the implementing rules and
regulations of RA No. 7076, states that the DENR Secretary has
"direct supervision and control over the program and the activities
of the small-scale miners within the people's small-scale mining
area." Since the DENR Secretary has power of control as opposedto
power of supervision, he has the power to affirm, reverse or modify
the decision of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB).39
30. Applications.
CJ)
()
D)
::,
Applications (MGB Form No. 9-01) for small-scale mining
::,
~
0. permit (SSMP) shall be filed in the Office of the Provincial Governor/
::;;
;::.
::r City Mayor through the Provincial/City Regulatory Board concerned
(")
D)
3CJ) for areas outside mineral reservations and in the regional office
()
D)
::,
concerned for areas within mineral reservations. If proper, the
::,
~
Moncayo lntc~ratecl Smull-Scnlo Miners Association v. Southeast Mindanao

39
Gold Mining Corporation, GRNo. 149638, Dec. 10, 2014.

' 1/\l''l'Ell V - • l'l•:011Lt•~'HHMJ\I I ,
(,I (It, I II ,f,.,H./d,lr, MINl~l(I ACT ()J,' 1!1!11 ?A(
t JIii I t· Ad No. 'lll'l/1)
. for 11r1•1111 within min,, 1.,1I 1. 11 .

l )irl'rh)Iht'• <"L,l't.A t )·
)l l\ltll
,-,.:,1v1 '
. " "rv11t.mri11, 11h1dl nppr<,W! 11nd
I II
• w i>l'l'llllltep 11111
',.Fil(' l .• I 13 . . }. • , CJIIHW I.he rc•vi11trntio11 r,f
1. , Ill (. H' \l1 Cl\\l W1t. Ill\ J fi . J• '
tht' !'lllllH . . l > wor CIJ\f{ clnyH from receipt. of t,h,!
:11cn not.1con1H pnymcnt of the required f"ea
,,•t 1 '- n,
'l'hc ~niidclincs nnd proviRionA ApCCIIICC • lMA OreIer lN(),

·r. I in
MHD-~
'
l. R. of
.
198
1
1
1
DAO No. 28 nncl MIU)B AO Nos. :-3nnd 3A,
,diich implc,mcnt. D No. 18?9, ?nuthe guideline~ nnd provisions
ofnAO No. ,J'1'. A. of 1992 , which nnplcment RJ\ No. 7076, when not
conflistcnt w,t.ll th_crulcA nnd regulntions promulgntccl under RA
111
No,7076, shnll contmuc to govern smnll-scnlc mining oporntions. 1' 1
31. Environmentalprotection, safety and health.

'l'o ensure the protection of the environment nnd the
development of host rrnd neighboring communities, the smnll•
i:;cnlc mining contractor or mineral processor shall abide by the
npprovc<lECC, PEIMP nncl COMP, and comply with all applicable
environmental laws, rules and regulations. 11
To ensure the safety and health of smull-scale miners or
mineral processing plant workers, the small-scale mining contractor
or minernl processor shall abide by the provisions of DAO No. 97 •
:-10otherwise known as the "Smull-Scale Mine Safety Rules und
Regulations," his/her/its approved ASHP, und other pertinent rules
nnd regulations that may be promulgated by the Secretury.' 1i
(/)
n
a,
;;:,
;;:,
(D
C.
l.':
~
(")
a,
3
(/)
n
a,
;;:,
;;:,
~
' 1:c.
111s I 0:1, CJHH IIH 11111u111lud by So,:. 11. IMO No. 200~1--lti 11nd t\1rtlHll'
l l I1y Sec. ~o.
u nie1 He, ' No. :.!OO/i-1
DAO r,.
He,
,,cc. :.w,DAO No. o:1-1Ii.
1lc,
11('(: • 27' I'/)I •( / •
chapter VI
COAL DEVELOPMENTACT OF 1976
(PresidentialDecree No. 972, as amended b
PresidentialDecree No. 1174) Y
A. P1·eliminary
01. Governing law. "

PD No. 972, entitled The Coal Development
76
On Ju~! 28, 19 ' d The law aims to promote an accelerated
Act of 1~76 was en:!:t •exploitation, production and utilization of
exploration, develop t· '. tion of the private sector with sufficient
coal encourage the par icipa · h 1· ·
.' h . 1 d anagerial resources 1n t e exp mtation and
capital tee mca an m h · 1 d
'. f
product10no coa1resour , ces and upgrade the tee n1ca an financial
nd
capabilities of the coal industry. It was ame ed on July 27, 1977
by PD No. 1174.
02. Coal development program.

The country is divided into coal regions and exploration and
exploitation programs shall be instituted and implemented pursuant
to the Decree. These programs are geared towards the promotion
and development of the necessary technical and financial capability
to undertake a work program to effectively explore and exploit coal
resources. In recognition, however, of the social constraints that may
be encountered in effecting the establishment of coal units in regions
where there is high concentration of small coal miners, a special coal
program shall be formulated and implemented in coordination with
the appropriate government agency/agencies to meet the particular
(J)
":::,
Q)
needs of such regions. 1
:::,
CD
0..
:E
~
0
Q)
3
(J)
":::,
Q)
:::,
~ 1
Sec. 3, PD No. 972.
250
-,,
CHAPTim VI - COAL l)t,;v ,• ) .
(PfC!ljdcntinlDecree No. !J72, IIA ninuu,!;~,j(~JM,'•,N'I'ACT 01' IW/0 2r, I
,y I teAldentinl Decrco No. J J '/,1)
coal exploration, develo rn

03• government. p ent and production by the
The government, through the En

. nu (Bureau), shall undertak b _ergyResource Development
J3tll~opmentand production of e Y Itself the active exploration,
1
de7 operating contracts as defin c~~ r~sources. It may also execute
1
co~·exploitation of coal resour:es ~ t e law. The active exploration
11n perating contracts may Y th e government or through
1
coaun:ppropriated coal bearingc~::~ publl~c lands, any unreserved
or . ·t· s, c aims located and recorded
b~. private pa1·t1es areas covered b l'd
1 . .
vocableperm1 s, coa 11eases and othY va . . and . subsistmg coal
re £ er ex1stmg nghts granted by
the governme~t or the exploration
. . and exploitaf 10n of coaI Ian ds,
t l
governmen m1nera reservat10ns , coal are as 1mines ·
wh ose .1eases or
Permits are presently owned. or operated or h eld by governmen t -
11
Ownedor contra ed corporations and coal mi·nea bl e areas opera t ed
orheld by government agencies. 2
On December 2~, 2006, the Department of Energy (DOE)
issued Department Circ_u!ar (DC) No. 2006-12-0014 reiterating a
transparent and competitive system of awarding service/operating
contractsfor coal, geothermal and petroleum prospective areas, and
repealing for the purpose DC No. 2003-05-005 and DC No. 2005-
04-004. The Circular provides that the Bureau shall determine
prospective coal, or geothermal or petroleum areas found in
Philippineterritory and its maritime zones including the continental
shelffor inclusion in the competitive public contracting round. The
DOESecretary, upon the recommendation of the Bureau Director
and the Undersecretary exercising supervision over the Bureau,
shall declare such areas open for competitive public contracting
round. The DOE shall not accept any application or proposals
for exploration, development and production service/operating
contractsexcept during the competitive public contracting rounds.
No applications for small-scale mining permit for coal operations
Q)
(/)
()
shalllikewise be entertained in the offered areas until after service/
:;;:,
:;;:,
(I)
a.
operatingcontracts have been awarded. 3
:E
g:
C)
Q) 04. Blockingsystem.
3
(/)
()
Q)
:;;:,
:;;:,
The Bureau shall establish coal regions delimiting its extent
~
and boundaries after taking into consideration the various coal
--------
2
Sec. 4, PD No. 972 .
3
Sec. 1(1.1), DC No. 2006-12-0014.
....
\.,\\\' ON N,\T\llt,\L Hl-:SOllH<'l·',<.t
,\ND l(\lLES
:·:-.·: ur\'H{H'l'\)\1\tE l'Oll l'.NVIHON~fl:NTt\l.(',\~E~
\,,'l\\'\l\\t l,f tlw rounlr~•. t•:nchronl n 1don 11hnl1,

\1\\Hl!~ O(• \·
1
11
,n\l) \\\\'l'\l\hmn\ h\odcflnr ll\11\c\rnnglP~ 1
• t•11chcontoini 1, 1
,
, nn \i '" . 1
•
,.0nn \wdt\\'\'S, 1\\0\'L' l)l' \(,~!4.l'lw lhtl'l'/\\1tdHlll dl'tl-rn,,·l1p l,nt(l;i r.t I
l'Ol\1 l'\'l~ionwhnt nn nn nn' nvnilnbh for ronl 01H rntin 11 1 1

1 • t) ~,1 ..• '
, cont 1
1
\n
. n1wn,ngs\\ch rontrnct nrl'I\~, lht' Hurenu mnv • 1ulnJll nny t,1q.'-
lo\low,ngn\tl'rnntivc prnctd\\n 1 1
~: oft~
n. l1yoffering nn nrl'Hor nn'll~ for hid~. ~Pccif,
· , . \ \' , • ;lnr, t
mmrnrnmreqmrcnH 1 nl~ l\l\( l'On< dtClll:'i 111ncrordnn"'' . h tr,u
\ I.; Wtth
D('C\'t'l'; or tht>
b. Hy ner~ot.int.in1~ with n qunlifil•cl pnrt.y fo·1

npern\mg con\.rnd \llH er t w terms l\tH t comtti.ton~
· l l • • • Pl'O\'iq,
n C"u:11
t hC'Dc'crce. cdtn
. No \h'rson shnll be cn\.i\.ted\.nmore t.hnn l Ghl()cks of conl1,
m nny one conl region.' ,lnrl~
05. Preference of existing permittees or leaseholders.

All vnlirl nn<l subsisting hol<lors of co:d nwocnhk, lH~tn,it~
conl lenses nnd other cxistin~ rights grnnte<l by t.lrn governn,1.'l~~
for the exploration nnd exploitnt-.ionol' eonl l:rn<ls or I.he npernt()rs
thereof duly approved by the npproprint:cgovernmL'nt.ngl'ncyshnll
be given µroforence in the grnnt ot' eonl opernt:ing conh·nct O\'l'l' lht'
nren covered by their permits, lenses 01·oLhor right~ Sllhjed to tlwir
complinnce wit,h the conditions nml guidelines p1·ovidl'dby lnw.~
.B. Coal Ope1'<J.ti.ng

Cont,·act
06. Coal operatingcontract.
J\ conl opornting contrndiA ono ol' tho nul.hori·1,lll wny~of 1
active explornt.ion, cfovolopmont.,nnd production of con\ \'t'~Utll\'l'~

in n specifiecleont.rnctnron.11 Eneh con\ opo1·nLin1~ rnnl.t·nd ~hallb1.•
(./)
()
Dl
executed on behnH'ot' tho govoI·nrnont., 1·oµrusl'l\l.t d by tlw DOE 1
::,
::,
(1)
Secretnry.
0..
:::
;:;:
::r
()
In 11 con\ npornt.ingcontt·nct.,Hrn·vico,t.eduwlogy nnd !irn1ndn~
Dl
3 are furnished hy tho OJlorntol'I'm·which it. Hhnll bl' t1nt.itll 1d to \l\t'
(./)
()
Dl Hti pu)n Ledl'oeII nd roimlrnt'Hlll\Hlll t.ol'opm·II t.ing oxpt11rnt'~l. Acconlingly,
::,
::,
~
◄ socH. 0 1111tl (\, 111) Nn, 11n,

11Roc:,7, il,i<i, I\
11 (,
H11c11 l11111
,lllll Mlno11\I, Co\ll't. ol' i\pprnd11,UH No, 1 l·IO!ll, ,hllHI ''ll
., • [!l\h•-
~
. CHAPTEHV
'" NIo.- H72
(Pres1dent.iAlDeere•~ COAL " i. .,OPM
Dl"Vl'l
, nH l\lllutHl(•rl 1,y pl•~N'l'
, ALI'1,,
01•'10'/(l ' '
l'PH1<lo11Ii I I)
11 ~(id
the operator u t· b • t!cn o No. 1 I '/ti)

111 8 ' e tee} •
to undertake the coal operaf
, 1111cnlly compet·
,ions as requir . • financm
,entclnnd • Jly c11p11hJc
07. Obligations u d e m the contrnct..'

n er a coal operat'
The operator t d mg contract.
in er a co 1
manage and execute the coa laoperat' .
operating contract sh,a 11un c1crtake
(a) The exa . . ions winch shall inclucle: ,
to contain . coal by m1nat1011
. an d
deta1led •
investigation
drillin .' surfa . •ofl amsI supposecl
Ji g, trenchmg, test pittin ce geologic mapping, core
or the purpose of probing ti g and other appropriate means
extent thereof; le presence of coal deposits and th~
(b) b~
they can Steps necessary
mined, includinto ~:ach th~ c_oaldeposits s? that
and tunnelmg; and g t not hm1ted to shaft smking
(c) The extraction and utilization of coal deposits.
The government
contemplated shall
in the coal op oversee
t' the management of operation
operator to: era mg contract and shall require the
(a) Provide all the necessary service and technology;

(b) Provide the requisite financing;
(c) Perform the work obligations and program
prescribed in the coal operating contract which shall be less
than those prescribed in the Decree;
(d) Operate the area on behalf of the government in
accordance with good coal mining practices, using modern
methods appropriate for the geological conditions of the area
to enable maximum economic production of coal, avoiding
hazards to life, health and property, avoiding pollution of air,
land and waters, and pursuant to an efficient and economic
program of operation;
(e) Furnish the Bureau promptly with ull inf'ormntion,
data and reports which it rnaYrequire;
(f) Maintain detailed technical records nncl account of
its expenditures;

1.., WON ,\TUil L HE!:401JUCE!-4 ;\NI> HlJl,t-:S
• r,-t OF l'HO<'EIHIHE FOH ENVIIIONMl•:NTAL C/\Sfo:!-l
(iJ .Mnint.nin d •tnilcd toch11ic11l record!-! nnd 11ccount f

. f ,0
c;~1fctv o mnrcnt.10n o ngrccmont. ncrcngc nnd work nren"
~· . . ...,, n <,n.
intc-rfcren e \\ 1th the rights of the other petroleum, mincrn)
:1nd natural resources operators; •
01) Maintain all necessary equipment in good order nnd
allo,-., access to these as ,,,el] as to the exploration, development
and production sites and operations to inspectors authorized
by the Bureau;
(i) Allow representatives authorized by the Bureau full

access to their accounts, books and records for tax and other
fiscal purposes.
On the other hand, the Bureau shall:
a) On behalf of the government, reimburse the
operator for all operating expenses not exceeding 90% of the
gross proceeds from production in any year; Provided, That if
in any year, the operating expenses exceed 90% of the gross
proceeds from production, then the unrecovered expenses shall
be recovered from the operation of succeeding years. Operating
expenses mean the total expenditures for coal operation
incurred by the operator as provided in a coal operating
contract;
b) Pay the operator a fee, the net amount of which
shall not exceed 40% of the balance of the gross income after
deducting all operating expenses;
c) Reimburse operating expenses and pay the
operator's fee in such form and manner as provided for in the
coal opera ting con tract. 8
08. Minimum terms and conditions of the contract.

Every coal operating contract shall contain tho following
minimum terms and conditions:
) Every opera tor shall be ohligo<l t,o spe nd in direct

a . I
rosecution of exploration work not oss 1nn
tl the a1nounts
• t
P . t <lthese amoun s
provided for in t h e coal operating con~rHc an •. in the
1
shall not be less than the total obtained by nntltcio~ o~o.oo
number of coal blocks covered by the contract by Pl, '

CHAPTER VI --. CO
(Prcsirlontinl Dccreo No ll?; AL lH;v1,:1,opM1,:N'I'ACT ,
•• , IIH 11111 ulnd I,
111 , , ', OJ, Iff/(j ?.Fifi
Y 1 n 111d1,111.t11I
1
D,icrol!Nt,. 117'1)
per block nnnunlly· p. 0 .

thereof is suitnble· r·
01 .'open pi 'l'lrnt
vulcrl, , . , if Uw llrt•11
, or I 1 por t'.wn
1
l)Y tie1 operntor nncl th 0 13 • n11111n~HHdet.errnin<!djointly
• ·. .l . , u 1·e11u t J10
, • •
1equnement. 1ercm }Jlv> ·'rl d
' VI e Ill
' • .1 mtnnnum expcrndittir£•
1 , J
per block annually. Fr _ ·} _ny·>creuuced up to 1'200 000.00

. . ,. om t 1e t11n- , l . ,
quantity have been determined . ~ coa reserves m commercinl
Bureau, the operator sl Jotnt1y by the operator an<lthe
1 11
production of the contra ; Ullcl~rt~ke the development an<l
in the contract and shall ~e :~~: wit~m the ~eriod agreed upon
and production of th . ged to spend m the development
e contract are •
be deterinined by t' . a an amount which sha11
Bureau tak1'n . t nego iat1on between the operator and the
1· g 111. o .account facto rs sue h as measured reserves,
qua-~t~ _j>
0 coa~, muung me th od and location and accessibility to
mar e ; rovided, further, That with the approval of the Bureau
the operator may concentrate all the annual work obligation~
on any one o~ i:no_reof several contiguous or geologically
related blocks if 1t 1s shown that such concentration of work
will be most advantageous and beneficial in the development
and operation of the coal operating contract are; Provided,
further, That if during any contract year, the operator shall
spend more than the amount of money required to be spent,
the excess may be credited against the money required to be
spent by the operator during the succeeding years; Provided,
furthermore, That should the operator fail to comply with the
work obligations provided for in the coal operating contract,
it shall pay to the government t~e am~unt it shot~ld ?av~
spent but did not in direct prosecution o~its wo~ko~h?ations,
'd d finally That except in case of open pit mmmg, the
P rovi e , , l • •
o erator shall drill at least 30 holes per block anc a m1mm~1m
p f ]oratory holes before the end of the exploration
£oo~age o exp b .fled in the coal operating contract. The
per10d as may e spec1 t 1 ·ng into account the geological and
B ur eau may ' however,
. an allow a lesser number of dr1·11h o1es
I ed·
technical facto_rs_invo v ' d't to other accepted exploration
and footage g1v1ng due ere I
methods and practices. . . 1 nder every conl operntrng •
b) The explorat10n pe~JO\/~;he operator hns coinpl~ed
contract shall be for two year_s. .- the oxplorntion period
• rk obhgn 1,10ns,
with its explorat1?n woother t,wo years.
may be extended for an d other
. uipment, plants an
c) All materials, eq the exploration and/or
d r placed on t hall
installations erecte o bl nature by the opera or s
. f a rnova e •
producbon area 0

, 'OUilCFS AND RULES
LAWON NA'l'UH/\LH~•,S ' ,, 'l'AL CASES
OF PHOCtmu,rn FOil l•,NVIHONMLN
b come properties• o{• lhe . 13tu.cau if. not removed therefro. Ill
wit. lun nat10n of the coa 1 operat1n,,
. one year a ftcr tl• te t e1·1n1· o
contrnct.
d) The operator shall be subject to the provisions of
laws of general application relating to labor, health, safety and
ecology insofar as they are not 1n • conflict
• wi'th the provisions
••
otherwise contained in the Decree. 9
a. Doctrine of prh11ary jurisdiction

10
In Industrial Enterprises, Inc. v. Court of Appeals, the Court
ruled that while an action for rescission of a contract between coal
developers appears to be an action cognizable by regular courts, the
trial court remains to be without jurisdiction to entertain the suit
since the contract sought to be rescinded is "inextricably tied up
with the right to develop coal-bearing lands and the determination
of whether or not the reversion of the coal operating contract over
the subject coal blocks to [the plaintiff] would be i~ line with the
[country's national program and objective on coal-development and]
over-all coal-supply-demand balance." It then applied the doctrine of
primary jurisdiction. 11
C. Incentives
09. Incentives to operators.
The operator shall have the following incentives:
a) Exemption from all taxes except income tax;
b) Exemption from payment of tariff duties and
compensating tax on importation of machinery and equipment
and_spare parts_ and materials required for the coal operations,
subJect to certam conditions·
'
c) A_tth_eoption of the taxpayer, fixed assets owned by
the coal umts m_the performance or coal operating contract
may be the subJect of depreciation in uccor<lnnce with the
procedures e st ahlished hy tho Burouu of Internal Revenue;
9 Sec. 11, PD No. B72.

10GR No. 88550, April 18, 1990.
11 See also Bank of Commerce v. Planters Development Bank, GR No. 164470 •
Sept. 24, 2012.

. ~HAJ>'l'EH VI - COAL Dl-:VELOl'Ml•'N'l'A , ' ,' . '
(Pres1dcntrnl Dccr<•e No lJ?• • ' CI 01 1!)7(i 2fi7
• • • ~. 111-1
1111101Hled by l'l'<mido11Li11l Decroo No. l 17'1)
<l) The right to 1, 't t ti . ..

e1111a· • rn Jwcvm 1mg exchange rate
such sum ns may be nece . t · · ·
. ssniy ·o cover prmc1pal and rnterest of
foreign
. loans and fore·ign obl"1gat10ns
.• · · from
ansmg · ·
technolog1cal
assISt~nce contracts relating to the performance of the coal
operating contract;
e) Government financial institutions such as the

Development Bank of the Philippines, the Philippine National
Bank,_ the Government Service Insurance System, the Social
Security System, the Land Bank of the Philippines and
other government institutions shall accord high priority to
applications for financial assistance submitted by operators in
the performance of coal operating contracts;
f) Alien technical and specialized personnel may be
employed, provided that Filipinos shall be given preference to
positions for which they have adequate trai_ning.12
PD No. 972 provides various incentives to COC operators to

accelerate the exploration, development, exploitation, production
and utilization of the country's coal resources, including various tax
exemptions. In this connection, it has been held that VAT exemption
under PD No. 972 was not repealed by RA No. 9337, amending the
National Internal Revenue Code. 1 ~
10. Incentives to coal users.

c II
Th e 1.0 • • centives shall be granted to enterprises/
ow1ng 111 . . . . I f' ·1· ·
• d ustries
m • w h'1c]1 w1·11convei·t their ex1stmg. 011 fired p ants ac1 1t1es
to make the same adaptable for coal burnmg:
a) 'f ax. exem ption
.. on imported capital equipment,
subject to certain cond itwns;
b) Tax ere d 1·t on domestic
' cai1 ital equipment, subject to
certain conditions;
• , • 1 Joss incurrorl in nny of the first
c) A net opei 111,J11g ·
. I 0 f' I he implomontnt.10n o
f' tl
w 1·con1
t en years u ft CJ • the sl11r,
'.,
' •
l>e C'llt'l'iodovor ns n clolluction rom
convcrf:lion program 1111'..Y -.. 1- 11.1111,,clinl.olyfollowing th< yenr
taxable inc;ome /•or iJic, BJX ·'v1•111
I, -. H 1· · · •
• I ,·c•rl111n co1H 1t1011H,
of such ]oHH, s11l>JecL ,o , ' '
1
~Scc. ] 6, I'D No. 072. Hclllirarn Mini111: Corp., GR No.
I Hove11110 v.
13
Commissioncr of lnlOl"llfl
202fi34, Dec. o, 2018.

268
LAWON Ni\'11UHJ\L1U.~SOUllC1!~8
AND RULES
,
OF PROCl•~DUHI~FOH,l•~NVIHONMl~NT/\L CASl~S
. d) _Exemption from incc~mc 1:n~on the pro.ceecb of th(!

gains ren ltzed from the sn \e, d rnpos1t10n or transfer. of capit
assets which are sold or disposed ol' as a result of the conversia\
of facilities to a coal burning plant, subject to certain con<litio~;
J
e) At the option of the taxpayer and in accordance With

the procedure established by the Bureau of Internal Revenu
fixed assets used by the industry in carrying ?ut the progra~
of conversion to coal burning may be depreciated, subject to
certain conditions;
f) The right to ren1it at the prevailing exchange rate at

the tin1e of remittance such su1n as may be necessary to cover
interest and principal of foreign loan and foreign obligations
arising fro1n technological assistance contracts relating to the
implementation of the program of conversion to coal burning;
and
g) Preference in grant of government loans. 1•1
11. Entry and use of private lands.

The power of eminent domain may be invoked and exercised
for the entry, acquisition and use of private lands for purposes of
coal exploration, development and exploitation, upon prior written
notice to the surface owner of the land or occupant thereof. If the
surface owner of the land or occupant thereof refuses to allow the
coal operator's entry into the land, the coal operator shall notify
the Bureau of such fact. The coal operator shall post a bond in an
amount fixed by the Bureau based on type of the land and the value
of the trees, plants and other existing improvements thereon which
shall be the basis of compensation of the surface owner of the land.
Cf)
(")
In the absence of an agreement, the surface owner of the lautl
OJ
:::l
:::l
(l)
or occupant shall be entitled to the following compensation:
a..
~ . h 11receivens
:::T
0
a) For ~1tled lands, the surface owner s n (Pl.00)
OJ
3
Cf)
compensation frmn the coal operator at least One Peso tion
(")
OJ
:::l
:::l
for every ton of coal extracted on his hand, plu~ coi~pensn
~
for the value of improvements damaged or destioye • . .n
. ·f owner s~a
b) For . untitled lands, the sui ace . t least Fifty
. as compensation from the coal operatoi a
receive
1"Cnn 17
-
PD No. 972.
CHAPTRH.VI - COAL DgVl~LOPMl•~N'I'
AC'I' Of•' I07(l 2fiH
(Prcsidcntinl Dccreo No. !l72, nH 11111oi11lod Decroo No. 1171)
l,y Pru11ido111.i11I
Centavos (P0.50). for "Vei·y

" . t.on of' coa I oxf.rncteu
. ., on h rn
· Ian d,
1 t·)1n v I
Plus comJ)onsnt:10n ro1·
t
(' · I
• "' n uc o 1mpl.'ovcments < amugec or
1
destroyed.
c~ For government reserved lands open to a coal

operating contract, the compensation due the surface owner
shnll accrue e~ually between the supervising agency and the
Bureau to be disbursed for conservation measures. ir,
12. Timber rights.
The operator may cut trees or timber within his coal contract
area as may be necessary for the exploration, development and
exploitation of the area. If the lands are already covered by existing
timber concessions, the amount of timber needed and manner of
cutting and removal thereof shall be subject to the same rules and
agreed upon by the operator and the timber concessionaire. If no
agreement is reached, the matter shall be submitted for disposition
to the Bureau whose decision shall be final. The operator granted
a timber right shall be obligated to perform reforestation works
within the coal contract area in accordance with the regulations of
the Forest Management Bureau. 10
13. Water rights.

A coal operator shall also enjoy water rights necessary for
the exp]oration, development and exploitation of his coal contract
area, but water rights already granted or legally existing shall not
thereby be impaired. The government reserves the right to regulate
water rights and the reasonable and equitable distribution of water
supply so as to prevent the monopoly of the use thereof. 17
(./)
()
Q)
::,
::,
(l)
Q.
:;;
;:;;
:::T
(")
Q)
3
(./)
()
Q)
::,
::,
~
111
sec. rn-A, ibid., llti /IIIJOJlded hy PD No. 117'1.
IOScc. H>-D, PD No. 972.
17
8cc. Hi-C, ihid.
Chapter VII
DEPARTMENTOF ENERGYACTOF 1992
...-!... P,~elin1i11a1:y
01. law creating the Department of Energy.
On D~embe.r 9~ 1992! Congress enacted R...\ No. i638
(Department of Energy Act of 1992) which created the Depal'tment
of Energy to prepai'e! integrate~ coordinate, superYise and control
all plans! programs! projects! and activities of the government in
relation to energy exploration! development! utilization! distribution
and con.serration. The thrust of the Philippine energy program under
the law is toward privatization of governn1ent agencies related to
energy, deregulation of the power and energy industry and reduction
of dependency on oil-fired plants. The law also ain1s to encourage
free and active participation and investn1ent by the private sector in
all energy activities. Section 5(e) of the law states that "at the end
of four years from the effectivity of this Act, the Departme:1t shall,
upon approval of the Presid_ent, institute th_eprogra1ns a~~ ~1metable
of deregulation of appropriate energy proJects and activities of the
energy m• d us t ry •"1

The law declares as the policy of the State the following:
(/)
r,
(a) to ensure a continuous, adeqtrnte, find econom.ic
Ol
:,
:,
ro
a.
supply of energy with the end in view of ultimately achie\'ing
:,
;::.
:r
self-reliance in the country's energy requirements thl'ough the
(")
Ol
3(/)
integrated and intensive exploration, production, n,11nngcment.
r,
Ol
:,
and development of the country's indigenous encl'g)'l'Cs~u,:ces.
:,
~ and through the judicious conservation, renewnl, nud efficient
N _ 3ti0, Nov.5, 1997,
0 12 1
Tata d v. SecretarY of the Depa rt men t of Energy, GR •
1
2s1 scRA 330.

260
-
CHAP'i'El! VIJ - DEPAll1'MllN'l' OJ,'llNJIJ!Qy AC'!' OJ•'!002
(lfop11hllcAct No. 70:JB) 261
utilization of ene1·gy to keep pace with the country's growth

and economic development and taking into consideration the
active participation of the private sector in the various nreas
on energy resource development; and
(b) to rationalize, integrate, and coordinate the various

programs of the Government towards self-sufficienc?. ~nd
enhanced productivity in power energy without sacrificmg
ecological concerns. 2
03. Definition of terms.

(a) "Energy projects" shall • ..
to the exploration ext t· mean activities or projects relative
' rac 10n product· • · •
processing transpo t t· ' . wn, 1mportat10n-exportat10n,
' r a wn, marketing d. t 'b t·
conservation sto k 1T ' is ri u 10n, uti·11zat10n,
• •
' c P ing, or storage of all forms of energy products
an d resources.
(b) "Board" shall mean the Energy Regulatory Board: 1
04. Department of Energy.
To carry out the above-declared policy, the Department
of Energy, hereinafter referred to as the Department, has been
created. The Department is tasked to prepare, integrate, coordinate,
supervise, and control all plans, programs, projects, and activities
of the government relative to energy exploration, development,
utilization, distribution, and conservation.
a. Functions of the Department Secretary

(/)
The Secretary has the following functions:
£
:,
:,
(1)
a.
(a) Establish policies and standards for the effective,
~.
s efficient and economical operation of the Depnrtment in
i,;'
3
accordance with the programs of t1w government;
(/)
C)
"'
:,
:,
Exercise direct supervision nnd control over all
(b)
~
functions and activities of the Dep11J'l,mont,11swoll ns nil its
officerA and personnel;
:tSuc. 2, HA No. w:w,

:isuc. a, ibid.
262 LJ\\\ N NJ\'l'Ull/\L Hh,SOUR E AND HULES
FI HO EDUHE FOH l•,NVIHONr tENTAL ASE
( ) D vi~e a progrn1n of jnternationnl informnt.ion

th g ological and contractual conditions obt.nining in ~n
Philippin s for oil and gas exploration in order to dvance the
. d
111 ustr);
e
(d) Create regional offices and such other service uni

and divisions as 1nay be necessary;
(e) Create regional or separate grids as may be necessary
or beneficial; and
(f) Perfonn such other functions as may be necessary or
proper to attain the objectives of this Act.
The Secretary shall be an ex officio 1ne1nber of the Board of the
National Econon1ic and Develop1nent Authority (NEDA). He shall
also be a member of the body authorized to formulate, prescribe,
or amend the necessary guidelines for the financing, construction,
operation, and maintenance of infrastructure projects by the private
sector, under RA No. 6957, otherwise known as the Build-Operate-
Transfer Law. 4
b. Visitorial powers
The Secretary or his representatives shall have visitorial and
examining authority over non-government entities with contracts
for the exploration, develop1nent, or utilization of the natui-al
resources for energy purposes in order to deter1nine the share of the
government in the revenue or product thereof, and to ascertain ~11
f ds collectible and products due the govern1nent, and that all su h
unds collectible and products due the govern1nent, hnYe actually
fun 1· d6
been collected or de 1vere •
powers and functions.

OS. N 91 36 dated June 8, 2001, or tho Elect.ric Power Ind115 lrY
RA o. a~ded the functions of the Depnrt.m nt of Energyby
amending R
f
Act of ~OOl, ~o. 76 3g_Under the amo~1clntorylnw, th~ ?e~artn~:~~
vise the restructuring of the electr1c1ty1nd1.1sY
· mandate~ t_osutpe~t existing powers and functions, shall perforin
is . dd1t1on o I s
and, in a . g·
the fonow1n •
CHAPn~n v 11_ D'" , ,
.,J/\ H l'M l1'N'I' ,
(Hop11hlii•AJ Nor, Jt;Nri:r<oy
AC'/' OF l!HJ2 ~wa
• /\C I' 0, '/(1:Jfl)
(a) Fo1·1tH1lnt-oI 1· .
•.1t1· (' - JCJeH fo,· 11
me llt n on O n COlllJ)' ',1 >o\ .
J •
, le p fHlllltll{ 11nd impl(!·
' d .l
,ctn econon11cnl
• •
w4" 10u('lCllHJVC 1>1'()11. f' I '. '
i--,In111 01· t w eff1c1e11t,
f-lllpply
• . 1 I.;\_; cne1·,,y •
1rnt10na. economic JJ) _ t,: cons1t:ite11t,with the 11pprovnd
• nn<l consc,.
protect:1011 nn nnd
1
. . w11'h f'l, ie po1· •
ie1eH on cnvironmentnl
• vnt10n n J •
balnnce, Rn<l }Jl'ovid , ' IH n1n1nt.en11nceof ecological
• 1·1zat10n
rut10na • and c ,\ mechnn·, . ism 1·or t lw rntcgrnt,on
· •
' coorr1mat'1011 0 f . ,
programs of the gove. • the vnrwus energy
1nment·
'
(b) Develop and updat . . .. .
Energy Plan hereinaft . _e annually the existing Philippine
provide for 'an inte r:::·eferred to as 'The Plan', which shall
development ut·1· gt· d aI1 d comprehensive exploration,
. , 1 1za ·1011 dis t·II-··bu t·1011 and conservation
.
energy resources with , . r. . '. of
.• dl •. d'
fnen ' pre1.erent1al bias for environment-
Y, 1111genous and I
• I d .' ow-cost sources of energy. The plan
s h a 11 inc u e a policy. dir·
ect·ion towards the pnvatizat10n
. . . of
government agen~1es related to energy, deregulation of the
power and ener?y industry, and reduction of dependency on oil-
.fired plants. Said plan shall be submitted to Congress not later
than the fifteenth day of September and every year thereafter;
(c) Prepare and update annually a Power Development
Program (PDP) and integrate the same into the Philippine
Energy Plan. The PDP shall consider and integrate the
individual or joint development plans of the transmission,
generation, and distribution sectors of the electric power
industry, which are submitted to the Department: Provided,
however, That the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)
shall have exclusive authority covering the Grid Code and the
pertinent rules and regulations it may issue;
(d) Ensure the reliability, quality, and security of supply
of electric power;
(/)
(")
(e) Following the restructuring of the electricity sector,
a,
::J
::J
(I)
a.
the Department shall, among 0th ers:
f
~ (i) Encourage private sector investin~_nts_~n the
0
a,
3
. ·t·y sec t or and promote
e Iectric1 · development ot md1genous
(/)
(")
a,
::J
::J
and renewable energy sources;
~
. .) F•ac1
(11 ,·1·t -t and encourage
1 a e
:l
. . . reforms
. . the
. . in " .
. ations of distr,but1011 ut,111t.ws 10.1
structure an d oper
greater efficiency and lower costs; .
... . consuHation with othor govcrnmonti~gencies,
(111) In . f incentives to encourage mdustry
promote a system 0
~
.....-
'. Ht\l, u,,:soUHCl~S J\ND llULJt:S ~
LAWON Ni\ 1v,,FOH. 1,;NVIHONMl•:NTJ\L CJ\81•:H
2(M OF pJlOCl•:DUH ' Cl-l
. inchidi111{ now ~onornt.ing comp, •

p11r1.ic1pnntR, ·ovide nclcqllnl.e nncl relinhlo olectr'.n1e1;l'ttic\
L'nd-\lSt'l"/',,
NPC NE/\ nnd the _11 1pp111e n orrnntion /\ ;'.'\"-,
) \)' . fonnntiun camp:ugn to educate the pub)i, gl!ncy prov
(1 J, , 111 ..• , • . " .. • c on th peoi
. tiring of the clect11c1ty sector and privutiz t' e
res t,1 uc,1 · ,a ion of that
NPC nssets; faci
11 Jointly with the electric power industry partic·1 mu1
( 1.1 ... · •. . Pant8
establish t,he wholesale e1ectnc1ty spot mar 1mt and form 1 , req·
. 1 t· h u ate
the detailed rules governing t 1e opera 10ns t ereof;
(g) Establish_ and admin~ster p_rog~am~ for the exp)o. pre
col
ration, transportat10n, marketmg, d1stnbut10n, utilizaf
·1·mg, ~n d storage of'• ener~ resources10n
conservation, stoc 1<:pl of
an
on
all forms, whether convent10nal or non-convent10nal;
(h) Exercise supervision and control over all government IlE
activities relative to energy projects in order to attain the goal
embodied in Section 2 of RA No. 7638; s
rn
(i) Develop policies and procedures and, as appropriate,
promote a system of energy development incentives to enable a
and encourage electric power industry participants to provide
adequate capacity to meet demand including, among others, 'I
reserve requirements; formU:
laws\:
(j) Monitor private sector activities relative to energy ]
projects in order to attain the goals of the restructuring,
of Cir
privatization, and modernization of the electric power sector
Blg.
as provided for under existing laws: Provided, That the adult
Department shall endeavor to provide for an environment as WE
~onducive to free and active private sector participation and and c
rnvestment in all energy activities; then
(k) Assess the requirements of' determine priorities fol\
Circ\
(f) regu.
(1
provide direction to, and dissemi nn ;;e information resulting
"'
:, pena
progt·nms for thc
:,
(I)
a. fro1:1 energy research and dovelopmonl mad
~
;:.:
::r optimal development of various f'orms of energy procluct.ionnnd such
(")
"'
3
utilization tcchn0Jogic8; • sath
-
(f)
(1
"'
:,
:, (1) Ii'ormu 1a t c an d imp
• 1omont J)rogrnms, inc
• luc.ling
.. n
~
•d • • • • l1c1ous
sys t em of• prov1 1ng 1ncent1ves nnd ponnlties for the JU< f
•c. • f ' ' ·
an d e fucient use o energy 111all energy-consum1ng sec tol'S O
the economy;
.....
CllAP'l'ER VII - l)l'l)/\
1
H' H'l'M
' , l'N'I'
1
' 01•' l•:Nli:H.(lY AC'l' 01" I 002 2(jri
( l!)H1hltc Act. No, '/(l:18)
(m) U'ormulnt.o nnd .

lernted dovclot)me\11t f' ltnplcmont; n ))l'Ogram for the ncce-
the promotion tu, l
0 non co
: •nven t;ionn• l energy syst.em1:1and
c commerc11•l·· .•ion of'.t ts n pp1tcat1omr
l 7.U1·· • •
(n) Devise wuys and 1 1 . , . . . '
province city 01. . . ~ eans of giv1ng direct benefit to the
'
people affected' 111un1c.1paht
d . Y, especm • 11
Y the community • and
, 311 equ1tabl . r. . .• •
that hosts tlle , e preie1entinl benefit to the region
energy rcsou . d/
facility: Provz'd d } • rce an or the energy-generating
• , e ,, 1-oweve1·Tl , t tl . . .
municipalities 01. . . ' la le other provrnces, c1t1es,
requirements· ' reg10ns shall n0 t b e depnvec • l of their• energy
'
. . (o) t .Encourage
. pri va t e enterprises
. engaged in energy
proJec .s, including . corpo. t· .
1.a ions, cooperatives . .
and similar
co11dectht 1ve borganizatio ns, t 0 b.roaden the •base of their
' ownership
ai: edre Y enco~rage the widest public ownership of energy-
oriente corporatwns·
'
(p) Fo~mulate such rules and regulations as may be
necessary to implement the objectives of this Act· and
'
. . (q) Exerci~e such o~her powers as may be necessary or
1nc1dental to attain the obJectives of this Act.6
a. Issuance of implementing rules and regulations

The law empowers the Department of Energy (DOE) to
formulate rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement
laws under its watch.
In Perez v. LPG Refillers Association," the issue is the validity
of Circular No. 2000-06-010 issued by the DOE to implement BP
Blg. 33 which penalizes illegal trading, hoarding, overpricing,
adulteration, underdelivery, and underfilling of petroleum products,
as well as possession for trade of adulterated petroleum products
(/)
()
Q)
and of underfilled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, nnd sets
~
~
Cl)
0..
the monetary penalty for violators. In upholding the validity of the
:E
;::;:
:::,-
Circular, the Court laid down the rule that for nn administrative
0
Q)
3
regulation such as the Circular in question, to have tho force of
(/)
()
Q)
~
penal law: ' (1) the violation of the ndministrnt'ivo rognlntion must be
~
~ made a crime by the delegating statute itself; uncl (2) tho ponnlty for
such violation must be provi<led by tho Rlntuto itsolf. 'l'ho Circular
satisfies the first requirement.
nsec. 37, RA No. 91.36.

7GR No. 1.59149, ,June 26, 2006, 492 SCRA tia8.
l_--\\\' P~ ~ ..\Tlll,~\t. l~~~pUl,Cl\~ .-\ND tall.l\..~
::)_~, OF l'l,()Ci-:.llllln-~ l-\l1' l-:~yrnoNM~NT.\l. l 'A~l.:s
") 0 ff
•"'
,hl,
.,~ ,, ,n,nckd. c•riminnli-.:t'~illt'!~nl trnditw· ,,.J
'" • 1 • • •" \ \l\l 1t
Bl 01 ~- · · l . r11lY' •uHl tn't'rprn·ttH! nf , l\
nu ion. rnHfr•rh11rng. w:u , n :•• ' . • . Pt t rnJl'
. 1·1,' c1·1\.·,1l•1.1· nwrt'l\' li~t~ the yn rHHt~ moch,~ h\' \\·l11· l 1tn,
pt'-) dur t~- t , • •• • r l th
&,id. criminal ~,cts may be pt'rpctrntcd. 'l'lH' t~nnhltng-lnws on\\'}. t'
the Ci,~·nlnris based pro,·i,!P thl' DOE with iIllTt'HSPdnd ministi·n1l!rh
,rnd penal measnr.es with whk.h to et1l'Ct.iYl'iy rnrtni\ rnin ,1"' 111
~dulreration and short~elling. ns well n~ nt her nets in\·ol~:'
· · · · 1 l l' ' • \ ll)n
petroleum product$. wlnch are u11n11cnto µu ) 1c 1nterest.. :._
In a case:' the Court upheld Depnrt.ment of Energy (DO
Circular No. 2000-06-10 implemen6ng Bnt.ns Pnmbnnsn (BP) BIEi
33. The circular pr<)\iderl for fines for the commission of prohib't g.
acts. The Court found that. notJ1ing in t.he circulnr cont.rnvenerl\~d
law because the DOE was expressly authorized by BP Birr 33 e
u , N -63S
n....~ .1. 'o. ,
. •
to impose fines or pe1rn.lt1es.
o· nnd
C. Burea.u.s a.nd Services

06. Bureaus and services.
Section 12 of RA No. 763S empowers the Secretary of Energy.
subject to the approval of the President~ to reorganize, restructure
and redefine the functions of the bureaus and services, and. to create
regional offices and such other service units and divisions as may be
necessary.
After the creation of the Depart1nent of Energy, several laws
were passed expanding the role and functions of the Department.
such as the Downstream Oil Industry Regulation Act of 1998(RA
No. 8479), the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 (RJ-\No. 8749),ni~d
the Electric Power Industry Refor1n Act of 2001 (RA No. 9136)-
Owing to the expanded role in the allocation, inobilization nod
[/)
•
optimum emp Ioyment of the country's resources there was n 11ced
•
()
C,
:::,
:::,
(1)
to institutionally strengthen the Departnlent t~ cope with t.ht'Sti
C.
~
developments.
§:
()
C,
3 Thus, on August 23, 2002, the President issuo<l A<lministrntt:
[/)
()
C,
:::,
:::,
~
Orde~· (AO) No. 38 reorganizing, restructuring und redofin;ing"
funct10ns of the bureaus and services of the Depnrtinent as tollo
,:t
r:91-J!),
8
Perez v. ~
LPG Refillers Associntion of the Philippines, Inc.,_ GR No,
10 • ('ll
o q11(J, '
11
June 26, 2006; See also Pharmaceutical Rnd Health Cnre Associntwn "·
No. 173034, Oct. 9, 2007.
CHAPTER VU D~ -
- EPAR'I'MEN'11
OF ENJUtOYAC'I'OF UW2 267
(Hopublic Act No, 70!18)
a. Energy Resoui· ,. D
ce ovo 1op111ont Bureuu (ERDB)
The ERDB shall h 11v, ti f' II . . .
c • lo .o owing funct10ns on<lf:lorv1cm:1:
. l)
10
formulate and implenwnt; policies, programs, regu-
0 1
lat n.s ~ the exploration, development; production of energy
froin indigenous petroleum, petrochemical, coal and geother-
mal energy resources; and
2) undertake product and market development of coal

and geother1nal resources/industries.
b. Energy Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB)

The EUMB shall have the following functions and services:
formulate
1) and implement policies, programs,
regulations on new energy technologies, alternative fuels
and the efficient, economical transformation, marketing and
distribution of conventional renewable energy resources; and
2) undertake plans, programs and strategies to ensure
efficient and judicious utilization of conventional and renewable
energy resources.
c. Energy Policy and Planning Bureau (EPPB)

The EPPB, which replaced the Energy Planning and Monitoring
Bureau (EPMB), shall have the following functions and services:
develop, prepare and update an integrated national
1)
energy plan and other support plans for the energy sector;
2) formulate energy policies, programs and strategies;
3) undertake comprehensive assessment of the demand
scenarios and supply options; and
g, 4) undertake studies on the impact of energy policies
Q)
:,
:,
(1)
C.
on the economy and environment.
~
g:
0
Q) d. Electric Power Industry Administration Burenu
3
(/)
(")
Q)
:,
:,
(EPIAB)
~
The EPIAB shall have the following functions nnd services:
• . t·he restructuring of the electric
1) . supervrneith 'a view to est:nbhslnng
• • a compet't'
1 1ve,
power industry, w_ ent and encouraging private sector
market-based envll'onm •
participation;
HFHOlJHCl•~H
/\ND llULES
1
11(i~ LAW ON N/\TU.H~\1. 1,•N"
VI IH )NM l•~N'l'AI,CM:H1:8
OF P1HH'lWllHl , H1H '
1
'') . . ,tc' ,lniin nncl progrnmH thnt, would on

. 1,H mu 1, 1 f' I • • %r
·,·
{ · t 111
cl t·l'linble HUPP 1Y O O <!cl.ncit.y;ancl ri
IH l ,'q\ll\ t (\ (' H'll'll , I •
'') . . l t, \>Inn~, JlrogrnmR nnd Htrut.egies on t\itnl
,l 1m mu n .c
r'lcct.riftcnt.ion.
Oil Jndustry Adn1inistration Burenu (OIAB)
The O11\Bshall have the following functions and services:
1) formulate and impleme~t policies, p~ograms, and
regulations on the downstream o~l. industry, mcluding th
importation, exportation, stockp1hng, ~torage, shippin e
transportation, refining, processing, marketing and distributiog,
of petroleum crude oils, products and by-products; and n
2) monitor developments in the downstream 0-1

. d l
m ustry.
The Administrative Support Services created under RA
No. 7638 was redefined into three distinct services, namely th
Administrative
. Services, the Financial Services and the Lecrba
el
Serv1ces.
The Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), the National
Power Corporation (NPC), and the National Electrification
Administration (NEA) have been placed under the supervision of
the Department, but are to continue to perform their respective
functions insofar as they are not inconsistent with the provisionsof
RA No. 7638. 9
f. The National Transmission Corporation (TRANS-

CO)
Section 8 of RA No. 9136 created the National Transmission
CJ)
0
Q)
Corporation (TRANSCO) which shall assu1ne the electricill
:,
:,
(1)
0..
transmission functions of the National Power Corporation (NPC),
:a:
;::.
:::r
and exercise the powers and functions. specified in the lnw._'l'~t'
0
Q)
3
TRANSCO sha11 assume the authority and responsibility of t ~
NPC for the planning, construction, and centralized operation ~n~
CJ)
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:,
• of' 1•t·s l11g

• l1 vo1tuge transmission fnc1hties,
• • • 1·11clud
111
:,
~ mam • t·enance "
grid inter-connections and nncillnry services. 11'
usec. 13, RA No. 7638.

10
8cc. 8, RA No. 9136.
CHA i''I'" R V11- l) I•:I' I\ I!'l'Ml•:N•1
• O,,. 1•:NJmaV AC'/' 0 /I lfJ02
<Hop11hllcAct No, 70:JB) 269
'l'J10 p 0
g, • wo1• Socl:01· AHAcl.H nnd LlnhJJitiea Munuge-
1110.nt Co1•pot~ntiou ( PSA J,M)
Section
II 1!l of' RA No, fll.36, otherwise known aa the "Electric
Power Ind stry Refo l',n Act of 200 J" (EPJRA),created a government-
owncd nnd -controlled corpoi·ation known as the Power Sector Assets
ttnd Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM)which shall take
ownership of all existing NPC generation assets, liabilities, IPP
contracts, real estate and all other disposable assets. 11 The pri':cipal
purpos~ of_the_ PSALM is to inan?ge the orderly sale, dispos1tion,
and pnvatization of NPC generation assets, real estate an~ other
disposable assets, and IPP contracts with the objective ofliqmdatmg
all NPC financial obligations and stranded contract costs 1n an
optin1al 1nanner. 12
In IDEALS, Inc. v. PSALM i:i ••
enjoin the sale of the An at H 'd pet◄itwn~rs sought to permanently
to Korea Water R . g Y ro-Electric Power Plant (AHEPP)
. . . esou1ces Corporaf 1011(KW •
public b1dd1ng conducted b th p - ater) which won the
Management Corporationy (P;dwer Sec~o~Assets and ~iabilities
bidding and award of tl M). Petitwners quest10ned the
_. . le contract to K-Water which is a forei n
corporation,
F"I · · · _· contending that the
. Wat er Code 11m1ts
• • water rights
• gto
I 1p1dno citizens and corporat10ns which are at least 60% Filipino-
owne .
In denying the petition, the Court held that under the Water
Code concept of appropriation, a foreign company may not be
J,1
said to be "appropriating" our natural resources if it utilizes the

waters collected in the dam and converts the same into electricity
through artificial devices. Since the NPC remains in control of the
operation of the dam by virtue of water rights granted to it, there is
no legal impediment to foreign-owned companies undertaking the
generation of electric power using waters already appropriated
by NPC, the holder of water permit. 'l'he Court explicated that while
(/)
C)
Q)
:,
:,
the Water Code imposes a nationality requirement for the grant of
(!)
a.
:::
water permits, the same refers to the_privilege "to ?ppr~priate and
;::;;
:,-
()
use water " which means the extractrnn of water from its natural
Q)
3
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C)
source (Art. 9, PD No. 1067). But once remove<ltherefrom, the water
Q)
:,
:,
~
llSee. '19, ibid.

iisee. 50, ihid.
13GR No. J.92088, Oct. 9, 2012.
, . "Appropriation of wntor, us used in the Wutor Cods, refors to the "ncquisition
of rights over the use of waters or tho taking or diverting of wnte1·s from a natural
source in the manner and for any purpose ullowecl by law."
~
270 LAWON NNl'Ullt\L ,msoUJWJ~SAND HULI~S
OF PHOCEDUlU~FOHgNVlllONMEN'J1AL CASES
ceases to be part of the natural resour?es. of ~he country. A foreign

company may not be said to be "appropriating' our natural resources
if it utilizes the waters collected in the dam and converts the sarne
into electricity through artificial devices.
Foreign ownership of a hydropower facility is not prohibited
under existing laws. The construction, rehabilitation, and
development of hydropower plants are among those infrastructure
projects which even wholly-owned foreign corporations are allowed
to undertake under the Amended Build-Operate-Transfer (Amended
BOT) Law (RA No. 7718). With respect to foreign investors, the
nationality issue has been framed in terms of the character or nature
of the power generation process itself, i.e., whether the activity
amounts to utilization of natural resources within the meaning
of Section 2, Article XII of the Constitution. If so, then foreign
companies cannot engage in hydropower generation business;
but if not, then government may legally allow even foreign-owned
companies to operate hydropower facilities.
h. National Electrification Administration (NEA)

NEA shall continue to be under the supervision of the
Department of Energy and shall exercise its functions under PD No.
269, as amended by PD No. 1645. In addition, NEA shall develop
and implement programs:
1) To prepare electric cooperatives in operating and
competing under the deregulated electricity market within
five years from the effectivity of RA No. 9136, specifically in an
environment of open access and retail wheeling;
2) To strengthen the technical capability and financial
viability of rural electric cooperatives; and
(f)
(")
Q)
3) To review and upgrade regulatory policies with a
:,
:,
Cl)
0..
view to enhancing the viability of rural electric cooperatives as
:E
~
electric utilities. 15
()
Q)
3
(f)
(")
Q)
07. Relationship of the Department with other offices.
:,
:,
~
The Department and its priority projects shall enjoy proferentinl
attention from the Department of' Environment nnd Nnturnl
Resources relative to the exploration, development, exploitation,
16Sec. 58, RA No. 7638.

\
\
CHAPTERVII - DEPAllTMEN'I'OF ENERGYACTOF 1992 271
(Re)>ublicl\ct No. 7Ga8)
and extraction of petroleum, conl, nnd geothermal reHources, and

in the 111atter of providing technicnl support necessary for the
establish111ent of power-generating plants.
Upon request of the Department or any of its bureaus, aJI
govern1nent agencies with functions relative to the approval of the
projects of the Departn1ent or its duly authorized and endorsed
entities, whether govern111ent or private, shall act upon and
resolve the 111atterwithin ten calendar days. Toward this end, the
Secretary, with the approval of the President, may establish an
inter-agency secretariat for the purpose of expediting the approval
of said projects. 16
D. Energy Regulatory Board

08. Energy Regulatory Board.
The supply of electricity is a public service that affects national

security, economic growth and public interest. Thus, on May 22, 1987,
the President issued EO No. 172 creating the Energy Regulatory
Board (ERB) to provide the policy guidelines and regulatory
framework for. the activities and operations of the power sector.
The ERB was to regulate the business of importing, exporting, re-
exporting, shipping, transporting, processing, refining, marketing
and distributing energy resources. It was also given the power to
determine, fix and prescribe the rates - including penalty charges
-of all energy providers, including the National Power Corporation
(NPC), a government-owned and -controlled corporation existing by
virtue of CA No. 120 and RA No. 6395.17
Energy resource means any substance or phenomenon which •
by itself or in combination with others, or after processing or refining
or the application to it of technology, emanates, generates or causes
(/)
(")
a,
the emanation or generation of energy, such as but not limited to,
:::,
:::,
(1)
C.
petroleum or petroleum products, coal, marsh gas, methane gas,
~
;:;:
:::r
geothermal and hydroelectric sources of energy, uranium and other
(")
a,
3
similar radioactive minerals, solar energy, tidal power, as well as
(/)
(")
a,
:::,
:::,
non-conventional existing and potential sources. 18
~
16
Sec. 23, RA No. 7638.
17National
Power Corporation v. Philippine Electric Plant Owners Association,
GR No. 159457, April 7, 2006, 486 SCRA 577; National Power Corporation v. East
Asia Utilities Corporation, GR No. 170934, July 23, 2008.
18
Sec. 3, EO No. 172.
,
272 LAW ON NA'l'UHAL HgSOUHCl•:8AND HUL!t:8
OF l'HOCEDUHI•\FOH ENVIHONCVl!o:NT/\1.
C/\Sti:8
n. Jurisdiction, powers, nnd functions

'l'hc ERB. now Energy Hegulntory c.omn~ission (EHC),exercised
the following. 1-unongother powers nncl (unctions:
1) Fix and regulate the prices of petroleum products;
2) Fix and regulate the rate schedule or prices of piped
gas to be charged by duly franchised gas companies which
distribute gas by means of underground pipe system;
3) Fix and regulate the rates of pipeline concessionaires
under the provisions of RA No. 387, as amended, otherwise
known as the "Petroleum Act of 1949," as amended by PD No.
1700;
4) Regulate the capacities of new refineries or additional
capacities of existing refineries and license refineries that may
be organized under such terms and conditions as are consistent
with the national interest;
5) Take such steps as it may consider necessary,
including the temporary adjustment of the levels of prices
of petroleum products and the payment to the Oil Price
Stabilization Fund (OPSF) by persons or entities engaged in
the petroleum industry of such amounts as may be determined
by the ERC, which enable the importer to recover its cost of
importation. 19
The ERC is tasked by law to fix, determine and prescribe the
rates being charged by NPC to its customers.w
b. Reorganized or abolished agencies

EO No. 172 reconstituted the Board of Energy into the ERBnnd
(/)
n
Ol
:::J
the farmer's powers and functions under RA No. 6173, as amended,
:::J
(1)
0.. were transferred to the latter.
~
§:
(')
Ol
The regulatory an<l adjudicatory powers nnrl functions
3(/)
n
Ol
exercised by the Bureau of Energy Utilizntion (renamed Energy
:::J
:::J
~
Utilization Management Bureau) under PD No. 1206, ns amended,
were also transferred to the ERB.
19Supra.
20National Power Corporation v. East Asin Utilities Corporation, GR No,
170934, July 23, 2008.
,,,,,.
CH/\PTJm \lfJ _ l>li'J> ,

' I\ H,,M1,w,,, o,,, 11:N,rnovA<:T o,,.um~ ~n:1
(H"Pllhli,• 1\c:1No. 70:111)
RJ\ No. 7G:!8 l.1·1111~fl•r1·cdII ,, ' . .

·urisdiction. power~ nnd t'tiJ . . 'lO I ,H.HH 11011-pnc,1 rf!f{11l11t.ory
J lcl.1011H 1.oI.Ito llep11r/.mc,11t,of /1;norgy.
IV\ No. 913G, the "l~lec.;t l' ·, fl I "
(l;,1)11...• ,,,t·i lll ~ f'<'lTec l '", 110, , tc own,· 1JH llAtry· Heform ;\ct;of 200 J
'(,A)
,
Energy ;
heg11Jn "to •ry Co111111• iPowers
ssion (Eof the 1m131.oI.ho newly-crentcd
HC).,,
09. Authority to grant provisional relief.
• _The ERB Was _empowered, upon the filing of an application,

pet1t10n °:
complamt or at any stage thereafter and without
prior hearmg, on the basis of supporting papers duly verified or
authenticated, to grant Provisional reJiefon motion of a party in the
case or on its own initiative, without prejudice to a final decision after
hearing, should the ERBfind that the pleadings, together with such
affidavits, documents and other evidence which may be submitted in
support of the motion, substantially support the provisional order.
But the ERB was mandated to immediately schedule a_nd~onduct
a hearing thereon within 30 days thereafter, upon pubhcatwn and
notice to all affected parties. 22
10. Effectivity of Board's decisions or orders.

All decisions or orders of the ERB which were to continue an
existing service, or determining, fixing and prescribing rates to be
charged, shall be immediately operative; and all other decisions
or orders shall become effective upon the dates specified therein.
However, decisions, orders, or resolutions in c_ontrovertedmatters
and not referring to the continuance of an existing service or
determining, fixing and prescribing rates to be charged shall take
effect fifteen (15) days after notice to the parties, unless otherwise
(/)
provided by the ERB.23
()
Q)
:J
:J
([)
a. 11. Appeal from decisions or final orders of the ERB.
f.
:;;
() '-'- decisions or final orders of the BRB were to be
Appea 1s 1rom
3
Q)
. . [' • t
(/)
()
Q)
taken to the Court of Appeals via a pet1twn .or revie,-v purs_un~1
to Ru1e 43 of. t h e R u 1es o{' Court The appenJ shnll bo taken w1tl11n
:J
:J
!11 •• • . ,· l
fif
. t· ol-'the decision 01· hrrnl order, or o t 10
1 teen (15) days f.rom no JCe • . .. iu
. . . , t···
demal of pet1t10ner s mo ,1011 {!
1101 , reconsidorntwn.
21
Sec. 44, RA No. 91.36.
22
Sec. 8, EO No. 172.
2'1
•Sec. 9, EO No. 172.
~
Secs. 1 and 3, Rule 43, Rules of •Court,.
,
27'1 LAW ON NNl'UHl\li 1n:sou11c1,:8AND HULl~S
OF PHOCl•:DUH
1,:FOlt 11:NVI llONM I•:N'l'/\1, C/\81•:S
E. Elect1'ic Pouw1·ln.dustry llefor,n Act
12. ElectricPowerIndustryReformAct of 2001.

On June 8 , 2001., Cong1·css enacted RA No. 9136, known. ns
the "Electric Power ]ndust1·y !lefcn:m Act of 2001 .(l~Pl~A)." Among
others, EPIRAdeclares ns poltey of the State tho f.ollow1ng:
(a) r:ro ensure and accelerate the total electrification of
the country;
(b) To ensure the quality, reliability, security and af-
fordability of the supply of electric power;
(c) To ensure transparent and reasonable prices of elec-
tricity in a regime of free and fair competition and full public
accountability to achieve greater operational and economic effi-
ciency and enhance the competitiveness of Philippine products
in the global market;
(d) To enhance the inflow of private capital and broaden
the ownership base of the power generation, transmission, and
distribution sectors;
(e) To ensure fair and non-discriminatory treatment of
public and private sector entities in the process of restructuring
the electric power industry;
(f) 'fo protect the public interest as it is affected by the
rates and services of electric utilities and other providers of
electric power;
(g) To assure socially and environmentally compatible
energy sources and infrastructure;
Cf)
(")
Ol
:J
:J
(h) 'fo promote the utilization of indigenous and new
(D
0.
~
;:;:
and renewable energy resources in power generntion in order
:::r
0
Ol
to reduce dependence on imported energy;
3
Cf)
(")
Ol
:J
(i) To provide for an orrlerly and transpnrent
:J
~ privatization of the assets and linbilitios oft.ho Nntionul Power
Corporation (NPC);
G) To establish n strong nnd purely m • d0 i~endent
. . ·otect10nand
regulatory body and system to ensure consumei P~ . ,J t·
. . . {' tl
enhance the compet1t1ve opornt10n o 10 e ecI •tr1c1ty mm rn '
•
and
CHAPTERVIJ_ DEPAJ!'i'MEN·r01' liNfmov ACTav JfJ!/2
<Ho!Jublic
Act,No. 70:18) 275
0). To encourage 1:hcef'licienl.liHP. of energy 11ncl other

modaht1es of dellland side lll/11111ge1llenL.''
th
Unde~· e EP!R~, the generation of electric power, u buRiness
affected with pu_bhc mterest, was opened to private sector and
8 1
1y new generation COlilpany is required to secure u certificate of
~ ;,pliance from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC),/ls well
\ health, safety and environmental clearances from the concerned
:overnment agencies. Power generation shall not be considered
" public utility operation, and hence no franchise is necessary.
•;oreign
II1 d strv investors
u 26 J•
are likewise allowed entry into the electric power
a. EPIRA, a Iandn1ark .
piece of legislation
One of the landmark pieces of . .
in recent years is the EPIRA legisl~tion enacted by Congress
structure and regulatory f· • It eSt abhshed a new policy, legal
The new thrust is to ta I a~~work for _theelectric power industry.
. t ft . P pnvate capital for the expansion and
1mprovemen o he ind t h
. . . . us ry as t e large government debt and the
highly cap1tal-1ntens1ve character of the industry itself have long
been ack1:owle~ged as the critical constraints to the program. To
~ttract private investment, largely foreign, the jaded structure of the
mdustry had to be addressed. While the generation and transmission
sectors were centralized and monopolistic, the distribution side was
fragmented with over 130 utilities, mostly small and uneconomic.
The pervasive flaws have caused a low utilization of existincr t,
generation capacity; extremely high and uncompetitive power

rates; poor quality of service to consumers; dismal to forgettable
performance of the government power sector; high system losses;
and an inability to develop a clear strategy for overcoming these
shortcomings.
(/)
(")
OJ
:::i
:::i
Thus the EPIRA provides a framework for the restructuring of
ro
a.
~- the indust;y, including the privatization of the assets _o~theNational
:;.
0
OJ
Power Corporation (NPC), the transition to a competitive str~cture,
3
(/)
(")
and the delineation of the roles of various government agencies and
OJ
:::i
:::i
th e priva · t e en t·t·
1 1es. The Jaw ordains the divjsjon
. of the industry
. .
~
into four (4) distinct sectors, nai:nely: genera tI~n, ~ra~1s1_mss10n,
. t ri'b utwn,
d1s · an d supp Iy. Corollanly ' the NPC gene1ntmg plants
25
Sec. 2, RA No. 9136.
26 IDEALS, Inc. v. PSALM, GR No. 192088, Oct. 9, 2012.
..
1
, , )UHCES AND HULES
27G I /\\\I ON N/\'1'UIU\li H!•,s,c,,,,(JNMl•:N'l'ALcMms
, , J,'(JHl•,N '
OF l'H<)ClmUJn,
't f,)'/111Rlll l'uuioJI

,~.:, l>usincsR 8J)Un off ,"ncl
re
havc to privnt izc'd nn<I 1 fi
1
pri,·ntizl'<l t.hl'1'<'1lftl't'.n
13. Overview of the Energy Regulatory Commission.
C 1mission (ERC) is an indepencle t
Thr Energy Hegulutory on . t d under the EPIRA n '
• • d' • 1 1 t,01·v ugency c1ea e . It
qun~1-.1u 1c1R regu R J • B . ·d (ERB) which was ere
::.bolishcd t.he Energy Regu]aioJ Y oar . . ated
. EO NT 1,..,,2
211 One of the landmark pieces of legislation
un d81 0
• • . . . EPIRA established
en acted by Congress 111 recent years, the a new
• •
policy, legal structure, an regu a d . I t 01 ··y framework for the elect •
ric
pm.verindustry.
In Freedom, from Debt Coalition . v. E_nergy Regulatory
Com ,nissfon, 2 the Court, through Justice Tinga, stated that
!)
the new thrust is to tap private capital for the expansion and
improvement of the industry as the large government debt and the
highly capital-intensive character of the industry itself have long
been acknowledged as the critical constraints to the program. To
attract private investment, largely foreign, the jaded structure of the
industry had to be addressed. Thus, the EPIRA provides a framework
for the restructuring of the industry, including the privatization of
the assets of the National Power Corporation (NPC), the transition
to a competitive structure, and the delineation of the roles of various
government agencies and the private entities. The law ordains the
division of the industry into four distinct sectors, namely: generation,
transmission, distribution, and supply. 3° Corollarily, the National
Power Corporation (NPC) generating plants have to be privatized 31
and its transmission business spun off and privatized thereafter. 3~
On June 8, 2001, RA No. 9136 was passed to reform and
restructure the electric power industry and privatize the National
Power Corporation (NPC). It abolished the ERB and created
~he. ~RC as ~n i?dep.endent regulatory body vested with quasi-
Jud1c1al, quas1-leg1slative and administrative functions to oversee
:nGerochi v. Department of Enol'''Y GJl N 1597 n 5 J l , 17 2007 citing

Free dom f.rom J) eI>t Coal1twn
.. b ' o. . • ~,
v, Energy Herqtl t . C •. •
\l j • I
GR No 161113,
I
June 15, 20011. o n 01y omm1ss10n, :T •
28S ec. 38, RA No. 9136.

29G
• R No. 161113, rlune 15, 2004, 432 SCHA 157
:rnsec.27, ibid. •
31
Sec. 47, ibid.
12
• 8P.cs. 3 and 21, ibid.

CHAPTER \"11_ DEt
\HT~IEi\l' OFF . ~ .
{l'Jl\lhlic \ " _ ,NLH(,) A "'rOF 1!)!)2 '77
' t 1,0. ,n:1
the le<:tric indu try. l 11 nctc..
r g"ldate ele tric rnt .._a1 d htt_on lo bHB'. trnclitiot111lfunct1'<)n. to
'bT . I} } -
• 1 • H focu. C'. 011 two primnr
l S l'\'l '
respons 1 t 1tie : (1 t 11 ur
and 2 t promote competit' _e con Ut~ler education nnd prot tion •
i, e operati . } . . •
• on 111t 1 el ctn 1ty mnrkct. 11
14. Powers and functions of the ERC.
The ER C is tasked t 0 promote
. ••
de,·elopment, ensure cust . compet1t10n. encounwc market
. h omer choice a d 1· b
power mt e restructured el t .· . . 11 • pena 1ze a use of mnrkct
111
ERGis granted, in fer alia t~c -~Icliity_ <lustr) • Towards this end. the
e 10 owmg functions:
1
(a) Enforce the rul d .

operations of the t .· . es an regulat10ns governing the
1
the spot mark t e e~ ncity spot market and the activities of
market ~ . the opeiator and other participants in the spot
· al, 101. . - e purpose of ensurmg • a greater supply and
ratwn pricmg of electricity;
Cb_) Amend or revoke, after due notice and hearing, the
a~thonty to o~e:·ate of any person or entity which fails to comply
\v1th the prov1s10ns hereof, the IRR or any order or resolution
of the ERC. In the event that a divestment is required, the
ERC shall allow the affected party sufficient time to remedy
the infraction or for an orderly disposal, but in no case exceed
12 months from the issuance of the order;
(c) Exercise original and exclusive jurisdiction over all
cases contesting rates, fees, fines and penal~ies imposed by the
ERC in the exercise of the abovementioned powers, functions
and responsibilities and over all cases involving disputes
between and among participants or players in the energy
sector. 34
Under Section 36 of the EPIRA,the National Power Corporation
(NPC) an d every. distribution facility covered by the a· law is mnndated
•
te or itemize its rates accor mg to t1ie var10u~
to un bun dl e, segrega . . • l l , l ,.
· wei· industrv 1dent1fie0 m t w H\\, name ) •
secto rs of t h e e 1ec t nc po " ,, • •
· · · distribution and supply. I he law further
generat10n,
. transm1ss10n,
C . . .'
teandfncihtatetheunnmr •1 11· ,. f' in.es
m&o • t
d1rects the ER to regu a 1
16
prescribed by Section 36.:
·.,a ' 11 C,HNo. If) "1Cl2,April fi, :WW.

33 R I11tory Con11n l """10 ,
Franco v. Energy egu
34Sec. 43, RA No. 9136. I .. Ilonrd v JVlernlco,GR No. 141814, April
36 Republic, rep. by E
flc"ll 11to1y •
-"ncrgy b
9, 2003, 40 SCRA 130.

278 L/\W ON Nt\TUH/\L 1rnH0UllCl :H ;\ND H,ULE8
1
4
OF PHOCElH Jtn: FOH ENVI ltONM t•:N'l't\L C/\81 :8
a. A puhlic ut.ilit.y 11111Ht. Htth1nit to governtn(jnt

1·<'J{Ula tions
'l'lw h\1si1H'R~ nncl opcrnl.irnrn of 11 puhli~ util_it_,.v

nre imbued
with public int.Prest.. For this renRon, u public utility frnhmitr; to
t.hc-reg·ulnt.ion of' government. nuthol'ilics nncJ surrenders ccrts,in
business prerogatives, including the amount of rates that mny he
chn rged by it..:io
As Justice, later Chief Justice, Puno succinctly stated in
Republic, rep. by Energy Regulatory Board v. Meralco/ 11 rate
regulation calls for a careful consideration of the totality of facts
and circumstances material to ench application for an upward rate
revision. Rate regulators should strain to strike a balance between
the clashing interests of the public utility and the consuming public
and the balance must assure a reasonable rate of return to public
utilities without being unreasonable to the consuming public. What
is reasonable or unreasonable depends on a calculus of changing
circumstances that ebb and flow with time. Yesterday cannot govern
today, no more than today can determine tomorrow.
It has been held that a regulatory commission's field of inquiry,
however, is not confined to the computation of the cost of service
or capital nor to a mere prognostication of the future behavior of
the money and capital markets. It must also balance investor and
consumer expectations in such a way that broad requirements of
public interest 1nay be meaningfully realized. It would be in keeping
with its public duty if a regulatory body is allowed wide discretion in
the choice of methods rationally related to the achievement of this
end. 38
b. ERC has authority to issue provisional rate

increases
The EPIRA introduced significant reforms which, although
(/)
()
Ol
procedural in character, bring about substantial benefits to
::,
::,
(0
0.
consumers. Specifically, the publication requil'en1ent under Section
::E
;::.:
::,- 4(e), Rule 3 of the EPIRA Implementing Rules and Regulations
(")
Ol
3
(/)
(IRR) is aimed to protect the public interest vis-a-vis tho rntes nnd
()
Ol
::,
::,
services of electric utilities and other providers of electric power; to
~
36 Republic, rep. by Energy Rcg11latoryIlnnnl v, Mcl'lllco,supra.

:i 11bid.
:18Republic v. Medina, GR No. L-320G8, Oct. 4, 1971, 41. SCllA fl43.
CHAPTER vu - DE1)AJ>tf'M
" \, li;N'I'o,,,J;N1mov /\C'J' OF lfH)2
1
27H
(Hepul,Jie l\ct, Nu, 70:IH)
1111
ensure transpa_reut d t·en8onnl,ie price~ of'elec:tric:it.yin " rogimc
of free and fat~· coinpctition n11<1 f'uli public ncc1,11nt.t,hifit,y; Hnd
to balance the i_nterests o(' the co1rnu111e1·s1111<1t,he public utifitin~
providing electric
treatnient Power
of the two through the fitir nnd non-discrimin11tory
sectors.
The ERC is endowed with the statutory authority to approve

• ·ovisional rate adjustments under the aegis of Sections 44 and 80
Pf the EPIRA. The principal powers of the ERB relative to electric
;ublic utilities transferred to the ERC are the following:
I. companies;
elective To regulate and fix the power rates to be charged by
2. To issue certificates of public convenience for the

operation of electric power utilities;
3.
To grant or approve provisional electric rates.
The conferment upon the ERC of the power to grant provisional
rate adjustments is not inconsistent with any provision of the EPIRA.
The powers of the ERB transferred to the ERC under Section 44 are
in addition to the new powers conferred upon the ERC under Section
43.
Section 80 of the EPIRA
mandates the continued efficac t~{;plem~nts Section 44 as it
laws referred to therein Si ·1 ylo S e ~pphcable provisions of the
E . · mi ar Y, ect10n 8 of EO No 172 •
RB Charter, continues to be in full force by virt f.S '. o1 the
and 80 of the EPIRA. , ue o ectrnns 44
To the Court, the goals of market competition and people

;mpowermen t a~e _not negated b;Ythe ERC's exercise of the au thol'ity
o approve prov1s10nal rate ad3ustments. The concerns are taken
C/)
()
OJ
care ofby Section 43 of the EPIRA and its IRR. While Section 43 lays
::,
::,
<ll
Q.
down the publication requirement as regards the rate application
:E
;::;:
::,-
Section 4(e), Rule 3 of the IRR fleshes out the l'equirement. '
("")
OJ
3
C/)
()
Neither is the notionofprovisionalrateadjustmentincompntible
OJ
::,
::,
~
with the policy to protect public interest, as enunciated in Section
2(f) of the law. Even if there is a ground to grant the provisional rate
increase, the ERC may do so only after Uw publicntion requirement
is met and the consumers affected E.U'C given the opportunity to
present their side. For another, the rato incroase is provisional in
characte ran d th ere fiore
. may be modified or even •recalled
1_
anytime.
•
Still for another, the ERC is mandated to prescrwe a rate-settmg
280 Li\\\ ON NNrtJH,\I, In:souIwI,;s A.ND HlJLl~H
OF PHOCl•:nt 1Im FOH ENVIHONM l•:N'l'J\L CMH:H
met.ho<lology "in t.lw publi<' inl.<'rl'Hl."·w 1111d.. l.o promote effic:ienc• ,,

I-,,or t,11at. matf Pr, t.lwn• i~ n plol.lwnt o r·prov1H1onH
. . 1n,
. 8 eel.ton
. ·Y. i1
1ta ,
]·el,·l t eu..J which Il t.o promo · I,e
:::t ct• ton~
• •
t--<'<' pu IJ I 1c
• 111 ' 1ti d
• I,ereHI., mark
. . . ()t
com1 et1t10n and con~umcr protcd.1011: 11
c. Application for rate ndjustinent or any relj f

affecting the consun1crs 1nust be verified an~
published
In l\Tation.alAssodation of Electrfrity Consumers (or Reform
( ASECOR~; v. Energy Regulatory Conunission,•n the Cour;
tressed that every application or petition for rate adjustment or for
az:y relief affecting the consumers must be verified, and accompanied
"''1th an acknowledgment that a copy thereof was received by the
legislative body of the LGU concerned, together with a certification
of the notice of publication thereof in a newspaper of general
circulation in the same locality, pursuant to Section 4(e), Rule 3 of
the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR)of the EPIRA.
d. The State requires competitive public bidding for

power purchases of distribution utilities
In Kapisanan ng ,nga l(awani ng Energy Regulatory Board
v. Barin,· 13 the Court noted the expansion of the ERC's functions
and concerns, since while it retains the ERB's traditional rate and
service regulation functions, it now also has to promote competitive
operations in the electricity n1arket, and its concerns now encompass
both the consumers and the utility investors. 'I'he Court recognized
that the ERC labors under a new thrust, new policy, legal structure
and regulatory framework for the electric power industry. lnAlyansa
para sa Bagong Pilipinas v. Energy Regulatory Commission,·••the
Court said that State grants electricity distribution utilities, through
legislative franchises, a regulated monopoly within their respect~ve
franchise areas. Competitors are legally barred within the fri~nc_hiSP
areas of distribution utilities. To protect the consuming pubhc trc;m
exorbitant or unconscionab]e charges by distribution utilities, t ie
39Sec. 43(f), HA No. 913G.

40
Jbid. ·. 1 supra.
. . 101
Freedom from Debt Conlition v. Enol'gy Hogul11t.ol'yCo111m1ss
,i1 '
ii2aR No. 163935, Feb. 2, 200n, '181 SCIM '180.
il3GR No. 150974, June 29, 1007.

4i1QRNo. 227670, May 3, 201 D.
,...
CHAPTER vn - 01-,,1·1
~ AH'rMRN'r OF 11:NJ~llOYACT OF HJ92 281
(Hopuhlie Act No, 7rlaH)
State regulates the nc • · · , . . . . . .

utilities can pns 8 _quisitton cost of clcctr1e1t,ythat d1stnbut1on
• t·, . on to c_onsumers. Competitive public bidding jg
essen ia 1 since t 11e powe . st. . . . •••
·s
1
entirely pa d r co purchased by d1stnbut10n ut1ht1es
0 1
xpenses ~f di' sts·~b t~ to ~~~sumers, along with other operating
e. s n u 10n utilities.
e. Fines and penalties
. The
. fines and penalf ies tl1at shall be imposed
.
•h this. Act or thebyIRR
V1olat10n.of. or non-com Priance wit
the ERC for any
shall range
from a minunum of P50,000.00 to a maximum of P50,000,000.00.
Any person who is found guilty of any of the prohibited acts
pu~~uant to Section 45 of the Act hereof shall suffer the penalty of
priswn mayor and a fine ranging from Pl0,000.00 to Pl0,000,000.00,
or both, at the discretion of the court.
The members of the Board of Directors of the juridical
companies participating in or covered in the generation companies,
the distribution utilities, the TRANSCO or its concessionaire or
supplier who violate the provisions of the Act may be fined by an
amount not exceeding double the amount of damages caused by the
offender or by imprisonment of one year or two years or both at
the discretion of the court. This rule shall apply to the members of
the Board who knowingly or by neglect allows the commission or
omission under the law.
If the offender is a government official or employee, he shall, in
addition be dismissed from the government service with prejudice
to reinstatement and with perpetual or temporary disqualification
from holding any elective or appointive office.
If the offender is an alien, he may, in addition to the penalties
prescribed, be deported without further proceedings after service of
sentence.
Any case which involves a question o_ffact shall be ~ppenttle
to the Court of Appeals and those which mvolve a question o nw
shall be directly appealable to the Supreme Court.
"1h d • • t ative sanct;ion that muy ho imposed by the
1
e a m1rns r, . · · l •
ERC shall be without prejudice to tho filmg of n cnmmn nction, 1
·r
warranted. 4r,
1118cc. 45, HA No. Hl36.

LAW ON NATURAL H~SOURCES ::-r
J~Ji:s
,
I
282 OF PROCEDUJrn FOR ENVIRONM •
•t I dustry Deregulation
F. Dow11strca1n 0 ,. n ,
Act of J .9!)6
1
15. Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 996.
Downstream oil industry refers to th~ business ~f importing,
exporting, re-exporting, shipping, transporti~g, processii:g, refining,
01
storing distribution marketing and/or selling, crude 1, gasoline
diesel, iiquefied petr~leum gas (LPG), kerosene, and other petroleu~
and crude oil products. 46
On March 28, 1996, Congress took the audacious step of
deregulating the downstream oil industry. It enacted RA No. 8180
entitled the "Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1996.':
ynder the deregulated environment, "a~y person or entity may
import or purchase any quantity of crude 011 and petroleum products
from a foreign or domestic source, lease or own and operate refineries
and other downstream oil facilities and market such crude oil or use
the same for his own requirement," subject only to monitoring by the
Department of Energy (DOE).
a. Implementation
Section 15 of RA No. 8180 provides that the DOE shall, upon
approval of the President, implement the full deregulation of the
downstream oil industry not later than March, 1997. As far as
practicable, the DOE shall time the full deregulation when the
prices of crude oil and petroleum products in the world market are
declining and when the exchange rate of the peso in relation to the
US dollar is stable. Upon the implementation of the full deregulation
as provided herein, the transition phase is deemed terminated. The
first phase of deregulation commenced on August 12, 1996. On
February 8, 1997, the President implemented the full deregulation
of the Downstream Oil Industry through EO No. 372.
b. RA No. 8180 held unconstitutional

(./)
Cl
Q)
RA No. 8180 did not stay long enough. On November 5, 1997,
::,
::,
(1)
Cl.
Justice for the Court in Tatad v. Secretary of the
Puno, speaking
i;:;:
::r
Department of Energy, declared RA No. 8180 unconstitutional, a nd
41
0
Q)
3
its implementing regulation, EO No. 392, void.
(./)
Cl
Q)
::,
::,
~
46 Sec. 4, RA No. 8180.

47 GR No. 124630, Nov. 5, 1997.
CHJ\P'l'l~RVII - DI,,'P ,, H'rM ,,,N'I' .
(Ht'll\lhlh• "' ·t NOi•' l•:Nimov t\C'I' OF I O!J~ 28H
• I, ' 11, 70:lll)
Jn decl:u·ing- HA No 8
void, the Court held: • '--l HO\I llconnl.i l,llt.io1111
I II11rl l•:o No. an2
"Sect.ion In, t\ ,ti . , X1 .

tt.us, . lust.ory
,t· 11\ . nnd ci e ., 11
. .of ou I' ''vOllHl.ttul.1011
• • •
IH nntt-
•
'l'l1c clcsn·n
. ln'}'1t.y
• of c ll H))ll't(. :· Jt• n-..;HJHHtses compol.it.ion.
. . . . • ompet.11.1 • I .
prolnb1t:10n ngmnst 1'" t· . on JA tie renson for tho
. . . s ,rnmt of l 1· I
, .... ,
mterchct10n of tltlf'. 11•1. nc e, the reason for the
' comp ft'1
rogulntion of unmit.igut d c ' ,wn, ~m<lthe reason for
thus the undcr},,ing }Jt·i· c . tnonopohcs. Competition is
·' nc1p1e of s •
of our Constitution whjch . . ccti?n 1.B,Article XII
8180. xx x cnnnot be v10lnted by RA No.
In the cases at bar • . . .

downstream oil ind t ~ • .' tt cannot be denied that our
. I r. . us ,ry is operated and cont-rolledby an
ol 1gopo. t d . l 0 1igopo
y, a i:ore1gn • 1Y at that. Petron' Shell and
. • 1eague players' in the oil
Ca lt ex s an as t 1 e only maJor
market. All .other players belong t o ti1e I..11
·11· • Ieague .
1putian
As th~ ~om1nant players, Petron, Shell and Caltex boast
o~ existi~g refineries of various capacities. The tariff
differential of 4%, therefore works to their immense
benefit. Yet, this is only one edge of the tariff differential.
The other edge cu ts and cu ts deep in the heart of their
competitors. It erects a high barrier to the entry of new
players. New players that intend to equalize the market
power of Petron, Shell and Caltex by building refineries
of their own will have to spend billions of pesos. Those
who will not build refineries but compete with them will
suffer the huge disadvantage of increasing their product
cost by 4%. They will be competing on an uneven field.
The argument that the 4% tariff differential is desirable
because it will induce prospective players to jnvest in
refineri~s puts the cart before the horse. The first need
(/)
r,
is to attract new p1ayers and they cannot be attracted
Q)
::,
::,
(1)
by burdening them with heavy disi1~centives. Without
a.
ne ] belongingr to the league o{ Petron, Shell and
~
;:;: w p ayers . • d •
Caltex, competition in our downstrenm 01 1 111 ustry 1s nn
::,-
0
Q)
3
(/)
r,
Q)
::,
::,
idle dream. xx x
~ . d .. scnrlot that; tho l'undnmontnl
•
A gain we un er 11110 0 • 1
• • •
. . l ' d by Sect-ion Hl Artwlo XIf ol tho
princ1p e espouse
~-. .·
' . ' I l
. . m etition for 1t; 1110110 cnn ro onso t 10
C.onstitut1on 1s co. P . :1 . t·l ·ompotition that
.· f' f t-1
1 e murkot. 1_,u1, , 10 c.:
creative ·orces o. , .· forces is competition that
can unleash these crent.ivc
284 I /\WON N/\'l'UH/\L 1rnsounc1,;s AND HIJl,f,;s
01;, PHOCEDUHJ<:F(>H.ENVIHONMl•:N'l'/\1, C/\Hl•:S
is fighting yet iH fnfr. ldcnlly, 1.hiH_kind ~f' eompctit.ion

r 'quires the JH'Cl:WIH!C of not one, not.1usl. 11 low but. H<!vcrnl
players. A market con ti-oiled by one player (monopoly) or
<lominnteci by n hnndfu] of' p]nyers (oligopoly) is hnrdly
the mnrket 'where honcst-to-goodnc8s competition will
prcvnil. Monopolistic or oligopolistic rnnl'kcts deserve
our careful scrutiny nn<l Jaws which bnrricnclc the entry
points of now plHyors 111 the mnrket should be viewed
with suspicion. xx x
The provisions on tnr.iff diffcrentinl, inventory
and predatory pricing nre nmong the principal props
of RA No. 8180. Congress could not have deregulated
the downstream oi] industry without these provisions.
Unfortunately, contrary to their intent, these provisions
on tariff differential, inventory and predntory pr.icing
inhibit fair competition, encourage monopolistic power
and interfere with the free interaction of market forces.
x x x The aftermath of RA No. 8180 is a deregulated
1narket where competition can be corrupted and where
market forces can be manipulated by oligopolies."
The decision faulted the Executive when it considered the

depletion of the OPSF fund as a factor in fu.lly deregulating the
downstrea1n oi] industry. Section 15 of RA No. 8180 enumerated
only two factors to be considered, viz.: (1) the time when the prices of
crude oil and petroleum products in the world mnrkot are declining,
and (2) the time when the exchange rnte of tho peso in relation to
the US doJlar is stable. Section 15 did not mention the depletion of
the OPSF fund as a factor to be gjven weight by tho Executive before
ordering fuJl deregulation. But the Executive co-mingled the factor
of depletion of the OPSF fund with the fnct.ors of decline of tlw µric('
of crude oil in the world mnrket nnrl the st11hility of tho peso to t!H'
US doJJar. On the baois of the text of' EO No. :-H)2,it is impossil>I<'
to determine the wciglit given hy tho l~xocutivc dop11rt11wnt to tlw
depletion of' the OPSF f11nd. In light. of' thiH 1111col'lni11t,v. th< <!Hrl.\'
deregulation under l~O No. :w2 c:onst.it.11(,oH 11 mi:-mpplic:ntion of HA
No. 8180.
In s·hort, RA No. 8180 WIIAHI.ruck down 111-1inv11lid bocnuso t hrfle
key provisions intended to p1·omot.o fro< comp< t.it,ion won, .shown to
• . . . IIy, t,I10 Court rulncl
It. M 01·0 spoc1fwn that
a chieve the opposite resu .
its provisions on tan 'ff' d'{'[' • ]
1 orentm , Ht.oe1nng
• c {' invontones,
>
nnd

~
CHAPTEH V-lJ_ DFp \ , ,

I IU MFN·1·() ,
J
<Ht'JH1blic,\.c·tN l• l•:Nfi:J!OV
1\CT OF lfJfJ~ ~8!i
• "· 7n:1t1) ,
predat-ory pricing inhibit C1111..

, · .. d • t .r . · • cnn1pelif. 1011 ,
po\\et. ,\n m ei,eto with ,
th • . • , c11cou1·11gc mono1wliRlic
' O 1l'OO 111lon t' •, ,
\Vhilc RA No . tc ion of lhe nmrket forces.
. • 8180 contninecl , ..
declared unconstitutional it1 1't . n sopnrnbil1Ly clause it wns
• •
prov1s1ons so permeated the 1 s ent1r e tY srnco •. the three offending
'
sse of the law. Thus the wh 0 Iaw th at th ey were so intimately the
' e st atute had to be invalidated.
G. Downstream Oil 1 d
n ustry Deregulation
Act of 19.98
Following the thumping of RA N

F b . 10 1 9 o. 8180, Congress, on
e ru~ry , . ~ 8, enacted a new deregulation law without the
offending prov1s10ns of the earlier Jaw_ RAN 8479 k ti
''D
ownstream i
1 o·z 0.
ndustry Deregulation Act of J 998. "
' nown as 1e
The new law declares it as a policy of the State to liberalize

and deregulate the downstream oil industry in order to ensure a
truly competitive market under a regime of fair prices, adequate
and continuous supply of environmentally-clean and high-quality
petroleum products. To this end, the State shall promote and
encourage the entry of new participants in the downstream oil
industry, and introduce adequate measures to ensure the attainment
of these goals. 48 This applies to all persons· or entities engaged in any
and all the activities of the domestic downstream oil industry, as
well as persons or companies directly importing refined petroleum
products for their own use. 49
RA No. 8479, the present deregulation law, was c!ear.ly enac~ed
to implement Section 19, Article XII of the Constitut10n wluch
provides:
(/)
"The State shall regulate or prohibit 1_non?poli~s
(")
·c ·nterest so requires. No comb111at1011s
m
wh en th e pu bl 1 1
Ol
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::,
CD
. . ll l ,,
C.
restraint of trade or unfair compet1t10n shall be a owec •
~-
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o
Ol
3
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'rh· . so beca use the government-
_ Js rn - _ ' be]iovos
. thnt
. . dorcgulnt.ion
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w1 even ua y preven m t· onopo]y • Tho s11nplcst lot 111 of monoµo)
•t .
~ · t h 4-h •
ex1s ·s w en .; ere JS on Y J one seller
' or producol'
. of II proc uct. 01
_ I ., ,
• (! h. h th
service 1or w Jc • ere a . re no suhsl-itutos.
• ' Whorn t,vo CH' t ueo
48
Sec. 2, RA No. 84 79.
49
8cc. 3, ibid.
LAWON Nt\'l'UIU\LHESOUHCl•:SAND UULES
2sr, OF PHOCJi:DUHI~
FOH 1,;NVIHONMl~N'l'AL
CASES
. ct .
tll cone•ct·I, to con l:rol market pricn{] n~l
•ci
or n few companies I\ • , 1·s cnlJcd nn oligopoly or cnrtel, lt. r
·ofit s the 11101\0JHl1.) ' ~a 1
rt\S\1 lt ,llilt • })l
. ' ' d •
c~mbinnt.ionin rest.rnint. of tsn e. . ..
. ·t· -' of oil supply 1n the Pluhppines .
rl'I1 ' renm 'l 1 s1101 nge . . . Is
c pe • f -t-l1er fact that t;he unportat10n, refining, nnd
exacerbated by t 11e lll • odity nrc in the hnnds of a en te
nrnrketing of this precious comm . .. B " . l' I,
r ·cign-owned corpo1 u t.10ns. e101c the start
local but ma d e up of io1 .. 11 I h - .
. Sl-
of deregu lat10n, 1e11, Cnltex., and Petron contro ec t e entire oil
industry in the Philippines.
The deregulation of the oil ind\tstry is a pol_icy_determination
of the highest order. It is unquest10nubly a .prwnty program of
government. The Department of Energy Act of 1992 (R~ No. 7638)
expressly mandates that the development and updatmg of the
existing Philippine energy program "shall include a policy direction
towards deregulation of the power and energy industry."
17. Liberalization of the industry.

Under the law, any person or entity may import or purchase
any quantity of crude oil and petroleum products from a foreign
or domestic source, lease or own and operate refineries and other
downstream oil facilities and market such crude oil and petroleum
products either in a generic name or his or its own trade name, or use
the same for his or its own requirement. It is required, however, that
any person or entity who shall engage in any such activity shall give
prior notice thereof to the DOE for monitoring purposes. lVforeover,
such person or entity shall, for monitoring purposes, report to the
DOE his or its every importation/exportation.r. 0
The policy of the government in this regard has been to
allow a free interplay of market; forces with minimal governni~nt
Cf)
()
D) supervision. The purpose of govei·ning legislation is to lil.>er~tI. 1ze
:::,
:::,
(l)
C.
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t h e d owns t ream OJ me ustry m order to onsuro n truly con1pe1 , t t1Vt-l
:E
;:;:
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()
market un?er a regime of fnir prices, ndoqunto and contintt~l:~
D)
3 supply, env1ronmentn1ly cleun nnd high-qunlitv JJetroloulll prochH,t_- •

Cf)
()
D)
:::,
• • 1· - • · ·'
I n d ee d·, exc Ius1v1ty o nny fr11nchrnohnHnot. boon f'nvorod by thn emu t,
t'
:::,
~ • J • J I • •
w l11c1 JS {een on pr?mo ,mg. li·co compotit.ion nn<l t:he devoloP out,,
111 ion
a free market consrntenL with 1.)10 lug-it:ilntivopolicy of dorogulllt
as an answer to the problunrn nf' tho oi I industry. 111 .
/l(lSoc.5, RA No. 8'17f>. ioOl•
111Encrgy Regu]ntory Board v. Court: of Apponlt:1,GH No.113079, April l:?O,
CH A 1'1'E 11 V IJ - I' I\ fl 'l'MI,;N'I'
I) J,; oF J,;Nl,:Jt O Y I\ C:T Of' l!lf Jl.
<HP1111hlie
J\cr N11,70:111) P,7
18. Tariff treatment.

H is provided t.hn1 , .
. . d l 1· • H NI11fTI e n I ..
rn1pose nnf co lected 0 , I .., . IH t1n1fo1·,n tnriff dut h l ,
()1, ) on 111 y .'-l fl 11r>C
d 1
re nc pet.ro cum produc(· .
fi iported crude oil and • t, I
J 'd ,s al the 1. . 1mpor u
I res1 ent. may
. reduce st, c}1 tu . r'.' ff .. .nlc of three
. • , bu t th
percent , e
1 1 1
reduct1011 1s warranted J·Ju n ,e when m his judgment stich
• , rsuant t O RA • •
othe~·w1se known as the "Tariff 1\ No. 1937, as amended.
prov1ded that upon implem t _and Customs Code.IIIt is further

under the World Trade Ot·gen _ati~n of the Uniform Tariff Program
• an1zat10n d ASEAN
comnutments, the tariff rat 1 an .!J Free Trade Area
appropriate level. 11
e s la be automatically adjusted to the
For as long as the Nation I p .

exemptions fro 1n taxes a 11d d t~ ower Corporatwn (NPC) enjoys
u. ies on petrol eum p1oc • Iucts use d 1or
c
Power generati 011, tl 1e exempt 10n shall
the local refineries d t th . . app 1Y to purchases th rough
an °
e 1mportat10n of fuel oil and diesel.i;2
19. Promotion of fair trade practices.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and DOE are

mand~te~ to take all ~easures to promote fair trade and prevent
cartehzat10n, monopolies, combinations in restraint of trade, and
any unfair competition in the Industry as defined in Article 186 of
the Revised Penal Code, and Articles 168 and 169 of RA No. 8293.
otherwise known as the ''Intellectual Property Rights Law." The
DOE shall continue to encourage certain practices in the Industry
which serve the public interest and are intended to achieve efficiency
and cost reduction, ensure continuous supply of petroleum products,
and enhance environmental protection. These practices may include
borrow-and-loan agreements, rationalized depot and manufacturing
operations, hospitality agreements, joint tanker and pip?lin~
1
utilization, and joint actions on oil spill contro1 and fire prcvent10n.(\·
(/)
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Q)
::,
::,
(I)
C.
20. Anti-trust safeguards.
~
~
(')
. To ensure fair competitjon and prevent carLols nnd mouoµolie.s
3
Ill
(/)
in the industry, Section 11 prohibits t;ho fol1owing nets:
(")
Q)
::,
::,
~
a. CarteJjzation which monnA 11ny ngToonwnt., com-
bination or concerted udion by rofino1·s, i111pol'f.01•s Hnd/01·
dealers, or their representul;ivos, f;ofix pricoH, roHl.t·ict.outputs
52
Sec. 6, supra,
0
.1sec. 7, RA No. 8479.
:._~ L.-\W ()~ ~.\TllK\L Hl\,S0LmrK~ .-\ND HULES
(1F P1'l1l'~lHl~~ l·\)H l~N\'JJU)N~IENT:\L r,\SES
(ir diYide m~n-k~'t.s.t'ithl'l' by products o~· b~· nrc~s. or nllocnt

nrnrkt't~. ~itl,er by prorlucts orb~· nrcns • .111rcst~·nmt oftrnrleor
•1~, competition. including nny t:ont.rnct_unl shpulnt.ion which
p1~~'"-rib~spricing Ie,·els anci profit mnrgtns;
b. Predatory pricjng which menns selling or offering
to sell MY oil product. at a price below the seller's or offeror's
sxerage Yariable cost for the purpose of destroying competition,
eliminating a competitor or rliscournging n potential competitor
from entering- the market: Provided. however. That pricinu
~ b
below ~~xeragenuiable cost. in order to match the lower price of
the competitor and not for the purpose of destroying competit.ion
shall not be de-emed predatory pricing. For purposes of this
prohibition ... Yariable cost" as distinguished from "fixed cost,"
refers to costs such as utilities or raw materials, which vary as
the ourput increases or decreases and "average variable cost''
refers to the sum of all ,·ariable costs divided by the number of
units of outputs.s.~
21. Other prohibited acts.

Failure to comply with the following may result in appropriate
sanctions:
a. submission of reportorial requirements;
b. use of clean and safe (environ1nent and worker-
benign) technologies;
c. any order or instruction of the DOE Secretary issued
in the exercise of his enforcement powers under Section 15 of
this Act; and
(/J
()
d. registration of any fuel additive with the DOE prior
CJ
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to its use as an additive. 55
0.
:,;
;::;:
:::,-
()
CJ 22. Remedies.
3
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()
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a. Government action. - Whenever it is determined by
!ll the Joint Task Force created under Section 14(d) of RA No. 8479
that there is a threatened, imminent or uctunl violation of Section
11 thereof, it shall direct the provincial or city prosecutors Jinving
64 Sec. 11, RA No. 8479.

55Sec. 12, ibid.
CHAP'l'EI{ VII _ IJJi'}' ,,
'· Mu M ,,:N'l'01. 1. 1 .
1\.., N
(Ho1111hl1't• •,Nl•,ll,(lyt\C'I' OF mo~ 28U
• 1. ; o. 10:mJ
jurisdiction to institute H .
. I . n nef.1011 to .
with t le regional t1·in I court· f • p1ovenI.or r·0Htr11in such violn tion
0 th
:lllY of the dcfcndnnts 1.,.\l,· 1 ' e pluco whore the defoncfrtnt or
'--.:iH e or hn8 I •
• .
118 I .
henr1ngof the complaint d 1_. P nee o/ businesfi. Pendin"
. . nn uefore fi 1 • l
at . any . tune issue a te lllporary • t.111·u •Jue . gmcnt ' the court m'lY,.
in,1unct10nas shall be deer d . t_es!m.nmg order or an order of
same conditions and princ/1f Jus~ ~itlun the premises, under the
the Rules of Court WI1 .) p e~ 8 .8 lnJunctive relief is grnnted under
• enever 1t is d t . .
or Rny of its instrumeilt·a]'t•1 ' e crmmed that the government
owned or -controlled , ies. or a • rnc
gencics, • 1udmg• government-
co1porations 8 l1 IJ l'l' I .
its business or propei•t· b . ' ~ su er oss or dnmage rn
.
Rgenc1es may file '"' . t·.
Y Y 1 en son of
vio1ut'10n of sect10n
.· .11, these
·
reg10na · l court. cd1 ac ,1011 to 1·ec··o
] t r1a • vcr rIumuges• w1t • h t h e proper
b.
. . .Prr:vate complai,zt
. , , ,. "· - A ny person or entity . shall report
any vwlatwn of Section 11 of the Act to the Joint Task Force which
shall . prepare
. a . rep or·t o t· 1•t·s fiinc 1mgs
• nnd recommendations. In
1
case t. Is detenn1ned that there has been a violation of Section 11,
~h~ pr1:ate person or entity shall be entitled to sue for and obtain
1n3unctive relief, as welJ as ~amages, before the proper court. 1rn
23. Validity of RA No. 8479 upheld.

Shortly after the passage of RA No. 84-79, a new challenge to its
validity was mounted by petitionet· Enrique T. Garcia, a member of
Congress, seeking to declare Section 19 thereof, which sets the time
of full deregulation, unconstitutional. The assailed provision reads:
"SEC. 19. Start of Full Deregulation. - Full

deregulation of the Industry slrnlJ stnrt five (5) months
following the effectivity of this Act;: Provided, however,
That when the public interest so requires, the President
(/)
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Q)
may accelerate the stnrt of full doregulntion upon the
::,
::,
ro
a.
recommendation of the DOE nncl the Dopnrtment of
l
::,-
Finance (DO F) when the p,·.icosof cl'udo oi] n nd petroleum
products in the wor]d mnl'ket Hl'O declining 1111d Uw value
(")
Q)
3
(/)
(")
Q)
::,
of the peso in rclntion l.o tho US dollnr is st:11hlo,t11king
::,
~ into nccount relevnnt trcndA 1111d prospoctfl; Prou£ded,
further, Thnt the fol'egoing· pl'oviHio11 notwitlrnt11ndi11g, the
five (5)-month Trmrnition PhnHo Hh11IIco11l.i1~uoto npp_l): to
LPG, regu)nr gmwlino 1111dko1·01-,ononi:i 1:Jocwlly-sons1t1ve
11
nscc. 1:1, RA No. 8tf 7H.
~
290 LAWON NATURALRESOURCESAND RULES

OF PROCEDURI~F'Oll l~NVIRONMJ~NTAL
CASES
petroleum products and said petroleum products shall be

covered by the automatic pr.icing mechanism during the
said period."
Petitioner contends that Section 19, which prescribes the

period for the re1noval of price control on gasoline and other finished
products and for the full deregulation of the local downstream
oil industry, is patently contrary to public interest and therefore
unconstitutional because within the short span of five months, the
1narket is still dominated and controlled by an oligopoly of the three
private respondents, na1nely, Shell, Caltex, and Petron.
Justice Ynares-Santiago, speaking for the Court in Garcia
v. Corona,r-,1 declared that there is a dearth of relevant, reliable,
and substantial evidence to support petitioner's theory that price
control must continue even as government is trying its best to get
out of regulating the oil industry. Petitioner overlooks the fact
that Congress enacted the deregulation law exactly because of the
monopoly evils he mentions in his petition. Congress instituted the
lifting of price controls in the belief that free and fair competition
was the best remedy against monopoly power.
"The argument that price control is not the villain

in the intrusion and growth of monopoly appears to be
pure theory not validated by experience. There can be no
denying the fact that the evils mentioned in the petition
arose while there was price control. The dominance of the
so-called 'Big 3' became entrenched during the regime of
price control. More importantly, the ascertainment of the
cause and the method of dismantling the oligopoly thus
created are a matter of legislative and executive choice.
(/)
0
0)
:,
The judicial process is equipped to handle legality but not
:,
(1)
Q. wisdom of choice and the efficacy of solutions.
:E
;:;:
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0)
Petitioner engages in another contrnrlict.ion when
3(/)
ts forward what he culls n solf-ovirlent:truth. Ho
0
0) h e pu .. . . ,J {' • • •• es
:,
:, . t that a truly competlt1Vo mnrkot nnu an puc
~ sta es . • . . . . t·l truly
t be )egrnla tcd 1 n to oxrntonco. Howove1, , 10 .
canno ·t 've market JA . not b01ng. cronte d m. t·ushioned. . by
compe t 1 1 • • )ly freec1
the challenged lcgislntion. 'rho market 18 sun}
-
o7QR No. J.32'161,Dec.:.17, rnnn.
...
CH/\PTEH.VIl-t)li'll ,.,
J t\HIMFNT()I' •
(Ht'J>lll ,. t\' ' l•,Nlrnov /\CT OF I H9?. 291
> le cl No, 7H:JH)
front legiRlntivo cont 1. 1

• o s SHH 1n II It
free fron1 government . owcc ,o grow nnd develop
allows the free pla Ointerference
f
ll/\ N
• . o. 8/479 nctually
prices. Petitioner y supply and demand to dictate
to continue per·" w~nts a government official or board
· tor1n1ng tlus• t as k . 1ndefin1te
. and open-
en d e d price control a d •
be to continu . s a vacated by petitioner would
f·1 t' _e a regime of legislated regulation where
et~tcho~pe lftion cannot possibly flourish. Control is the
an 1 • es1s o competif 1011.T o grant the pet1t10n .. would
mean that the govern men t 1s • not keen on allowing · a free
market to develop. Petitioner's 'self-evident truth' thus
supports the validity of the provision of law he opposes."
The Court further noted that instead of the price controls

advocated by the petitioner, Congress has enacted anti-trust
measures which it believes will promote free and fair competition.
Upon the other hand, the disciplined, determined, consistent and
faithful execution of the law is the function of the President. The
remedy against unreasonable price increases is not the nullification
of Section 19 of RA No. 84 79 but the setting into motion of its various
other provisions.
A sequel to the proceedings, Garcia v. Executive Secretary,58
wrote finis to the issue when the Court remarked:
"The immediate implementation of full dere~1lat~on

of the local downstream oil ind us try is a policy determn~a tion
by C ongress w hl.ch this Court cannot. overturn
. without
.
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Q)
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ffi d. the Constitution and the pr1nc1ple of separat1?n
:,
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a.
of en ing That the law failed in its objective_s because its
:E
~ o po":ers. d the evils petitioner Garcia alludes to
()
Q) adoption spa wne . . . ,,
3
(/)
()
Q)
:,
does not warrant its nulbficatlon.
:,
~
ChapterVIII
PETROLEUMACT OF 1949
A. Preli1ninary
01. Governing law.

11
RA No. 387 otherwise known as the ''Petroleum Act of 1949,
was enacted on ' June 18, 194-9. The Act aims . "to promote the
exploration, exploitation and utilization of the petroleum resources of
the country, and employs the concession system for the exploitation
of the nation's petroleum resources."
The title of RA No. 387 and its provisions give a clue to the
intent of Congress, which is to encourage the exploration and
development of the petroleum resources of the country. 1
02. State ownership.

The Act affirms the concept of jura regalia that all natural
deposits or occurrences of petroleum or natural gas in public and/
or private lands in the Philippines, whether found in, on or under
the surface of dry lands, creeks, rivers, lakes, or other submerged
lands within the territorial waters or on the continental shelf, or
its analogue in an archipelago, seaward from the shores of the
Philippines which are not within the territories of other countries,
belong to the State, inalienably and imprescriptibly. 2
I~ also ~rovides ~hat the ownership or the right to the use of
lands for agncu1tural, rndustrinl, commercial, rosidontinl, mining. or
for any ~uri:osc other thi~n for petroleum explol'ntion, rlovoloyrnent
or expl01tat10n does not, rndude I.he ownership of, nor the rig-ht to
ICommis~ionol' of CuHto111H V, Jt:SSOSt11nd111·d

E11atorn,Inc., an No. L-28329,
Aug. 71 19715,(>6 SCHA 11:1.
2Art. 3, HA No. :-387.
202

CHAP'l'EH Vlll -Pt,;THOLJ•;UM ACT OF HMO .2fJ3
(H.op11blleAet No, ~IB7)
~xplorc for, exploit, or utilize the petroleum or naturul gm, depcmitH

m. on or under the surface of such Iund.:1
Ivforeover, explorution and exploitation concessions do not
confer upon the concessionaire the ownership over the petroleum
lands Rnd pet~·oleum deposits, but only the right to explore for,
develop, expl01t, and utilize them for the period and under the
conditions determined by the Act.1

When used in the Act, the following terms shall, unless the
context otherwise indicates, have the following respective meanings:
(a) ''Petroleum" shall include any mineral oil, hydrocar-
bon gas, bitumen, asphalt, mineral wax, and all other similar
or naturally associated substances; with the exception of coal,
peat, bituminous shale, and/or other stratified mineral fuel de-
posits.
(b) "Crude oil" means oil in its natural state before the
same has been refined or otherwise treated, but excluding
water and foreign substances.
(c) ''Natural gas" means gas obtained from boreholes
and wells and consisting primarily of hydrocarbon.
(d) "Government" means the Government of the
Philippines.
(e) "State" means the Republic of the Philippines.
''Permittee," "concession~ire"or "contractor" means a
(f)
ermit, concession, or contract, as the case
person t o w 11Om a P l · ·
1 prov1s1ons f'
may be, has been granted or a':arded um. er tie o
this Act, his successors a nd assigns.
(g) "'Person
. " 1• ncludes n naturnl person, corporation, or
partnership.
(h) A "/Jarrel" is equivalent lo 158.08 liton; or -l~ U ••
gallons.
. All ·oment 8 of clif-itnnce,;, width, l<ngth. m·ons,
(l) meuAUJ , . l · t
J woight, shnll bo 11\ t 1H mot nc HY~ tHn •.
depth nnd volume, unc
3
Arl. 4, 11ANo. 387.
•Art. 9, ibid.

.....
LAWON NJ\TUIV\L HESOUHCES AND RULES

294 OF PHOCEDUHE FOH ENVIRONMENTAL CASES
(j)
vVordsin singular shall include the plural, and vice
versa. 6
04. Granting of petroleum rights.

. ex lore for develop, exploit or utilize the
The right to P ' d to dul ualified persons
petroleum resources may only be grante Yq ..
•
by means of concess10ns • accordance with the prov1s10nsk of the
1n
.Act. Th e governmen t , h owever., reserves the right to. underta
. e such
work either by itself or through its instrumentalities~ or through
competent persons qualified to undertake such work as independent
contractor or contractors under a contract of service executed f?r
the government by the President and approved by Congress m
accordance with the provisions of Article XIII of the Act.
Exploration or exploitation rights may be exclusive within
certain areas, but no exclusive rights may be granted for refining or
transportation. 6
The granting of concession under the Act is discretionary with
the government, except in the cases mentioned in Article 11 thereof
where, upon the fulfillment of the formalities and requirements, the
granting thereof is obligatory upon the government. 7
For petroleum service contracts, an option shall be reserved for
the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) for a n1aximum of ten
percent equity participation in a proposed service contract involvino-
one _o~ m?re _Filipino participant or a maximun1 of 15% equit;
part~c~pat10n 1~ ~ pro?osed service contract involving no Filipino
partic1~ant. W1th1n thirty_ (30) days after the winning proponent is
determined, PNOC shall give proper notice to the winning proponent
and the D~partn:1ent of Energy (DOE) whether or not it decides to
exercise said opt10n.8
(/)
("')
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B. Administrative 01·ganization
:J
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(!)
D..
:; 05. Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources as ex,ecutiv,e
;:;:
:::,-
(")
officer.
Ql
3
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The Secr8Lury, IJepmtmont. of Environment and Nntural
~
Resources (DENJl) is the oxeeulivo officer chnrg-ed with carrying
6Art. 2, RA No. 387.

6Art. 5, ibid.
7Art. 6, ibid.
8Sec. 3, DC No. 2006-12-0014.
CHAPTER VIII - PE'l'H.OLEUMi\C'J' OF' UMH 295
(Republic Act No. :187)
out the provisions of the Act, through the Director of Mines and
Geosciences who shall act under his immediate supervision and
control. As executive officer, the Secretary is vested with the
authority to prescribe rules and regulations and issue orders which
he may find necessary to effectuate the provisions and purposes of
the Act. 9
The Secretary is authorized to create such offices as may be
necessary, under the Director of Mines and Geosciences, which shall
perform the functions enumerated in Article 95 of the Act. 10
Officials and employees of the executive branch of the
government connected with the administration and disposition
of mineral resources including petroleum, shall not be allowed,
directly or indirectly during their incumbency and for five (5) years
thereafter, to apply or acquire concessions, or to be interested in any
application filed, or concession acquired, under the Act.11
C. Concessions
06. Kinds of concessions.
Concessions may be any of the following kinds and have the
following respective objects:
a. Non-exclusive exploration permit, which grants to
the permittee the non-exclusive right to conduct geological or
geophysical exploration on specified areas.
b. Exploration concession, which grants to the
concessionaire the exclusive right to explore for petroleum
within specified areas.
c. Exploitation concession, which grants to the conces-
(/)
sionaire the exclusive right to develop petroleum production
(')
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within the specified areas.
0..
:;; d. Refining concession, which grants lot.ho conco:-ision-
s:
()
OJ afre the right to manufacture or rofino pell'oloum, or to oxt rnct
3
(/)
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::,
its derivativeH.
!!l
llArt.94, RA No. :387.

10
Art. 95, ihid.
11Art. 32, ibid.
l.:\W ON Nt\'t'llHAL ,n:soUHC:I•:~ ,\ND HULES
~~lli tW l'HOl'tmu1n: FOH ,,:NVtHONMEN'l'/\1, C:/\SES
l'.Pi1wlinL' conce~sion. which g-rnnLR to the conco •

sionnin· th~ right. In provide nnrl opcrnt.c pipeline systems r:r
trnnsport mtr pet rolcu m.
07. Obligatory concessions.

Subject to the fulfillment of the formalities nnrl r~quirements,
the gnlnting of the following concessions shall be obhgntory upon
the government:
a. Exploitation concession, to the holder of an
exploration concession, for such parcels as he may select for
exploitation. and to the holders of petroleum drilling leases
issued under the former Petroleum Act (Act No. 2932), and
to holders of petroleum mining claims located and held under
the Act of Congress of July 1, 1902 existing at the time of the
effectivity of the Petroleum Act of 1949;
b. Refining concession and/or pipeline concession, to the
holder of an exploitation concession, when the n1anufacturina 0
or tr~nsportation is directly related, although not necessarily
restricted, to the exploitation concession; and
c. . Refini~g _concession, to the holder of a pipeline
concess~on, or pipeline concession to the holder of a refining
concess10n, when the two concessions are directly ' alth QUOah
. . I C
no t restrictive y, related. 12
08. Petroleum reservation.
Upon the recommendation of the DENR Secretary, the

President may set apart petroleum reservations by proclamation.
The government may explore, develop, nnct exploit such
(/)
petroleum reservation either by itself or through its instru-
()
"'
:,
:,
mentalities, or through competent persons under n contract of
C1)
0.
~
service, in accordance with Article 5 of the Act. Propm,nls by qua lined
;::.
:,-
()
persons to carry out such work for the government 1\8 indoµPndcnt
"'
3
(/)
contractor or contraetors shall bo filed wit.h tho Director of ·Minos
()
"'
:,
:,
and Geosciences who shall forward tho snmo wit.h his findings nnd
~
recommendations to the Secret.11rywho, in turn, shnll 8uhmit the
same with his recommendations to tho Prnsident.. 'l'lw President. may
2
1 Art. 11, RA No. 387.
CIIAJ>'l'l~ll VIII - f>l~'l'llOLl,:UMAC'l' OF lfM!J 2H7
(llopuhlic Ad No, !187)
execute
• . the necessnr,,:' co11t·1·, nc,t f'01· lllH I 111
• I>oIrnlf · o/ · I.he government,
which shnll be subnnt.tcd to the CongresH for npproval.
No µetrolm~m 1:cservut.ion may be cstnhli8hed over any areas
covered by npphcntwn l'or exploration or exploitation concession
alrendy filed or grnnted. 1:i
09. Free areas.
All lands within the territorial Jimits of the Philippines,

including those submerged beneath seas, bays, lakes, rivers,
lagoons, or the territorial waters, or on the continental shelf, or its
analogue in an archipelago, but which arc not within the national
reserve areas, or petroleum reservations, or covered by valid and
existing exploration or exploitation concession, or petroleum drilling
leases are called free areas and as such are open to application for
exploration concession. Applications for said areas shall be filed
with the Director of Mines and Geo-Sciences. 1'1
10. National reserve areas.

Areas which have been included in any exploration or
exploitation concession but which have been subsequently given
up by the concessionaire voluntarily or in accordance with the
requirement of Articles 50 and 53 of the Act; or areas covered by
exploration or exploitation concession which have expired or have
been cancelled; or areas which have been included within any of
the two kinds of concession but which arc found to be in excess
of the maximum areas for such concessions, are called national
reserve areas and as such may be applied either for exploration
or exp)oitation' concession by duly qualified persons after a public
announcement that said areas are available for clisposition. 10
Cf) 11. Right of government to establish other reservations or grant

":::,
0)
:::,
Cl)
rights.
C.
~- Coneer:mions are subject. to tho right. of tho govornment to
:T
(")
0)
3
Cf)
estahlish reservntions other thnn pot.roloum 1·os01·vntionH, to
"
0)
:::,
:::,
grnnt mining rights, permiti:;, lmumH, nnd concosHions in rusµcct.
~ of substances other thun potroloum, and t.n g1·nnt. 1·ights othet·
than mining rights in, on, or undo1· mty of I.ho lnndR covorod by
1
:iA,-t. 1:3, HA No, :187.
Art.. l•1,
1'1 A ., 'd
in .
111
Arl. lo, ibid.
•~ouu, ( 'l•'H
" AND HULl•:H
<'Au,•u
Ni\'l'IJII/\I' II l,,. oNM 1,;N'l'/\1, '"'-, ,,.,
w~ t.1\\V oN. I•' 1,•()I(,,:NVlll
OF l'HOC!i.l)l Ill ,
provided I.ho rir~ht.1-1
A .1 of ll
. , I 1111d111• t,llo c ,, ·t 1111cl drill f'or I , I llJ
t.lw ('(ll\!'l'IH·HOll Hl'll l\t.l 1 , ·I1 ,,rof•IIJ(!L ,, ' )t O( lie(!
• •,,toH1'11 1c , • luum <
t 10 '
wt.r11h•11m conc11HH 10111111 c • d t,ronl. po • rn, Undl!l'
1111
l
l )t'()('('HH, I I t I• '
t•xt.rnd, t.rn11Hpo1·t..
Ht,oro,I I I : ,ot.hot· t'iJ!,hl.HJ!,t'/111
,ot ,o lint 11t'e not
n11dfrom, :-.nidl1111<IH, . , 111,·l't•rc•dwit.h.'"
1111<
1
. ' lhl)' Ill •1' , -
llllJ)llll'i!d 01' \11\l'l!I\HOlll
ns subject to public easements
1
12 Lands covered by concess o . •
• ·011ceHsio11H Hll/\11ho i;uh.1cct t.o public
All ln11ds covered hy c • ·., , 1 by exiHt:ing- or fut.ur.·c~lnwo
. I I r n•cog111zc< . n,
nHement.:-.eRt.11 > ,s 1cc O
11 • . . ,88jonn ire t:o search, prospect
. I f t I ' ,t rolc•11111 concc.. • . . t ore process and trc, t'
b ut. t.11e. ng. 11.Ho I• tc pc·•xtrnd, tr1111Hpo1 1,, •8 , ' • ' _,1
nnd dnll (or, pro<ucc, (,. •.. "' 'd lnndH, and other rights grnnted
Pct1·olcum
•
on' under ' nnd J,om Hilt
• I I 'I
to him under the Act nre rccognizcc •
13. Right to enter private land.

Explornt.ionnnd cxploitntion concessionaire~ nrc gran.tccJthe
l'ight to enter upon pl'ivntc ]nnds covered by 1:ho.u·con_ccss1~nsfor
t.hc purpose of conducting gcologicnlor goophys1culstudies, with the
right t.o use All instruments nn<l npparutus necessary to carry out
such studies, subject lo the obligations to indemnify the owner or
legnl occupant of the Jund for all material dumugc suffered by the
property, its annexes or appurtenances os u result of such studies,
provided that. in no cnse shall the occupancy of private buildings,
yards or gardens be nuthoriied against the will of their owner.
ln the event. the right to ontor shal1 bo denied by the owner
of the private lnn<l01.· by its legal occupnnt, tho concessionaire may
upp]y with the regionnl trial com-t ol' tho province where the land is
situntcd. for an order allowing entry, upon posting of such bond as
m,uybe flxcd and npprn~eclhy tho cou1-t,ponding final determination
of the umounl t.obe p111dby tho concossionah-e to the landowner or
JegaJ occup1.mLiH
(/)
14. Easements of temporary occupancy over private or public
"'"
::,
::,
(1) lands.
C.
:E
g:
0 When c11HcmentHnf' l.ompo1·n1·yoccnpnncy ovor private luucls
'"
3
(/) sue needed hy a co11ceHsio1111il'o
l'or tho Plll'poso of ciu·t·ying out nnY
"
'"
::,
::,
~
IIIArt., I H, HANo, :11n,

11
' Art,. 10, il1ir/., IIH 111111111dodliy llA No. :lll!lH,
11
1 A,t. :lO, il1id,
CIIJ\J>'l'Ji:HVIII - l>E'l'llOLEUM J\C'I' OF l!MO 299
(Hupuhlic /\ct. No. :IB7)
work essential to his o•>er· u t'ions ' h e mny en t er mto

Rgn-cement with the 1- • t h e necessary
If no agreement cot1ownerId b or . legal occupan t of sue·h pnvate • Ian d a.
with the proper cou ·t ~ e reached , . the concess10na1re • • may app Iy
him to use and occ
r or
tl
an order ' rnsued upon bon d , to au th onze •
. . upy le land needed for his operations pending
fina 1 de t ernunat10n of th e case which · sha11 mclude
• among ' others
th e reasona. bl e va 1ue or r en t a 1 of t }1e land to be occupied and the
compensat10n for any result' 1ng d amage that the landowner or legal
occupant may suffer as a result of s uc h occupa t·10n.19
When
. easement or r·ight of temporary occupancy over pubbc•
land 1s needed by. a conce • • 1.or
. ss10naire " t l1e purpose of carry1ng
• out
any work essential to ~1s operations, such right may be granted by
the DE~R Secreta~y with due regard to prior rights of third parties
and subJect to applicable laws and regulations.20
15. Application for concession.

Application for concession shall be filed with the Director
of Mines and Geosciences who shall examine and pass upon the
same as well as upon the qualifications of the applicant. If he
finds the application in order and the applicant duly qualified, he
shall forward the said application, together with his findings and
recommendations thereon, to the DENR Secretary for appropriate
action after notice of the application has been duly published.
At any time during the period of publication, an adverse
claim stating the nature and grounds thereof, may be filed with the
Director of Mines and Geosciences, but if no adverse claim is filed,
it shall be conclusively presumed that no such adverse claim exists
and thereafter no objection from third parties to the gi·anting of
the concession shall be heard. Thereafter, the concession contract
(/)
8ha11be executed by the Secretary which shall state definitely the
n 1
0)
:,
:,
principal rights and obligations of the parties concernecl.it
~
::,-:
g:
0
w
16. Use of water, timber and clay.
3
· • ·es uJ II huve the gratuitous right to utilize for
(/)
n
0)
:,
:,
ConceAsJOrn11 1 , "' 111
~ exploration work within hiB cnneession, timbot\ wntor, and clny from
wJ\rt. 21, RA No. ~l87.

20
Art. 22, ihid.
21
Art. 28, ihid.
UHCES AND RULES
'
Ni\'l'UJU\L R~~Ns~uioNMENTAL CASES
LAW O N
300 oFpnocgnuH I'., FOR 1~
. all subject to existing p .
. . uch concession, l matter.22 t1or
·111'-' \H\bliclnnds w1Lh1n s <lr•cgulntions on t 1e
' ,I \ \VS I\\\
.• 1 t.s t\\Cl'CtO. to
11g, I\ '
17. General ob aga

r
tions
• ion shall be commenced With
·l· correspon •
ding to concess t d with reasona bl e (1·l 1·igencei
\ -,.r
., m ~ l rosecu e f n
reasonable promptness ~n~ ~d practice. In the case o exploration
accordance with good ~11 1:he performances of the co~responding
or exploitation concessio~, fficient and economic program
work in accordance wi . an .~ and submitted to the DENR
th
' l cess1onau e .
determined by t ie con . nable diligence in regard to the
Secretary w1·11b econ strued as reaso ·on· conforming . wit. h accepted
. d d • such concess1 ' . .
total area 1nclu e 111 . ·th modern and scientific methods
good practices in _c~nnectw~ w~ and operating wells to enable
of exploration, dn~hn~, equi_ppi:1, etroleum; avoiding hazards to
maximum economic prot~uct10_~ingpthepollution of the air, and of
life, health and proper Y, avoi
public or private land or waters.2a
D. Non-Exclusive Exploration Permit

18. Who may apply.
Any person legally qualified to acquire concession un~er the
provisions of the Act may, upon application, acquire a permit f~ra
non-exclusive right to undertake surface geological or geophysical
investigations within the free areas. 24
Applications shall be filed with the Director of Mines and
Geosciences who shall exa1nine and pass upon the application an_d
qualifications of the applicant. He shall forward the same with hi$
findings and recommendation to the DENR Secretary for his final_
25
action. The non-exclusive exploration permit shall be for a termof
not e~ceed~ng two (2) years, renewable for another two (2) years, at
(f)
(")
the d1scret10n of the DENR Secretary.2G
Q)
::,
::,
(1)
a.
:E
;:
(")
Q)
3
'fl
Q)
::,
::,
~ :nArl. 2:1,HA No. :187, as nmondeclby RA No. 3098.
i:sArt. 2'1, ibicl.
1
:1 Art. 33, ibid.
26
Art. 34, ibicl.
26
Art. 37, ibicl.
\
CIIJ\J>'l'Ell Vlll - Pl•:'l'llOLEUMJ\C'I'OF HMl'l :.301
(llPpuhllc Act. No. :JB7)
19. Right conveyed under non-exclusive exploration permit.

J\
.
1
llOll·l Xch1Hive exi>I .. I·
•
• • t f'
01 n ,1011 permit conveys no rignt. or the
l)erm1t.tec. to mnkc
. nny• "XJ>I
'-'• 01 •n l 01·ycIr1
·11· • • or
mg, nor curry nny prwnty
prefer~nt.rnl nghl 1:0 the n1·cuit covers so 11slo entillc the permittec to
exclustv? cxplor:~lrnn or exploilnlion concession, but is intended only
t.o p~rnnl ge?log~cal and/or geophysical exploration, preparatory to
nrnkmg npphcation for exclusive exploration conccssion. 27
Th.c rig_ht to enter upon or lo occupy private property in
conncctrnn with the permit must be secured from the owner or legal
occupant thereof.2 8
E. Exploration Concession
20. Definition of exploration.
"Exploration" means all work that have for their object the
discovery of petroleum, including, but not restricted to, surveying
and mapping, aerial photography, surface geology, geophysical
investigations, testing of subsurface conditions by means of borings
or structural drillings, and all such auxiliary work as are useful in
connection with such operations.
Test wells drilled for exploratory purposes may be of such size
and type suitable for oil production, but the actual production of oil
is not included in the term "exploration," except that oil found during
exploration may be freely used by the concessionaire in his operations
for exploration purposes only within the same concession.w
21. Areas available for exploration concessions.

Exploration concessions may be. granted on any lands within
the free and national reserve areas ·which are not covered by valid
and existing exploration or exploitation concessions, or by petroleum
drilling leases acquired under the Petroleum Act (Act No. 2932),
or by petroleum mining claims located and held under the Act of
Congress of July 1, 1902. 30
No person shall be entitled to more than_ 500,000 ~ectnr~s
of exploration areas in any one petroleum region established m
i Art. :w,RA No. 387.

7
8
i Art. :!15,ihicl. .
iu Art. :-rn,ihid., us nmondod hy HA No. 309B.
:itJArt.'12, ibid.

~
~):-,:
l..:\W o~ ;\:\TlllL\L 1n:~0llHl'l~ ~'~?
HUL~~--
OF PRl)C\;DllHE FOH l•:N\'mON~{F.~1 :\L C'r\~F.~
aC('Ordan~ with the pt'OYi~ionsof Article 12 of the Act. nor more

than 1.000.000 herbu~s in the whole territory of tho Philippines_;11
Application fur exploration concession shnll be filed with the
Director of i\lines and GeDscienres in accordance with t.he provisions
of Article 2S of the .-\ct_.~
22. Rights conveyed under exploration concession.

The exploration concession conYeys upon the concessionaire,
his heirs and assigns. from the date of the granting of the concession.
and during the ;_,ploration period and any extension thereof. the
e.xclusive right to explore the block granted, to do geological and
geophysical work, to open test pits. to conduct drilling operations,
and to do such other work related to explorati011.:.:i
The initial term of an exploration concession shall be not more
than foUI·years counted from the date of its issuance. However,
if the concessionaire has complied with the tenns and conditions
contained in the contract of concession. the concessionaire is entitled
to the grant of further extensions but in no case shall the ter1n of an
exploration concession exceed 25 years.:,~
23. Exploration work obligations.

At the beginning of each calendar year during the life of the
concession, the concessionaire shall submit to the Director of ~lines
and GeoSciences a program of exploration work to be undertaken
by the concessionaire with his concession during that year. He
is obligated to spend in the direct prosecution of exploration
work within his concession, such as topographic, or geological
reconnaissance; mapping or cross sectioning, geophysical surveys
(/)
()
by magnetometer, gravimeter or seismograph; core or exploratory
Q)
:::J
:::J
(0
drilling; or any combination of the said work, the amounts indicated
0.
~ in the law. 35
~
()
Q)
3(/)
()
Q)
:::J
:::J
~
31Art. 44, RA No. 387.

32Art. 39, ibid.
33Art. 46, ibid.
34Art. 46, ibi.d.,as nmen<led hy RA No. BODSnn<IRA No. 6086.

35Art. 47, ibid.
CI-IAP't1J,:H
VIII -- P11:'l1llOLl,:UM
J\C'I' Of,' lfJtl!J
aoa
(lfop11hli1:Act No. aH7)
24. Service Contracts for petroleum exploratlon may be allowed

only through a law passed by Congress.
In Res1'.dent Man'.ne Mammals v. Reyes, the Court,at1 through

Justice Leonardo-De Castt·o, ruled that the scrvfoc contract (SC-
46) for petroleum exploration and extraction entered in to hy the
government and Japan Petroleum .Exploration Co., Ltd. (,JAPEX)
in the Ta11on Strait, a protected seascape, is nuJl ancl voicl on the
following grounds: (a) there is no law authorizing energy resource
exploitation and utilization in the 'ran.on Strait; (b) no Environmental
Compliance Certificate (ECC) had been first secured for the Tanon
Strait, an environmentally critical area; and (c) the contract was
not signed by the President himself and reported to Congress as
required by the 1987 Constitution.
F. Exploitation Concession
25. Definition of exploitation.
~'Exf!loitation" ~eans all work within the area embraced by an

exploitation concess10n that have for their object the production of
petroleum within such area, including, but not restricted to, drilling
and operating wells, providing and operating pumping and storage
facilities; pipelines and other such work and facilities as are useful
for the purpose of making petroleum available for sale, manufacture
or refining within or for shipment from such area; but does not
include any operation which is a part of manufacturing or refining,
or any work outside such area which are a part of a pipeline or other
special transportation system.:n
26. Areas available for exploitation.

g, Areas covered by exploration concession held by the applicant,
! subject to the provisions of Article 53 of the Act, and areas within
i 38
the national reserve are available for exploitation. No person shall
~ be allowed to hold ~ore than 250,000 hectares of exploitatio~ area
g,
~
1·n a
ny one pe t ro 1eu m
. regi·on, nor more than 500,000 hectnres 111 the
~ whole territory of the Philippines.au
36 GR No. 180771, April 21, 2016.

37
Art. 61, RA No. 387.
38
Art. 66, ibid.
39
: Art. 58, ibid.
I ~
I /\WON NJ\'1,UH./\L AND nuu,:s

,u,~80Ul{Cl•:S
30~ 01,:PHOC11:1>Uln:
FOi{ gNvmoNMl1;N'r/\L CAfmS
27. Rights conveyed under exploitation concession.

An exploitntion coneessionnire, his heirs D ncJassigns, has the
exclusive right, during the term of the concession, to drill within
the boundaries projected vertically downward of the parcel or
pnrcels covered by his concession, to extract within the boundaries
thereof the substances referred to in the Act, to utilize them once
they are extracted, and to do all acts authorized within the scope of
0
exploitation, as defined in Article 51 of the Act.~
The term of an exploitation concession shall not exceed 25
years counted from the date of its issuance, renewable for another
25 years_at the option of and up9n application of the concessionaire
11
made prior to the expiration of the original term.'
28. Exploitation work obligations.

At the beginning of each calendar year during the life of the
concession, the concessionaire shall submit to the Director of Mines
and Geosciences a program of exploitation work proposed to be
undertaken by the concessionaire ,within his concession during that
year.
The concessionaire shall commence drilling operations within
one year from the date the exploitation concession is granted within
the area covered by the concession and shall continue diligently
such drilling operations in accordance with good oil field practice.
He shall be obligated to develop and bring into production the
exploitation area granted to him and any discovery areas that he
may find, and to continue such development and production until
at least the domestic consumption requiren1ents of petroleu1n in the
Philippines, determined in consultation with the DENR Secretary,
(/)
nCl) are met by the total net production from all sources of indigenous
:::,
:::,
(l)
C.
production in the Philippines, if the petroleun1 deposit discovered
:!:
s: by the concessionaire shall permit such develop1nont in accordance
()
Cl) with good petroleum engineering practice.- 1~
3
(/)
n
Cl)
:::,
:::, Once production is established, production operations on the
~
concession may not bo susponclod l.'ormore thnn six months without
prior written approval of tho Socrotnry.-1:i
40
Art. 59, RA No. 387, UH nmondod by RA No. 30!)8.
41
Art. 72, ibid.
42Art. 60, ibid.
•13Art. 62, ibid.
aor,
(;\IJ\P'l'l.:H. Vlll - l'l1\'l'ltOLl 1:UM /\C'l' OF 1nt1n
(Hupuhlle /\d N11.!\H7)
Bxploitntion coHceRRionnit·oHAiudi pny to the government a

roynlt.y which Rhnl\ not he loss thnn l2 l/:l<.¼,
of' the peLrolcu m produced
nnd snvod, less thnt consu mcd in tho operntion1:1of' the eoncc88ionaire
in t.hc working of snch exploitnLion concession. However, natural
gHs returned to the formation shall not be subjected to royalty.H
G. Refining Concession
29. Definition of "refining."
"1">,efi •
'11g" 1neans the 1)rocess1ng
111 or t rec,,1 ting of- petroleum t· by
• , ', ' •• . .• l · e ara 1ng
chemical or physical n1eans for the purpose of ma nng or s P t.
marketable products. However, it does not include such op~ra 1?ns,
separate from the foregoing, as gas co1npre~sion, rer:n,oval of noxi~us
gases, crude oil stabilization ~r t~eatm_ent for em~ls1on, or any ot er
operation which has as its principal a_1mthe avoidance of _?az!rd or
loss, or which is incidental to production or to transportation.
30. Application for refining concession.

Application for refining concession shall be filed with the
Director of Mines and Geosciences in accordance with Article 28 of
the Act.
When the granting of a refining concession is obligatory upon
the government by reason of the provisions of Article 11 of the Act,
and provided that all other requirements have been complied with,
an application shall operate to con fer upon the concessionaire all
the rights and obligations which are conferred by the Act pending
the execution of the contract of concession. The DENR Secretary
may, in his discretion, grant a refining concession to any person
duly qualified under the Act even though he is not a holder of an
exploitation concession. Likewise a refining concession n ny be
1
(/)
granted_ to an~ person who, without being a holder of nn exploitation
"OJ:::, c?nce~s1on, discovers and registers wilh tho l3nroau ol' Nlines nnd
:::,
Cl)
Cl. Geosc,ences any nalurnl deposit; ol' oil 01· scop 01· emanation of gas:"'
~
;::;:
:,:-
(") 31
OJ
3(/) - Rights conveyed under refining concession.
":::,:::,
OJ
·l -~<~fini~g concession conl'o1·H upon t.ho concosHionniro tho non•

~
exc us1ve 1·1ghl le • I 1· · 1· · ,
> !)l'OVIC e I\Cl lLlUH lor t.ho ll\1\\Hll'nct\n·e or, nncl to
HArt.. (16, 11.ANo. :187.

1
r,Arl. 7'1, iliid.
10
Atl. 7G, il>icl.
/HW
J·ri,·L t<J fJ)(! proviHionH r1f th,!

'rn d, II' L , , fl II 1'
•, •
mnn11!i1ctu1·1. JH•l1·0 Ip11n1 I ··1· wnrkH nnd <Jp<~nJt1onH ::t8 ~r,~
f ,nwli nux1 ,nr.Y . h t
;\c:t.: nncl to cnrry 0 11 • , • J I of' the 11ndert:Jking, Hue; ~JH,nut,
. l t I}w ' J('{'( Hf (Iii , c;Oll( f'IJC:, m ~ nd ,Jcct.ric1ty;
ct- cnl 1n • • th
" e t,r<~rJ t,mE=nt
1 1
' 1 "r n t•JO n o. H ,c n rcgcncraUon
n I limitt,d lo, I IH' f' 1 1 ,
h • l
of c.; em1c.;a H UHc•<l
nnd u ·, f ,vr1t !l,.. 1, I1e, JJrod .
ucL10n or
. . nd fi]Jjng of conUuners; •
th,.!
• . 1he fnhricn.t10n a ,
in m:rnufn ·tunng, , • d 'her huj]djngs· the construct10n
• f ·h wnrehouses an ' OL • •
re twn o s 0 P8 , ' . / terns and roads w1th1n and fo-r
,· sys
f com mun1ca 1,,JOD ...
and op 'ra,,ion ° . h . . and operation of fac1hties for
t 0 1he works· and t, e prov1s10n .
:i ce_ . • , . ' d h' • materials or products and for their
r enrJng tor1ng, an s 1pp1ng - k h' h h
' . "th'
ransportatwn w1 1n or
between parts of the wor s to w ic t e
• re 1a t es.47
concess10n
32. Utilization of refining capacity.

The holder of a refining concession shall have the preferential
right to utilize his installations for the refin~ng or ~anuf~cture of
petroleum produced by him from his conces.s1on,but 1s obligated to
utilize any remaining capacity for the refining or manufacture, pro
rat a, of such other petroleum as may be offered by others for refining
or manufacture, and to charge without discrimination such rates as
may have been approved by the DENR Secretary.
When a refining concessionaire is also an exploitation
concessionaire, the Secretary may require that the royalty in
kind due to the government from the same concessionaire, or an
equivalent amount of petroleum of the government from other
sources, be refined or manufactured, pro rata, with that o,vned b:
the refining concessionaire, up to the capacity of the installation·
an.d ~n all cases petroleum owned by the government shall ha,
priority over all other petroleum for the utilization of the r fining
or manufacturing capacity in excess of that required to r fin or
manufacture petroleum owned by the refining concessionair __ ,g
The term of a refining concession shall not exceed 25 years

counted from the d t Of 1•t •
. . a e s issuance, renewable for another 25 years,
upon application
. . of the concess1ona1re
• • filed prior
• to the exp1ra · of
· t1on
th e or1gina1 term.49

CIII\P'l'l,:U, VIII·- 1'1,;•1•u.01,1,;11M
/\C'I' (Jft' l!MH
~07
(Uop11hllc:/\1:1.No. :1117)
33. Benefits derived from the establlshmont of oil refineries.
It hns been hc]rl thn t "1:hceAL11hi ish ment of n petroleum refinery

in the Philippines will undoubtedly contribute much to the economic
welfare of the nation as it will be an nclditional source of taxes for the
government, afford more opportunities fr>remployment of our people,
and may reduce the cost of petroleum products which are basir•
needs and therefore essential in the progressive industrialization
of our economy. The operation of such a refinery may also induce
the intensification of the search for oil in the Philippines, where oil
is recognized to exist, as then there will be a refinery available to
turn into manufactured products the crude petroleums that may be
found and produced locally." 00
H. Pipeline Concession
34. Application for pipeline concession.
Application for pipeline concession shall be filed with the
Director of Mines and Geosciences in accordance with Article 28 of
the Act.
When the granting of a pipeline concession is obligatory
upon the government by reason of the provisions of Article 11, and
provided, that all other requirements have been complied with, an
application filed shall operate to confer upon the concessionaire all
the rights and obligations which are conferred by the Act pending
the execution of the contract of concession.
Pipeline concession may also be granted to any person legally
qualified under this Act who is not a holder of an exploitation or
refining concession upon his filing an application therefor. 51
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), formerly the
(/)
Board of Energy, shall have the power to r~~ulate and fix the rates
0
Q)
:J
:J
of pipeline concessionaires under the prov1s10ns of RA No. 387, as
<D
0.
:!:
;:;:
amended otherwise known as the Petroleum Act, and to prescribe
2
:::T
(')
Q)
and prorr:u]gate the necessary rules and regulations on the mntte1-.t1
3
(/)
0
Q)
:J
:J
!!l
6 °Commissioner of Customtt v. Cnlt.ox(Philippinos), Inc., ORNo.L-13067,Dec.

29, 1959, lOGPhil. 829.
61Art. 83, RA No. 387.
62
8cc. l, PD No. 1700.
'SOURCE,SAND RULES
1
308 OF PHOCEDUIH,l•O I 1
LAWoN NA'l'U,1{:\/~!'Nvrn.oNMEN'l'AL cAsgs
d •peline concession.
35. Rights conveyed un er pl . .
. • . ) acquires the non-exclusive right to
A 1>ipeline concess10nnne • . 1·
.. by means of, and through, a pipe ine or systern
trm~spo~·t.petlo 1eum. tl ~ sources of production and/or refining and
of p1pehnes. between 1c • . '[,l . . .
• the piJJe line concess10n. . us concession right
the places de fi1ned m , . . . 1· .
includes the construction and operat10n of pipe ines, pumping or
compressm • g stati'ons
. , storage tanks ' gas tanks, power plants, .shops . '
storehouses and other buildings, water supply an~ _c?mmunication
systems, roads, and such other equipment or facilities as may be
n·eeded for the purpose of the concession.r,:i
A pipeline concessionaire shall have the preferential right to
utilize his installations for the -transportation of petroleum owned
by him, but is obligated to utilize any remaining transportation
capacity pro rata for the transportation of such other petroleum
as may be offered by others for transport, and to charge without
discrimination such rates as may have been approved by the DENR
Secretary.M
The term of a pipeline concession shall not exceed 25 years
counted from the date of its issuance, renewable for another 25 years,
upon application of the concessionaire filed prior to the expiration of
the original term.r.0
36. Pipeline concessionaire as common carrier .
. .. A P.ip~linecon.cessi~naire shall have the preferential right to

utih~e his msta1lat10ns for the transportation of petroleum owned
by him . ' but is obligat
• ed t o uti ·1·1.ze any remaining
. . .
transportat10n
capacity pro -~ala for the transportation of such other petroleum
as may be offered by oth . f' . . . .
a·1scnmmat1on
. . . . such rate eis .
or tiansport, and to charge without
}
Secretary. s as may 1ave been approved by the DENR
When the pipeline cone ... • , . .8 . . .

concessionaire 4 ,, S . essrnn,in 1s also an explo1tut10n
, 11 eeretary m
l<:indof the gov~ l, " • .
. . . uy require thn t: the royalty 1n
e1 nment recmved f-· 1 om tl
transported . . , 10 snme eoncossionnire be
. ,prora.ta,w1ththatow 110II t] ... '
same concession. a 11<l • I) < lY • 10 concoss 1onnll'o from the
ll1 n t:'l8CS t}
'
' ' w pe (,ro] ou m of tho government
r,:1Art.86, RA No. 387

r),j A •
Ml.. 8G, ii,id.
MA
Hl't, 87, il,id,

CHAPTER VIII
(Repubhc
- P~TI?OLEUM ACT OF 1949
Acl No. 387)
309
shall have priority over all 0 tl . .

the excess capacity of the . l~er petroleum rn the utilization of
petroleu111owned by the p'1pipe . 1ne over tl ia t iequ1re
. • d to transport
• pe 1ine concessionaire. s6
In a case, 5; the issue • l l
. ·
ipeline •
concession und . Is w 1et 1er petition er,• a gran t ee of a
RA
P
carrier" and there£ . er_ No • 387 , 18
• cons1·d ere d a "common
, ore, exempt from pa in t .
under Section 133 of tl L y g ax on gross receipts
Id th t rt· . le ocal Government Code of 1991. The Court
he a pe 1 wn~r is a common carrier, adverting to the definition
of a conlnlon cai~ner under Ai·ticle 1732 of the Civil Code as "an
person. ' corporation , firm
. OI • association
• • •
engaged 111 •
the business Y
of
carr_ying or transport_1ng passengers or goods or both, by land, water,
or air, ~or con1pensat10n, offering their services to the public." It was
deternnned that petitioner is engaged in the business of transporting
or carrying goods, i.e., petroleum products, for hire as a public
employ1nent. It undertakes to carry for all persons indifferently, that
is, to all persons who choose to employ its services, and transports
the goods by land and for con1pensation. The fact that petitioner has
a lin1ited clientele does not exclude it from the definition of a common
carrier. Since petitioner is a "common carrier," it was held that it is
exempt from the business tax as provided for in Section 133(j), of the
Local Govern1nent Code. The legislative intent in excluding from the
taxing power of the local government unit the imposition of business
tax against co1nmon carriers is to prevent a duplication of the so-
called "comn1on carrier's tax."
In a related case, 68 it was held that the Petroleum Act of
1949 grants any oil exploration and development conces~ionaire
· ·1ege of 1•1npor·t 1'11g•, free of customs
th e pnv1 . duty, all equ1pment.
. . .
. t · ls
mac h 1nery, 1na ·ena , 111 •• st1·uments ' supplies and accessories
. for .its
,1 .
own use. 'l 1us, ape ro
t leuin refining plnnt operator holding a refining
, .. . . .
· · t· f .0111 the 1mvment of the spcctnl unp01 t tax
concess10n 1s exemp 1 J • • , , ••• "
I · d d RA N J394 on imµortn t10ns of eqmpmcnt. matt 11,tb
ev1e un er o. . . . •
. d. •t·s J)elroloum cxplornt.wn concl'~~Hnt.
an d supplies to be use 1n 1 , •
66
Art. 8(i, RA No. i!87. . , Court ot' t\ppo 11h,, OH No. l::lMH8.U('C.
67 First Phil. Jndm,t.rinl Corpnrnt.10II'· .,
29, 1998, 300 SCRA (Hil. ,, St 'tHlunl l~usll rn, Inc., OH No. L-W07S.
, t s v Jt,sso ... ,,.
r; Commissioner of Cus nm, •
8
,Jun. 9, 197G.

At ,,,·soutic1~s AND HULES
NJ\'l'UH,, I 1' "
LAW ON
t ' t
, F'OH1,~NVIH.ONMl~N'f'AL
CASES
310 OF PHOCl•;nUH i,,
,.. ,~ a,, d Extinction

J. Pena / ,,,.c,.., • ' .. •
of ]lights
ancellationof concession.
37. C
The statements made in the ~~plication or m~de in support
_ f shall be considered as cond1t10ns and essential parts of the
t}. 1 reo . . .
concession that may be granted by virtue of such apphcat10n, and
any falsehood in those statements or 01nission of facts which may
alter, change, or affect, substantially the facts set forth in said
statements may cause the cancellation of the lease granted. 69
Other causes for cancellation of concession. -
a. Exploration concessions may be cancelled under any of
the following causes:
1) For failure of the concessionaire to perform the work
obligations required by Article 4 7 of the Act for two consecutive
years; and
2) . For failure to pay for two consecutive years the
explorat10n tax due thereon, as required by Article 49 of this
Act.
b. _Exploitation concessions may be cancelled under any of
the followmg causes:
~) . For failure of the concessionaire to perform the

expl01tat10n work obl' t' , required
•
"··t· iga wns as under the provisions
of nr ices
1 60 and 61 of the At r.
c • i:ortwo consecutive years;
tha 2)· For suspending
. . duct·1011 operat10ns
• p1.o . for 1nore
n six months without 110 ..• •
Secretary as prov·d d c .
1 8 101
? r ~ntten approvul of the DENR
- m Article 62 the Act·
'J)
I)
f•' f•m]ure
•
.())' to . . r01.. . ' .
annual exploit.nti( 1 • P<lY two eonsccuhve yonrs the
.
of the AtL; m ,,.ix 1
Luc tlwreo
~
• l l >yArt1cl0
n, as reqmroc . .
(,4
'1) Jt'Ol·faihtrP lo I I'

royalty within 011 c, , , 1. ' ivnr or pny Lo I.ho govornmont its
due. Y<m1· f 1·1>m i•-I10 <Inl.e Huch roynlt.y becomes
J
liUArt.89, RA No. :187.

CH/\P'l'FH VIII
, - Pl•:'l'HOLl-:UM ACT OF IIM!J
(Hop11lillcAl!I.No, !IH?)
c. f Hcfining
r ·1ure
nnd 1>1'1,1· .
1fll o t 110 conccssio • >e Ille conceHH • 1011 A mny Iw cs111cc:lled
for
RllO pipeline ns the cu nnn·c t.o begin the construction of II refinery
, , SC Ill 'lY b \ •I•
the issuance of such c '. e, wit, 1111 one ycnr from the dsite of
oncess1ons.11n
38. Extinction of rights.

Rights acquired by • ·t, .
extinguished upon tl . vi~ ue of a concess10n shall become
1eexp1rat10nofitst, • I 1· h •
or renewals the . f ·r . erm me U( mg t e extensions
of such conce I· eo , I1 any ' or up on t1 . IJat10n
• le cnnce • or renunciation
ss10n. n the event of such t' • f •
sum payable t tl ex mct10n o rights, any
unpaid shall bo 1e g;vernment by the concessionaire and then
. e?ome ue and payable forthwith, the property of
th e concess10na1re
. . f . shall• be dispose
• d of• m
• accordance with the
proviswns O Article 93 of the Act, and the concession contract shall
be surrendered to the DENR Secretary.
a. Upo.n the renunciation, cancel1ation, or expiration

of an explorat10n or exploitation concession, the area covered
thereby shall automatical1y become part of the national
reserve.
b. Upon the renunciation, cance1lation, or expiration
of an exploration concession, or of an exploitation concession
within the first term of 25 years or within the first 15 years of
its renewal, if any, as provided for in the Act, the title rights
to all apparatus, materials, equipment, supplies and other
personal properties, all works, buildings and other facilities
and structures which the concessionaire places on the land
under the terms of the concession, including but not limited
to drilling pipe, wai·ehouse stocks, automotive, nvintion and
marine equipment, shall remain vested in the concesRionair •
and the concessionaire shull have the right to remove and
export the same at any time within one yenr counted from the
date the concessionaire shnlJ cease to 1·ol11int.he right to uRe tlw
]ands subject to the coneession on whieh Lho snid propPrty is
Jocated: Provided, /imueuer, Thnt t.ho govornmont. shnll ncquiro
tit]e to 11]] properties not. so romovod nt, tho oncl of the ~nid
one-year period: f'roui<l<!d,/111:tllltr,Thnt. tho gov~rnt~l nt shnll
have the exc]usive l'ighL of opt,1011, hut. not. the ohltgntwn, to buy
r;oArt. 90, RA No. :187.

I'""
uucFS /\ND ttULl•:S

1,/\W ON NA'l'UH~\I, H~•~~tHONMl•:N'l'td, C/\8ti:S
312 OF PHOCED\Jln: H>H h
. . . 1l ol' the proportics which the
• 1n1re nnY 01 ·' •
from the concess 101 . • t to remove under this paragraph
1
· · •c hns 1he
conccs~1onn11 f 1
1
ngt-1 , dnt"<.!
' •
the conccss10n •
18 renounced,
within ninety dnys. rom d'· ~ ,d, ;,.ovided, finally, rrhat the
cancelled or ternunaie • n • d' d ••
. . . l1all maintain said properties, pen ing ecrn1on
concess1onau e s . t purchase the same 111 • as goo d con d1•t'10n
t· 0
of the governmen ·t· f sai'd properties on the date• of' t h e said
c: • ' •
as t h e ·con
t· d1 1011 o
nncellati·on •
or terminat10n •
of the concess1on,
renuncl8 1011, Cn •
ordinary wear and tear and damage caused by c1rcumstances
beyond the control of the concessionaire excepted.
c. In case of renunciation, cancellation or termination
of the exploitation concession after the fifteenth year from the
date of the renewal, if any, of the concession, all the property
mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall become the property
of the government without payment or inde1nnification to the
concess10na1re.
d. The above provisions do not apply to any refinery
built by the concessionaire as said refinery shall continue
to be the exclusive property of the owner thereof even after
th~ termination of the concession: Provided, That ro"ads and
bridges constructed by the concessionaire shall become the
property of the government.G1
39. Transfer and assignment.

Holders of concessions under the Act sh 11 • •
written approval of the DENR Secret . . a ~1ot,w1th?ut ~rev1ous
or in part their rights tl . .. ar~, transfer or assign 111whole
" , On 1en concess10ns· pr •d d tl
trans1er or assignment shall b .d . , • ovi e .' • 1at no such
to acquire or hold concession u~11;a ~ to a P_ers_onwho is not qualified
area under exploration o ] _ert_1eAct, o1 who shall hold a total
being transferred or .. r exlp mta~10n concessions, includino· thnt
are as a IIowed under the Act.ni to hun ' of mm.e
assignee ~
• t,·l1 nn the 1nnx11nu1n
40. Settlement of disp utes.

. . For th e purpm;e f • ..•
arismgoutofth o set.t.l1ng or lornri 1·
of conflict f ~ pr~visions of' tho /\ ,1.• Il nn ,Ing nny controversy
into a . o applications tho DFNI") Sc.,o. 101· t.hn1.1t:hmm nrising out
g1eement wi't] 1 any' pot-l'ol
'"' \,. • oc1·ot'n 1•Y •18• nut:hor1ierl
• to enter
, oum concossionnfro , ,~\nd 111 • case o ('
01
Art ..93'' RA No 387
fl2 •
Art. 112, ibid. •

CHJ\J>'l'l~R Vlll - PE'l'llOLEUM AC'l' OF HMB 313
(Ropuhlic Act No. :387)
their fni!ure t_o.come to such nn agreement, the Secretary shall

render lus dectswn thereon, from which decision the concessionaire
adversely affected may bring the matter to the proper court.ll:i
J. Work Obligations, Taxes, and Royalties

41. Work obligations, taxes, and royalties.
Work ?~ligations, special taxes, and royalties which are fixed
by the proVIs1ons of the Act or by the concession for any of the kinds
of concessions to which the Act relates are considered as inherent on
such concessions after they are granted, and shall not be increased or
decreased during the life of the concession to which they apply; nor
shall any other special taxes or levies be applied to such concessions,
nor shall concessionaires under the Act be subject to any provincial,
municipal, or other local taxes or levies; nor shall any sales tax be
charged on any petroleum produced from the concession or portion
thereof, manufactured by the concessionaire and used in the working
of his concession. All such concessionaires, however, shall be subject
to such taxes as are of general application, in addition to taxes and
other levies specifically provided in this Act. 64
42. Customs duties.

During the first five (5) years following the granting of any
concession, the concessionaire may import free of customs duty,
all equipment, machinery, material, instruments, supplies and
accessories.
No exemption shall be allowed on goods imported by the
concessionaire for his personal use or that of any others; nor for
sale or for re-export; and if any goods on which ~xe~pti?n ha_s been
allowed be thus used or disposed of, the concess10na1re 1s obliged to
make a report to the DENR Secretary to that effect and to pay such
import duty as is due. 6n
a. Purpose of tax exemption

RA No. 387 was intended to oncournge the exploitation,
exploration and development of' the potroloum resources of the
61
: Art. 1.07, supra.
61 Art. 102, RA No. :-!87.
(lo Art. 1.0a, ibid.

, 'S /\ND llULl•:S
N N,\'l'LJII/\L H(•:H01¼~\(~~~1,:N'l'J\I,
CASl•~R
31'1 LAW 0, 'l)IJHJ•: FOH 1,,NV
OF J'HOLh , ,
. ,
1nee1,t ·1'V(', in the form of. tav
,.,_
, •
t , by rr1v1111r 1·1 t lw nPcel4RII' y 101
r . I l1c generous granl of' tax
coun r)_ , • , j._
•
t.lw raison 7•c_.
<
/re
t·
,
t-l1Cir
.
financwl resources
cxcmptrnm:. 1• 1us • I vouId invcs, , . 1
• to ti lO,sc w 10 f' this nnt10nn
exemption • l cco nom1c
. goa •
d } }11·cvcmcnt. 0 L
towm· st 1 AC (Phil.), Inc.,r.11 respondent

. . . f C ,stoms v. Ca/lex f .·
In Comm1ss101w1 ° .,,• b t·J t-JicnSecretary o.. Aguculture
ranted y , ic , . . h h .
Ca]tcx (Phil.), Inc. WAS g ·efii1ing concess10n wit t e right
• 8 J)ctro1eum 1 • . .
and Naturnl Resomces . refinery in the mun1c1pahties
•h d rRte ,1 petro 1eum .
to est.abI1s an ope " . f Batangas. The concess10n made
of Bau an and Bat.ang11s, provmcc O . . I ·t •
• •
the prov1s10nso f RA N o. 387 as an mtegral part. ..n
·1 · I s operation,
t d f
Ca Itex, (Pl11·1) 1· used as basic material crude o1 impor ·e rom
• , .nc. I. . t l d 'l
nbroa d• Cus toms dut ies were imJ)osed on t us , 1mpor A ec 1cru e 01
and so, Caltex sought for refund. The Court of 'I ax ppea s ordered
a refund. On petition for review, the Supreme Cou~t held that
under Article 103 of the Act, the petroleum products unported by
respondent for its use during the construction of the refinery are
exempt from the customs duties and that gasoline and oil furnished
its drivers during the construction job come within the import of the
words "material" or "supplies."
Relatedly, in Batangas City v. Pilipinas Shell Petroleum

1
Corporation/ the Court expounded that the power of LGUs
to impose business taxes derives from Section 143 of the LGC.
How:ver, the same is subject to the explicit statutory impediment
prov1dedfor u~1der~ection 133(h) of the same Code which rohibits
LGUs from 1mposmg "t f P
products,, Add',• ~-1) Saxe_s, ees or charges on petroleum
• lLiona Y, ecbon J33(h) 0 f ·I L .
that the prohibition wi·LJ • t 1e GC makes plam
only to excise taxes 'l1e1·e1 res~ect tlo petroleum products extends not
1, on uut a I "t r.
speaking, as Jong as the ' b. axes, iees or charges." Strictly
the LGUHis the petroleu su !edct matter of the taxing powers of
' ·1 m Pl O Uets J~ . . .
PtJvJ ege related to the >' .O
1 e, se or even the activity or
':il1dd'18t,1 1'b • pe1,J eum JWod t
' . • ution of said products . . uc ·s, such as 111anufacturing
and thuA, no levy tan be im1101-, I 1'it is eovered by the said limitation
ec .
. Why the HfleeinJ ..
'I' • tonee1·1I
lnga lll Petron C ove,· 11et1 ·1
' , Jorporation v ,,,. ; •o ou tn ].)l'oducts? Justice
• iunuco IIB ol . 1
' ll<.:H H Les:
(lOGH No. L-l::JOG7 n

07GRN I oc. ~9 ] l)fi
o. l87G3J J I ' ' )!l, 101;PJ ·1
osan No. 158881' I u ~ 8, 2<Ho. l) ' 82!),
. , Ap1·11
1G,2oos.

CIIAP'l'lo:H VIII - l'l•:'1'1!01.1•:IIMAC'I' OF l!Jtl!J 316
(Hl'p11l,llc:Ar:1.No. :111'/)
"In t.hiH ngu wlwru unl'ortun11f.ely clepundencc on

petroleum nR l'uel hnH yut, 110 equ11lly fcsrniblu alternntive,
0
the coRt of petroleum produr.t.8, Lhnugh fully controlled

by privntc enterprise, remains nn nren of public concern.
To be blunt nbout it, there is nn inevitable link between
the fluctuation of oil prices un<l the prices of every
other commodity. The renlity, indeed, is oil is a political
commodity. Such fact hns received recognition from this
Court. 'fO]iJ [is] a commodity whose supply and price
affect the ebb and flow of the lifeblood of the nation. Its
shortage of supply or a slight, upward spiral in its price
shakes our economic foundation. Studies show that the
areas most impacted by the movement of oil are food
manufacture, land transport, trade, electricity and
water.' '[T]he upswing and downswing of our economy
materially depend on the oscillation of oil.' 'Fluctuations
in the supply and price of oil products have a dramatic
effect on economic development and public welfare.'
It can be reasonably presumed that if municipalities,
cities and provinces were authorized to impose business
taxes on .manufacturers and retailers of petroleum
products, the resulting losses to these enterprises would
be passed on to the consumers, triggering the chain
of increases that normally accompany the increase in
oil prices. No similarly massive trigger effect would
ensue upon the imposition of business taxes on other
commodities, including those already subject to excise
taxation under the NIRC.
It may very well be that the policy of deregulation,
which was not yet in effect at the time of the enact1nent
of the LGC, has changed tho complexion of the issue, for
unJike before, oil companies nro free at will to increase
oi] prices, thus mitigating tho similarly arbitrary
consequences thnt could dovolop if petroleum products
were subject to local tnxos. Still, it: cnnnot be denied that
subjecting petroleum productH t.o lnrniuess tuxes apart
from the taxes already imposocl by Congress in this age
of dereguJntion would load to tho snme result hud they
been so taxed during the orn of oil regulation - the
increase of oil prices. We do not discount the authority of
Congress to enact measures that facilitate the increase in

316 LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND RULES
OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIRONNIENTAL CASE
oil prices; witness the Oil Deregulation Law and the most
recent Expanded VAT Law. Yet these hard choices are
presumably made by Congress with the expectation that
the negative effects of increased oil prices are offset by
the other econon1ic benefits pro1nised by those new la vvs
(i.e., a more vibrant oil industry; increased govern1nent
revenue)."

Chapter IX
PHILIPPINE FISHERIES CODE OF 1998
(Republic Act No. 8550, as amended
by Republic Act No. 10654)
A. Preli,ninary
01. Governing law.
RA No. 8550, enacted on February 17, 1998, is nn act providing

for the develop1nent and conservation of the fisheries and aquatic
resources and integrating all laws pertinent thereto. Its short title
is "The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1.998."
On February 27, 2015, Congress enacted RA No. 10654,
entitled '~n Act to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported
and Unregulated Fishing, Amending Republic Act No. 8550,
Otherwise Known as 'The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998'."
It repeals Chapter VI of RA No. 8550 and replaces it with a new
Chapter VI on Prohibitions and Penalties. A new Chapter VII on
Administrative Adjudication is inserted after Chapter VI of RA No.
8550, empowering the DENR to impose the administrative fines and
penalties provided in the Code.
RA No. 10654 declares as a policy of the State to "adopt the
precautionary principle and manage fishery and aquatic resources,
in a manner consistent with the concept of an ecosystem-based
approach to fisheries manage1nent and integrated coastal area
management in specific natural fishe~·y 1na1:age1nent _ar as,
appropriately supported by research, technical services and guidance
provided by the State."

1tis the dednred policy of the 8t nte:
'10 achieve food security as th overriding consid-
1
a.
. 1n
era t 10n · t;1J e u t,1·11• ,7c:1tionmanagement, devo1opn1ent, conser-
14(:. ·,
817

JIFSOlJHCES A IJ l/lJLl·:S
l
318 LAWON N1\Tl~H~\J, 'NVIHONi\l I-:1 '1'1\(, ('1\Sl·:S
OF l'HOCEJ)UHI·, l·<Jll ,~
• -1
.
• 1 'CllOll
fr. ·I , ·v rc•suun'<.'S in order
O 11s Ill,) .
lo provid 0
10
vat1on anu P c, t' ll1 /\ flcxilJI, policy low:ir<ls the
1111
tho food needs of 1.h e popt. ~' ,;ll lie ·idopl •cl in rcspcms, to
• t of food secu n 1,y • 11' ' . .
attamm _n. 1 . t ·c11clsfor fish emcrg1 ng trends in the
l . d mograp 11c 1 • ' . .
curnges m e d ti·1 1.. 1quatic JJroducts in domcslH.: and inter.
trade of fish An o c <- d
.
nat1ona l mar k et s, an d the law of supply and <lcman ;
b • ·t access to the fishery and aquatic resources of

To I1m1 f p·i· .
the Philippines for the exclusive use and enjoyment o '1 1pmo
citizens;
c. To ensure the rational and sustainable developmen_t,
management and conservation of the fishery ~1nd aquat~c
resources in Philippine waters including the Exclusive Economic
Zone (EEZ) and in the adjacent high seas, consistent with the
primordial objective of maintaining a sound ecological balance,
protecting and enhancing the quality of the environment.
The Philippines shall pursue its commitment to international
conventions and cooperate with other states and international
bodies, in order to conserve and manage threatened aquatic
species, straddling and highly migratory fish stocks and other
living marine resources;
d. To protect the rights of fisherfolk, especially of the
local communities with priority to municipal fisherfolk, in the
preferential use of the municipal waters. Such preferential use,
shall be based on, but not limited to, maximum sustainable yield
(MSY) or total allowable catch (TAC) on the basis of resources
and ecological conditions, and shall be consistent with our
commitments under international treaties and agreements;
e. To provide support to the fishery sector, pri mnrily to
the municipal fisherfo]k, including women and youth sectors.
throu~h appropriate technology and research, nrloqunto
financial, production, consti-uction of post-harvest. fncilit.ies.
mar~e.ting assistance, and other services. Tho protect.ion of
municipal fishcrfo]k against foreign intrusion shnll cxlt'n<l
to offshore fishing
• grou n ds. ,.,,. ,] I . .
18 lWOI' Wl'S s 1ll111 l'UCOIVO H ,u~t.
j
share for their ]a bo1· 1•n t] w u t,1•11zn

• t• ,. •
,Jon o mnr1no nnd f,~horv
. •
resources· , ·
fi h f. To adopt the p1·ec11ut • · ·1

,ionm·y p1·1nc1p o mid mnnngo
s ery and aquatic resou 1• · . .
th cos, rn n mnnnor cons 1. t.ont with
e concept of an eco . t " L .
m . sys em- mscd npproaeh t.o fishones
anagement and integr t d 1 .
a e coasta al'on manngoment 111

('1L\1'\'~t\ lX- r'HlLH'l'\;\}1 Fl~HK1'1F·~l'('l11; 0r 1:''!'~ ~1'~
\1'\'l'\l~~i,' .\,,t ;\,, ,:-;..,.~~\
:"\:::\Hh'\ht,,\ i~yl~q,,11,1,.-.\t1 ~-"' )('tr,~~,
$l't"-'ltk n~un r~ll th:.h1..'ry m:nrn~\'llh''n t :lT"t'!l ~- :1 ppT\'l'n J. it' i~-

~u pr""'rtt~1 hy r,,~1.'m\'h, ttYhllll'!ll ~t'l'\"lC't'~ .,nci ~11CT:Hh't'
by dw St~1h': nnd
p1.\wid\'-l.1 •
~~,.. "l\, ~~nu t th' priYnt 0 ~t'l'Wr tlu, pr1,ikg't"' rc, ffil !l:-t'
ri~ltt'l"Y t't'~\)\ll\"-'S \llHk'r tht'.\ h!1s.ir l'\'llCt'pt th!1r th~ ~1nit't\
H'-~'n~'t' ,)r Pt'rmttrt:'e tlH.'f\'\)f ~lrnll n 0 t C)nh· bi' ~1 1w1,-ilt';t'l
~'nt'_fo.-.i~n·y of the St~tt' hut Rl~o ~l'il\"t'. p~rric.1i,~nt ~1nr
p~1rt11ei-l'f thP g\1Y~rnnwnt in tlH." ~u~t.!1in!1hh'.\ctt',·t:'fopm::'.nt
m~tn~~~nwnt, l'\.'ll~Pn-~1.t.icm ~uHi pl\'lt t"i.'Llonof th~ fi~ht'TY:1nd
~1qtmtict"t'~0\U\'t'~ of the ('\.'1\llltxy.
The- St~te ~1~111en~u"t't' thP mtninm~nt of the .tf,llowing

t,bj~tiY?S of the fi~h~ry ~~ror:
1) C-on$erYari0n. prot eetion ~ntdsu~t~1ined111~111~g"t"-111c:'n

of the rountry's fishery and aqu~ufr resou1'Ce~:
~) PoYexty a1leYiation and th~ proYi~cm of supplenh'n-
. liYelihood ammu~-1nuniripal .fisJ1erfolk:
rn.1-Y ~
3) In1p1-0Yement of produrriYity of ~1qm1cuhurcwithin

erologieal limit~:
-4) Optimal utilization of offahore ~nui dec:'p-sc:'~1
resources: and
1
5) UpgTading of post-lrnrYest ted1nolog_:-·•
03. Application of the law.

The proYisions of t11eCode. as amended. sh~lll lw t'nfo1'l'cdin:
a. all Philippine waters including otht'l' wafrrs O\'t''l'
whie.h tl1e Philippines has sovereignt~• and jurisdiction. ~nui t.ltt'
counb'y's 200-nautical mile EEZ nnd continental shdf:
(/)
()
Ol
:::,
b. all aquatic nnd fishery resoun·es whl'tht'l' inland.
:::,
Cl)
Cl.
~
coastal or offshore fishing nrens, including- but. nnt. limikd to
;: fishponds, fishpens/cnges·
()
Ol
3
(/)
()
Ol
all lands devote<l to nquncult.m·t\ or busilws~l'8 nnd
:::,
:::,
~
activities rein ting to fishery, whot lwr privn t l' m· puhlie lmuls:
and
d. nll Philippine flnggocl fbh ing vussds oporntin~·
m arens rrovernod
0 by. n Hogionnl Fi~hories l\1[mrnn·l,tnl.mt:
~
'S,,9R\N
~e. -, \.: ~~t-o
o. uO l •
. , OUHCft'SAND JtULJ•:S
320
LAWON NA'l'UH.Al, R,!ivmoNM
l~N'f1AL
CASfi:B
OF PROCgDUltl~FOH !, ,
. . i'MO) in the high seus, or 1n waterA of othnr

Orgnniznt,1011(HJ '
coastal stnt:cs.2
•torialsea contiguouszone, andexclusive
04. Internalwaters,t erri '
economiczone.
Internal waters are all waters (part of_the sea, riv?rs, lake8,
·d f·om the baseline of the territory. Sovereignty over
et c.) 1an dwar s I • 1 d d• •
these waters is the same in extent as sovereignty over an·, an it 1s
3
not the subject to the right of innocent passage.
Under the Constitution the internal waters of the Philippines
include the waters around,' between, and connecting the islands
of the archipelago. 4 This type of internal waters is considered
"archipelagic waters."
The territorial sea is a belt of sea outwards from the baseline
up to 12 nautical miles beyond. Archipelagic states, like the
Philippines, have drawn "straight baselines" instead of following
the curvatures of the coast. Straight baselines are drawn connecting
selected points on the coast without appreciable departure from the
general shape of the coast. The sovereignty of the coastal state over
its territorial sea as well as the seabed under is the same as its
sovereignty over its land territory. This sovereignty extends to the
air space over the territorial sea as well as to its bed and subsoil.
Beyond the territorial sea, the waters are high seas and are not
subject to the sovereignty of the coastal state. 5
The contiguous zone is an area of water not exceeding 24
nautical miles from the baseline. The coastal state exercise authority
over that area to the extent necessary to prevent infringement of
its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitation authority over its
territorial waters or territory, and punish infringement of the above
(./)
()
Ql
laws and regulations. 6
:,
:,
CD
Cl.
:E The exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is an area extending
s::
(") not more than 200 nautical miles beyond the baseline. The coastal
Ql
3
(./)
()
state has rights over the economic resources of the sea, seabed and
Ql
:,
:, subsoil - but the right does not affect the right of navigation nnd
~
2Sec. 2, ibid.
3
BERNAS, An Introduction of Public International Law, 2002 Erl., 131-132.
4
Sec. 1, A1·t. I, 1987 Constitution.
6BERNAS, supra, 120.
6Jbid., 135.
,,,,,,...-
CHAPTEn lX _ PJlI , 1 , •
(Republic Act No BfioO
1
Lil I INJi,J,ISi fl,;HJEHCOI>EOF HJUH 321
11111
• ' nn ended by Hep11l,lic/\c;t No, J(Jfif,1)
overflight of other state 8 u cl . · . . ..

011 1 •
the exc us1ve economic • n e1 rnternat10nal
b Jaw ' the provrn10ns
• • of obligations
]·mpos1t1011 • • 011 zone are
t I oth a grant
· of rights to ·and· an
coas a states relative to the explo1tat10n,
management
zone.; and preservation of the resources found within the
The continental shelf (archipelagic or insular shelf for

archipelagos) refers to (a) the seabed and subsoil of the submarine
areas adjacent to the coastal state but outside the territorial sea, to
a depth of two hundred meters or, beyond that limit, to where the
depth allows exploitation, and (b) the seabed and subsoil of areas
adjacent to islands. The coastal state has the right to explore and
exploit its natural resources, to erect installations needed, and to
erect a safety zone over its installations with a radius of 500 meters.
It also has the exclusive right to construct and to authorize and
regulate the construction, operation, and use of artificial islands and
certain other installations.s
a. Obligation of coastal states

Coastal states have two primary obligations. First, they must
ensure through proper conservation and management measures that
the living resources of the EEZ are not subjected to over-exploitation.
This includes the duty to maintain and restore populations of
harvested fisheries at levels which produce a "maximum sustainable
yield" (MSY). Second, they must promote the objective of "optimum
utilization" of the Jiving resources. They therefore should determine
the allowable catch of living resources. If the coastal state does
not have the capacity to harvest the allowable catch, it must grant
access to other states. 9
(/)
b. Use of Philippine waters
(")
Cl
::,
::, Section 2, Article XII of the Constitution provides:
~
~-
s:- "The State shall protect the nation's mnrine wenlth
0
Cl
3
(/)
in its archipeJagic water, territorial sen, nnd exclusive
(")
Cl
::,
::,
economic zone, and reserve its use nn<l enjoyment
~
exclusively to Filipino citizens.
7
Jbid., 135-136.
81bid., 136, BERNAS, Ari Introduction of Public I11ter11ational
Law.
9
Jbid., 136.
1
322 LAWON NJ\'1,UH,J\J,w,;sounc,,;sAND llULJ•:s
OF PH.OCEDUln: Jt'OH1:NVIltONM 1:N'l'J\I, CASJt:H
1 1
'!'he Congress nwy, by lnw, ullow snrnll f:Waleutili-

zation of nnturnl resou1·ecs by Filipino eitfacnH, as weJJ
ns cooperative fish farming, with priority to frnhHistcnce
fishermen and fish workers in rivers, lakes, bays and
lngoons. "
Consistent with the foregoing constitutional provision, Section

5 of RA No. 8550 provides that the use and exploitation of the
fishery and aquatic resources in Philippine waters shall be reserved
exclusively to Filipinos. Research and survey activities may be
allowed under strict regulations, for purely research, scientific,
technological and educational purposes that would also benefit
Filipino citizens.
c. UNCLOS 1nandates States to protect and preserve

the marine environment
Article 192 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS) provides: "States have the obligation to protect and
preserve the marine environment."
The force and significance of this provision was given emphasis
by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration when, ruling
in favor of the Philippines' compulsory arbitration petition against
China, it considered in its epic decision of July 12, 2016 the effect
on the marine environment of China's large-scale land reclamation
and construction of artificial islands at seven features in the Spratly
Islands and found that China had caused severe harm to the coral
reef environment and violated its obligation to preserve and protect
fragile ecosystems and the habitat of depleted, threatened, or
endangered species, and to stop such activities. UNCLOS' Article
194 obligates States parties to "take all measures necessary to
(f)
()
Ol
:::i
ensure that activities under their jurisdiction or control are so
:::i
Cl)
Q. conducted as not to cause damage by pollution to other States and
:E
§: their environment," and adopt other moasuros "necessary to protect
()
Ol
3(f) and preserve rare or fragile ecosystems ns well ns the habitat of
()
Ol
:::i
dep]:Led'. threatened m· ondangored spocios nnd other forms of
:::i
~ marine hfe."
H:~ving found that cm·t:nin 111·0118 nl'o within the exclusive

economic , zone
• 0 f' t}; 1e .JlJ11·1· •
1pprnos, tho 'Prihunnl doclnrod that Ch'ma
h a d VJO]aLed ti w ]=>J ·1·1ppmos
, , sovereign rights in its exclusive •
. : 11
economic zone by ( ) • 1. f' · • •• • · d
l)et.10 1eum explor•1tion (I) rn ,er ermg with Pluhpp1ne fishing an
' n, J constructmg • artificial islands, an d (c)
CHAP1'ER1X
(Republic Act No~PHlLJPPJNg FISHERIES CODE OF I !W8 323
• 650, ns nmcndcd hy Hep11hlicAct, No. IOGG4)
failing to prevent Chin fi1

Tn una 1 1oun t at fi I1 . shermen
'b c d h ese from fishing in the zone 'I'he
. .. . . •.
I • .· l t
fis ung ug 1 s at carbo . S s eimen fiom the Ph1hppmcs had trad1t10nal
h SI
.th tli • l t . ioug 10a1and that China had interfered
WI
c
ese rig 1 s 111restr· t·
IC ing access. It further found that Chinese
.
1aw en1orce1nent vessel l1 d . .
. . h s a un 1awfully created a serwus risk of
coll 1s1on w en they phy sica • 11Y ob•structed Ph1hpp1ne
. . . vessels.
The_ruling pere1nptorily nullified China's "nine-dash line" as a

legal basis to clai1n "historic rights" to resources within the msputed
sea areas as such were incompatible with the exclusive economic
zones provided for in the UNCLOS to which China is a signatory.
d. Philippine archipelagic baselines Ia w not unconsti-

tutional
In Magallona v. Ermita, 10 petitioners assail the constitutionality
of RA No. 9522 defining the archipelagic baselines of the Philippines
on two principal grounds, namely: (1) RA No. 9522 reduces
Philippine maritime territory, and logically, the reach of the
Philippine state's sovereign power, in violation of Article I of the
1987 Constitution, embodying the terms of the Treaty of Paris and
ancillary treaties, and (2) RA No. 9522 opens the country's waters
landward of the baselines to maritime passage by all vessels and
aircrafts, undermining Philippine sovereignty and national security,
contravening the country's nuclear-free policy, and damaging
marine resources, in violation of relevant constitutional provisions.
Declaring RA No. 9522 as consistent with the Constitution,
Justice Carpio, speaking for a unanimous Court, held:
"UNCLOS III has nothing to do with the acquisition

(or loss) of territory. It is a multilater~l _treaty reg1~lating,
en
(')
Ill
among others, sea-use rights over maritime zones (i.e., the
::,
::,
<ll
territorial waters [12 nautical miles from the baselines],
C.
::;
;:.:
;:,:-
contiguous zone [24- nautical miles ~rom t!1e b~selines],
()
Ill exclusive economic zone [200 nnutical miles from the
3
en
(') baselines]) and continental shelves that UNCLOS III
Ill
::,
::,
l!l delimits. On the other hand, baselines laws such ns RA
9522 are enacted by UNCLOS JJJ States padies to mark-
out specific basepoin ts along _their coasts from which
baselines are drawn, either stnught or contoured, to serve
JOGRNo. 187167, Aug. 16, 2011.

1
L/\WON NA'l'UH/\LHg::;OUllCES~~!) R~I ,~~ ,
324 OF PHOCEDUtn:FOil ENVlllONMbNI J\L CJ\SL8
ns gcogrnphic st.nrting point:9 to measur~ the breadth of

the maritime zones nnd cont1nentnl shelf.
Thus baselines laws are nothing but statutory
mechanisms ' for UNCLOS III States parties to delimit
with precision the extent of their maritime zones and
continental shelves. In turn, this gives notice to the
rest of the international community of the scope of the
maritime space and submarine areas within which States
parties exercise treaty-based rights, namely, the exercise
of sovereignty over territorial waters (Article 2), the
jurisdiction to enforce customs, fiscal, immigration, and
sanitation laws in the contiguous zone (Article 33), and
the right to exploit the living and non-living resources in
the exclusive economic zone (Article 56) and continental
shelf (Article 77)."
The Court added that UNCLOS III and its ancillary baselines
laws play no role in the acquisition, enlargement or, as petitioners
claim, diminution of territory. Under traditional international law
typology, States acquire (or conversely, lose) territory through
occupation, accretion, cession and prescription, not by executing
multilateral treaties on the regulations of sea-use rights or enacting
statutes to comply with the treaty's terms to delimit maritime
zones and continental shelves. Territorial claims to land features
are outside UNCLOS III, and are instead governed by the rules on
general international law.
(/)
The following terms and phrases shall menn the following:
(")
0)
::,
::,
(I)
a.
Aqua.cu.llure-fishery operntions involving all forms of raising·
:E
;::;:
:::r
and culturing fish and other fishery species in frosh, brackish and
0
0)
marine waler areai,;.
3(/)
(")
0)
::,
::, Aquatic Ueso11rceH - inel1al1~1,foil,, nil othor aqunlic flora
~
~nd fa~na nnd other living rosourcos of tho IH}\latic tmvironnH-mt,
mcludmg, but not. limited to, Hult and em·11IB.
t Catch Ceilings - refer t.n tho annual cntch limits allowed to be

afken, gathered or harvested from any fishing nrea in consideration
o the need to , . d·
t k pi
s oc s of aqt 1 t· event overfish
. mg and harmful depletion of bree mg
a ic orgamsms.
CHAP'l'EH IX - PHI
(Republic Act No 8fifiCJ EHIES CODV (JV 1''
LIPl'INg 1•'1811 " -
• ''·,flA11rncnJ,c11 J rhJB r,~:
" e ,y Hcpublic Act Nr,, 10()5,f
Closed Season_ th .
fishery species by a speci~ P~r~o~~uring w~ich the taking of specifi8d
area or areas in Philippi11 e s Ing gear is prohibited in a specified
e waters.
Coastal Area/ Zone_ . b
space (water and subm isdal and _ofdry land and adjacent ocean
erge and) h' h
an d uses directly affect . in w ic terrestrial processes
•t oceanic proc d
i s geographic extent ma i 1 esses a~ uses, and vice versa;
of one (1) kilometer f y nhcude ar~as within a landmark limit
mangrove swan 1ps bra rom k' ht e shorel ine a t h'1gh tide
• to include
• , c 1s water po d •
rivers, sandy beaches and oth . n. s,. n1pa swamps: e~tuarine
meters isobath to . 1 d er a1eas w1th1n a seaward hm1t of 200
other soft bottom inc u e coral reefs, algal flats, seagrass beds and
- areas.
Commercial
. Fishing_ th e t a k'1ng of fishery species
. by passive
or a~tivfieh~ear for trade, business and profit beyond subsistence or
spor s s ing, to be further classified as:
. 1)Sm~ll scale commercial fishing - fishina with
passive or active gear utilizing fishing vessels of 3.1 gi.·o~stons
(GT) up to 20 GT;
•
2) Medium scale commercial fishing-fishina O utilizinao
active gears and vessels of 20.1 GT up to 150 GT; and
3) Large commercial fishing - fishing utilizing active
gears and vessels of more than 150 GT.
Com,nercial Scale-a scheme of producing a minimum harvest
per hectare per year of milkfish or othei· species inducting those
raised in pens, cages, and tanks to be determined by tho Department
in consultation with the concerned sectors.
en
(")
Com,nunity Service - menns nny service 01· activity that is
0)
::,
::,
(1)
performed for the benefit of the community or its institutions in lieu
~.
Cl.
of payment of fine imposed ns administrntive or criminal ponnlt.y.
g:
(")
0)
3 Conservation and A1anagement Measures - moans mensures

en
(")
0)
::,
to conserve and manngo Jiving mnl'irw rotiourcfJSthat. nre adopted
::,
!]1 and applied consistently with t.ho l'olovant 1·•dm,of intornntionnl
law including those rofJect.od in convont.ions, H Jt'MOrmmlutions nnd
laws of other co,rntnJ st.ntos whoro Philippino fl11ggoclvo~sol.sfish.
Coral- the hnl'd cnlcuromrn i:mbHtuncomnclo up of tho skeleton
of marine coelenterate polyps which incluclo reefs, shelves and atolls
or any of the marine coelenterate animnls living in colonies where
their skeletons form a stony mass.
326 LAWON NA'l'URALRESOURCESAND HULES
OF'PROCEDUREFOR ENVIRONMEN'l'ALCASES
Cora,l Reef _ a natural aggregation of coral skeleton, with

• • • •d 1 d b •
or without living corol polyps, occurring 1n 1nterti a an su tidal
1narine waters.
Demarcated A1'eas - boundaries defined by markers and
assigned exclusively to specific individuals or organizations for
certain specified and liinited uses such.
Distant Water Fishing - 1neans fishing in the high seas or in
waters of other states.
Electrofishing - the use of electricity generated by batteries,
electric generators and other source of electric power to kill, stupefy,
disable or render unconscious fishery species, whether or not the
same are subsequently recovered.
Endangered Rare and/ or Threatened Species - aquatic
plants, animals, including so1ne varieties of corals and sea shells in
danger of extinction as provided for in existing fishery laws, rules
and regulations or in the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and in
the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of
Flora and Fauna (CITES).
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)- an area beyond and adjacent
to the territorial sea which shall not extend beyond 200 nautical
miles from the baselines as defined under existing laws.
Fisherfolk - people directly or personally and physically
engaged in taking and/or culturing and processing fishery and/or
aquatic resources.
Fisherfolk Cooperative - a duly registered association of
fisherfolk with a common bond of interest, who have voluntarily
joined together to achieve a lawful common social or econmnic
Cl)
0
Ol
::,
end, making equitable contribution to tho capital requirement nnd
::,
(I)
o_ ~ccepting a fair share of the risks und benefits of tho undertakings
:;:
s:: 1n accordance with universully accepted cooporntivo pt·inciplos.
()
Ol
3
Cl)
0
F~s~er_iesObaeruer - refers to n pornon duly nut.hor·iL,ed by
Ol
::,
::,
~
the_Ph1hpp1ne governmen~, or .u.ndo1· 11 l~ogionnl Ohsorver Program
of the RF~o.: to co~Ject Hc10nl,1f1c, tochnwnl or fiAhing·"i·olntoddntn,
~nd o\her 1nf'orma_t10n th11!;mny ho roquiro<l by tho govornment or
the RFMO and/or m complwnce ton conAm·vntion nncl management
measure.
. Fishing - the taking of fishery species from 'Id t t of'

t·}i • .
habitat
•
'tl 'tl
, w1 • 1 or w1 • 10ut t 11e use of fishing vessels.
en w1 . s a e
CIIAl~'l'EH IX - PIIILIPPlNE FISIIEH!ES CODE OF 1D!l8
(Hepubltc Act No. HfifiO, IIH 1111w111l1•d hy Hl'p11hlic ,\ct N<i. JOGS-I) :127
Ji't:slu:ng Gear - refers to nny instrument 01· device nn<l its

nccessories utilized in taking fish and other fishery species.
(a) Active Fishing Gear - is n fishing device chnrncter-

ized by the pursuit of the target species by towing, pushing thr-
gears, surrounding, covering, dredging, nnd scoring the tnrgct
species to impoundments; such as, but not limited to, trnwl.
purse seines, Danish seines, panling and drift gill net.
(b) Passive Fishing Gear - is chnrncterized ~y .the
absence of pursuit of the target species; such ns, but not limited
to, hook and line, fishpots, traps and gill nets set across the
path of the fish.
. h. Fisl~,ing Ll'.ght Attractor- refers to a fishing nid which employs

1ig ts using, among others, mercury vapor hicrh pressure sodium
va~°.~·.,sta~dard tungsten, tungsten halog~n, fluorescent or light-
emitting d10de, that are attached to a structure above water or
suspended underwater to attract both fish and members of their
food chain to specific areas in order to harvest them.
Fl'.shing Vessel/Gear License - refers to a permit to operate
specific types of fishing vessel/gear for specific duration in areas
beyond municipal waters for <lemersal or pelagic fishery resources.
Foreshore Land - a string of land margining n body of water:
the part of a seashore between the low-water lino usually at the
seaward margin of a low tide terrace and the upper limit of wan:-
wash at high tide usually mnrkcd by a bench scarp or berm.
lfaruest Control Rules - refers to nclions or set of actions to bt'
taken to achieve a medium 01· long term target reference point whilt,,
avoiding reaching or breaching n limit reference point.
illegal Fish,:ng - means fishing act.iviti{'S conductP<l by
(/)
Cl
Q)
Philippine fishing vessels opernt.ing· in violnt ion of Philippinl' law~.
:,
:,
CD
Cl.
IlegionaJ Fh,hcries Mnnngemont Orgnniznt.ion l'{'~olutions, and law~
~
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of other co1rnt11JHt:ntes.
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3
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Cl
Man11rou,!u- 11 com1111111it.yof intortidnl plnnt~ inl'lucling· nll
Q)
:,
:, speci<.mof trmm, HhruhH, vinrni 1111dhorh~ found on con~t~. swnmps,
~
or border of HwampH.
Man:,w J'ro/(1(;/(!{/ Anm - nwanH n dofinod nron of the sen
estnblishecl nnd set m-1iclohy lnv.i, 1tdmini~-11t·utivorogulntion, ot·
any other effective monllA in ol'clOI'to consorvo nnd protect n part
of or the entire enclosed onvironnwnt. t.hrough tho establishment.
of manngemont. guidelines. It, is consiclorod n gonoric term t.hnt.
LAW ON NA'l'UIV\L 1n:souncgs AND ltULJ•:8
328
OF PHOCEDUIOt!FOH.l~NVlltONMl•!N'l'ALCA81•:8
includes nll declared nrens governed by Apccific rulcB or gui<lclineH

in order to protect nnd mnnngc activities wit;hjn the cncJosed area.
J\tfunfr,:palfishi:ng- refers to fishing wjthin municipal_ waters
using fishing vessels of three gross tons or less, or fish1ng not
requiring the use of fishing vessels.
Munfripal waters - include not only streams, lakes, inland
bodies of water and tidal waters within the municipality which
are not included within the protected areas as defined under RA
No. 7586 (NIPAS Law), public forest, timber lands, forest reserves
or fishery reserves, but also 1narine waters included between two
lines drawn perpendicular to the general coastline from points
where the boundary lines of the municipality touch the sea at low
tide and a third line parallel with the general coastline including
offshore islands and 15 kilometers from such coastline. Where
two municipalities are so situated on opposite shores that there is
less than 30 kilometers of marine waters between them, the third
line shall be equally distant from opposite shore of the respective
municipalities.
Philippine waters - include all bodies of water within the
Philippine territory such as lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, brooks,
ponds, swamps, lagoons, gulfs, bays and seas and other bodies of
water now existing or which may hereafter exist in the provinces
cities, municipalities, and barangays and the waters around:
bet:'een and connec~ing t~e islands of the archipelago regardless of
their breadth and d1mens10ns, the territorial sea the sea beds the
insula: shelves, ~nd_all_ot_her_waters over which the Philippine~ has
sovereignty ~nd Jur1sd1ct10n including the 200-nautical 111iles EEZ
and the con tin en tal shelf. 11
Serious
· · Violation
f h · C - means any of the follom·.
vv 1no
o- ,· 1-t·
, 10 a ,1011~ o
t·
,.,.
the prov1s10ns o t 1s ode:
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(a) Fishing without a valid license, authorization or
(D
a.
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;:;:
permit;
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3 (h) Fishing without reporting tho cntch or misrep01-ting

Cf)
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:::,
the catch;
:::,
~
(c) Fishing in a closod nron or during n closerl season;
(d) Fishing of prohibitocl species;
(e) Fishing with the use of prohibited g-enr or methods;
l1Sec. 10, Sec. 4, RA No. 8550.

I R
CHAPTER IX_ PPI1
bl" A LIPPINE FISHERIES CODE OF 1998
( epu Ic ct No. 8660 , ns umcnded by Republic Act No. 10654) 329
. ~f) ~alsif?'ing, concealing or tampering with vessel

inarlnngs, Identity or registration to conceal vessel identity or
lack of registration;
(g) Concealing, tampering or disposing of evidence

relating to an investigation of a violation;
(h) Assaulting, resisting, intimidating, harassing,
seriously interfering with, or unduly obstructing or delaying
a fisheries law enforcer, authorized inspector or observer or
other duly authorized government officer;
(i) Intentionally tampering with or disabling the vessel
monitoring system; and
(j) Committing multiple violations which taken
together constitute a serious disregard of this Code .
Unregulated Fishing - refers to fishing activities conducted
by:
(a) .. V:essels without nationality but operated by Filipino
and/or F1hp1no corporation;
(b) Philippine flagged fishing vessels operating in areas
managed by RFMOs to which the Philippines is not a party to;
or •
(c) Philippine flagged fishing vessels operating in areas
or fish stocks where there are no applicable conservation and
management measures.
Unreported Fishing - refers to fishing activities which have
not been reported, or have been misreported to the Departn1ent, in
contravention of national laws and regulations of the Philippines,
or undertaken in the area of competence of a relevant RFlVIOwhich
(/)
have not been reported or have been misreported, in contravention of
g
:::,
:::, the reporting procedures of that organization and further elaborated
i 12
I by regulations to be promulgated by the Department.
:,-
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3
(/)
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:::,
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!!?
06. Department of Agriculture.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is the govern1nent
agency responsible for the promotion of agricultural developn1ent
12
Sec. 4, RA No. 8550, as amended.
330 LAW ON NA'l'URAL RESOURCES AND RULES
OF PHOCEDURI~ FOR ENVJRONMBNTAL CASES
by providing the policy framework, public in~estments, and

support services needed for do1nestic an<l export-oriented business
enterprises. In the fulfillment of this 1nandate, it shall be the
prin1ary concern of the DA to iinprove farm income and generate
work opportunities for fanners, fishermen, and other rural workers.
It shall encourage people's participation in agricultural development
through sectoral representation in agricultural policy-making bodies
so that the policies, plans, and programs of the DA are formulated
and executed to satisfy their needs. 13
The DA's powers and functions include the following:
(a) Provide integrated services to farmers, fishermen,
and other food producers on production, utilization, conserva-
tion, and disposition of agricultural and fishery resources;
(b) Promulgate and. enforce all laws, rules and regula-
tions governing the conservation and proper utilization of agri-
cultural and fishery resources;
(c) Conduct, coordinate, and disseminate research
studies on appropriate· technologies for the improvement and
development of agricultural crops, fisheries, and other allied
commodities;
(d) Provide the mechanism for the participation of
farmers, fishermen, and entrepreneurs at all levels of policy-
making, planning and program formulation. 14
07. Access to fishery resources.

The DA shall issue such number of licenses and permits for the
conduct of fishery activities subject to the limits of the maxi1nun1
sustainable yield (MSY) of the resource as detennined by scientific
Cf)
(')
studies or best available evidence. Preference shall be given to
Q)
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:::,
(I)
resource users in the local c01nmunities adjacent or nearest to the
a.
:, municipal waters. 1&
~
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3
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a. Catch ceiling lin1itations
:::,
:::,
~
The DA Secretary may prescribe limitations or quota on the
total quantity of fish captured, for a specified period of ti1ne and
13
Sec. 2, Chapter 1, Title IV, EO No. 292.
14
Sec. 3, supra.
rnsec. 7, RA No. 8550.
CIJJ\P'l'RH.IX-PHII )1 , ~ .
(Hopublic Ad. No flliliO ,II I INI•, I•ISl·rnHrn8 COJJg OF lBSJ8 381
, , '1111 11mo11dod liy llopuhlic Act No. 10(:H,'1)
specified n rcn bnsed 011 t·)1 \ l .

. • . , e Jest nvuilublc evjcJenee Such a catch
ceihng 1nay be 1tnposed JJor SJ> ~· O. f' 1• 1 h •
• bl :> • • ecJCl::l • is 1 w encvcr necesimry and
µrncL1cn c: l rovuied hou.Jeuer ,1,1 1. • . . • •
. . , , . 1a, 111mumc1pa 1waterB and fishery
mnnngemcnt
. . areas,. . and waters • t111de1· • • c1·
. . th e Juris 1ct·10n of specrn
. 1
ngcnc1es, catch cc1hng·s 111••1y l>e est a 61JS • he cl upon t h e concurrence
nnrl :\pproval
. . or recommenc.l•it·
, ,1·c)Jl o{' sue h spccw• 1 agency an d t ·he
c~nccl ~led loc:d government unit (LOU) in consultation with the
l◄ 15 hencs nn~l i\qunt:ic Rcsoun:cs Management Councils (FARMC)
for conservat10n or ccologicn 1 pu rposcs. rn
b. Estahlish111ent of closed season

The Secretary may declare, through public notice in at
least two newspapers of general circulation or in public service
announcements, whichever is applicable, at least five days before the
declaration, a closed season in any or all Philippine waters outside
the boundary or n1unicipal waters and in bays, for conservation and
ecological purposes. The Secretary may include waters under the
jurisdiction of special agencies, municipal waters and bays, and/or
other areas 1·eserved for the use of the municipal fisherfolk in the
area to be covered by the closed season. 'l'his shall be done only upon
the concurrence and approval or recommendation of such special
agency and the concerned LGU and FARM:C. In municipal waters,
fishery munagement areas an<l other areas reserved for the use of
the municip:.il fisherfolk, c1osc<l season may be established by the
concerned LGU in consultation with tho FARMC for conservation
or ecological purposes. The FARl':fCs ma_y.also recomm~rul t_he
esLnbHsbment of' closed sensons 111 municipal waters, fisheries
management and other nrens reserved for the use of the municipal
fisherfolk. ,.
(/) 08. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources; functions.

":,
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(1)
C.
'j,) )(J f')IIJ"C!llll O
1· 11·••
1'-'ll"l'.IUS
u ..., •
and J\quntie ,l{csources
. •
(UFAH)
•
is a
:a:
s-: .
Ime 1, I·10 I)1\.A 11, H'lll\ 11hnvo t.ho (ollowm~ tunet.wns:
("')
0)
1HH'<~au llll( 1ur
3 . t>l,,rnont.I\ Comprolwnsivo National
(/)
(a) prepn l'U llll( I llll
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0)
:,
J
· t Pinn·1
~ F'ii-;hericH I 11cl11HLry I >uvo IoptnlHl •
. . . . 1< oiwrnt.ion of comnwrcinl fishing
(b) 1rrnuo l 1c;u11HOH 1o1 11
' J
vuaHcls;
111
8ee. R, :WJJl'(I,
17Sce. !), IV\ No. 80/iO.
Lt\W ON NATURAL Hl~S0UllCl•:SAND llULf,;S
:J:l2 OF PHOCJ•;DUHI~
F0H. ENVlll0NMl!iN'l'AL CASl,;S
(c) issue identi ficut.iou en rds free of'ch11rgoto fiHhworJ,

engnged in comnwrctn• 1 f'rnl11ng;
• {erEJ
(d) monitor and review joint nshing ugreerncntH bet.we•,

Filipi no citizens n nd foreigners who conduct fishing uctivit,1·~n
, \;8
in jntcrnntional wntcrs, and ensure that such agreements are

not contrary to Philippine commitment under international
treaties nnd convention on fishing in the high seas;
(e) fonnulate and i111ple1nenta Comprehensive Fishery
Research and Development Program, such as, but not limited
to, sea far1ning, sea ranching, tropical/ornamental fish and
seaweed culture, aimed at increasing resource productivity,
i1nproving resource use efficiency, and ensuring the long-term
sustainability of the country's fishery and aquatic resources;
(f) establish and maintain a Co1nprehensive Fjshery
Information System;
(g) provide extensive development support services in
all aspects of fisheries production, processing and marketing;
(h) provide advisory services and technical assistance
on the improvement of quality of fish fro1n the time it is caught
(i.e., on board fishing vessel, at landing areas, fish markets, to
the processing plants and to the distribution and marketing
chain);
(j) coordinate efforts relating to fishery production
undertaken by the primary fishery producers, LGUs, FARMCs,
fishery and organizations/cooperatives;
G) advise and coordinate with LGUs on the mainte-
nance of proper sanitation and hygienic practices in fish mar-
(/)
0
0)
kets and fish landing areas;
::,
::,
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Q.
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(k) estah)jsh a corps of specinlists in collaborn tion with
;.:
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0
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the Department of National Defense, Department oftho f nterior
3
(/)
0
and Loc.;a]Government, and Department of' F'oreign Affairs for
0)
::,
::,
~
the efficient monitoring, control 11nclsurvoillanco of fishing
activities within Philippine tcrrit.orinl· wntors nnd provi<lotho
necessary f'aci]ities, equipment und training thorofor;
0) implement. an inspection system for imp_ort
n
a cl export of fishery/aquatic products and fish process 1ng
eat ablishments, consistent with international standards to
en s ure product quality and safety;
Cl It\ P'l'l,:U. 1X - 1'1111,1 PPI NI•: l•'IHll li:ltlli:8 CODI•: OF lf)!)8 ~J33
(H11puhli11 t\11t.No, tir,r,o, '"' 11111011110d l,y llop11hlic /\ci-.No. 10flfi'1)
tera
, (m) corn:clinnt.11wit;l1 LOUH 11ndothot· concerned ugcncics
'een_ 101· I.he eHt.nhliRllll1011L ol' pl'Od11<..:Livit.yenhuncini{ and ~nrkct
.ties dl'VOlopnw.nt pi·o1~1·11111H com rn uni t.iw-1to cnnhle women
i 11fiHh i 111.{
1 111
are, 7·ng·o ot.ltrn· liHho1·ieH/eco11omi<..:
t.<.)0 ~1 11ct.ivitieH und contribute
>11a1 s1g·111ftcnnt.lyt.o duvelop111011f;offo1'LH'
'
(n) e1_1l'oreo1111lnwH, f'ormttlnl.o 11ncl enforce all rule~
ni_H~ regulnt1011H governing tho conHorv111.ion nnd management
tery
of frn~wry ~·cHourcoH,except; in municip11l watcrn, nnd to settle
ited
confl1ctAof resource llHC1111d
11llncnt.ion in com1ultntion with the
and NF/\RMC, LGUH nnd loc11lF/\RMCs;
rity,
~rm (o) develop vnlue-nddcd fishery-products fot· domestic
s; consnmpt:ion nnd oxport;
(p) recommend measures for t:hc protection/enhance-
tery
ment of the fishery industricR;
(q) nsRist; the
LGUR fr1 <lovo]oping their technical
sin cnpnbility in tho dovolopment;, mnrrngcmont, regulation,
1g; cnnsorvnt:ion, an<l protccbon of the J1sl.1cryresources;
LDCe (r) formnlote and implement rules and regulations
Lght for tbe conscrvntion and managcnwnt of straddling fish
;, to st:oc.ks, high]y rnigrntory fish stocks and threatened living
murjne resources such us shurks, mys and ludong, inter alia,
ting jn the Philippine Exclusjvo :rnconomicZone, territorial sea,
archjpeJugfo und internal watun,, in coordination with LGUs
tion und jntegrutuu/mun.icipnl/city Fi8hcries and Aquatic Resources
{Cs, M unugemen t; Cou nciJs;
(s) tnrin, dmiignat:o and deploy fisheries observers
in JJhj)ippine fJ11ggudnshing vcmmls ongngccl in commercial
nte- Jishjng jn PhiJippi,w wntors 01· di8t:nnt water fishing to ensure
'
nar- compJinncu with consorvntion nnd mnnngomont measures
udopted by HFMOS 1111d by t.ho Dopnrtmont;
giwith (t) im pJ0111011t; hon rd ing nnd inspection protocols
OJ
~ ~riot upon Philippino f111ggodfb-1hi11gvoHHolHin order to promote

Cl.
~ s for ol>Horv11ncoLo inLot·n11Linnnlt.runt.y obligntions on fooct snfoty,

Lo curb illognl, u111·oport.ocl11nd u111·ogulntod fishing, nnd to
~ bil'lg
comply wiLh cot1HUl'VIILio11
1111d111nnngomontmonsm·os;
~:, >., tJ:ie
:,
~
(u) ndopt, 111111ppropt·in t.o nwnitoring, control, survoil-
lu nee n ncl t,1•1wo11biIiLy Hy Ht.om for municipal fishing vessels
iPott supp.lying oxportoi·H with cnn<.nt1Tonco of tho local government
,siJlg unitH'
LS to '
33'1 LAW ON NJ\'l1UH.AL 1n:souiic1,~8 AND lllJLI. 1:8
OF PHOCEDUtlli: l•'Oll Jt;NVIHONMt•;N'f1ALC/\81•:R
(v) ndopt nnd implonwnt II national plnn of nction

to mnnngo fishing cnpncity, implement tho intornationnl
corle of conciuct f'or rospo1rniblo (~shor:ics, nn~ du~lare ~ishcry
1nnnngcmcnt urens ns ovo1·-explo1 tad 111coo rd I nation with the
LGUs nnrl FJ\HM.Cs;
(w) require performn nee bonds n ncl impose and colleel
reasonable fees n nc.lchn rgeH l'or lnbol'n tory services, inspcction,
dep]oyment: of fisheries 00Ae1·ve1··s, nnd cutch documcntntion
and vn lidn tion, tn king in Lo 11ccoun t, tho hnln nee rcqu ired
between recovering the cosb-1of'services rendered and 1:hcsocio-
economic impact of their imposition, upon prior consultation
with stnkchol<lcrs;
(x) hcnr nnd decide admin.istrative cases before it;
(y) determine the npprop:r.iate levels of administrative
and other sanctions, p:rrticul:n·ly for i-;er.iousviolations, that
deprive offenders of' cconom:ic benefits fro1n their violations of
the laws, rules and regulntions;
(.r,) initiatethe cri mi na 1 prosecution of offenses
committed in violation of this Code regard.less of their situs;
and
(oa) perform such other related funcUons which shall
promote the development, conservation, 1nanagcmcnt,
protection and utiJizaUon of.'(ishcrieH and aquatic resourcesY
09. Composition of BFAR.

As a Hne bureau, the BFJ\R js headed by n Director nnd assisted
by two Assistant Dfrectors who shnl1 Sllf_)e1·vise the administrative
and technica) servjces of the hurcnu rcsrwctively. Lt shall est.nblish
(/)
regionaJ, provincial and municipal offices 11H may be 11ppropriatc nn<l
(')
0)
::,
::,
necessary to carry out effectively 11ndcf'ficienLlythe provisions of the
(1)
C.
:E
Fisheries Code. 10
s:
(")
0)
3
(/)
(')
0)
C. Municipal Ji'ishcrics
::,
::,
~
10. Jurisdiction of municipal/city governments.
'l'he mun icip11J/ci Hhn II hnvo ju 1·iRclictiono,~cr
l,y gove,·111110111.
municipu] wnterH HH dufinud in tho Codo. Tho m unicipnl/cit.Y
1
"Scc. Ofi, HA No. 8ofi0, 11H 1111101Hlod.
rnsoc.<m,1'.hid.
CIIJ\P'l'l~R lX- l'IIILIPPINI•: FISll!t:Hflt:S cong OF lfH)B aar,
(1fopublic Act. No. HfiGO,1111111110111lod by Hep11hlic Act. No. I O(ioii)
government, in consultntion wil.h the filJ\RMC, Ahall be rw,ponAihlc

fo~·. th<: mnnng~men~,. conH01·vntion, development, protection,
ut:1h~Ht10n'. nnd d1s~OSltion of nil fish und fishery/aquatic resources
w1tl11nthen· respective municipul waters.
The n1un1cipul/city government muy, in consultation with
the FARMC, enact approprintc ordinances for this purpose and
in ~ccordance with the National Fisheries Policy. The ordinanceR
enacted by the municipality and component city slrnll be reviewed
pursuant to Local Government Code (RA No. 7160) by the sanggunian
of the province which has jurisdiction over the same.
The LGUs shall also enforce all fishery laws, rules and
regulations as well as valid fishery ordinances enacted by the
rnunici pal/city council.
The managen1ent of contiguous fishery resources such as
bays which straddle several 1nunicipalities, cities or provinces,
shall be done in an integrated manner, and shall not be based on
political subdivisions of 1nunicipal waters in order to facilitate their
management as single resource syste1ns. The LGUs which share or
border such resources may group themselves and coordinate with
each other to achieve the objectives of integrated fishery resource
management. The Integrated. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
Management Councils (FARM.Cs) established under Section 76 of
the Code shall serve as the venues for close collaboration among
LG Us in the n1anagement of contiguous resources.:! 0
a. LGU's territorial jurisdiction refers only to its lnnd

area
In Republic v. Provincial Government of Palawcm/ 1 the
Provincial Government of Palnwun asserted it8 claim ovor forty
(/)
C)
0)
::,
(40%) pereent of the National Government's shnro in the proceed~
::,
<1)
a. of the Cnmago-Ma]umpayn nnt.ural gm, project. lt. argued thnt since
:E
s: the re1;ervoir ji:; located within itH t.urritorial juri~Hliction, it i~ entitled
0
0)
3 to Haid shnre under Suction 2!)0 ol' I.ho Iiocnl C:ovut·nnHmt.Code. Tho
(/)
C)
0)
::,
::,
National Government diH1n1tod tho clHilll, arguing- thnt Hinco tlw gns
~ fie]<ls wern 11pproxinwtoly HO k111H.from 1'11lnwnn'~conHt,lino,tlwy
nre ou tf.,ide tho Lorri toriul j II ri 11d ict.ion of t.ho provinco nnd is within
the nationHI torrj{,ory of t,Jw PhilippinuH. In clonying Pnlnwun's clnim,
:wsec. rn, HA No. AfifiO.

:llQJt No. 170867, Due. '1, iorn. (Emph11HiHSllt>t>lied)
LAW ON NA'l'Ull/\l, 1u,:1-mu1teti:1-4
/\ND IUJLI,:s
()I,' PHOCl•:DUtm l•'0ll l•~NVllt0NMEN'l'/\L CM-ll•:H
the Court., through Justice 'l'ijn~n~Hl.111.cd

1.hnt an LGU'H territory
docs not extend to the n1un1c1pnl wntcrH hoyoncl the LGU'fi
shoreline. An LGU's tcrritori11l juri1:Hlictionref'er8 to itH territori:il
boundaries or to its territory. The territory of LGUH,in turn, refonJ
to their land oren, unless expanded by law Lo include the maritirnC!
area. Under Palnwan's charter, the Cnmago-Mnlumpaya reservoir
is not located within its territodnl hounduries. Accordingly, only
the utilization of natural rcso11.rcesfound within the land area as
delimited by law is subject to the LGU's equitable share under the
Local Government Code. The Court further noted:
"Palawan's intcrprctntion of what constitutes

an LGU's territorial jurisdiction may produce absurd
consequences. Indeed, there are natural resources,
such as forests and mountains, which can be found
within the LGU's territorial boundaries, but are,
strictly speaking, under national jurisdiction,
specifically that of the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources. rro equate territorial jurisdiction to
areas where the LGU exercises jurisdiction means that
these natural resources wil1 have to be excluded from the
sharing scheme although they arc geographically within
the LGU's territoriRl limits.1'he consequential incongruity
of this scenario finds no support either in the language or
in the context of the equitable sharing provisions of the
1987 Constitution and the Local Government Co<lo."
b. Grant of fishing privileges in nu1nicipal wnters

The du]y registered fisherl'olk orgnni;,;ationR/cooporntivcsshnll
have preference in the grnnt of' fishery rights by t.ho municipal/city
council pursuunt to Section ·14Bof'tho LGC. ln arens whore there nr
spcciu) agencies m· offices ve:-;t.oclwit.h juri 8 dict.ion over municipnl
wuteri, by vfrtuo of ApecinlluwHc1·ont.in~t.hoso agoncios such ns, but.
not limited to, Uw ·Laguna Lnk< I)( v, lopmont. /\ut.horit.y (LLDA)nnd
the Pi~lnwun CounciJ f'ol'S11Ht.11innhlo Dovolopm<nt., snid offices a nd
ngen_cwsshall eontinuo Lo grant. pormit.R for propor mnnngonwnt
11ndimplomontution of' tho 111'oromont.ionodAl.1·uch1ro8.~i
2:l
Sue. 17, ilii<l.
Cll/\l'Tl,:U lX - 1'1111.ll'l'INI•~ FIHlllrn,rnH C()f)J,; OF IH98 337
(H1,p11hli1•/\t:t No, Htififl, 1111111111°111l1•tl
liy H1•public Act No, lOf;r,,,i)
c. The Ln~lllln Lnh.c Development Authority has

exch1Hive judscliction to issue permits for the
cnjoy1nent of fishery privileges in Luguna cle Bay
HA No. 4850, dnled cluly J8, 1966, created the LLDA to
promote, and accelerate the development and halanced growth
of the Lagunn Lake area and the surrounding provinces, cities
Rnd towns hereinafter referred to as the region, and to carry out
the development of the Laguna Lake region with due regard and
::tdequate provisions for environmental management and control,
preservation of the quality of human life and ecological systems, and
the prevention of undue ecological disturbances, deterioration and
pollution.
The Laguna de Bay Region refers to the provinces of Rizal and
Laguna; the cities of San Pablo, Pasay, Caloocan, Quezon, Manila
and Tagaytay; the towns of Tanauan, Sta. Tomas and Malvar in
Batangas Province; the towns of Silang and Carmona in Cavite
Province; the town of Lucban in Quezon Province; and the towns of
Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, Muntinlupa, and Pateros in Metro Nlanila.
In Laguna Lahe Development Authority v. Court of Appeals, 23
the main issue is which agency of the government - the LLDA
or the towns and municipalities comprising the region - should
exercise jurisdiction over the Laguna lake and its environs insofru·
as the issuance of permits for fishery privileges is concerned. The
issue developed in light of apparently conflicting provisions of RA
No. 7160 (1991) and RA No. 4850 (1966).
Under Section 149(a) of RA No. 7160, it is provided that
municipalities shall have the "exclusive authority" to grant fishery
privileges in the 1nunicipal waters and impose rentals, fees or
charges therefor. On the other hand, Section 4(k) of RA No. 4850, a~
amended by PD No. 813, provides that LLDA shall have "exclusive
juriHdiction" to issue new permit for tho use of the lake waters for
any projects or activities in or affecting the snirl lnke including
navigation, construction, and operation of fishpons, fish enclosures,
fish corrals and the like, and Loimposo nocossnry safeguards for lake
quality control and mnnagemont. nn<l to collect necessary fees for
said activities and projeets. Ji'urthor, tho Authority may detern1ine
new areas of fishery development 01· activities which it 111ay place
under the supervision of the BFAR taking into account the overall
2:iGRNos. 1208G5-71, Dec. 7, 1995, 251 SCRA 42.

33 LA\\ ON Nt\'l'UH;\L HE. 'OlJHCES J\ND HULES
OF PHOChlH HE FOH l•:N\ IHO ~llt:N'l'AI. C,\Sl•:S
d \ ,lopmt'lll plnn: anci progrl\ms for Lngunn d Bny nnd i·elntNl I
bodie~ of wat 'I'.

In su ·taining th ...nut horit 'of LLDA to grnnt wnt r rights nnd
other fi~lwr~·pri,·il g '~ in t.hc Ln Tttnn d l3n) nncl the lnke 1• 'g-ion
the uprem ourt h ,Id t hnt HA No. 71 GO.nit.hough n Inter lnw h,,ts I
not r p nl t.h:)provisions of HJ\ No. 1850. 'I'h 'chnrter of the LLDA

)<l
con titut , a special lnw. HJ\ No. 7160 is n g 'liernl lnw. Tt i hn~icin
statutory on truction thnt. the enactment of'n Inter Jegislation which
i a generRl law cannot b construed to hnvc repealed a spccinl lnw,
Th ourt furth r held that the power of LLDA to grunt
permi for fi hpen . fi hcnges and other aquaculture structures j 8
for the purpo e of fC ct.iv lj regulating nn<l monitoring activitie in
the Laguna de Ba) re(Tion ( cc. 2, EO No. 927) and for lake quality
control and management. 'l'he charter of LLDA which embodies a
valid exerci e of police power should prevHil over the LGC on matters
affecting Laguna de Br1y. On the other hnnd, the power of the local
government units to i ue fishing privileges 'vVasclearly granted for
revenue purposes.
11. Users of municipal waters.

All fishery relat d activities in 11w,n1:c1:pa.l
waters,'2'1 as defined
in the Code, shall be utilized by municipal fisherfolk and their
cooperatives/organizations who are listed as such in the registry of
municipal fisherfoJk.
:t1The Philippine Fisheries Code (JV\ No. 8f>fi0,ns nmonclocl)g-ivostho followin~

definition of municipal watcni: "Municipal waters - incluclo not only HtronmH,lakes.
inland hodicH of water and tidal wuters within t.hc 111u11icip11lit.y which nn not
fricludcd within the protected nrc11H11s defined undor lfopuhlic Act No. 7f>~(i(ThC'
NIPAS Luw), public foreHt, timber l1111dH, f'oreHI.rnHorvoH or fiHhory ro~wrv<'~.hut nl:-io
marine w11tcrninc:Iudcd hetw1•e11two (1) lirwH cl1·11w11 p1rpuncliculnr to tho g't'lll'l'lil
coasllinc from poinlH wltere the lio1111d11ry lirtoH of tho 1111111i1:ip11lity touch tlw ~<·II111 •
low tide und u third line p11ndlul wit.It tltu 1-:011ornl co11Ht li11lli11ducli11g olfohoru iHl1111d:-
a!id fiflc<::11 (If>) l<ilometern fro111Ht11:h w11Ht.lirll!. Wltoro two (2) 1111111icip11litil:-l 11n1. :-lO
situntcd on rippoHitc HltornHt.hut t.l1oroiH loHHI h1111 t hirt.y OlO)kilo111otlH'~1 of nrnrllll'
watcr1:1hctwecn thom, tlrlJ third lino t-!111111 ho oq1111llvdiHl1111t from oppo:-litoflho•·~
of th0 res_JH:!c_tivu ll1llllicip1ditiuH. 11/)(! /Jorju Ii. l'i11<1°/(l/,w1
11
) 11(1Ug11ay<m!tlf 1.Wcil'.fi,t
nla Mangrngrnd<J 11g /,112,m, GH No, I Ho:l:?.0,April I U, :W17, t.hu Colll't. ~1t.ntlid:A~
c .,curly
·k . set Olll. i 11 ti 10 prnv1H1011H • • o(' t 1Ht I HH, tho pr11w11·y • duty of, doto1·mmltlg • • , the
.
rec
ff) ontn ~ 1>01ntof'
11
. ti'le J fi)- J{I·1OllllJUJt' l'llllf'O of • llllllll<!lp11I
•• • • 1·t·
\·Vlll.Ot'l:I of• m\lnlCl})II l IOS \-v1th
0 10 18111nd
~ . re H fullHwith Lhu DA, NAMl<IA, 1111d tho Bfl'AH. '!'hoy shnll do so throu~h
PU >11c conHullaLio 11< • •1I 1 II , , . . . • •d
munici > I' . . . . ll wi • • lO p11rt.11:1p11t 11111 of Ht.11lwholdurH, s11ch 111:1 t,hu concut nc •
111
tlIUA, f11:1hrnu 0 J><ir11to1•1,, 1111d fiHhurfolk."

CHAP'J'EH IX- l'llll,lPPINI•; l•'lf:llfl!:ltlfi:HCOl)lt~OF IBOfl mw
(Hopuhlic At:t.No, HMO, nR 111111ndod liy II, p11l,llr:/\ct. No. I O<Hitl-)
rrhc lll\lllicipnl OI' cit.y f'OV \)'111nenl., hoW<!VOr,mny, through its

}ocnlchief cxecn t.ive n nd nct.in1nn11·1-Jt111 n L to II n II pproprin to ordi nancc,
authorize or permit. smnll nnd medium comm rc.:inlfiHhing VOf:IHOIHto
1
oporntc wit.hin tho ten point one (10. I) t.o 1f5ki lomutor n run from the
~hor lin in municipn l wn t.crs ns defined horoi n, provided, that a11
C\
the following arc met:

fl.no commercial fishing jn municipnl waters with
dept.h less than seven f'nthoms ns certified hy the appropriate
agency;
b. fishing activities utilizing methods nnd gears that
are determined to be consistent with national policies set by
the DA;
c. prior consultation, through public hearing, with the
M/CFARM'C hns been conducted; and
d. the applicant vessel as well as the shipowner, em-
ployer, captain and crew have been certified by the appropriate
agency as not having violated the Code, environmental laws
and related laws.
In no case shall the authorization o:r:pcr1nit mentioned above
be granted for fishing in bays as determined by the DA to be in
an environmentally critical condition and during closed season as
provided for in Section 9 of the Code.:ff,
12. Registry of municipal fisherfolk.

The LGU shall maintain a registry of municipal fisherfolk, who
are fishing or may desire to fish .in municipal water· for the purpose
of determining priorities among them, of' lin1iting ontry into the
municipal waters, and of monitor.ing fishing nct.ivit.ies and/or oth 'r
related purposes. The FATtMCshal.l 8ubmiL to tho LGU the list of
priorities for its conHi<leration.'.!11
13. Priority of resident municipal flsherfolk.

Resi<lcnt mun iei pal fishorl'ol k ol' I.ho nn11\ ici pa lit.y concerned
and their orgnniza tion:-.i/coopern ti vu1; Hhn11 ha vo priol'ity t.o exploit
municipal and demnrcn tod fiHhory 111·011Hol' t:IH HH id I\\ u n i~ipnlit.y. :n
:,ms ' 8060.

cc. 18, HA No.
26
8cc. 19, HA No. 8fi60.
27
Sec. 21..ibid.
LAW ON NA'l'IJlli\l, Hl•:HOtJHCl•:fi ANI) HlJf,J,:8
OF PH(Wl•:DU HJ,; FOH f•;NV I HONM l•:N'l'AL <!M·Ht:H
14. The 11 preferential right" of subsistence or marginal fishermen

to the use of water resources not absolute.
Th(' vnlidit.y of ordinnnces which Lhe locnl governments of
111l11wnn hnve ndopl.od in vi(!Woft.he wideHJH'e11d destruct.ion cnu8cd
by cynnidc fi:.d1ing·of corn IAwithin their l.crril.orinl wnl.crs wns the
• uc m
1, y rn • 7"a.no v. ocra.t,,cs.~
•111s
Ordinnnc' No. 2-9:1, which t:hc san!-f!fll,niang panlalawigan of
PHlnwun ndopt: ,c1in J ~H):1,prohibit , for n J)Criod of.'five years, the
'cr1tching, gnthcdng, posses ~ing, buying·, scHing and r-;hipment"of
live fir.;hnnd lobsters. oncern over the use of.'cynnidc in fishing
and it ill eff'cct on th • mndn ' ·'nvi:ronm.c.nt also prompted the
sanggun.,:a.n,rpanlung-,c;oclof' Puerto l r.incesn to pass Ordinance No.
J 5-92, which mHkes j I. un la wfu] for nny person or business enterprise
or company "to h1p out from Pucl't:o Princcsn City to any point of
destinations j th --rvja uircl'aft or scacruft of n ny live fish and lobster
except sea bns., catfi ·h, mudfish nncl rn:iJldish fries."
Peti t;joner: clui m thu t the ord i nnnccs violute the Constitution,
invoking the JoJlowing provjsions:
"The State ::-;hu]Jprotect the nntion's nrnrin :\ wealth

1n its archip \Jagic waters, territorial seH, nnd exclusive
economic zone, and reserve j ts usu nnd enjoyment
exclusively to J•i]ipino citizens.
'J1he Congress may, Ly lnw, nllow Rmnll-scnlo utili-
zation of naturaJ resou,·ces by I•ilipino citi:1.orrn, ns well
:rn cooperative fish fanning, with J11'iorit:yto subsitd,once
flHhermcn and fif.;}1workors in rivon-i, l11ko~, hays nncl
Jngoorn,.:u,
'f1h) CongreHH Hh111l givo high( Ht priority t.o t.ho
enuctmen t of rnenHu t'oH Lltn 1, pro toe I, n ncl t nlwnco t.ho
" 2'·l
:ml.'"<'
Q,; I I ['/)/ •
( /,
:waJJ N
. " o. 1102119,Aug. ~I, IDD7,27B ACH/\ tort.
10
• Soe. 2, L\rl. XII.

l'iph1 nf'. 1111t.lw lll'nJ 1It• t n I1111111111, I'11:111ty,
, .
n•d1ic:<· 1t<><:11tl,
l ,, on 011 w •. 11n d I H 1Iit ,·1• I • 1• • •
. , . • 11 11wq1111 I!.It'H, 111ul l'<•movc• c1ill.urn I
llH'tJ\llt11•. • hv , <·c111it1111 1 Y <1·1·1· •
1 IIHI111~ w1•11lth 1111CI polit.icnl
JH1Wl'l' 101·1.ht' 'OlllllH1n 1iood."-11
nl "'l'l
• l(' t.ni<! H Imil Pl'OIC'cl. !.he ri1d1t~1 of illil>~~istc:nr. I
114H'l'llll'll,
c~RIH'<·i,tllyof' locnl co111I1111111t.1eR to th•
pt·cfPr0nt.inl llH<' of I.ht' conrn1t1n11l111nri1w nn.d fishing
re~O\ll'Cl'R, hot.h i11l11nclnnd nffRlwrn. It Rhnll provide!
:-;uppmt t.o , ,1ch rish<•1·111011 t.hrn11~~h npprnprintc
t.<•chnolop-ynnd l'<'R<'nt·ch, 11d,~qunte fln111H_:inl, product.ion,
nnrl mm·lwting nsRist.nnco. nnd othe1· Hervic 'S. 'l'h . 't.nte
sh111lnlso pI·ot. •d, cl 'velop, 1111d cnnR01·v, mtth 1·esou1·cs.
Tlw prot.cction slrnll •xi.end Lo offsl101·, fiHhing grnund8
of subsist. 'nee fislwrnwn 11gni1rnt. f'm·eig11 intn1:ion.
l ◄ ishwork 'l'H slrnll receive II just. Rllllre f'rnm Lh ,ir labor in
the ul.iliznt.ion of' m11ri11c1111d fishing 1·esource:-:;.":1·~
Upholding th' vnlidi1.y of' the Ol'dinnnt<!H,the ourl, through

Justic ~ D11vid ', ruled t.hnt. t.h ' H11mo 11re police pow r m 'n ur 's.
cnac1:"d by th• JJrovinc \ of' Pnlnwnn and tho Cit.y of' Puerto Prine 'sa.
pursunnt, t.o Lh' L ' which mnkes it. in f'net. their duly to 'nuct
mensur ,~ to "protect. Lite environment and impmrn npproprinL,
pcnuJt.ies for nds which '11d11nger tho onvit·onm 'nl, su ·h u •
dynamite fishing and of:lwr f'o1·mHol' dest,·uct.ivo fi~hing." P ,t,iLion 'rs
claim t.hnt th., 0J'di1111nc 8 d(!prive I.hum ol' t.hoir m nns of liv ,tihood
1
and occupc1tion 11nd for f.11111.re11Ho11violnt.u Llw Conslit.ulion. Th·

Court noted, howev •r, tlllll. f.11'l'U iH nhsolut.ely no showing- th \t my
of the petiUon •ri; qu11lifi<!H ne<!01· nrnrgin d fishl'l'lll,ll\.
11.· 11 Httli:-;ist.<
A "marginal /ishen11,1n" iH 1111individu11I nngag •cl in fishin"· who~t'
msngin of return or rcw11rd in hiH h11l'vost.of fi~h ns uwn~un·d by
existing pri ·e Jcvelo i:-;l>111·c!ly:-;urneio11t.t.o yic Id a profit or coV\'l' tlw
coi;t, of guih lrjng Uw (h,h, whilo 11 '~·whsistcnc:c /ishcrnio11" i~ nw
whoAe catch yjuldH but. U1u itT( clucil>lo n1ininn1m lcn·his livolilwod.
S ction 2 of J\rl.icl<! X1111i111H

1 pl'in111ril,v not. to lH'stow nny right
fiHlwr11H11,11111.
to trnbHiAtc11<.:o l.o l11yHt.l'OHH 011t.hc dut.y of the Stntl
to proicd the n11tion'Hm11rirn wt 1111.11. \iVh11t. t.lH provi~ion m t· ly
recognizw, jH th11t I.ho HL11Lo11111y11llow, hy l11w, cootH rnt.ivt fish
farming, with pl'iol'iLy Lo Htil>HiHt.1nco fif.diol'tlH n 11nd fi~hworkors
a1Sec. l, Al'L XI II.

a2Soc. 7, Ari.. XIII.
\ 'I'III1/\li l/li:/HIIII/Clr:11/\NI) l/l!Ll 1:~1
N
1.,\\V nNll'()\)1111
, (r'()I/ fr'NVll/()/\1 Mi·r·''f'Ar
,, 'f /\' ('ALJJ'LI
,/\1 ,,,
01•' l'HO(. ,, '• '
, . ,
1I\ 1I ll, 1lll,\ /4,
d 111,,001111.
1111 011 l.lw oLIH:r h,,nd, Hc:c:l.i<,ri
tll l'l\'l'l':, ' , •
' of , ,·\rl.h'
• 1,, '-'Ill
,, <''" 1~ 1101. 011lv
ii 1l •
111 Lill' u11<1 of c:omm11rHdrnnrir,,,
. . . •
,1. 11ng
.• .. , \II'<'<~ hul. ol' l.lw1r prnl.ecl.Hrn, dovoloprn,ml. find
l
11111 1 11'1-1) , , . . .
'
conHt n·n I.um,.• 'l'l,t• ordinn1H'' 1-1 111 q11e1-1l.1011
• , 11r • n1<if111L
prncrn •ly
· l<J
•
1
protl'cf nnd cmrnPrvP m1r 11Inr1ner0Hou1:c H l.o tho und Urn!. t~ •ir
njo~ment. mny hC'r·un1:11nl.eed1101. only for l.lu fH'l!fHHll.generation,
bllt. nlso for t,h ,~on rnt10nHt.ocome.
1
] 11nny vont, mn ri no reHOlll'COBlw lon1~to l.lw S l.sIl.c, n nd, pu rBu;i nt,

t.o t.hc firRt. pn1·ngTnph of. eel.ion 2, /\rl.iclu XI I of' l.lw ConRtil.ution,
t.h ir" xp]ornt.ion, cl vclopni nf.nnd ul.iliisd.ion ... Ah11llbe under the
1 1
full control nncl, up 'rvision of the Sl.111.e." M·orcover·, their mandntcd

prot.-ction, d vclopmcn t, n nd consnrvn I.ionimply cerl.ri in restrictions
1
on whntcver right of'enjoyment t.hcrc nrny he in f'nvor of'nnyonc.
]). Conuncrcial .FisherieH
15. Commercial fishing vessel license and other licenses.

No person s1rn11operate II commm:ci,al fiRhing vessel, pearl
fishing vessel or fishing vcssc.1for s<:icntHk, 1·e1:1oarch
or educational
purposes, or "ngngc in :iny fishery nctivil:y, ol' seek employment 1s
a fishworker or J earl djver without first; securing a 1.ic\ns from the
DA, the period of whith slrnlJ be JWOscr.ihedby t;heDA. However, no
such license shaJl be requjrcd of n fishing vessel engaged in scientific,
research or educationu] purposes w.itlrin Philippine waters pursuant
to an internationul agreement of which I.hoPhilippino8 is n signatory
and whjch agreement defines Urn statw.:J,pl'ivilegos nnd obligations
of said vessel and its crew and tho non-Fj]ipino officials of the
international agency under which r-midvessel oporntos. Mombers of
the crew of a fishing vessel used fol' commorcinl fishing oxcoµt the
duly licensed and/or nu thol'i ied pa l.rons, m11 rino engineers, radio
operators and cooks i:;hnllbe con:-iiderodllH fislwrfolk.
All ski ppcrs/mastm· fiHhcrs :-ihnII ho roq u irod t.o u ndortnln nn
ori?ntation training on duLudion ol' fi:-ih caught. by ill( gnl 11H nns
before they can lw i1-HrnodLhoir li~ihworlur Iiconscs.
. Large com1rwrc:i11l fiHliing vc HIH IH lice ll!'H shnll allow tho
hccnsee to operate only in Philippino wnl.orE1 s<von or nwro fnthoms
deep'. ~he depth to he!certified hy Llw NJ\M H,1/\,nncl m1hjed to the
cond1t 10ns Urnt mny he imJ><lfHHI 11ndl.o I.ho rul( s nnd rogulntions
that may be promulgat.od hy I.ho D/\.:ia
:iasoc. 20, RA No. 8/iGO.

CIIJ\P'l'ER IX - Pl 11LI l'l'lNI•~ Fl~H 11,;1m,:H (:()l)f,; Of•' I mm ~MH
(Hopublic Ad No. H11fH), 111111111P111l1•d t,y 111 pul,lit Ai:t,Ne,. I0(ili'1)
16. Persons eligible for comn1orclalfishing vossel license.

No com mcrcin I fishing VUHHel Iic.:cnHeHhn 11bo iHHued exc8pt
to citizens of the PhilippineH, pnl'l.ncrships or to associatlon8,
cooperntiv s or corporations duly registered in the Philippines at
leAst. 60% of the capital stock of' whic.:his owned by fi'ilipino citizens.
No person to whom a license has been issued shall selJ, transfer
or assign, directly or jndirectly, his stock or jntcrcst therein to any
person not qualified to hold a license. Any such transfer, sale or
assignment shall be null and void and shall not be registered in the
books of the association, cooperative, or corporation.
For purposes of commercial fishing, fishing vessels owned by
citizens of the Philippines, partnerships, corporations, cooperatives,
or associations duly qualified must secure certificates of Philippine
registry and such other documents as are necessary for fishing
operations. The commercial fishing vessel license shall be valid for a
period to be determined by the DA.3'1
17. Fishing by Philippine commercial fishing fleet in international

waters.
Fishing vessels of Philippine registry may operate in

international waters or waters of other countries which allow St_ich
fishing operations but they should ~~mp_lywith the saf~ty, ma~~1ng
and other require1nents of the Ph1hpp1ne Coast Gum d, Ma11t1me
Industry Authority and other agenci.es concer~ed. Moreo:er, they
s h ou Id secur e an l·nternational
• fislung permit and certificate
11bof
I f the DA The fish caught by such vessels sha e
c ea~adnced rom ght in .Philippine waters and therefore not subject
cons1 ere as ca u • • · 1 d d · ct 1,
• . d t· d taxes but only when the same 1s an e 1n u)
to 1mport u rns an . . -- ·
I=>}- a5
•
designate . d fi1sh. 1an dings and fish ports 1n the 1111pp1nes.
E. Aquaculture
18. Disposition of public lands for fishery purposes. l
t. I 1 swnmpR mangroves, mnrs ies,
Pub]ic lands such as ,1C.1~ 1..1 1·1· .flshorv o1rnrntions shall
cl ds sU1tn ) o o • . 1 \)
foreshore lands an ~on . j W hpond lonso agreements (F ~
not be disposed or ahenaLer. Its t nv ho <leclnrod nvnilnble for
•
may b e 1ssue d f'or public landA t, 1H. Ill .,
:MScc.27, supra.
:msec. 32, HA No. 8560.

-.,
:34'1 L/\W ON N/\'l'UH/\L HESOlJHCJi;S r\NI) HULEH
OF PHOCEDUH I•~fo'OH l•:NVI HONM l•:N'l'AI, CJ\8E8
fishpond Ol'velopnwnt.pri mn_rily. l.oqu,_tlifi~)d_fiHhu!·f'ol

k cooporn tive~/
associations. Upon t.he c xp1rnt.1011of ex1f1t1ng 1 I ,/\H, the c:urrC!nt
1 1
lcsseL"S~hnll hP given priority nnd entitled lo an exlent-lion of 2G

years in t.hc utiliznt.ion of their respective leased nrcns. 'rhcrcnfter
~uch FLAs shall be granted to any Filipino citizen with proference'
prinrn.rily to qtrnlified fisherfolk cooperntives/ussociations as well
as small and medium enterprises as defined under RA No. 8289.
The DA shall declare as rcservntion portions of available public
lands certified as suitable for fishpond purposes for fish sanctuary,
conservation, and ecological purposes. No fish pens or fish cages or
fish traps shall be allowed in lnkes.:1n
19. Lease of fishponds.

Fishpond leased to qualified persons and fisherfolk organiza-
tions/cooperatives shall be subject to the following conditions:
a. Areas leased for fishpond purposes shall be no
more than 50 hectares for individuals and 250 hectares for
corporations or fisherfolk organizations;
b. The lease shall be for a perio<l of 25 years and
renewable for another 25 years. In case of the death of the
lessee, his spouse and/or children, as his heirs, shall have
preemptive rights to the unexpired term of his FLA;
c. Lease rates for fishpond areas shall be determined
by the DA. All fees co1lected shall be remitted to the National
Fisherjes Research un<l Development [nstitute and other
qualified research institutions to he used for nqunculturc
research deve]opmen t;
(/)
Cl
OJ
d. The area lensed shnll be developed nncl producing
:::,
:::,
ro
0.
on a commercial scnle within throe yonrs from tho npµrovnl
:s:
s: of the lease contract, hut areas not f'ully producing within five
()
OJ
3
(/)
years from the c.1n te of' n pprovn I of' tho lonso cont.rnct ~hnll
Cl
OJ
:::,
:::,
nutomalically revcrL to lhu puhlic domnin f'or roforost.ntion;
£!i
. e. The fil,hpond shnll not ho HttblonHod , in whole or

m part, and failure to comply wit.Ii thiH proviRion shnll m0nn
cancel1ntion of FLA·
'
:mSec.'1f>,ibid.
CII/\PTEH IX - Pllll.lPPINl1~ FIHlll 1:1trnH corm OF l!HJH :11r,
(H1,1n1ulic /\ct No. HfifiO,,11111111p111lPd 1,_yl!npuhlic t\ct. Nn, 1Ofi!'i-t)
'J'hc transfer or nsRif{nment.of rights to F'L/\ shall he

f.
allowed only upon prior written npproval of the DA;
g. 'l'he lessee shall undertake reforestation for river
banks, bays, strea1hs, and seashore fronting the dike of his
fishpond subject to the rules and regulations to be promulgated
thereon; and
h. The lessee shall provide facilities that will minimize
environmental pollution, i.e., settling ponds, reservoirs, etc.
Failure to comply with this requirement shall result in the
cancellation of the FLA.=11
20. Code of practice for aquaculture.

The DA shall establish a code of practice for aquaculture that
will outline general principles and guidelines for environmentally-
sound design and operation to promote the sustainable development
of the industry. Such Code shall be developed through a consultative
process with the DENR, the fishworkers, FLA holders, fishpond
owners, fisherfolk cooperatives, small-scale operators, research
institutions and the academe, and other potential stakeholders. The
DA may consult with specialized international organizations in the
formulation of the code of practice.as
21. Reversion of all abandoned, undeveloped or underutilized

fishponds.
The DENR, in coordination with the DA, LGUs, other
concerned agencies and FARMCs shall determine which abandoned,
underdeveloped or underutilized fishponds covered by FLAs can be
reverted to their original mangrove state. 39
Cf)
22. Absentee fishpond lease agreement holders.
0
Q)
:::,
:::,
Cl)
a.
Holders of fishpond lease agreements who have acquired
:!"
g citizenship in another country during the cx~stence of.the FLA shall
(")
Q)
3
result in the automatic cancellation thereof and the unprovements
Cf)
r,
Q)
:::,
:::,
thereon forfeited in favor of' the govornment.'w
~
:17Sec.,1fi,RA No. 8600.

11
: isec.'17, ihid.
misec. '19, ibid.
0
~ Scc. 50, ibid.
t\'l'lJIUd, lllo:/-HJIJIIC1':/-4
/\ND lllJLft:S
34G L/\W O N N NMl'N'J'Af ('AL'f,'(J
OF PHOCIWlJHE FOH 1,:NVIHO ,, " ' ,,,,J ,,...,
License to operate ffsh pens, fish cages, fish traps and other
23
' structures for the culture of fish and other fishery products.
Pish pC'ns, fish cngcs, fish traps nnd other structures for the
cult tn·c of fish nno other fishery products sha11 be constructed and
slrnll opcn•te only within established zones duly designated by LGUs
in con~ultntion with the FJ\RMCs concerned. Areas to be utilized for
this purpose for an individunl shall be determined by the LGUs in
consultation with the FARMC. However, not more than ten percent
of suitable water surface area of lakes and rivers shal1 be allotted
for aquaculture purposes like fish pens, fish cages, and fish traps;
and for the stocking density and feeding requirement which shall
be contro1led and determined by its carrying capacity. Fish pens
and fish cages located outside municipal waters shall be constructed
and operated only within fish pen and fish cage belts designated by
the DA and after corresponding licenses have been secured and the
corresponding fees paid. 41
a. Grant of pern1its for fishery privileges in the

Laguna Lake Region pertains to the LLDA and not
to LGUs
As earlier noted, the Laguna Lake Development Authority
(LLDA) has the exclusive jurisdiction to issue permits for the
enjoyment of fishery privileges in Laguna de Bay to the exclusion
of municipalities situated therein and the authority to exercise such
powers as are by its charter vested on it. Removal from the Authority
of the aforesaid licensing authority will render nugatory its avowed
purpose of protecting und developing the Laguna Lake Region. 1~
24. Grant of privileges for operations fish pens, etc.
No new concessions, licenses, pernYit.s, leases and similnl'

privileges for the e:-,t11bJishmont or opernt.ion of fish pons, fish
cages, fish corrnJs/Lrups and other similar . t.n1cturos in municipal
areas. sh~JJ he grant ,c1 <!xcept. Lo m11nicipnl (ishorfolk and thl'il'
orgamzat10ns.~a
41
Sec. 61, ihid.
•l:.!L
1
Dec. ~i~nu Lako Development Authority v. Court of Appeals, OH No. 120805,
71 19
1
:iScc. 58, RA No. 8660.

Cll:\P'l'l-:H, IX- l'lll
(H,,puhlit: :\ct Nu. HMiOl.ll'PINI•: l•'IHlllrn11,;,y COl)J,; OF l!lfJfl H'17
11111 111111
' " d«•dh.v lll'p11l,lic A<:I.N11.100fi'1)
J?
• l"'rs I ,,e,:vlleHcrveH, .llefuue,
and Sn nctnarie.i;
25. Fishing areas reserve . .
s to, exclusive use of government.
rl'he DA muy cicsil!nnL' ·-. . .. .
beyond l 5 kilometers ,~. e. Ill en or u_rcns m .Ph1ltppme waters
for the exclusive u, -~_o,_~1 the shoreline us fishery reservation
subdivi 'i01rn "' ~e o t le. government; or nny of its political
, ngenc1es 01' 111 , . ]• • ,
. SLI umentn 1t1es for propagat10n
e duca t.1011::11, research 'lnd ,· t'fl ' • '
cities the J GU • .' s~icn 1 ic purposes. In municipalities or
1
' • ..J . s n_cons~1ltat10n with the FARMCs may recommend
th th
to e DA _ at po~·tion of the municipal waters be declared as fishery
reserves. for spccrn] or• Ii nu·1;e d use,
, ior ~ ·
< eclucat10nal, research, and/
or specrnl management. pur Joses
· .1 • . 1 . . " s may recommen d t o
'j'J e JrAf'JMC
the D~ portwns of the municipal waters which can be declared as
fisheries reserves for special or limited use for educational research
and specia] management purposes. ' '
26. Fish refuge and sanctuaries.

The DA may establish fish refuge and sanctuaries to be
administered in the manner prescribed by the BFAR and set aside
areas for the cultivation of mangroves to strengthen the habitat and
the spawning grounds of fish. No commercial fishing shall be allowed
within these areas. In munjcipal waters, the LGU in consultation
with the FARMCs may cstab]jsh fishery refuge and sanctuaries.
The FAl1MCs inay also recommend fishery refuge and sanctuaries.
At least 15'¼, where applicab]e of the total coastal areas in each
municipaJity shall be jdentified and designated as fish sanctuaries
by the LGUs h1 consultation with the FARMCs.H
G. Prohibitions and Penalties

16
The following acts arc prohibited nnrl pennli:1.ecl under RA No.
] 0654 amending RA No. 8550:
27. Unauthorized fishing.

· ,J ]] l , Inwf'11I f'or 1111y person t.o capl,uro or gnther
(a ) IL s rn >L un . or f'mger 1·
' . .. . gnl twri,w of fish, lry mgs of' nny
or to c::rnse Lhe cnptw c 01 ' ,
''~See. 81, supw. . . . imprisonniont ,w provided undor each

co11fwc11 1,1011
01
,1r,J\dminiHtr11t.ive
fine,
Hection.

~148 L/\W ON N/\'l'UH./\1, H.I,:sou1u.:I,:sAND IUJLJ1:H
OF PHOCI,:DUIU1: l1'0H. 11:NVIB.ONMl•:N'l'/\1,CM-ll1:8
fishery specie~ 01· fiHhcry products wi Lhout 1ieonHuor nermit frorn

the DcpnrtmenL or LOU.
.Except in coses speci fled under the Code, it Bhall also be
unlnwful for nny commercial fishing vessel to fish in municipal
waters.
The discovery of any person in possession of a fishing gear or
operating a fishing vessel in a fishing nrca whore he has no license
or permit shall constitute a pn:,na facie presumption that the
person is engaged in unauthorized fishing: Prouiclecl,That fishing
for daily food sustenance or for leisure which i.s not for commercial,
occupation, or livelihood purposes may be allowed.
(b) It sha11 he unlawful for any person not listed in the
registry of municipal fisherfo]k to engage in any commercial fishing
activity in municipal waters: 10
a. Seizure of iteins used in illegal fishing considered

an incident to a lawful arrest
In Senson v. Pangilinan,· 11 several persons were apprehended
and charged for violation of Section 86 of RA No. 8550, or the "The
Philippine Fisheries Code of 19H8." The items seized included a
fish net, allegedly costing P600,000.00, 36 unit lights, and others.
Thereafter, two persons claiming to be the owners of the fish net
filed with the court an urgent motion for the custody of the seized
jtems. In granting the motion, the court he]d that the law did not
provide for the seizure of the fishing paraphernalia pending trinl.
The prosecutor moved for reconsideration but the same was denied.
In reversing the lower court, the Court held that "the existence
of a judicial remedy does not (necessarily) preclude resort to nn
administrative remedy." The seizure of' the fislring pnrnphonudin
has been made as being an incident ton lnwf'ul n1To:t. under Section
12, RuJe 127 of the Rules of' Courl.. 'l'ho Aoizod items ordororl rolonsod
by the lower court hnvu not yet hoen ol'forod in oviduncc; he nco, tho
prosecution, not the court, ~ould i:-iL"ill ho doomed t.o ho in th< log-nl
custody and to ha vu the reAponsihi IiLy ovo1· Huch i toms.
40
Sec, 8<i,RA No, 10Cili'1.
47
AM No. M'l',J-02-1'180, Sor,t. 8, 2008.
CHAPTER IX-
(Hepuhlic Act No. 8~~~:LJPPJNg FISHEHJ ES CODE OF HJ98
349
J 'IIH nmended hy H.epuhlic Ar:t,N,,. J()G!'i1)
28. Engaging in unauth .

It sh 11b orized fisheries activities.
a e un1awfu) for,
breed or culture fish f any person to exploit occupy produce
fishery products or co~stry or fingerlings of any fishery ~pecies o;
ruct and op t fi' h •
pens an d fi s.h cages or fishponds . era e s_ corrals, fish traps, fish
Th d' without a license, lease or permit.
. . . e iscovery of an . .
activities without a le Y. person engaging m any of the above
r. • ase, 11cense • h
,acie presumption th t th or P~rm1t s all constitute a prima
fisheries activity.1a a e person 18 engaged in unauthorized
29. Failure to secure ti15 h" . .

water fish· mg permit prior to engaging in distant
mg.
. h (a) It . shall
. be unl aw fu 1£or any person to fish m
. the high
. seas
int e terntonal seas, archipelagic waters, and Exclusive Economi~
Z~nes of other st~tes using a Philippine flagged fishing vessel
without first securing a fishing permit from the Department and
authorization from the coastal state.
The discovery of any person in possession of a fishing gear or
operating a fishing vessel in the abovementioned areas without a
fishing permit from the Department or authorization from the
coastal state shall constitute a prima facie presumption that the
person is in violation of this provision.
(b) It shall be unlawful for an ow~er or operator, a~d the
three highest officers, of a commercial fishmg ve_s~elto comm~tacts
that are in contravention of the terms and cond1t10nsstated~~n the
c.~h·
1m 1ng perm1·t or as, may be promulgated by the Department.
30. Unreported fishing.

. f fi any person to engage in unreported
It shall be unlaw u 1 or ·th the reportorial requirements in
fishing or to fail to comp 1y0 w1 d d to wit·
Section 38 of RA No. 8550 / as amen e ' •
: l fishing vessel sha11 keep a daily
"Each commercia d ']flg'e ]anding pomts, and
. fl
record of s ca h
fish caught, and off-IonclefI for
tch an sp01 ' '
f
quantity and value 0
,lflSec. 87, Hupra.

10s8c. 88, ibid.
r,r,88C. 89, ibirl.

'HOUHCFH /\NI> H.ULf1:8
360 1.,/\WON NA'l'UHALH~•.. • NM
,~N'l'/\1.CASl~S
OF PHOCl•:DlJHgFOH.l•,NVIHO
. . l'>tnll\t ~1\01
1/()r ol ',her cliHpoHn I. De Luiled
l\ll(
t.1nnRs lll ,, . ' .• (' ' I by I.he ve1-11-wl
1
f.:lcu ptmn
•
informnt.ion shnll he duly cei 1:1 1~c- • , , '}

. 1 t
13F/\ H wi t.h111 the pet'tod preHcr1 1ed
And t.rnn~nnt.t.co ,n • , . 1, , l
. . • rules ·ind rcgulntwns promu gn.te(
111t.h"' 11nµ1omen 1,mg ' 1·1 -, l .
, by t. 1c D t )i'nilure t-o • comply shn rcsu t to
1 . cµnr ,men 1..
arlministrative and penal sanctions."
31. Unregulated fishing.

It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in unregulated
1
fishing in waters within and beyond nntional jur.isdiction.r.
32. Poaching in Philippine waters.

It shall be unlawful for any foreign person, corporation or
entity to fish or operate any fishing vessel in Philippine waters.
The entry of any foreign fishing vessel in Philippine waters
shall constitute a pn:ma facie presumption that the vessel is engaged
in fishing in Philippine waters.(i2
33. Fishing through explosives, noxious or poisonous substance,

or electricity.
It shall be unlawful for any person to catch, take or ·gather or
cause to be caught, taken or gathered fish or any fishery species in
Philippine waters with the use of explosiv~s, noxious or poisonous
substance such as sodium cyanide, which will kill, stupefy, disable
or render unconscious fish or fishery species: Provided, That the
Department, subject to such safeguards and conditions deemed
necessary and with the endorsement from the concerned LGUs,
may allow, for research, educational or scientific purposes only, the
use of poisonous or noxious substances to cntch, take or gather fish
or fishery species: Provided, further, That tho use of poisonous or
noxious substances to eradicate prodntors nn<l pests in fishponds in
accordance with accepted scientific practices un<l wit.hout causing
adverse environmental impact, in neighboring wnt:ors nn<l grounds
shall not be construed as illegal fishing.
The discovery of dynamite, othol' oxploHivmi nn<l chemicnl
compounds which contain comLust.iblo olomont.s, 01· noxious or
111
Sec. 90, ibid.
112
8 ec, 91, RA No. 10fi6'1.

CllAP'l'lm IX_ PIIILll', ,, , ,
(Hl'p11hlit: t\et Nn HGfiO I INJ, l•IHIJbltflt:H COJ)J,;OF IDHH
• , flH 11111P111lc•dl,y lf.opul,lir: Ac:f.No. IOliritl)
poi~onm1s . .sub~t.nnc<'R , ,
nn~ fi1sl 1mg v '::-~el or,, 'ino1 11equ1p111011I : o1· cIev,ce
• f' I
or e •tl.rofo1hing in
fishing bont. offiein] or ,.:1e J}OHf:iC!:lHton of' srny fodierfolk, operator,
18 1 t'I t,ute a pnmu,
presumption that nny 0 f twol'lccl' shn . II c..:ons •
fru:ie
O
\'iolation of the Code. • • ••tesc dcvJccs was used for fishing in
'l'he discovery in any r,18 1 • . .

with the use of exp] . ll~g vessel of fish caught or killed
0s1ves noxwus 01• •
by electricity shall . ft '. . , poJSonous substances, or
use thereof.6:i
t
fisherfolk, operator c~ns l~1e.a pruna fade presumption that the
, oa o 1c1al or fishworkcr is fishing with the
34. Conversion of ma ngrove forests to fishponds

• or any other
purpose unlawful
It is unlawful for any person to convert mangroves into

~shponds or for any other purposes. As defined, conversion means
the act or process of changing from one form, state, etc., to another."
For an offense of conversion of mangrove forest to exist, the following
elements must concur: first, the site of the fishpond is a mangrove
forest; second, there was a conversion of the mangrove area into a
fishpond; and third, the appellant made the conversion.
In Leynes v. People,r,1 petitioner was charged with conversion
of 1nangroves punishable under Section 94 of R.A. No. 8550, or the
"The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998." He contended that his
construction of dikes and installation of an outlet (prinsa) do not
amount to conversion, but in fact a rehabilitation and improvement
of the mangrove forest. He further claimed that he introduced
improvements thereon by virtue of a Certificate of Non Coverage
issued to him by the DENR. In sustaining his conviction by the
lower court the Supreme Court held that whnt the law prohibits is
not only th~ conversion of the mangrove forest into fishpond~. but
its conversion into any other purpose. Peti~ionor's acts of Cl~tt.ing
mangrove trees, construction a dike, instnllrng· an outlot (prrnsa).
and excavating in the mRngrovc forest nHorod tl~onntun~l structurn
and. f.orm o1·
· th , 4"· I'>
· e mangrove f'(>i·cs " No• 8nf50. lfl. n ~pocml lnw
\,,/\, • • nnd
•,.,
. I 'l . . I I I IO ('()lllllllt. 11, ()l' crood hllth ·~
b. emg malum
. . pro 1,1.ntnm, 111 ,on , no·[' ·I, • cl lonso nrrrtn mnent., the
1mmateriaJ. Moreover, nhsent nny NIS ipon
. . Covorngo.
• cloosn . ,
not exempt
issuance to him of a Cert1ftcnto o on 1
oasec. 92(a), ibid.

61 GR No. 224804, Sept. 21, 2016
WON NJ\'l'UllJ\Ltn:SOUllCl~S AND RULES
3r,2 o~,:~>HOCEDUHEFOil ENVlllONMEN'l'J\L CJ\sgs
. J'
l11111 rom cot 1111ce wit:h 11ppJic11bJeenvironmental laws such ~o
,,,>1•· n.,
Sect.ionD4 of H.A. No. SGGO.
35. Other violations.

Other prohibitions/violations include those enumerated under
RA No. 10654, specifically:
Sections 92 (Fishing through Explosives, Noxious or Poisonous
Substance, or Electricity), 93 (Use of Fine Mesh Net), 94 (Fishing
in Overexploited Fishery Management Areas), 95 (Use of Active
Gear in Municipal Waters, Bays and Other Fishery Management
Areas), 96 (Ban on Coral Exploitation and Exportation), 97 (Ban
on Muro-ami, Other Methods and Gear Destructive to Coral Reefs
and Other Marine Habitat), 98 (Illegal Use of Superlights or Fishing
Light Attractor), 99 (Conversion of Mangroves), 100 (Fishing During
Closed Season), 101 (Fishing in Marine Protected Areas, Fishery
Reserves, Refuge and Sanctuaries), 102 (Fishing or Taking of Rare,
Threatened or Endangered Species), 103 (Capture of Sabalo and
Other Breeders/Spawners), 104 (Exportation of Breeders, Spawners,
Eggs or Fry),· 105 (Importation or Exportation of Fish or Fishery
Species), 106 (Violation of Harvest Control Rules), 107 (Aquatic
Pollution), 108 (Failure to Comply with Minimum Safety Standards),
109 (Failure to Submit a Yearly Report on All Fishponds, Fish Pens
and Fish Cages), 110 (Gathering and Marketing of Shell Fishes or
Other Aquatic Species), 111 (Obstruction to Navigation or Flow or
Ebb of Tide in any Stream, River, Lake or Bay), 112 (Noncompliance
with Good Aquaculture Practices), 113 (Commercial Fishing Vessel
Operators Employing Unlicensed Fisherfolk, Fishworker or Crew),
114 (Obstruction of Defined Migration Paths), 115 (Obstruction
to Fishery Law Enforcement Officer), 116 (Noncompliance with
Fisheries Observer Coverage), 117 (Noncompliance with Port State
Measures), 118 (Failure to Comply with Rules and Regulations on
Conservation and Management Measures), 119 (Noncompliance
with Vessel Monitoring Measures), 120 (Constructing, Importing
or Converting Fishing Vessels or Gears without Permit from the
Department), 121 (Use of Unlicensed Gear), 122 (Falsifying,
Concealing or Tampering with Vessel Mm·kings, Identity or
Registration), 123 (Concealing, Tnmpering or Disposing of Evidence
Relating to an lnvestigntion of' n Violation), 12,1 (Noncompliance
with the Requirements for the Introduction of Foreign or Exotic
Aquatic Species), 125 (Failure to Comply with Standards ~nd
Trade-Related Measures), 126 (Possessing, Dealing in or Disposing

CHJ\P_TEHIX - PH I LI PPINE FIS II Im ll~Hcon,,•OF I ()CJ8
(Hcpubhc J\et. N > Hli,.,(l
1 ' •• 353
< •, > > , IIH 1111w111l1•d l,y U<'p11hlic:/\ct. No. l<Hif,/4)
Illegally
. . Caught.
, . or 'l'nk 'll l◄'iHl1)
, , 127 (U nnu t,I10nz · •cI J)'meIosurc of
Sensitive 1cchn1cal lnform11ti• 011 ) , 1, 11<1·1q8
L,
(Oil, w,· v·10 In ,·,tonfl ) .
H. Adniinist1•a,tive Adjudication
36. Administrative adjudication .
. T_he ~epartment is hereby empowered to impose the

adm1111strative fines and penalties provided in the Code.
For this purpose, the Department shall organize and designate
the con1position of the Adjudication Committee which shall be
composed of the bureau director as chairperson ' and four other
members to be designated by the Secretary. The Adjudication
Committee shall be supported by sufficient number of staff to enable
it to perform its mandate.
The Committee shall promulgate rules and regulations for
the conduct of administrative adjudication and the disposition
of confiscated catch, gears, equipment and other paraphernalia.
It shall also issue subpoena duces tecum and ad testificandum in
administrative cases before it. 0u
The Department shall, on its own instance or upon ver~fied
complaint by any person, institute administrative pr_oce~d1ngs
against any person who violates any order, rule or regulat10n issued
by the Department, pursuant to the Code.r,(j
37. Power to issue cease and desist orders and to summarily

f. d" . 1 d
evict without the necessity o JU icia or er.
Th .
Departmen .t s]·lall·, subJ'ect to the requirements of
. . e . ss issue cease and desist order/s upon
adm1n1Strative due proc~ ' . ·t 'thout the necessity of judicial
•1 / d t ummar1ly eJec ' w1 , .
v10 ator s an o s. -th er tenurial instrument, permit or hcens
order, the holder of FLA, _o . . ,ered by such FLA, tenurinl
from areas of the pub)JC domain co, •
7
• ense •''
instrument, perm1•t, or ] 1c
r,riSec.:.1::10,HA No. 1OOM.

fifiSec.:.UH, ibid.
fi7Soc.:.132, supra.

:ir,,1 I.AW ON NA'l'UH/\L 1n:souttc1,;s /\NI) HUl,J~S
OF l'HOCl :nu1rn FOU l•:NVIIH>NMl•:N'l'/\1,CM:il•:S
1
38. Authority of the Director of tho BFAR or the duly authorized

reprosentatlve to Issue notice of violation and order
confiscation.
ln nll cnseR of violnt.ionHof' tho Cocloor other fishery laws, rules
nn<l rc1-~ulnt.ions,the ])il'cct.01·of' t.hu Bl11AR or the duly authorized
r ·,prescntnt.ive, mny iHRlte not.ice of' violn t.ion and order the
confiscAt.ion of nny fiHh,H1:1hcl'y Hpecics or nquaLic resources illegally
cnught., taken m· gnt.hcred, and nil equipment, pnrnphcrnalia, and
gears in favor of the D pnrtmcnt., ncndemic irn:ititutions or LGUs
and to dispose of the snmc in ncconlnncc with pc,tincnt laws, rules,
regu1nt.ions, nnd policies on the nrnt.t:cr.r• 11
39. Prohibition on the issuance of temporary restraining

orders, preliminary injunctions, and preliminary mandatory
injunctions.
No injunct.ion or 1·cstl'·niningor<lcr from the Municipal Trial
Courts and Rogionnl Tdnl Courts shnll lio ngainst the Department
and BFAR upon the ex parlc mot.ion 01· pot:ition filed by any person or
entity in the ex ~rcise by the Dcpnl't:mont and Bl.1 AR of its regulatory
functions in Rupport of' the imploment:ntion of this Codc.r.11
] t. should be clarified, howover, that courts cannot be deprived
of their authority to tuke cogniinnco of the issues raised in the
principal action, n8 Jong us such ncti.on und the relief sought are
within their jurisdiction. 1 1 Indeed, on issues involving questions of
1(
law, courts cou]d not be prevent.eel from exercising their power to

resiruin or prohibit; ndministrnUve ncb:;,111
40. Accompanying administrative sanctions for serious

violations.
The Adjudicution Commit.t.oo mny impmm tho following
additional snnctionH to the:, 11dminit-1Lrnt.ivo
ponalt.io~ impo~od for
seriou8 violntionH:
(]) confa;c11Lionnl' fiHhing 1~onr;
(2) irnpoundmo11t.ol' fiHhin1-I
voHHi I;
Mlf,oc. I a:i, il,i<i.

r,us"l'
... ..
1:M• i/Jid. . , I) ~()()0
)'[COi' lloHOlll'CUH, Inc:,, OH No. urn:,M:I, Nov. 2.,
IIOA)VUJ'lli'.v. : ,1 , •
01HoriiniuJoz v. N11t.io1111l
) (., . (.,1, N 1 J()'l28 Murch ~.I,
I oWlll' ,oq1orntw11, , , o. ' , ,
:.woe,,

CHAP'l'EH .IX - 111IJII , , ' ,
(Hopuhlic Act No HfiGO'11 INli, l•IHIIJ,;fu,,;s COIH; OJ•'IUHH 3r,5
• , IIA 111111nd,id l,y Hopublic Atl. No. J(J(!r,,t)
(3) tompornry 8 •
•
11cense ·
or pornut.; ' llSJ)CllAI0.11 OJ' J)Ol'llllllH.mt
, TeV()"' 1 t1°()n of
~,..
(4 ) temporary or . , .
Appl' bl'.\ d . • pcimanent ban from the uvmlmcnt of
• tea e uty and tax rebates·
'
(5) i n clusion in the IUU fishing vessel list;
(G) denial of entry and other port services;
(7) blacklisting; and
_(8) increase in the amount of fines but not to exceed
6 :e ~Imes the value of the catch. In case of repeated violations
within _a fiv~-year period, the amount of fine may be increased
up to eight times the value of the catch.
During the pendency of the administrative or the criminal
case, the Department may impound the vessel/conveyance, gear and
other paraphernalia used in the commission of the offense.62
41. Citizen's suits.

Any citizen may file an appropriate civil, criminal or
administrative action in the proper courts/bodies against:
(a) Any person who violates or fails to comply with
the provisions of this Code and its implementing rules and
regulations;
(b) The Department or other implementing agencies
with respect to orders, rules and regulations issued inconsistent
with the Act; and
(c) Any public officer who willfully or grossly neglects
th erformance of a duty specifically enjoined by the Code and
·t e? I enting
1 s imp em . rules and regu]ntions; or abuses· authorityl
m· th e perJr0 rmance of duty; or, in any manner unprop
1 • • • lr y
. d , ·es under fhe Code and its unp 1emcmtmg ru 0$
per f arms ULJ ' • b f'l d
] , • s· Pr·nvided however, That no s\llt can o 1e
an d regu thJOll • ' . • f'fi d
·1 f' J ~ J 8 nolice has heon g1von the puhhc o ic r nn
unti a ter ;) c ny • . · t l t k
the a11eged offender und no llJlfH'Opr1ato act.ton urn >O n n en
thereon. 11~
niscc. 135, RA No. 1060'1•

/l: 1Sec. 138, supra.

366 otAWON NA'l'UHALH.l~SOURCESAND RULES
PHOC~~DUIU~FOR I~NVIRONMgNTALCASES
42. Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) in the

enforcement of the Act.
A leg»l net.ionfiled to harass, vex_,ex~rt ~ndue pressure, or stifle
any legal recourse that any person, 1nstitution, or th e government
has taken or may tak<:in th~ enforcei~e~t of_tl~eC?de shall be treated
as a Strategic Lawsuit Against Pubhc I artic1pat10n (SLAPP).
The hearing on the defense of a SLAPP shall be summary in
nature the affirmative defense of a SLAPP shall be resolved within
30 da;s after the summary hearing. If the court dismisses the
action, the court may award damages, attorney's fees_,a~d costs of
suit under a counterclaim if such has been filed. The d1sm1ssal shall
be with prejudice.
If the court rejects the defense of a SLAPP, the evidence
adduced during the summary hearing shall be treated as evidence
of the parties on the merits of the case. The action shall proceed in
accordance with the Rules of Court.
The Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases shall govern
the procedure in civil, criminal, and special civil actions involving
the enforcement or violations of this Code including actions treated
as a SLAPP as provided in this section. 61
43. Executive control.

lnAraneta v. Gatmaitan,6 5 it has been held that if under the law
the Secretary has authority to regulate or ban fishing under certain
conditions, then the President may exercise the same power and
authority because: (a) the President has control of all the executive
departments, bureaus and offices pursuant to Section 10(1), Article
VII of the Constitution (now Section 17, Article VII of the 1987
Constitution); (b) executive orders may be issued by the President
governing the general performance of duties by public einployees
or disposing of issues of general concern; and (c) and under the
Administrative Code, a1l executive functions shall be directly under
the exec~tive department, subject to the supervision and cc;ntrol of
the President on matters of general policy.
61
Sec. 139, ibid.
or;GRNo. L-8895, April 30, 1987, 101 Phil. 328.
CIIAI Tim IX- PHILIPPINE l•'ISlrnHrnS co,rn OF 19!)8 3o7
(Ht•puhlk Act. No, HfiliO,llf4 111110rnlod by Hcpulilic Acl. No. I OGfi,I)
44, Enactment of ordinances by LGUs.

Under the g \n 'l'nl wolf'n1·0 clnuso, LGU'A lwvo tho power,
1'.ntcr alia, t.o en net ordinnncos to enhu nee the right. of tho people
to a bHlnnc ~<l \cology. Jt likewise specificu]ly vustH municipalities
with the power t.o grant fo~he1·yprivileges in municipal waters, and
impose rcntHls, fees or charges therefor; to pennliic, by appropriate
ordinances, t.he use of explosives, noxious or poisonous substances,
electricity, mw·o-am1:, and other deleterious methods of fishing; and
to prosecute any violation of the provisions of npplicable fishery
laws. RA No. 7160 imposes upon the sang,1un1:a.ng bayan, the
sanggu.niang panlungsod, and tho sangguniung pnnlalawigan the
duty to enact ordinances to "(p]rotect the environment and impose
appropriate penalties for act which endanger the environment
such as dynamite fishing and other forms of destructive fishing ...
and such other activities which result in pollution, acceleration of
eutrophication of rivers and Ink 'Sor of ecological imbalance."nn
45. Seizure without warrant of fishing vessels breaching fishery

laws.
Search and seizure without search warrant of vessels and
aircrafts for violations of customs laws have been the traditional
exception to the constitutional requirement of a search warrant. It
is rooted on the recognition that a vessel and an aircraft, like motor
vehicles, can be quickly moved out of the locality or jurisdiction
in which the search warrant must be sought and secured. Hence,
judicial authorities have not required a search wnn·unt of vessels
and aircrafts before their search and seizure can be constitutionally
effected. The same exception applies to seizures of fishing vessels
and boats breaching our fishery luws. These vessels are normally
powered by high-speed motors that enable them to elude arrests
made by government authorities enforcing our flshory lnws. 1;7
'fhus, in Roldan v. Arca.,°8 it was held thnt whol'o the memlrnrs
of the crew of fishing vessels were cnught in /lagrantc illegn lly fishing
with dynamite and without the requisite liconso, t.hoir npprehonsion
without a warr1-1nt of arrest whilo committing n cl'imo was lawful.
Consequently, the seizure of' I.ho voHsol, its oqu ipnH nt. n nd <lynnmitos
1111
°
'J'nno v, Socrnlmi, GJt No, I JO:ltl!l, A111~.21, l!)f)7, i78 SCIV\ 1 1I.
111
Rol<l11n v. Arcn, GH No. L-21>'1:1'1,,July 2o, 1070, Of>SCHAalHi.
lltlSupra,

81>8 LAW ON NA'l'UUAL 1n:HOUllCJt:/1 AND ltULt•:8
01" PHOCEDUHI•: FOH. t•:NVIHONMt•:N'l'J\L C/\81•:S
t:hcr ,in wnH held vnlid nH nn int:id •nt. to n lnwf'ul nrrm1t. Similur]y,
in Hi ...011 v. Co111·tof Appcals, 11'1 t.hc WlllTnntleHH seurch on a foihing
bont. HllHpcct.ed of hnving eng1q~cd in il1egnl fishing WUH hold valid.
The fish nnd ot.her evidence sei:1.edin the cou1·i:;c of the Heurch were
prop ,rJy ndmit.tcd by t.hc trin I court..
lncidcntnlly, it has been held that the Collector of Customs
ha. excl\l. ive jHrisdict.ion over sci:1.urc und forfeiture proceedings
and t.i-inl courts arc prcclu<lccl from assuming cognizance over
such mAttcrs even through petitions for certiorari, prohibition
or manda.m,ns. The forfeiture proceedings arc in the nature of
proceedings in rem, nnd jurisdiction wns obtained from the moment
the vessel entered Philippine wnters. 70
46. Forfeiture of vessel used in a crime.

In response to fishermen's report of poaching off Mangsee
Island in Balabac, Pa]awan, a combined team of Philippine Marines,
Coast Guard and barangay officials conducted search and seizure
operations therein. There they found F/V Sea Lion anchored
three nautical miles northwest of Mangsee Island. Beside it were
five boats and a Jong fishing net already spread over the water.
Arrests were made and charges were thereafter filed against the 17
Chinese fishermen aboard the F/V Sea Lion. They were tried and
sentenced accordingly. The crew of F/V Sea Lion were exculpated.
Petitioner Sea Lion Fishing Corporation therenfter filed before the
Office of the Provincial Prosecutor an urgent motion for release of
the F/V Sea Lion, aJJeging thnt it owns the vessel, but the motion
was denied. The case reuched the Supreme Court. In Sea Lion
Fishing Co17Joration v. People, 71 the Court hold: "In fine, it has been
established beyon<l reusonuu]e doubt that P/V Sea Lion was used
by the 17 Chinese fishermen in the commission of the crimes. On
the other hand, pet.itiollel' presented no oviclence nt. nll to support
its c]aim of ownershiJJ of J•/V Sen Lion. 'l'horoforo, tho forfoit.urc
of F/V Sea Lion in fovor of tho gnvornmont wnH propor. \,Yhcmnn
instrument. or tool mmd in u crime iHIHJing clnimod by n t.hird-pnrty
not Jiub]e to the offonHo, 1:,uc:ht.hinl-pnl'ty muHt. Ht·Ht. ost.nhlish its
ownership over the 811mo."
00
GH No. J mo J!l, Doc. I :3, JfHHI, ioo HnHA Ci17.
1
°Conm1i1:1Hi1mor of C11Hl.onrn v. Court of J\pponlA uml Oonong, GR No. 1112oi,
Jnn. 31, 200H, '181 SCH!\ 10!l.
11
GH No. 172678, Mui-ch :lB, io11.

Chapter X
WATER CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
A. Preli1ninary
01. Governing law.
. The State's policy on the management of water resources is

implemented through the regulation of water rights. Issued on
December 31, 1976, PD No. 1067, otherwise known as "The Water
Code of the Philippines," is the basic law governing the ownership,
appropriation, utilization, exploitation, development, conservation
and protection of water resources and rights to land related thereto.
The Water Code repealed the following provisions of the Civil
Code: Articles 502 to 503 - Ownership of Waters; Articles 504 to
506 - Use of Public Waters; Articles 507 to 511 - Use of Waters
of Private Ownership; Articles 512 to 514 - Subterranean Waters;
and Articles 515 to 518 - General Provisions.

PD No. 1067 recognizes that water is vital to national
development and it has thus become increasingly necessary for
government to intervene active]~ in improving th? management
of water resources based on ratrnnal concepts or integrated and
multi-purpose management which must be sufficiently flexible to
adequately meet future developments.
03. Objectives.
The objectives of the Water Cocle nre:
'1' estnhlish the basic principles nncl l'rnmowork
a. o · l'
re Ia t 1.n g ,1,,0 t, I1 e, siJ>J'>J'OJ,rin
t,ion , control nncl consorvnt.lon o wntur
.
,
resources 1,,0 11 11 cJ ·eve tl1e
•
<)J>I
'
i111u111 dovolo\)IHont nnd rnt.\Onnl
uti]i:,mtion of these resourceH;
:mo

A'l'UllALHESOUHCES AND HULE8
360 LAW ON N/\ ONMl~N'J'Af CASJ•'U
OF PHOCEDUHEFOH.ENVIH _, /\ ' /h _,.::i
b.
ri'o define the exten~ of the rights ~nd obligation~ of
wat eruser ·s atld owners incluchng the protect10n and regulation
of such rights;
c. 'l'o adopt a basic law governing the ownership,
appropriation, utilization, exploitation, develop~ent, conser-
vation, and protection of water resources and nghts to land
related thereto; and
d. To identify the administrative agencies which will
enforce the Code.1
04. Underlying principles.

The underlying principles of the Code are:
a. All waters belong to the State.
b. All waters that belong to the State cannot be the
subject to acquisitive prescription.
c. The State may allow the use or development of
waters by administrative concession.
d. The utilization, exploitation, development, conser-
vation and protection of water resources shall be subject to
the control and regulation of the government through the
National Water Resources Council, hereinafter referred to as
the Council.
e. Preference in the use and development of waters
shall consider current usages and be responsive to the changing
needs of the country. 2
Waters, as used in the Code, refers to water under the grounrls,
water above the ground, water in the atmosphere and the waters of
the sea within the territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines/ 1
05. State ownership of waters.

The following belong to the State:
a. Rivers and their natural bcrls;
1
Art. 2, PD No. 1067.
2
Art. 3, ibid.
3
Art. 4. ih;,1
CHAPTER X :- _awA']')")' co
!, "J l)g OF '['Jig PHILJPPJNES 361
(] l'OAtdont.inlDecroo No. toG7)
b . I b. . Continuous
• . 1•·ent wa t ers of' sprmgs
. or 1·nt·c1·m·tt
• • and
too cs 1unn1ng m then· natural beds and the beds themselves;
c. Natural lakes and lagoons;
fl . d. All other categ ones.• of sur face waters such as water

0 1
n~ lover la nd s, water from rainfall whether natural or
t"':fi
ar 11c1a
. ' and water from agr1cu • Iture runoff seepage and'
dra1nage; '
e. Atmospheric water-
'
f. Subterranean or ground waters· and
' '
g. Seawater. 1
The following waters found on private lands belong to the State:
a. Continuous or intermittent waters rising on such
lands;
b. Lakes and lagoons naturally occurring on such
lands;
C. Rain water falling on such lands;
d. Subterranean or ground waters; and
e. Water in swamps and marshes. 6
The owner of the land where the water is found may use the
same for domestic purposes without securing a permit, provided
that such use shall be registered, when required by the Council.u
Any person who captures or collects water by means of cisterns,
tanks, or pools shall have exclusive control over such water and the
right to dispose of the same. 7
Water legally appropriated shall be subject to the control of the
appropriator from the moment it reaches the appropriator's canal
or aqueduct leading to the place where the water will be used or
stored and, thereafter, so long as it is being beneficially used for the
11
purposes for which it was appropriated.
1
Art. 5, PD No. 10fi7.
6
Art. 6, ibid.
6
1bid.
7
Art. 7, ibid.
8
Art. 8, ibid.

LAW ON Nt\'l 1Ull.t\L In:sou1ujI•:S AND llULl•:s
OJt' PHOC11:uu1n:FOil. 11:NVIHONMl1:N'l'J\L CJ\tlft:S
n. Definition of' tol'.lnS

Jb'.uer_ A nnturnl 81:ronm of' wul.er, of gresd;er volumo than n
creek 01 • l'ivulet, flowing in II more or lcH!:Ipermuncnt bed or channel
betwe 'll defined bnnks 01· wnlls, with n current which mny 0ithe;
be continuous in one clfrccl:ion of' affected hy the chb and flow of the
tide.
Nav,:gahlc n:ver - Rivers are "nnvignblc" in fact when they are
used, or nrc susccpt.ib]c of being used, jn their ordinary condition as
highwnys for commerce over which trndc and travel are or may be
conducted in the customnry modes of trade and travel on water.
Navigable waters - Those waters which afford a channel for
useful commerce.
Rr:uer banhs - 'fhe boundaries which confine the water to its
chnnnc] throughout: tho entire width when stream is carrying its
maximum quuntity of water.
Creeh - A smn]J stream less than u r.ivor. 'rhe term imports a
recess, cove, bay, or inlet in the shore of a river, and not a separate
or independent stream, though it is sometimes used in the latter
meaning.
Lahe - A considerab.]e body of standing water in a depression
of Jund or expanded purl; of a river. An inland body of water or
natura]]y cncJosed basin serving to drain surrounding country; or
a body of water of considerable size surrounded by land; a widened
portion of a river or a lagoon."
06. Value of the Philippine marine ecosystem.

The value of the Phi]ippinc marine ecosystem cannot be
overcmphasiied. The country is part of an important marine
biosphere known as the "coru] f:rinnglo" thnt. includes lYlnlnysin,
JndoneRin and Pnpun Now Gui non. Mnl'ino Hciont.ists working in the
area huvc referred to Lhis ocean co1-rido1'nH Uw mnl'ino oquivnlont of
the Amnion. At, Urn cent.or of' it 11IIiH1:110 Philippines "with tho richo st
concentrntion of mul'ino lil'o on t.111 onl.il'O plnnot .." Chn1·nct.orir.odl>y
extern;ive corn) reufri, sun-gTnAs hodH, nnd donso mnngTovo forest s,
Phi]ippinu wutm·H indood conbdn 1-101110of' t.ho world's most diverse
ecoi:;ystems.
11
B1.Actl'H Lwo Di,:tio11,11·y,
(ith 1.!:d.

IIAJ>Tlm X - \V1\'l'EH CODE OF 'l'llft: PIIIL( PPfNE8 :ma
(P1·,•1tlclt•11t
111I I >Pcn•t•No. I OWi)
J ..In_ n 1:eport,. it WnH l'Xplnilwd thnl, "ltlho full extent of the

~ lnhppu~cs m 1~1•111' hiodiv 1·11it.)iH not known, hut the best
~nformnt 10_n n,·ntlnblc? r '' enli:i nn nstouncli111{vnrioty of murinc life:
n.00~)spe •1 •s of clni~1~, snn i111
and mollusks; r188species of corals; 98 l
sJ_H'll'~ of bottom-hvmg nlgn ', nncl thousnncls of other organisms.
Five of t.hc s vcn sen turt,1 'specie.· known to exisl. in the world today
occur in Philippine wntcrs."w
B. Appropriation of Waters
07. Appropriation of waters.
Appropriation of wnt.cr is the acquisition of rights over the use

of water~ or the taking or diverting of wnters from a natural source
in the nrnnner and for nny purpose allowed by law.1' This definition
is not R broad as the concept, of approprintion of water in American
jurisprudence:
"J\n approprintion of' water flowing on the public

domain consi ts in the capture, impounding, or diversion
of it from its natural course or channel and its actual
application to son1e beneficial use private or personal
to the appropriator, to the entire exclusion (or exclusion
to the extent of the water appropriated) of all other
persons. . .. ") .,~
Water may be appropriated for the following purposes:
a. Domestic
b. Municipal
C. Jn·igaLion
d. Power generation
e. Fisheries
f. Livestock rnising
g. Jnd untdu I
h. ,i 8 c;rention11I, nnd
J. Other p111·1 HIHOH
, ·1it)l>illo 1'otwluu111 S011 'l'rnmiport

JI1 'I'.I II ll"J)lll'lllt
,. J(IJI v. l 111
Dep11rt1>Wlll. 0 n '
J\1moci11tio11,
Clll Nn. ~:!OI 07, ,JIiiy ::M,~OI H.
"Art. !l, J>DNo. 1007. '' N JO!W88, Oct. 0, :lOl::l.
~11)Jt:/\LS,Inc. v. 1', ALM, Gh
1 o.

, r . iomC'~li<' JJ11.l'JJ01w11iH Uw 11tili:1,11f,ion
of wnt.or
u~u' of wnh'I' , 01 < ,. ' , II
,• . ,] • , hnt.hi1qr cook1111{or other howH ho < n<wdH,
for dnnkmg1 "IIH llllf' ~, · • I
I Hl ,vnt <'J'in~ of' Inw11
honw nn1·<lt'llH, n • A or domu1-d,1csw I m11H.
u~c of wntcr for 1111111.fr:1'.pal

purpos~!.'1is tho ul.ili~ut.ionof' wntor
for suppl) ing t.hc wnt r r quircmcnts of th, commu111Ly.
1 1
u~c of wntcr for irn:ga.tfon iR the utiliznt.ion of writer for

produ ing ngriculturn l crops.
Use of water for power generation is the utilization of wnter for
producing clcctricnl or m chnnical power.
Use of ws:iter for fisher,:es is the utilizution of water for the
propagation and culture of fish ns a commercial enterprise.
Use of wnter for ll:vestochra,:singjs tho utilir.ution of wn.tcr for
]arge herd or flocks of nnimnls raised ns a commercial enterprise.
Use of water for ,:nduslrialpurposes is the utilization of water
in factories, indu trial plants and mines, including the use or waler
as an ingredient of R finished product.
Use of water for recreationalpur7Joscsis the utiliiation of w·1ter
for swimming pools, bath house., boating, water skfrng, golf cour es
and other similar facilities in resorts and other places of rccrc·1tion.1:1
08. Nationality requirement.

Only citizens of the Philippines, oflcgal age, as well as juridical
persons, who are duly qualifie<lby ]aw to exploit and dcvolop water
resources, may apply for water permits. 1•1 '.L'hisincludes private
corporations with 60% of their capital owned by Filipinos. 10
Water is a natural resource, tho development, exploitation or
utiliiation of which is reserved for citiions of t:ho Philippim ~, or
corporations or associations ut Joust 60'%of' tho cnpitnl of which i~
owned by such citi:1.ens.111 However, while tho Wntc r Codo inq.>oso8
a nationality requirement for the grant of wntor permits, the snnw
:efers to the privilege "to nppropriut:o nnd llSO wntor." 'l'hiH hnfl boon
interpreted to mean tho extraction of wato1·dil'oct.lyfrom it.s nnt,uml
l'I
•l\rl. 10, PD No. 10H7.
11
' r:: I'lJU
Art • 1•>, • L,
:~;IDEI\LS,Inc. v. PSALM, Gil No. 1020H8,Oct. 0, 2012.
Chavez ~Pp~~: 2~:i, Sec. of ,ltJAtico,l:l. l HHH,foot.1101.o1, fmpurnt.oopinion of (1, Puno in
, • ll ) IC l;AtuloH Authol'it.y, CH No. I :Ja260, Mny u,2()0a,

CHJ\J>'l'l,'HX
' , (-1, WA'f'lt:HCODI•:()f,' '1'111•:
PIIH ff'JlfNJ'U
l'l'1dd( 1 J1Ii 11I I) ' ,,., :160
• ocroo No. I 011'7)
source. Hovvove1· Oil , , 1.

oI'\ t,IIC nat.urnl reso\n·ces
' ce of' f-lt, t•Ilel'O f'rnrn, Lhey con1H.!to ho pnrt
omuvod
commcrc' anrl they cnn b . • c ~ounLt·yand nre 1mhjcd of ordinr.try
' .,, • o ncqu,rcd by f'ol'eignerH.1-, '
In .ID./!,ALS, Inc. v PS . 1H
Depnrt1~1ent of Justice iiu ~L~ . the Court noted that the
genen-1t10n by foreign entiti:s consJSt~ntly 1:egn_rded hydropower
based on the definition f as not const1tut10nally proscribed
o water ap pioprwt10n
• • • under the Water
Code, thus:
"(W)hile the Water COd • . .

requirement r1101. tl e imposes a natwnahty
ie grant of t •
refers to the rivile ,. wa e_r permits, the same
This should bp . ge to appropriate and use water.'
water . . . e interpreted to mean the extraction of
from its natural source (Art. 9, P.D. No. 1067).
Once re1noved therefrom, they cease to be a part
of t~1e natural resources of the country and are the
subJect_of ordinary commerce and may be acquired
by foreigners (Op. No. 55, series of 1939) .... In case of
a contract of le~se, the ~ater permit shall be secured by
the lessor and included 1n the lease as an improvement.
The water so removed from the natural source may
be appropriated/used by the foreign corporation
leasing the property." (Op. No. 173, 1984)
Under the Water Code concept of appropriation, a foreign

company may not be said to be "appropriating" our natural resources
if it utilizes the waters collected in the dam and converts the same
into electricity through artificial devices. Thus, in IDEALS, Inc.,
the Court held that since the National Power Corporation (NPC)
remains in control of the operation of the dam by virtue of water
rights granted to it, there is no legal impediment to foreign-owned
companies undertaking the generation of electric power using waters
already appropriated by NPC, the h?lder.~f w~ter pe_rmit. Howe_v~r,
in case the facility requires a pubhc utility frnncluse, the foc1hty
operator must be a Filipino corporation or nt lenst 60% owned by
Fi]ipino.
.. . .,. ·fer of wntcr rights is alloworl unrlor the \!Vntor
]-'ease or 1,inns , . \lf .- ., ., • 13 ·l
C d b' . t i·J . , Jl' O v 11I of N11t.w1111 1 ,, ntot 1\OHou1cos omc
o e, su JCC,1 o , 1C .·,11 1. ,theurrng.Howovo1,
. . 1 . . t· .
0Hsooso1t.urns01ees
(NWRB) n f ter c]uc no I,1ce, 111
. . . Ser of Jut-itico; No. 173, A. 198-l; No. ~M3,s. 1989.

11llnd., Op. No. 5f>, s. 19, 10
·,' ..
18
Supra.

I AW ON N/\'l'UH/\L ,rnsouncJCS AND llULES
366
01; PHOCEDUllE FOil l~NVIHONMgN'l'J\L CASES
. I1 wnt,er 1. 1•g.,.]1,""'
of sue n
• , com11ly
111\IRt , wjth the citi:,,;cnshjp
. requirement
• d b r t.hc V"ntm· Code nnd its IRR. 1.t 1s worth mentioning
impose ) 'd I:i']' • . .
that the Wnter Code explicitly provJ •es t 11at ..◄ 1_1pmo c1t1:,,;cnsand
juridical persons who may apply for water permits should be "duly
qualified by law to exploit and develop water resources." 10
a. Filing and approval of application

Article 16 provides that any person who desires to obtain a
water permit shall file an application with the Council who shall
make known said application to the public for any protests. In
determining whether to grant or deny an application, the Council
shall consider the following: protests filed, if any; prior permits
granted; the availability of water; the water supply needed for
beneficial use; possible adverse effects; land-use economics; and
other relevant factors. Upon approval of an application, a water
permit shall be issued and recorded.
Article 17 provides that the right to the use of water is deemed
acquired as of the date of filing of the application for a water permit
in case of approved permits, or as of the date of actual use in a case
where no permit is required. :w
From the above provisions, it is evident that after an
application to obtain a water permit has been made known to the
public, any interested party 1nust file his protest thereto in order
that the application may be properly evaluated. Otherwise, after the
application for a water perinit has been approved, the grantee of
the permit now acquires an exclusive right to use the water source,
reckoned from the date of the filing of the application. Thus, after the
grantee's right to the water permit has been properly n<ljuclicated.
the same may no longer be questioned.i 1
C. Water Rights and Per,nits

09. Water right Is a privilege to appropriate and use water.
Water right is the privilege gr11nt.od by tho government to
appropriate ond uAe water.
:~IDEALS, Inc. v. PSALM, GR No, 1B2088, Oct. n, 2012.

Arts. rnund 17, PD No. 1O(i7
21 , '
Buendrn v. City of Jlignn, GR No. 10220n, April 20, 2005, '167 SCRA 5G2.

\
Cllt\l''l'l,:U X Wt\'n:11 cotrn OF'l'lflt: 1'1111,ll'l'INJ•;H ~Ill'/

No, I OIi'/)
(l'1·,,,1ltl1111t.l1d1>1•1:1·111
AR 111·nlt-, l\o ))l'l'Ho11, i11cl11di111~

1:ov,•r111rw11t.i111d.r11mont.nlit.itfl
tW 1rm'Pl'lll\H'llt.-ow1wd or co11l.rnlledcorpor11t.io11H,11111111 11.ppropristl.<J
wntl'l' wit.hnnt. n wnl.t'I' l'it~hL, which f•1'111ll
l>e evicl1~nc:odby n doc11mont
known 1114 n wnt.er permit.,n J\1ty J>l!l'HOIIwho deHireH f.ooht.11in st wnt.or
lH'l'tntt. 14h111lfil<1 111111pplicnl.io11 wil.h t.he Co11ncil who Hhnll mnkC!
lmown sni,l npplicnt.ion t.o t.lw public: f'or 1111yprnl.eHI.H.''·'
How •ve1·, nny mny npprnprint.e or t1Herrnt.urnl boclicR of
J) t'Aon
wnt.cr wit.bout. Hec11ring n wnl.t!I' pe1·mit for nny oft.he following:
n. J\1)prn1>rint.ion of' w11t.or hy 1111111Hof hnndcnrried

r c •pt.ncles; nncl
b. B11t.hingor w11Rhing,wnt.e1·ing or clipping of domestic

or farm II ni mn 1::-.
n 11dnnvign I.ionof'w11t.01·crnft.Ror· t.rn nRportn tion
of logH nnd ot.hor objedH hy flot.nt.io11,i• 1
A wnt.er right. Rhnll be exe1·ciRcd ill :rnch II rnnnner thnt the

ri~htR of third pe1·sonRor of ot.hel' npprnprinlon-1 nrc nol pr •judicc<l
thorcby.:u,
10. Right of a water permittee to demand establishment of

easements.
A holder of wnt.cr permit rn11y donmnd Lho cslublishmcnt of
•a1,emenl.8 n 'CCRHnry fol' I.he con::,l.l'llcl.ioo nnd mninlennncc of the
works und focilit.ie8 needed fol' the hendicinl use of' t.h 'wut 't' to be
npproprintecl suhj •ct lo the rcquir •111enl.sof just comp '1rnntion and
to the following condit.io1rn:
u. Thu t, he the owner, leHHce, morlgng • or on '
ii:,
hnving r •al right ovel' t.hc lnnd upo11 which ho propo!:l\8 to u •

wnt.er; and
h. That t.he propoHecl011so111011t is tho nwst convoni(. nt
and t.he J 'ilHL onerous t.o I.ho 1-rnrvit nt. 01-1t.nlo.
Eirnem ·nl.H rnlnt.ing- t.o t.ho 11ppropri11tion l\lHl WH ofwnt(. 1n1 mny
lH! modifi ,d by iq{re<!IIJOnt. ol' t.110cont rnct ing purl i1 H prnvidt d tlw
Hume ji, not. conl.rnry t.o J11wor proj11dici11llo thircl 1wrnon~.N
nArt. I :i, 11111Im,

:mJ\rt. I 11,il,ir/.
~~Art. 1·1, iliitl.
~ /\rt. i,1, il,itl.
11
~•Art .. iri, PIJ N11.I Ofl7.

LAWON NJ\'l'UHALH.1~80UHCl•:S
AND RULI~S
:H38 OF PHOCl•:DUHI~
FOll l~NVIHONMEN'l'AL CASI~S
11. Revocation of water permits.

Wnter permits mny be revoked ufter <lue notice and hearing
011
grounds of non-use; gross vio~ntion of t_he_con~Hions imposed in
the permit; unauthorized sale o[ water; w1lHul failure or refusal to
comply with rules nnd regulations of' any lawful order; pollution,
public nuisance or nets <letrimentnl to public health and safety; when
the appropriator is found to be disqualified under the law to exploit
and develop natural resources of the country; when, in the case, of
irrigation, the land is converted to non-agricultural purposes; and
other similar grounds.27
RA No. 2056:.! 8 authorizes removal of unauthorized dikes
either as "public nuisances or as prohibited constructions" on public
navigable streams. The power of the Secretary of Public Works
to investigate and clear public streams free from unauthorized
encroachments and obstructions was granted as far.back as Act No.
3208 of the old Philippine Legislature, and has been upheld by the
Court.w •
D. Utilization, Order of Preference, and

Conditions for the Use of Waters
12. Order of preference in the use of waters.
When priority in time of appropriation from a certain source of
supply cannot be determined, the order of preference in the use of
the waters shall be as follows:
a. Domestic and municipal use
b. Irrigation
c. Power generation
d. Fisheries
e. Livestock raising
f'. lndustrial use, and
g. Other uses.au
27
Art. 29, il,icl.
211
An Act to Prohihit. Homovo 1111 I/ . . .
OU W I . p I' I < or 1)0111ohHh tho Cmrntrnclwn of DnmH, Dikos
oGrunyd lodr t, oprrn !1 p > 1e ~uvi1~11hloW11t.on1or W11torw11y:-1in Communnl Fishiuo
1 11
8 1111 O l'OVIC1o Ollll 1lHJHfor itH v· I 1• °

roun :w . .. • 10 11 .10n. A pprov0, l18 Phil. 1401.
....,,, t<)('o
• Art. 96, PD No. 1067.

Cl JAP'l'l.:U.X - W/\'l'l•:H CODI•:OF '1'111•: l'I II Lll'l'INl•:H il(W
1
(l 1wtid1111l.i11I
l>ocl'l:11No. l 0(17)
13. Utlllzatlon of waters.

'nmco in I.he dovolop111u11
P1·0~ t, of'w11 Lot· t'oHou rc:01-1HhalI con1-1idcr
s "Curit.yof tho St.nt. ', multiple UHe, liondicistl of'focLH,11dvor1,ueffocts
nnd cost.s of <l'V lopmont.. 111
'l'h' ut.iliznt.ion of' tiubt.e1·1·11ne11nm· g1·ouncl wntor 1-1hallbe coor-
dinated with 1.hnt:of surf'nco wntu1.·HHuch n8 rivern, 1-11.t·e11ms, 8pringA
nnd lnkcs, so t.hnt, a supuriol' right, in one is not. ndvunwly affected hy
an inferior 1·ight, in the ot.hu1·.: 1
1. For t.liiH p111·pmie,
I.he Council shall
pro mu lgntc n1 luR nnd regu ln t.io,rn 1111d doe Inre I.he cxi1-1tenccof' con-
trol nrcns for I.he coordinnt.od development, prof.eel.ion, nnd ut.ilizri-
t.ion of'. ubterranenn or ground wntc)t' nnd Ht1rf'ncc wnter1-1.Control
area is an area of' land where suhtc,·,·nnclnn or ground wnl:cr Hn<l
surfncc water arc so int:crl'clat.cd thnt; withdt·nwnl r1nd u1-1cin one
similnrly nJJccts I.he other. The L>oundnryof n conlrol nrcH mny he
altered fro1n tim' to time, ns c.ircumstnnces wm.·rnnt.:1:1
Water contained in open cnnn Is, nqucd ucts m· reservoirs of
privu te per 'Ons muy be used by n11yperson for domc!:lticpurpose or
for watering plunts ns long ns the water .is withdrawn by manual
methods without checking tho Atrcam m· damaging the canal,
aqueduct or reservoir; however, th.is right: mny be restricted by the
owner, hould it result: in Joss or injury t:ohim.:1,1
14. Prohibitions and conditions for use of waters.

o. No excnvution for the purpoHe of' omitision ol' n hol 8pring
or for the enlargement of' the cxiHLiJlgopening thereof shnll be m ulc
without prior permit. J\ny pcrs<)II. or ngunc.~ who in~ 'tHb lo(~ •v.,top
a hot 1:,pringfor human consumpt1on must. {1rsl obbun n µ 'rnut lrom
the Deportment of' Hcnlt.h.:ir,
IJ. No per 8on 1-,hu11 devol~)p a Hlrrn.un, lnko, or spring for
recrca t,jona] pu rposeH wi t.hout, h niL Hocur1ng H pul'mit. from Hw
CounciJ.:111
c., u n JcHH
. ,,,,•11,,rwiHu
, , ol'dOl'C cl hy the P1·m1idc'nt.,nncl
· cnlly
l in
•LJmu
• o 1·1111t,Jonu
• J cu I111111·•y ,., ,wy
1, <>I' <JIIH I'''< . , 1w pot'Hon ~hnll uu ucc or
=
11ArL. :1l, ihirl.
:i~Art. :1:1.,ihirl.
:i:illJid.
:i1 Art.. aa, PD No. I (Hl7.
:ir,Arl.. tlO, il,itl.
a11Art.. ti 1, ihi<l.

370
l' )Rtrnin l'ninfnll by nny "',1.hod Htu:h IIA cloud Hoodingwithout n

permit. from t\w pl'~)p 'l' 1roVOl'lllllOllL nwmcy,irt
d. No lH~l'Hon shu 111·niHo 01: Jo~or tho wnl;o~ love] of u river
str 'nm, lnke, 11qroon,or mu1·Rhnol' d1·n1ntho Bnmo w1l,houta perrnit,.:ui
~.
Dl'ninnge systems 1-drnllbo so construcl:o<l that their
outlets are rivers, lakes, the sen, natural bodies of water, or such
other wnter cour e ns may be npproved by tho proper government
agency. 11r1
f.
When artificial menns nrc employed to drain water from
higher to lower lan<l, the owner of the higher land shall select
the routes and methods of drainage that will cause the minimum
da1nage to the lower lands, subject to the requirements of just
c0111pensation:10
g. When the use, conveyance or storage of waters results in
damage to another, the person responsible for the damage shall pay
coin pensa tion: 11
h. Any person having an easement for an aqueduct may
enter upon the servient land for the purpose of cleaning, repairing
or replacing the aqueduct or the removal of obstructions therefrom: 1i
i. Lower estates are obliged to receive the waters which
naturally and without the intervention of man flow from the higher
estate, as well as the stone or earth which they carry with them.
The owner of the lower estate cannot construct works which will
impede this natural fi.ow,unless he provides an alternative method
of drainage; neither can the owner of the higher e_state make works
which will increase this natural flow:t:J
j. The banks of rivers and streams and the shores of the
seas and lakes throughout their entire length and within n zone of
three meters in urban areas, 20 meters in agricultural nreas nnd
40 meters in forest areas, along their margins nre subject to the
easement of public use in the interest of recrention, navigation,
:17 Art '12, ibid.

:itiArt.'13, ibid.
a0Art. '1'1,ibid.
-1°Art.'16, ibid.
41Art. 47, ibid.
il2Art. 49, PD No. 1067.

•1:iArt. 60, ibid.
CHAP'l'l~R X- WA'l'EH.CODJ,; OF TIil•; PHILIPPINES 371
I Decrm1 No. I 0(17)
(Prm~iclo111.in
floatuge, fishing nnd sulvnge. No pet'Aon shall he ailowed to stay in

this zone longer thnn whnt is necessary for recreation, navigation,
floatage, fishing or salvage or lo build structures of any kind:H
15. Easements.
An easement is an encumbrance imposed upon an immovable

for the benefit of another immovable belonging to a different owner. 45
a. Legal easen1ents relating to waters under the Civil

Code
The following are prov1s10ns of the Civil Code on legal
easements relating to waters: 46
1) Natural drainage of lands (Art. 637)
2) Natural drainage of buildings (Art. 674)
3) Easements on riparian banks for navigation,
floatage, fishing and salvage (Art. 638)
4) Easement of a dam (Arts. 639, 647)
5) Easement for drawing water or for watering animals
(Arts. 640, 641)
6) Easement of aqueduct (Arts. 643-646)
7) Easement for the construction of a stop lock or sluice
gate (Art. 64 7)
Lower estates have the obl_igation to_ receive the
b. water w h"1c h naturally flow from the lugher estates
Article 50 of PD No. 1067 provides:
"ART 50 L ower e States are obliged . to receive. thef'

: h • t lly and without. the mterventwn o
waters wh1c na ura 11 t l •t " ·
.
man flow from t h e h'ig lrnr estalc ' us we ns . lO ~ om, en
earth which they carry wi th th em.
,. . ·} ~ lower eslntc cannot. construct. works
rhe owner ol t 10 . . flow unlmm he provi<lo~
which will impede thts nu 1,tun 1 '
44Art. 51 , Hupra.
411Art.613 Civil Code. cciit
4flSee PAH~S, Civil Code, Vol. II, HH)it g(I,, ,. •

I
:372
nn H I1l'l'l\l\l.1\
. 11 ,1,,f' clI' 11111111,' c ;' 11.<, i I,h rn' • c1111 I.IJU own<1t·
('Ill('''° t •
:
0 f ( 1H' 1llg 1H'l'
, , <' .Ill/\ lw ,.vorlrnwl11cliwI II 111cro111iu 1.hl!l
('R1,/ 1I,
nnt,1rn1 f1ow."
A simihu provision iR found in ;\rl.iclc n:J7 of Uw Civi I Codo, lo
ll it:
''AHT. G37. Lower ,r;tnte8 nre obliged to receive the
wfll er ,vhich naturn lly nnd wil.hout the in tcrvcn tion
of man descend from the higher cstntcs, 11swell as the
~tone or earth which they cnny with them.
'rhe owner of th Jowcr estn teen nnot construct workfl
which wilI impede this cnsement; neither can the owner
of the higher estate mak, works which will increase the
burden."
As worded, the aforecited provjsions j,nposo a natural easement
upon the lower estate to receive the waters whjch naturally and
without the intervention of mnn descend from higher states.
However, where the water which flow from a higher state are those
which are artificialJy collected jn reservoirs or man-1nadc lagoons,
any damage occasioned thereby cnt.it]os the owner of the lower or
servient estate to compensation.
This is illustrated in the case of Remman Enterprises v. Court
of Appeals 47 where the protagonists arc adjoining landowners. The
land of Lat containing an area of J .8 hectares is agr.icultural and
planted mostly with fruit trees while ngMM:AN occupies n land
area of 15 hectares, 6 hectares of which are devoted to its piggery
business. REMMAN's land js higher in elevntion than that of
respondent Lat. Lat complained that JU~MM'AN'swnste disposal
lagoon was already overffowjng ancJ inundating ono-fourth of Lat's
plantation with water contajning pig mnnure which incrcnsed the
acidity of the soil, and as a result of which the t,roos growing on
the flooded portion started to wither nnd die. Lnt filed n complnint
for dama?es against REMMAN. Hl~MMAN sol; up (:ho dofollfH t,hnt
~eavy nuns cauHed the overflooding 11ncl,in n11y ovont:. tho Inw
lmposes a natural eaHement on tho ownor of' tho low<1·oflt.nt.o.The
Court rejected said contention. It hold Urnt c,vo11 llHHlltlling Uwt, tho
heavy rains constituted an neL of' C:od, by 1·011Hon of H.l~MMAN'B
n izod, ,·ondol'ing it
negligence, the fortuitous even L hocn1110 1·u,11111
17
' GR No. 125018, April n, 2000, a~JOSCH/\ I ,10.

CH/\P'l'lm X-WNl'EH CODI•:OF'l'llft: 1'1111,IPl'JNES :11:1
(Prt•1-ddo11l.i11
I IJl'c:r('(1 No. I 007)
linhlc fol' the •n~uing d1t1llngcH. II. f'u1·thel' rnled Urnt REMMAN's
pl'opel'ty .wns JJl'll ·ticully mad• n cntch-h11Hi11of' polluted wntel' nnd
ot.hcr noxious .subst.nnces emptying from itR piggery, nnd any dnmage
occnsioned thereby entitles the owner of' the lower or servicnt c8tate
to compcnsution.
Also illustrative is t.hc cnse of Vergura v. 8onhi11:1/', where

Sonkin's J)l'operty is lowel' in elevation Llrnn the Vergara property,
Hnd, thus, it is legnlly obl.igcd to receive the waters that flow from
the Intter, pu1·suant to Article 637 of the Civil Code:in This provision
refers to the legal enscment pertaining t:o the nntural drninngc of
fonds, which oblige lowc1· estates to receive from the higher estates
water which nnturnlly nncl without the intervention of man descends
from the latter, i.e., not those collected nrtificially in reservoirs, etc.,
and the stones and earth carried by the waters. In ruling against
Sonkin, the Court held that whi]e the proximate cause of the
damage sustained by the house of Sonkin was the act of Vergara
in dumping gravel nnd soil onto thcfr property, thus, pu hing the
perimeter wa11 back and causing cracks thereon, as well as water
seepage, the former i nevertheless guilty of contributory negligence
for not only failing to observe the two-meter setback rule under the
National Building Code, but also for disregarding the legal casement
constituted over their property. As such, Sonkin must necessarily
and equaJly bear his own Joss.
c. Ease1nent of public use

Article 5] of PD No. 1067 subjects the banks of rivers and
streams to easements of public use. H provides that th banks of
rivers and streams and the shores of the sen and lake throughout
their entire Jength, along their margins, and within a zone of-
1) three (3) meters in urban nroas,
2) twenty (20) meters in ngricuHurnl nrens, nnd
n) forty (;JO) meters in forest areas,
1
HGn No, 1n:lGfiU,,111110 Ir,, 20 I fi. . I
10
O
I I'1 r cl lo l'IJ('(JiV< t.ho wntm·~ which nnt.lll'nl Y
J\1'1,, (i:!7. Lowo,· 0Ht11l.1 H lll'IJ l 1,o 'I , I . J•'tiitt•H 11s woll ns tho
•
und w1thouf. , rvo11t1011
tho J11U · o [' 11111111IuHtllll
• d 1'1·0111I• Ill 1IIH II I \ " ' ' ' ' •
HLOIICHor 1J11rtl1which IJ11 11 c11rry wil.lt tlto1t1. I 1 ·(,h will im1icdc thi~
,, . . I ('()IIHI !'lie!. WOI' (H h11 11,
J lw ow1w1· of tho lowor 0111,111,(J
c,inno • ' ' I ·]cu ,vhi<'hwill incro11!-lo
. f I I , I . lf'll11to mn w wot "
0111,omont; nu1U101· c1111tho ow11or o I. Hl 11g wt < • • '
•
the burclon.

LAWON NA'l'lJIU\I, IrnHOIIIWl :H ANI> lllJLl•:H
1
OF PHOC~I,:n11ImFOil l•:NVI HONM l•:N'l'AI, CAHl•:H
1\l'l':-n1h,kct.to t.lw <'llHt'llH lll. ol' p11l>lit: 1111t in t.lH! int.m·,!HI. of

1
roct·ent.ion, nnvi~~nt.ion,f1011t11no, fiHhing, 1111d 111tlvu1{0.Jt. iH prohibit. cl

for nny IH'l'Honto Ht.11yin 1.hiHzrnw long 1· l.llltn wh11t. iH noern-iHary
for l'e Tent.ion, nnvig11l.ion, flont.ngc, fiHhing or H11lvnvu,or t.o build
Rt.ru (.urc8 of' nny kind. 110
E. Control of Walen;
16. Flood control areas.
n. Prohibition ng-uinst activities thnt obstruct the /low
of water, etc.
1'o promote t:hc best. in tcrcst n nd tlw eoordi nntcd protection of
flood p)nin lunds, the Sccl'Ctnry of Dcpnrt.munt of' Public Works and
Highwuys (DPWH), mny declare flood cont:rol ureas and promulgate
guidelines for governing flood plain mnnngcmcnt plans in these
areas. 111 ln declared flood cont:rol inons, rules and regulations may
be promulgated to prohibit or control nctiv.it;ios that may damage
or caus deteriornt.ion of' 1:ikcs and° dikes, obstruct the flow of
water, change the naturnJ flow of the rivcl', increase flood losses or
aggravate flood problcms.r,i
• The government. may construct; necessary flood control
structures in declared flood con tro] nrcns, and for this purpose it
sha]] have a legal e1u;cment as wide ns mny be needed along and
adjacent to the river bank and outside of the bed or channel of the
river.t,:i
b. Rivers or Jakes 1nuy be dcclnrod navigable

Pursuant to Article 59 of the Wator Coclo, rivers, lnkos nnd
lagoons may, upon t.he recommendnt.ion of tho Philippines Const
Guard, be declared nnvignblc either in wholo 01· in pnrt..r"
In Louina v. Mor,mo,r,ri
the Court uphold I.ho powor of the Public
Works Secretary under 11ANo. 205G Lo doclnro as n public nnvig·nblo
strcum any aJJeged dnprrn-mions 01· hod irn1 of wnt.ot· cvon insi<lo
r,us U Ari .. n:rnof 1.111 Civil Codo Oil lllltlOllltJIII. 1ilo11g rip11ri11n h1111lrn.
01
Art. Ga, PD No. 1007.
t,:tArt. oit, ihid.
l'>:iArt.15fi,ihid.
1
l'i•Art. 6H,i/Jicl.
MGR No. L-1782I, Nov, :2!1,l !l<i:1,fl, 'CH.A 007,

t.itll'd pro1u 11•t,i<11. 'l'hn I <'
1
' I I
.,J I. l 11 , .I\H1 111vo vrn II c1·Q1It, l()(:fll.<!d i1rnido fl Lit.Ind
Innu, w 11c , \\11\H n <'f'Pd I 0 I
.., l l : ', • >e pnv• 11L<1 I
.Y ow11od. 'l'h • l'uhlic Worlrn
•c1·et.nry< <~t l\l'tHl 11.nH 1 .1 f' . . . . .
. • . )Ill • o II pu 1>111: wl11C.:hpl111nt.1ffH
1-1Lro11111
t.lwrom hncl blocked with• t•IH.ll,· . <I11nrn. In Ht1Ht.11111111rr · · I.he S<!cr·ct.nry
t.lw ,mnt ru l e<l t.lrnt. Hlldt f' •I ,. 1· • ... '
. . . • IH. •• Ill< llli~ pnwc r 011 h 1H p11 rl. w11R mcroly
mc1dont.nl . to h1H duty• 1o • denr
• n )I llllVlf{ll• I>Ie Hl.n!11111Rof · unnul.ho1·1zed
·
obst.ruct.wnH
.
n ncl lwncp it R r • • t 1• I
. . .' . • , -,
·
" 1..,11111, < IC not. c:011Rl.1t.ute nn unl11wf
·ul
d lcrrn_t,ionof Jllchcrnl power. And nlt.lwul{h t.he I.it.lew11R silent H8 to
th~. ~xrnt nee of nny Ht.~·t!nll~ imlidc I.he p1·ope1'1.y,t.lwl.did not. confer
n 1_1r..,htto 1.hu Rt.rrn~m, it hnm~ of II public 1rnl:u1·c und not Ruhj •cl. to
pnvute npp1·oprrnt.10n,cvon hy pr<~Aci·ipl:ion.r.11
c. PnRig- River Rohnhj)it;ation Comn,isAion (PRRC)

O,~ Mi~rch 28, 20~)8,the Pr<!Hi<lcnl. ii-mued1~0No. 717 cl •cl1uing
the PnH1g Tbver Dr ·dg111gnnd H,ohnhilitnt.ionWork w::1 n PreRidenLinl
priority projo<:t., w,it.h t:he Pnsig H.ivor Hohuhilitnt;ion Commi:;8ion
(PH.RC) undm· the Depm·t.rnont of' :l!:nvfronmonL un<l Natural
Resources (1 ENR) us the Jeud ngoncy in 1:hcjn,plcmcntnLion of the
project.
The Pmiig Riv •1:·ii; considorcd Lohon vit111link in the trnnsport
of good:; unrl peop)e uncJ iLs rehuhilitntion will he L>cnoficialfm· the
deve]opment of' Metro Munj)11und tho cot1J1b.·y, ju genend. 'l'he l'iver,
being u nutur11J nnvig11tion1d rout.o nnd st.rutegic location, remains
u viable ult •rnnUve for doconge1,l.i11gtho ru11dnetwork syslem of
Metro ManiJu und its envfronfl, U1uH posit.ively utilizing lhe river
for increusing commc:H"ceurnl j11dt11-1Lry. But tho rivet' has fnslly
deteriorated over Lhe pust. yeurn duo Loun11bated disposal ol' humnn
sewage from houses und jndw;tri11I wn:-;toHfrom l'ndorim-1along its
banks. Being t.ho c:uI.ch birnin of llooclw11 ton-i from Hovm·allributm·ic8
from upstream su·eas of the mutropoli:-;,it. iH II vm·y import.ant. conchtil
to mitjgut.e Uw floocling in mo1::1L 11ro1tHol' Mot1·0 Manila, nnd honco
itf; dredgjng un<l relwhi]it.ation will ill(:l'OIIHO the ca1Tyin~ cnpncity
of Urn river.
u. Riv,!r hedH n1ny not. ho c11lt.ivnl,od

lwclH,Hund hum 1111d 1.id11I(1111.1111111y 1101, lH cult.ivnt.ocl
Jtjvor
· pon111HHJ<>ll
except. upon prwr · • I'ro111 t,Iw •'--'c
7 1·1·ot
, •
1t1'\'
• •
DPWH' n11cltiuch
~. • 1
1
11H,cmNo,
Ii W ·I II 1111dCo1111111111ic11ti<
v, R, cl'<JL111·yol I, uh O ."' c ('H N 1,. t(ittH7, ,July /11, !!HM.
"Sm, 11l,m 'l'11l1J1111
L-2t1iH1, M11y10, l!Hl7, ~OSCllA 00; llorJll v. Mmono, ' o,
120 Phil. fifiJ,

370 Lt\W ON Nt\'l'lJHt\L 1n:HOIJHCl1:H AND ltULl•:H
OF PBOCl•:DIJHI•:l•'OB ENVlllONMl•:N'l'/\L Ct\Hf,;8
permiRRion Hirn 11 nol. he 1~r11n ttid whoro Huch cu I ti Vil tion ohstruct 8
the flovvof wnt L'I' or i11cn'1tHe flood levclH HO IIH f.o cnww damnge to
117
ot.lw1· n r<'HH.
e. l~rcction of levees
Any person may c1·ect levees or rcvetmen ts to protect his
propc1ty from floon, encroachment by t:hc rive~· or chn nge in the
course of the river, provided that Huch construct10ns does not cause
damngc to the property of nnol;hcr. 1111
f. Change of course of rivers

When n river or stream suddenly changes its course to traverse
private lnnds, the owners of the nffcctcd lands may not compel the
government to rest.ore the river to its fo1·mer bed; nor can they
restrain the government from tuking steps to revert the river or
streom to its former course. The owners of the land thus affected
are not entitJed to compensation for any damage sustained thereby.
However, the former owners of the new bed shall be the owners of
the abandoned bed in proportion to the area Jost by each.
The owners of the affected lands mny undertake to return the
river or strenm to its oJd bed at their own expense upon a permit
first secured from the DPWJ-J,but tho work pertaining thereto must
be commenced within two years from the change in the course of the
river or stream/'!!
g. Reservoirs
Waters of u stream mny be stored jn n 1·escrvoir by a pormittce
in sud1 amount as wjlJ not prejudice the 1·ight of any pcrmittee
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downstream. Whoever operates tho rosm·voir shall, when required.
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release water for minimum otronm flow. 00
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0, h. DriJJing for s11hten·nnen11 or g·1·ouncl wntor
3
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The Council Hh11ll11pJH'ovo tho m11nno1·, local.ion, dopth, nnd
~
spacing in which l>oringHf'ot·Ht1hf.01·1·111101111 01· gTound wnlot· mny ho
7
r, Al'I.. fiH, PD No, I 0<17.
1111
/\rt.. 07, iliid.
11
''Art.. 138,ihid.
1111
Art. Hi, i hid.
Cll/\l''l'l•:ll X -- W/\'l'lm. con,,; Ol•"l'IIE PIIILll'J>INJo:H an
(l'n11dd1•11t.i11l
l>11c1·<H1 No. I 0117)
mndo, dot.?rmi no t.l~o•:uqu i t.·trnwntH 1'01·tho 1·ogiHl.r11I.ionof ov<!ry hori ng

or nlt.m·nt.rnn t.o OXIHtlllf~ ho1·inJ-{H nH wull 11H ol.hor control menHureH
for the exploit.at.ion of subt.ei•1·1111011n or f{rouncl w11tur reHourceA. No
person shnll drill n woll without. prior po1·miH8ionfrom tho Council. 111
i. Ense1nont of nquo<luct
Any person who mny wish t,0 use upon hi8 own oHtntc nny
water of which he cun diApoAe AhnII hnvo the right. to mnko it flow
through the intm·vcning est.ntes, with the obl.ignt.ion to indemnify
their owners, HA well HA the owners of' tho lower cHtat:cA upon which
t;hc waters may filter 01· dcsccncJ."l
17. Conservation and protection of waters and watersheds and

related land resources.
After due notice nnd hearing, the National Water Resources
Board may establish minimum wutor love]s ns muy ho ncccsHory for
the protection of' the environment, control of pollution, navigation,
prevention of' sult damage, und general public usc: 1:1 Conservation
measures include the folJowing:
a. Any watershed or uny aren of.'land adjucont to any
surfnce water or overlying any ground water may be declared
by the Department of Envfronmcnt and Natural Resources
(DENR) as protected aren. The JJ'ENR may promulgate rules
and regulu tions to prohibit or control such activities by the
owners or occupants thereof' within the protected area which
may damage or cause thu <lctoriorntion of the surfHco water or
ground water or interfere with tho investigation, m;o, control,
11
protection, mnnngement or udminiHtt·ation of such wntors. '
b. The conservation' of' fiHh and wildlifo Hhnll receive
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proper con 8 ideration nnd shall ho coorclinntod with. other
::,
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features of wnter rcsourcos dovolopnwnt. pro~ranw lo 1nsuro
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~ that fii;h und wildlife vnluos rm:oivo oqual nUonlion with othor
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project purpoHOH.nr
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' 11Art. 0'1, tJIIJJf'{I,

11:tArt.. 0'1~ Civil Codu.
1
u:iAt'L. WI, I' I> No. I 007,

111
' Art. C>7,ihitl.
1111
A •L
rt.. 7'l, , t'/JI(.,
-.,
:178 L/\W ON NA'l'IJH/\1. Hl•:HOIJIH!l•:H/\ND lllJLl•:H
OF PHOC:l,:r>IJlll•: FOil J•:NVlllONM l•:N'l'/\1, C/\Hl•:H
c. Swnmpn ,111d 1rn1nd1rn-1 whi~:h 111·0 ownocl ~>Yth,: Ht.:it,,

n nd ,vhich pi·i 111, 11-y vu 1110 f'o,•W/1 l.ot'f owl prop111{11
l.10n or ~11.hor
wil<Hife ))lll'JH>AOH 111".Y l>c reRorvocl nncl prol.uc:t.ud from drninn~{o
• nn<I <Iovo Iop111e11
opernl.1011 • I,.1111
d. No HhnI1, wiLhoul. prim· JHH'llliR~ion from t.h,,
JHJl'HOll
Environmcnl.111 M,11111gc111011t
B111·c1111(J,;MB),lr' build nny worlrn
thnt mny p 1·oduco dnngerous 01· noxiouH 8t1hst11~cc8 or perform
nny net which mny rem1JI. in tho i11troductwn of R_owngc,
indw;trinl wnAl.e, 01· 11ny poll11tnnl. into 11ny 1-1ourcoof wntcr
supp]y.1111
e. 'rhe cAL11hli1-1hn1onl:
of comel.nries nnd wsu~l;ediRposnl
nrous thn t 11111y nffed tho source of II w11 I.er 811pply or n re1-1crvoir
fol' domestic or municipnl use shnll ho m,hjoct 1.othe rule!-! and
rcguJations promulgntcd hy the Dopnrl:rncnt of Hcnlth. 110
f.
TniJingH from mining opct·1ttiom.; m1d sediments
from pincer mining shnJJ nol; ho dumped into rivers nnd
woterwnys without; prior pcrmfasi011 from the Council upon
70
recommenclntion by tho fi~MB.
a. WntershccJs 1nny ho dcch1rcd u pt·otcctcd urea

Jn Sta. Rosa Really /Jeuclopnwnl Corporation v. Courl of
Appeals,1 1 the Court defined wnt01·shod Hf-l "an nren drninod by a
river and its tdbut11rie1:1and enclosed by n boundary or divide
which sepurutes ii. from ndjncont wnto1·:--;heds." However, tho
Court also recognized Uwt: ''The clofinition doo!-1not oxnctly depict
the complexities of 11 wntornhed. Tho most imporlant product of
n watershed ii; wnter which iH <HlO of tho mm;t, importnnL humnn
necessity. The protccticm of wuturshcd onHuros nn ndoqunto supply
of water for future gone1·ntio11s 1111d1:ho control of flnshfloods that
(J)
not only <lumage property 1>111. nlHo c1111:--;o
lot1Hol' livos. Prot.<•ction of
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wntershe<lH iH nn 'intu1·1.ru11oi·11
tion11I' t'OHponHihiIi t.y t.hat. tH'l d~ to bo 1
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anawercd now." •
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~ /\rt. 74, IJII/Jm.
1111
ll'l'J'JiuJi;MHw1111 l,y 11:C)Nu. If)~ dulod ,Ji 1111

c1·111tlud , 10, t!l~7 1111dt<1<1k ovut· tho
fuuct.io11r;of thu N11tio111dl'ol1111.io11Co111ml Co111111i1111i1111(Nl'C:C).
dllAJ-t. 7f>,i/Jirl.
ouA,-1,. 70, ibid.
70Art. 77, ibid.
11QH. No. 1UJ.o!W,Oct,. J!:!,ioo I, :Hl7 SCHA 17fi.
Cllt\P'l'EH X -WA'l'l.:H COIH:OF'l'llfo: 1'1111,IPl'INJt:H a?~)
(l11·(1 1tidc1 11t.i11Il>c-c1·t•oNo, I 007)
. Sta •. Uosn U,?alt.y givm-1 n glimpHe of I.he dnngerH poHcHJby the

n 11srn:~e.of nn!·' 11'H1 reHm11·ceHRllch nH wnt.ornhecl r01-wrv11tionH which
nre nlnn to forest. zoneH. Populntion growth nnd industrialization
hnvc t.nken n henvy toll 011 t.hc environrnont. l~nvironmental
<lcgrndation from unchecked humnn nct.ivit.icHcould wreak havoc on
the lives of present nnd future gcncrat.ionH. Hence, hy constitutional
fint., natural resources 1·emnin to thiH dny inalienable propertieA
of the State. rrhe same cnse acutely observes that "ecological
balAnces nnd environmental disai;terH in our clny nnd age seem to
be interconnected" and "property developers and tillers of the land
must be flwarc oft.his dendly combinntion." The Court held that the
disputed parcels of' land in Sta. Rosa Realty form a vital part of an
area that need to be protected for wnternhed purposes. Clearing and
tilling of the lands arc totally inconsistent with sound watershed
management. Unless the int:l'oduction of earth disturbing activities
like road building nnd erection of permanent infrastructures, and
pernicious agricultural activities are immediately stopped, i~ would
not be Jong before these watersheds would cease to ~c o_fvalue.
The impact of wntcrshccl degradation threatens the hvehhood of
thousands of people dependent upon it.
. Watersheds arc important not only for their ecological and
envJron1nentaJ value but nlso because they constitute u most
vita] life support system to t;housunds of inhabitants directly and
indirectly affected since from these watersheds come the natural
God-given precious resource - water. Thus, Article 67 of the Water
Code provides that any watershed or any nren of land adjacent to
any surface water or overlying any ground wnter may be declared
by the DENR as a protected aren. 'l'hc lnw directs the DENR to
promulgate rules un<l regulnLions LoprohibiL 01·conLl'Olany nctivities
by the owners or occupunts within Lho protcctod nron which may
dumagc or en use the det.criornLion of Lho slll'li1co water or i:round
(/)
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waler or interfere with the invust.igut.ion, uso, control, protection,
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c.. manag<~ment or ndminiHLrntion of s11ch w11ton;.·,i
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h. ;\ wutcrnhcd ro1-wrvnU011 iB not. 1-a1bjcwtto ocuupnncy
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or ulic1111Uo11
The cnse of Collado v. Co11rlof ilPl"'"ls"' 1·oit.m·nlllatho principle
that. wnLct'Hlt1id rotwi·vnLion iH nol, HllHCOJ)liblo''.f,occnpnncy,
. 11· · 1· 1• 8ocl ion 1t8(h) ot CA No. L'11,
<IlSJ><JHJL1on,convoyancn or 11 1onn .1011.~- • •
·· . (l'77C,t ()ct tl iooi, 8HOSCRA ~M~l.

1
/:1.Colludov. Co11l'Lof J\ppoultJ, Ol{.No. I ' ' ' '
'l:IJIJid.
r
:rno Lt\W ON Nt\'l'UH/\L ,n~soUllCEH /\ND H.ULgs
01" PHoc1,:nuH R FOH ,,:NVIHONMl•:Nll'/\I, C/\SI•:8
ns nnwnded, ot.herwi8e known nH the Public Land /\ct, applies

oxclusivcly to nlicnnble nnd diHposnble public agricultural lands.
Forest lnnds, inducling wute1·shed rescrvntiorrn, are excluded. A
positive net.(e.{.(.,nn official proclnmn Lion)of the exccu tivc department
iR needed to clcclnssif'y land which had been earlier clnssified as a
watershed reservntio1~ and to convert it into aliennblc or dispoHahle
lnnd for agricultural or other purposes. Unless and L~ntil the land
clf\ssificd as such is released in an official proclamat10n so that it
may fo1·m part of the disposable agricultural lands of the public
domain, the rules on confirmation of imperfect title do not apply.
Once a parcel of' lnnd is included within a watershed reservation
duly established by executive proclamation, a presumption arises
Urnt the land continues to be part of such reservation until clear and
convincing evidence of subsequent declassification is shown.
A settler claiming the protection of "private rights" to exclude
his land from a militury, forest or watershed reservation must show
by clear and convincing evidence that the property in question was
acquired by any means for the acquisition of public lands. 1•1
c. A tirnber license covering a watershed area may be

withdrawn in the public interest
It is of public knowledge, declared the Court in Tan v. Director
of Forestry, 1r. that watersheds serve as a defense against soil
erosion and guarantee the steady supply of water. That is why, as
a matter of general policy, the Constitution expressly mandates
the conservation and proper utilization of natural resources which
'
include the country's watersheds. A tin1ber license is an instrument
by which the State regulates the utilization and disposition of forest
resources, including watershed areas, to the end that public welfare
is promoted. A timber license is not a contract; it is only a license
or privilege, which can be validly withdrawn whenever dictated by
(f)
(1
pub1ic interest or public welfare. •
"'
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F. The National Water Resources Board
(")
"'
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18. Powers and functions.
"'
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~ The Nntionnl W11to1·llosm11·coR
Council cront.od by PD No. 424
was subAequc~ntly ronamed nnd roorgnnizod ns Nntionnl Water
14Supm.
711
GR No. L-240'18, Oct. 27, I 08:-1,126 SCHA ~102.
Cll/\P'l'lrn X-WA'n:,t corn,;OF 'l'llft: Pllll,I J>l'INl•:S :1A1
(Pr1111ido11t.l11
I DocrP1 No, l 0117)
1
He~mn·ceH Bon1·d (N\VllB), wit.h tho Dl!:NB. Secrut.nry nH Chair.

µursunnt to go No, 1211-J\, dntod ,July 22, J D87. 'l'he NWRH iH t.he
chief coorcHnnt.int{ nnd regulnt.in1{ n1~oncy for nil water rcHourccs
mnnngemcnt (levelopment. net.iviLieA wi1ich iH t.nAkccl with the
formulation nnd development. of policieH on wnter utiliznt.ion nncl
npproprint.ion, t.he control nnd suporviRion of wnter utilitic!-1 nnd
frnnchiscs, nn<l the regulnt.ion nnd 1·11t.ionnlizntionof wnt.er rat.es.
As n rcg-ulntory nnd l~xccutory 11gcncy,it. coordinnLcs and intcgrntes
wnt:cr resources development nd.ivit.im,, nnd grnntA, determines 11nd
nclju<licat.cs wnter rights. 70 It is nl!--10
rcAporrniblc for f'or·rnulnting
frnmework plnns for wnt:cr supply, nncl promulgating rulcR nnd
regulations for t.hc cxploitntion nnd opt.imum utilization of w1ttcr
resources, including- t:hc imposition on water npproprint.orn of such
fees or charges ns may be deemed 11ec0Rsn1·y fot· water resources
dcvelopmcnt. 77
The ndministrntion nnd unforcomont ol' the provisions of th"
Wnt.er Code, including the grnnting of' pc1.·mits and the impoHiLion
of penaJt:ics for aciminii,trativc violnt:ions hc1·cof',nrc vest.eel in the
Board and, except; in rcgnnl t;o thoHo funclions which arc specifically
conferred upon ot;hcr ngcncics of the government, it is empowered
t,0 make all decision:, nnd det;orminntio1rn provided for in Lhc Coclc.iti
The Board may dupu ti:,r,eany ol'Jicial or agency ol'thc government

711
t.o perform any of itH specific functions or m:tivitici,.
a. Authority to enter upon privnto lands

The Hoard nnd other ugcncieH autho1·ized Loont'on:o Llw Code
are empowered to cntor upon JH'ivnt.nlnnds, with pn'viou~ nolic('
Lo Lhe owner, for tho purpose of conduct.ing HurvoyHnnd hyclrolog-ic
investigations, and to perform such ot.lwr nets as nro nm:('~~nry in
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carrying out tlwfr functionH including- I.ho powor to m~urci~t'tlw ri~ht.
~ 11
of eminent. dom11in.H
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'' 111--ioc. No, •l:l1I.

:i., Pl>
'"'H,•c.J, t•:ONo. 077.
·m/\rl..70, I'D No. 100'/.
011
'/\rt. HO,ii,/(/,
l«lA J'l, Hr!,il,i<l.
382 LAW ON N/\'l'UH.AL IU•:SOUHUl•:H/\NO ltULl•;H
01•' PHOCl•:DUIUi: FOB. 11:NVIU.ONMl•:N'l'/\LC/\Hf•:8
b. .Jurisdiction of' the Bo111·dovor wnl:or c.JiHputcH

Pertinent proviHionH of PD No. I 0G7 (W11l:or Code) provide:
''ART. 88. 'l'he Bonni Hhnll hnve orit{innl juri!-Hlict.ion

over H11disput:eH rclnting to 11pproprintion, utilization,
exp]oitation, development, control, con8ervntion nnd
protection of waters wit:hin the merming and context of
the provisions of this Code.
The decisions of the Brnu·d on wn ter rights con-
troversies shnl1 be immediately executory nnd the
enforcement thereof m11ybe :-iu8pended only when n bond,
in a[n] amount fixed by the Bonrd to n nAwor for da mnges
occasioned by the suspension or st:ny of execution, shall
have been fi1ed by t:he appealing party, unless the
suspension is by virtue or an order of n compctcn t court.
Al] disputes shnJl be decided wHbi.n 60 cluys after
the parties submit the same for dccjs-ion Ol'.' rcsoluLion.
The Board shall have the power to issue writs of
execution and enforce its decisions w.ith the asi;ii:;tancc of
local or national police agencies."
Article 88 speaks of the JimHecl jurisdiction conferred upon

the Board over a11 disputes relating to appt·opriation, utilization,
exploitation, development, controJ, conservation and protection
of waters. Said jurjsdiction does not extend to, much less cover.
conflicting rights over rea] properties, juris<l.iction over which is
vested by law with the regular courts.
In Tanjay Waler District v. Gabaton/ 1 tho Court held
(J)
that since Civil Case No. 814 1I - nn nction for injunction with
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pre]iminary mandutory injunction and dnmn~o:-i against. re~pondent
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:;: Municipality of Pamplonn and it:-i of'ficinls t.o provent. thom from
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interfering in the mnnugomont: of' tho Tanjny vVnterwo1·ks Sy~tein
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- invo]veH the npproprin tion, u l.iIi:1.ation and cont.l'ol of wat.or, tho
:,
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jurisdiction to hcnr and docido tho diHputo portnins t.o I.ho Nntionnl
Water Resources (Council) IJ011nl 11Mprovided iu PO No. 10G7 which
is the special Jaw on tho All bjoct.
111
GR No. u:n'1i, April 17, I !'80, 17'1.8UILJ\.26a.
CIIAJ>'l'EH X- WA'l'J,;Jt CODI•: 01•''l'lf f,: l'lf lLfl'PI Nl•:H ~18~1
(P1·1•1-ildPttl.i11l
D1•cn•1•No, IOWI)
l 11.1:he fol1owinir cnHoH, tlw Co111'1.lwld I.IH,t. jud ic:istl q1wHtiorn-1

wm·c rnrncd nnd Wero f.huH propel'ly co1!11iz11hl,! by I.ho r,Jf~11l11r<:011rU1:
(1) !n !Heiro llo,:/o 1Vut,!rDiHlric:l v. Cotlrl of llppr:rd11,iiz
t:he
rnsue wns whether the exlsnet.ion and f-1111<1of f{rnund
WHtel' within petitionm·'A Ael'viec urc1t violnl.ed pNitionnr'r-:i
rights ns u water dii;triet, justifying the iHsuance of :in
injunction.
(2)
ln Bulao v. Court of Appeals/~ I.he nction wnR for dnmageA
predicated on a qunsi-dc1id. Private rcRpondcnt nllcged
that petitioner mnliciously constructed n dnm and
diverted the flow of water, causing the interruption of
water passing through petitioner's lnnd towards that of
private respondent nn<l resulting in the loss of hnrvest of
rice and Joss of income.
(3) In Das,nariiias Water .District v. Monterey Foods Corp./·'
the claim under Sec. ::3Dof PD No. 198, or the "Provincial
Water Uti]ities Act of 1973," related to a prejudice or
da1nage to petitioner's finances as a water district which
gave it the right to levy a production assessment to
c01npensate for the Joss.
c. The power to control and regulate the use of ground

water pertains so]e]y to the NWUil, and 1nay not be
made subject to an ordinance
In City of Balangas v. Philippine Shell Petroleum Corporation/
the issue is whether or not the control and regulation of the use of
water may be made subject of a city ordinance under the regime of
the Water Code - a national statute governing tho same subject
matter. Answering the issue in the negative, tho Court oxpouncfod
(/)
that the Water Code governs tho ownership, appropriation,
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utilization, exploitation, clevelopmont, consol'vntion nnd protection
m
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of water resources. Under Article 8 thoroof', water rosourcm; nr<'
g:
(") placed under the control nnd rogulntion of tho govot·nmont. t.ht·oug-h
"'
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the Nntiona] WaU~r Ite 13 mu·cos Council, now tho NWHll In tu1·n. tlw
"'
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::, privj]ege to approprinto and uHo wntor is ono whil:11 iH oxclusivoly
!!1
ttian. No. 1!.-!:l.806

1
Murch :JJ, 20(Hi.
tt:ia It No. 1OJ!)B:J, Ji'eh. 1, 100:1.
81
GR No. l 7nofi0, Sept. I 7, 2008.
ljfiGRNo. J9n00:J, ,Juno 7, 2017.
38'1 Lt\ v\l ON NJ\'l'UH/\1, Hl~SOUHCEH/\NI) lllJI ,1,:s
01•' l'HOCEDUllE FOH l•:NVIHONMl•:N'l'/\1, CM-ms
grante<l nnd rei;ulnlecl by tho St.nl.e throtq~h wal.or pel'mitA issued

by the N\\THH. Once grant.eel, tl10Re wnler pu1·111itH continue lo he
vnlid snvc only !'or reasons spelled oul. under Uw Water Code it8clf.
Convel'sely, t.he power lo modify, i:;uspen<l, cnncol or revoke water
permits already issued also rests with NWRB.
Accordingly, the Court ruled that tho assailed city ordinance
requiring nll heavy industries opcruting along 13ntnngus Day to use
seawater in the operation of their respective facilities, and install
desalination plnnts for this purpose, is ultra vires nnd beyond the
powers granted to LGUs. '.l'he ordinance effectively contrnvcnes the
provisions of the Water Code as it arrogates unto Ilatangas City
the power to control and regulate the use of ground water which,
by virtue of the provisions of the Water Code, pertains solely to the
NWRB. By enacting the Assailed Ordinance, Batangas City actc<l in
excess of the powers granted to it as an LGU, rendering the Assailed
Ordinance ultra vires. The Court concluded:
"While the Assailed Ordinance has been struck down

as invalid, the pronouncen1ents hereunder should not be
misconstrued by heavy industries to be carte blanche to
abuse their respective water rights at the expense of the
health and safety of' the inhabitants of Batangus City, the
environment within which these inhabHants live, and the
resources upon which these inhabitants rely. 1'he Court
recognizes fresh ground water as an invaluable natural
resource, and deems it necessary to emphasize that
Batangas City is not precluded from exorcising its right to
protect its inhabitants from injurious effects which mny
result fron1 the misuse of natural wntot' resources within
jt,i:; territorial jurisdiction, should these effects later arise,
provided that such exorcise is done within tho framework
w
Q) of applicable national ]nw, pnrt.iculnrly, the Wntot· Code."
::,
::,
~
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cl. Extraction of ground wntor· roquiros por1nit fron1
Q)
3
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the NWRB
Q)
::,
::,
~ Where extraction of' f-.{t'<>llnd wn t:m· iR HOllJ.d1t., n pormit to drill
must; firAt be secured from tho NWH.13.1-lowovor, boforo n pormit
to drill is i1-:,sued,the NWH.B Ahnll conduct n Hold invosti~nt.ion to
determine nny ndvorHe offcct thnt 11111y bo cnuAod to public or private
interests. Only nfter it hnH dotorminod t;hnt t:ho npplicntion moots
the roquirem~nts and iH not prejudicial to nny public ot· private
Cll/\l''l'l~ll X --Wl\'l'IW COl>J,; Ol•"l'IJI,; 1'1111,1Pl'INJ,:8 38F;
I l)p1:1•1•11 N11.I OC\7)
(l'n•11id1•11tin
interest.A Rhnll it. lRK\WI.ho JH~1·111it,to dl'ill which 1d111II

ho ro~arded as
a tempornry pm·mit., until I.ho 1•nt.n of' wntor withclrnwal/yield of th,,
\:\'ell has been dl't.oi·mincd nnd HRHCHHed, nnd the application iH finally
(R) Hpprovcd and n wnter permit iR issuecl subject to such conditions
as the N\VRB may impose, or (b) disapproved and returned to the
applicnnt, stRiing the reasons therefor. It should be emphasized
thRt it is only through a duly issued water permit that any person
acquires the right to approprinte water, or to tnkc or divert waters
fron1 a natural source in the manner and for any purpose allowed
by law.
The drilling of a well and appropriation of water without the

necessary pern1its constitute grave offenses under Section 82 of the
IRR, and shall subject the violator who is not a permittee or grantee
- as petitioner in this case - to the imposition of appropriate
fines and penalties, and the stoppage of the use of water, without
prejudice to the institution of a cri1ninal/civil action as the facts and
circu1nstances may warrant. 80
e. Protest against a water permit application converts

the proceeding to a water controversy
It is well to note that in an application for a water permit
before the NWRB, the presence of a protest converts the proceeding
to a water controversy, which shall then be governed by the rules
prescribed for resolving water use controversies, i.e., Rule IV of
the IRR. However, absent a protest, or where a protest cannot be
considered, the application shall subsist. The existence of a protest
is only one of the factors that the NWRB may consider in granting
or denying a water permit application. The filing of an improper
protest only deprives the NWRB of the authority to consider the
substantial issues raised in the protest but does not strip it of the
power to act on the application. 87
(/)
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f'. Regular courts have jurisdiction where tho issue
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involves the cnjoyn1cnt of nn existing t·i~ht to us•e
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3(/) waler
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0,
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:::, Where the cnHe ,lorn, nol. i11volvo tho Hot.tlomont of a wnter
~
rights dispute, but the enjoyment of n 1·ig-ht.t.o wntor use f01·which
80 Pirst. Mega Holdings v. Cluii,:uinto Wntm· Dist.riot.,OH No. ~08383, Juno 8,

2016,
117
Jhid.
:l80 Lt\W ON NA'l'llllt\L llJo:HOIJIH!li:f-l
t\NI> HIJl.fi:H
OF l'HOCl :Dtllll FOil 1:NVIHONMl•:N'l'ALCt\Hl•:H
1 1: 1
n pt r111it.
1 11ln,111ly
WI\H 1n·n11l1!d, I.ho 1·ng11l111·co11rL l,111-1j11riHdiction
OVl'l' lht> diHp,1Ui,not l.lw N11Lio1111lW11l.c)t' H.eH<>ut·coHBo11r<I. 'llwk,
it w11~ lwlrl t.hnl. whe1·u the 11111i11c1111Hoof' 1u:tion in I.ho <:011rt 11. q11,o
iA otH' for 11nnulmcnl. ol' title 1111d1·cvm·1-1io11 l.o I.ho f{OVornmont, of st
12.570 ::,qunre metc1·s lol. covering tho M11nm1!IWW11f:orfloHorvoir
nllcgcd to hnve been illcg-nlly1111d er1·oneo11HlyI.if.ledin I.he nnmo of
pctil.ionc1·s, it iAAnidcourt which h1rnju1·iHdic:Uon over tho action nnd
not the Bonrd. The Auif.clenrly invoJveHLitlo to, nnd p<>HA(~Asion of,
real property, exclusive originn I juritHliction over which iHconferred
upon the rcgionnl trinl court..1111
Simi]nrly, where the isAtie iA whothe,· or not the consf:ruction
of the dike oht-d.ructedthe nntur11l water c:0t11'HO or the free flow or
wntc1· from pctit.ioner'R higher cAf:at:o f:o int.o,·vcnot.·A' lower estate,
thereby c:n1sing injury to petitioner's rights nnd impairing the U8
and enjoyment or his fishpond, snid il:mue ncccssitnl:es resort t:o
judicia 1 in terven t.ion.1111
Jn ]Julao v. Court of Appeals, 110 the controversy is whether it
is the municipul cjrcuit l:l·iulcom:t or tho National Wntcr Resources
Bonrd which bus jurisdiction over re8pondent's compluint for
damages h;rned upon a qunsi-dclict. Potit.ioool' rnoved. t:odismiss the
compluint, urguing that the cnso wns cogni:1.ablcby the Uourd, the
real issue bcjng one of ownership, 1,ossession of tho land where the
ditches ure Jocatc<l,and real right;i, involv.ing 1:heuso of ditches. The
court denied the motion. Petitioner brought the case to the Supreme
Court, insisting tJrnt Uw Bo:ird him juriscliction, cit:ing tho cases of
Abe-abe v. Mu.ntuY1 ancl 'J'a11JayWaler District v. Gabaton.11-.: Tho
Court rejected petitioner's con ten ti.on, thus:
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"The petitioner invokei; in this connoction tho cal-lo~
::,
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a.
of Abe-uhe v1:,;.Manta nncl 'l'anjay Water /)istrict v8.
~
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Gohoton,
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3
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Jn the first c11Hu, tho pof.itiononi Hought. n judicial
0)
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·onfit'muticm of thoir prior v1JHtocl,·ig·ht.1111dorArt.iclo 50 11
of UrnCivil Code to IIHO Urn w11to1· of'i\nibu11gn11/\lbny and
HHffonl.011 v. Co111'1. cm
ol'Appo11l1J, No. 01:?.IH, Sopt.. ia, IOU~.i1,1 SCIM l(i!,),,
11
H Al.iHv. Co11rl.of'Appw1h1, <lit No. !Hl1IOI, April 0, IOil:-'.,!.-W7
8UHA 7,1i.
1111
Glt No, JOI !JH:J,ft'oh, I, I 0!):J, i 1HS()l{t\ a~J.
111
0ft No, L-tJH~7,Muy :! I, !070, !lOHCIU o~CI.
11
~S11pm.
CIII\P'l'lm X-WA'l'l<:H COi)!,; OF'l'IIE l'IIILIPl'JN!o:H :-IR7
i11lI >111:ron
(Pr.,,lid11111 No, I OIi'/)
'l'njong- Ct·celrn to ini1{11I.<'t.hoi,· 1·icol11ndH

11p11tro11m.'l'hoy
nlso wnnkd lo t•n,ioin t.hu pl'iv11t.u1·c1-1po111lo11t from w1in"
the wnlcr of t.hu creulrn 11t 11i1d1tto il'l'i1~11l.o hiH ric:olund
locnt erl downstream.
In the second cnHe, the court wnA 111-dwd to prevent
the Municipality of Pnmplonn from intcl'f'oring with tho
management of the 'l'nnjny Waterworks SyHl.em.
It wns held in both cnscH thnt juriHclict.ion pert11incd
to the National Water RcsoureeH (Co1111cil)Bo11rdns the
issues involved were the npproprintion, 11tilizntion nnd
control of wntcr.
But these cases hnve no npplicntinn to the instnnt
controversy. 1t is clear from n rc11ding of the privntc
respondent's complnint in Civil Case 70 thnt it is an
action for damages predicated on n <JUnsi-delict.
A quasi-delict hns the following clomonb:;: u) the
damage suffered by the plnintiff; b) the net or omission of
the defendant supposedly constituting fnult or negligence;
and c) the causal connection between the act und the
damage sustained by the plaintiff.
All these clements arc set out in the private
respondent's complaint, spcci(icaJJy in pnrngruphs 5, 7,
and 8 thereof. The damage claimed to hnvo been sustained
by private respondent consists of his loss of harvest
and consequent Joss of income. Tho net constituting tho
fault is the aJJeged mnliciouH construction of a dnm and
diversion of the fiow of water by tho potitionul'. Tho Raid
acts a11eged)y caused the interruption of' wntor pnssin~
through petitioner's Jund tow11rd8 ro:;pondcnt'~ lnnds,
resulting in the destrudion of tho roHpondont's rico
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plants. The avermcnts of tho compl11i111. pl11inly mnko out
()
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a case of qwrni-deJid that. muy ho tho l>11HiH
of nn net.ion for
(T)
Q.
:;: damugeH."
g:
0
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3(/) IL him lwcn Jwld thnl, tho tl'i11Icm11·I,h11Hfull nut,horit.y to iHmlO

()
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:,
:, such order or order,; IIH ,nny hocomo 1uH:011H111·y
t.o prol~Jct 11<~oq~mtoly
~
suhdiviHion niHidcml.H from diiu·upl.io11 of w11to1·Hot'Vtco w1thm_ t.tu
subdivision, aU.rih11t11hlo to tho fuiluro of M Pl IAI, llH ownoi· of tho
pipelines nnd w11torworlrn H,YHtom,urnl l•~d,~nrdo8nln.nclnnnn, mi tho
lessee thereof, to c:omply with uny of 1,Jwir 1·0Hpout1vocontrnctunl
"
388 LAW ON NA'l'UllAL HESOUHcgs /\ND HULES

OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIHONMgNT/\L C/\SES
obligations during the penclency of the action for rescission of the

lease contract. 0~
g. Rule on exhaustion of administrative remedies

The legal issue in Abe-Abe v. Manta 9~ is wh~th~r the C~urt of
First Instance of Camiguin has jurisdiction to adJudicate a dispute
over water rights for irrigation purposes even if the controversy
had not yet been passed upon by the National Water Resources
Board. The Court held that the petitioners' immediate recourse
is to ventilate their grievance first with the Board which is the
administrative agency exclusively vested with original jurisdjction
to settle water rights disputes under the Water Code, consistent
with the rule on exhaustion of administrative remedies.
But in Metro Iloilo Water District v. Court of Appeals, 95 it
was held that since the petitions focus on the violations incurred
by private respondents by virtue of their alleged unauthorized
extraction and withdrawal of ground water within petitioner's
service area, vis-a-vis petitioner's vested rights as a water district,
it is at once obvious that the petitions raise a judicial question,
hence, the rule on exhaustion of administrative remedies does not
apply. While initially it may appear that there is a dimension to the
petitions which pertains to the sphere of the Water Council, i.e.,
the appropriation of water which the Water Code defines as "the
acquisition of rights over the use of waters or the taking or diverting
of waters from a natural source in the manner and for any purpose
allowed by law," in reality the matter is at most merely collateral to
the main thrust of the petitions.
h. Decisions of the Board appealable to the Court of

Appeals
(fl
()
Q)
:,
:,
CD
. Article 89 of PD No. 1067 (Water Code of the Philippines)
0..
~ which states that "decisions of the Council (Bonrd) on water rio-hts
s:
(") controversies may be appealed to the Court of First Instnnce of the
Q)
3
(fl
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province where the subject matter of the controversy is situnted''
:,
:,
~
h~d long been rendered inoperative by tho pnssngo of OP lllg. 129.
Since the Court of Appeals has exclusive nppollnto jurisdiction over
93
Merville Park Homeowners Atrnocintion v. Volez, GR No. 82985, April 22,
1991, 196 SCRA 189.
94
Supra.
95
GR No. 122855, March 31, 2005, 454 SCRA 249.
CHAP'l'l,:H X-WJ\'1'10:U CODI•: OF'l'lll•: PIIILIPl'INl•~H afl!l
(Pl'l'1iid111tt.ll\l D11i:n•o No. I 007)
qunsi-jucHcinl n1.tondm~Hndor Huie 11aof' tho B.ulo1-1 of' Court., pot.it.iorrn

for writ.:4 of cert.iornri, prohibit.ion 01· 111.an<lom11.s
n~uirrnt I.ho 11ct.H
nnd omiAsions of qrnrni-judicin l ngeneioH, liko I.he Nnt.ionnl W11t.er
Resources Bour<l, should be filecl with it..1 111
G. Pc11.a,lties und ll.epca.lecl La.ws

19. Penalties.
Articles 90 and 9] of' the Wnt.cr Coclo onumornt.c the nets that
may be penalized unrler the Code. Tho c1·iminnl action shnll be
brought: before the proper court. 117
20. Repealed laws.

rrhe following laws, pnrt:s nncl/or pl'ovisions of laws have hccn
repealed by the Water Code:
a. The provisions of tho Spnnish Lnw on Wntcrn
of August 3, 1866, the Civil Code o(' Spain of 1889 nncl the
Civil Code of the Philippines (lV\ No. ::386)on ownorshiµ or
waters, eusement;s relating to wntol's, nsc of public waters
and acquisitive prescription on tho use of wntors, which arc
inconsistent with the provisions of tho Code;
b. 'rhe provisions of It/\ No. 6a95, otherwise known
as the Revised Churt:er of Nntionnl Powor Corporation,
particulctrly Section 3, purngruph (I), und Section 12, insofar
as they relate to the uppropriution of' wutol.'s and tho grunt
thereof-
'
c.The prov1s10ns of J\cL No. 2152, ns nmondod,
otherwiHe known us the Jrrigntion Act, Section i3, pnrngrnphs
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(")
(k) and (m) of PD No. 81:J, RA No. 20GH;Section HO,CA No. un:
0)
:::,
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<l. All laws, decrees, oxecut.ivo orclorH, nclminiHtrnlivo
0)
3
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(")
regulations und rules of court which nt·o cont.rm·y to or
0)
:::,
:::, incorn,iHtent with the proviHionHof I.ho Codo. 1111
~
, IIIIN 11t101111)
• Wutur ltoH011rco11 Bourcl v. /\.L. J\111( Nutwol'k, l11l,,, UH No. HHl,1()0,
April 8, 20 Io.
117/\rt. 02, PD No. 1007.
ottArt;.100, il>icl., Sou u)Ho Aho-Aho v. Mnnt.11Git No. L-1l027, Mny al, 11170,HO
SCRA62H. '
aoo LAW ON NATUIUL lt1':8OUIWEH /\ND HULES
OF J>HOCIWUHE FOH ENVlllONMl•:NTJ\I. CJ\SES
H. l¥atc,· Districts
21. Creation of water dlstrf cts.
PD No. 198, otherwise known ns I.he "Prou1:11cialWaler Utilltics
Act of 1.973'' (effective May 25, 1973) ns amended by PD No. 768 nnd
PD No. 1479 (effective ,hmc 11, 1978), nuthorizes the formntion, lays
down the powers nnd functions, and governs the operation of water
districts throughout the country; it. is "the source of authorization
and power to form and maintnin 11 (wnter) district." Local water
districts are government-owned or controlled corporations with
original chartcr. 1)11 Section 6 of PD No. 198 provides that water
districts ''shall exercise the powers, rights and privileges given to
private corporations under existing laws, in addition to the powers
granted in, and subject to such restrictions imposed under this
Act."100
a. Functions
Under PD No. 198, water districts may be created by the
different local legislative bodies by the passage of a resolution to
this effect, subject to the terms of the Decree. The primary function
of these water districts is to sell water to residents within their
territory, under such schedules of rates and charges as may be
determined by their boards. 101 They shall manage, administer,
operate and maintain a11 watersheds within their territorial
boundaries, safeguard and protect tho use of tho waters therein,
supervise and control structures within their service areas, and
prohibit any person from seJling or otherwise disposing of water for
public purposes within their service areas where district facilities
are available to provide such service. ,oi
(/)
(")
b. Conditions under which water districts 1nny
Ol
:::,
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CD
operate
a.
:;:
;,;:
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0
Tho Decree specifies the terms under which wntor dist.ricts
Ol
3
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may be formed an<l operate. ft prescribes, pni-ticularly -
(")
Ol
:::,
:::,
~ 1) the name by which n wntor district shnll be known,
which shal) be contained in tho onubling resolution, and "shall
00
Anuctn v. Sunuigunhnyun, Gil No. 2lfWfi2, Novumhur 1'1, 2018,
10
°Foliciuno v. Arrun;,;, GR No. Hio(M 1, Aug. 2f>,2010.
1111
Sec. 38, PD No. 198, ns nmonded hy PD No. 708.
102
8cc. 31, PD No. 1.98,ns amended Ly PD No. 7fi8 nrnl PD No. 1'179.
Cl IAl''l'Ell X- WA'l'EH. CODI•: OF 'l'I IE l'I 111,IPl'INES a~Jl
(Pro11i<lont.l11
I I )ucrn11 No. 101\'/)
inclu<le t.he nnmo of' the cit.y, municipnlit.y, or province, or

region thereof, 8m·vccl hy Hnid HyHl.em,followed hy the worclH,
'Water Dist.rict.'''; 10:1
2)the 1n1ml>er and qu11Iifkn Lions of the mem berH of
the boards of clircdors, wit.h the dnt.e of expiration of term
of office for each;w 1 the mnnnc1· of' their sclec.:t.ion nn<l initinl
appointment by the hend of' t.hc local political subdivision;ior·
their terms of office (which shall be in Hlnggcrcd periods of two,
four an<l six years);wn the manner of filling up vacancies in the
board; 107 the compensation nncl liahilit,ies of memhers of the
board. 108 The resolution shall contain n "st.ntcment that the
district may only be dissolved on the grounds and under the
conditions set forth in Section '1'1"or the law, but nothing in the
resolution of formation, the Decree ad<ls, "shall state or infer
that the local legislative body has the power to dissolve, alter
or affect the district beyond that specifically provided for in
this Act."w!,
c. Water districts arc quasi-public corporations

The juridical entities created and organized under PD No. 198
are considered quasi-public corporations, perforrning public services
and supplying public wants. They are authorized not only to
"exercise all the powers which arc expressly granted" by said Decree,
and those "which are necessarily implied from or incidental to" said
powers, but also "the power of eminent domHin, the exercise ... (of
which) shall however be subject to review by the Administration."tto
In addition to the powers grante<l in, and subject to such restrictions
imposed under, the Decree, they may also exercise the powers,
rights and privileges given to private corporations under existing
laws. 111 Local water <listricts (LWDs), are owned nnd controlled by
(/)
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io:1Scc, H(u), PD No. 1!JH.
:i:
;:;:
)(MS (' l u ., ' L
' CCH. > un< u, /, )/("
::,-
nOl JOr,secij, a(h), !J 1111d 10, ihi,L.
3(/) 1 1
() {)f Scc. 11, ihi,L.
Ol
::l 1117
::l
~
Sec. I :l, ihid.
lllHSecH. 1:11111(1 l ti, ihid.
11 0
' Scc. (i, i/)1'.tl.
1101
.,ocu l Wulern Ul,1·1· ' /\ I IJl111llH
1t10H ' • t,I'll l'1011.
111
8cc. (i, il,i<L., llH umondod hy PD No. lrl7!); Mul'ilno W11t.01· ComHtll\Ot'S
Associution, Inc. v. lnt.ermedi 11Lo /\ppollnt.o Comt, Gil No. 7:lB07, Sept. !I, UHII, :lOl
SCRA tl:-l7; Seo nlso 'l'11nj11yWutor DiHt.rict v. Guhnt.011,(:I{ No. w11,1i, t\pril 17, 1!18!).
.AIIIEliil
392 LAW ON N/\'.l'UH.AL HESOUllCl~S AND HULES
OF PltOCEDUB.I~ FOB. t•:NVIHONMgN'l'AL CASES
the government, ns evidenced from the fact thnt; "there [was] no

private party involved in their cr·enLion, ownership of the national
or local government of their assets, the munner of appointment of
their board of directors and their employees' being subject to civil
service laws." 11:.1
d. Public hearing required on increase of water rates

When a local water district increases wnte.r rates, the law
requires the district concerned to conduct a public hearing regarding
these rates. The same rates are subject to review by the Local Water
Utilities Administration (LWUA), which is tasked to determine
whether the establishment of the rates complies with tho law. Thus,
compliance with the public hearing :requirement means that the
rates presented in the hearing should be the same rates submitted
to the LWUA for review and approval. 11:1
e. Dissolution of water districts

Section 45 of PD No. 198, as amended by PD No. 768, reads:
"SEC. 45. Dissolution. -A district may be dissolved

by resolution of its board of directors filed in the 1nanner
of filing the resolution forming the district: Provided,
however, That prior to the adoption of any such resolution:
(1) another public entity has acquired the assets of the
di.strict and has assumed all obligations and liabilities
attached thereto; (2) a11bondholders and other creditors
have been notified and they consent to said transfer and
dissolution; and (3) a court of competent jurisdiction has
found that said transfer and dissolution are in the best
interest of the public."
Under the law, it is the Local Wnt.01·Ut.ilit:iu~ Administration

(LWUA) which is the administrnt.ivu body involvod in th( volnntary
dissolution of a water district; it is with it: t:hnt. t.ho rm,olnt.ion of
dissolution is filed.
172 SCRA 2n:3; B11H1tioWutor DiHLl'il!I. v, 'l'r11j111w,(lH No. L-(ifi,t2H, l•\1h,20, 1!)811, rn7
SCH.A 730; Hngonoy WuLUI' DiBlt·ict V, N11tio1111I Co111mim1ion, No.
I ,11liol'Hol11t.io11H cm
81490, Aug. :n, JOBH, H.HiSCHA i7~.
11:,iFornnn<lo 011Audit., UH.No. !W7!l:18,Doc. ,1, ~0l8.
v. Co111111iH::iio11
IJ:JM •i w t D' '
om n 11,or rnLr1ct v. B11c11no, Git No. l(i5U!la, Sopt .. 80, ~008.

CHAPTER X- WATER CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES 393
(Presidential Decree No. 10G7)
Where, however, the action is in the nature of a mandamus

suit, seeking to compel the board of directors of the water district
and its alleged co-conspirators to go through the process for the
dissolution of the water district, the action falls within the general
jurisdiction of regional trial court.111
I. The Local Water Utilities Administration (L WUA)

PD No. 198 established a government corporation known as
the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA),115attached to
the Office of the President, to function primarily as "a specialized
lending institution for the promotion, development, and financing of
local water utilities." It has the following specific powers and duties:
(1) prescribe minimum standards and regulations in
order to assure acceptable standards of construction materials
and supplies, maintenance, operation, personnel training,
accounting and fiscal practices for local water utilities;
(2) furnish technical assistance and personnel training
programs for local water utilities;
(3) monitor and evaluate local water standards; and
(4) effect systems integration, joint in~estment and
operations, district annexation and de-annexation whenever
economically warranted. 116
N t however that pursuant to EO No. 123, dated Sept~mber
i
12 20 2e'the LWUA shall cease and ~esist :'ith its prac_tice of
' 1 f ' the water tariffs of water districts which shall herei_naf~er
regu a ing k b NWRB However LWUA, consistent with its
be underta en Y • ' . • • th tes of
d d PD No 198 may contmue reviewing e ra_
::~ralfst~fct:rwhich it .has financial exposure, with the end view of
ensuring their financial viabilities.
The LWUA has no adjudicatory functions

a. d" 1· t functions It is
Th e LW UA does not have. any. a . .JUCt. ica for
ory . • t·
the promo ion,
"primarily a specialized lending inst1tu wn
Jntcrmcdinle Appollnte
114M·1 Waters Consumen, Assoc:iulion, Inc. v.
an ao • CRA 437
Court, GR No. 72807, Sept. 9, 1991, 201 ~ b PD N~. 768.
JJ5Sec. 49, PD No. 198, as amende< y
116Sec. 50, ibid.

394 LAW ON NA'l'UH.AL RESOURCES AND RULES
OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CASES
developn1ent and financing of local water utilities," with power

to . prescribe 1nini1nu1n standards and regulations regarding
n1a1ntenance, operation, personnel training, accounting and fiscal
practices for local water utilities, to furnish technical assistance and
personnel training programs therefor; monitor and evaluate local
water standards; and effect systems integration, joint investment
and operations, district annexation and de-annexation whenever
economically warranted. 117
The LWUA has quasi-judicial power only as regards rates or
charges fixed by water districts, which it may review to establish
compliance with the provisions of PD No. 198, without prejudice
to appeal being taken therefrom by a water concessionaire to the
National Water Resources Council whose decision thereon shall be
appealable to the Office of the President. 118
The National Water Resources Board, on the other hand,
is conferred "original jurisdiction over all disputes relating to
appropriation, utilization, exploitation, development, control,
conservation and protection of waters" within the meaning and
context of PD No. 1067 (Water Code), 119 and its decision on water
rights controversies may be appealed to the regional trial court of the
province where the subject matter of the controversy is situated. 120
It also has authority to review questions of annexations and de
annexations (addition to or exclusion from the district of territory). 121
b. The SEC has no supervisory powers over water

districts
In Marilao Water Consumers Association, Inc. v. Intermediate
Appellate Court, 122 it was held that although water districts created
by PD No. 198 are considered as quasi-public corporations and
(/)
authorized to exercise the powers, rights and privileges given to
(")
0)
:,
:,
private corporations under existing laws, they are entirely distinct
CD
(l_
:,
from corporations organized under the Corporation Code, PD No.
~ 902-A, as amended. The resolutions creating them, their charters,
(")
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3
(/)
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0)
:,
:,
~
117
/bid.
118
Sec. 68, ibid.
119Sec. 88, PD No. 1067.
120
Sec. 89, ibid.
121 Marilao Water Consumers Association, Inc. v. Intermediate Appellate
Court, supra.
i221bid.
CllAP'l'tm X - WJ\Ttm Cotm OF Tilt-: PIIILIJ>l'INE8 :mr,
(l'n•,iidt•nl int llt•c1·1•t•No. 10(17)
in other words, nrc filed not. with tho Securities nn<l l~xchnngc
Commi:--,sion (SEC) hut wit.h t.hc LWU/\. 'l'hc SEC hnH no power of
supcrvi~ion or control over the nclivit.ies of'waler districlA, like soiling
wntcr nnd fixing the rntcs and chnr~cR therefor, or the mnnn~oment,
ndministrnt.ion, operation mHl mnint.cnnnce of wntorsheclA within
theil' tcrritorinl bmmclnrics, or the snfcgunrcling nncl protection
of the use of the waters therein, 01· the supervision nncl control of
structures within the service n1·en8 of't.he district, nncl the prohibition
of nny person from selling or otherwise disposing of wnter for public
purposes within their service nre1rn where district fncilities ore
avni1nblc lo 1wovidc such Hcrvicc. 'l'hnt function of supervision or
control over wntcr districts is entrusted Lo the LWU/\. 11:1
Cf)
()
"'
:,
:,
CD
a.
:,
s:
(")
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3
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()
"'
:,
:,
~
Rec. Cl2,PD No. rnH, 11H1111101Hlucl hy PD No. 7(18.

ii: 1
.....
Chapter XI
PHILIPPINE CLEAN WATER ACT
A. Preli11iinary
01. Governing law.
On March 22, 2004, RA No. 9275, or the "Philippine Clean
Water Act of 2004, "was enacted based on a policy of economic growth
in a manner consistent with the protection, preservation and revival
of the quality of our fresh, brackish and marine waters.
The Act applies to water quality management in all water
bodies, but shall primarily govern the abatement and control of
pollution from land-based sources. The water quality standards and
regulations and the civil liability and penal provisions under the Act
shall be enforced irrespective of sources of pollution.'
The Act is a sweeping piece of legislation consolidating into a
coherent whole the fragmented aspects of quality water management.
This purpose is reflected in Section 2(c) thereof, which formalizes
the need to "formulate a holistic national program of water quality
management that recognizes that water quality management
issues cannot be separated from concerns about water sources and
ecological protection, water supply, public health and quality oflife."
02. Importance of waters.

The importance of water resources for one's existence cannot
be overstated. These resources are vital not only for nn inrlivirlunl's
(/J
()
0)
::,
well-being, but also for the survival of society as n whole. Yet, mnn
::,
C1)
0.. has continued to abuse them, as if' thoy wore inexhnustiblo. Cong-ress
:,
g:
()
saw the need for n concerted effort of tho govornnwnt nnd society
to abate, control, and prevent tho pollution of our country's wntor
0)
3
(/J
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::,
::,
~
1Sec. a, HA No. 9:.J.7o.
~H)(j
Cll/\l'TEH XI - Pllll,ll'l'INE CLE/\N W/\'f'lm AC'I' 397
(Hc,puhli,: /\ct. No. 0:'.7fi)
resource~. Hence, the Cle11n Wntet· Act w11H ennct.cd in the hope that
"thi~ vitnl 11wnRu1·cwill offer t.he future generation nn ahundant
supply of potable water, c.:lcnn rivel'H to swim linl, and a better access
to s1-tfewnter for their daily usc."i
n. Water is a natural nssct to be protected and

conserved for future generations
ln the monumental cnsc of' Maynilad Water Services, Inc. v.
Secretary of Environment and Natnral Resources,:' the Court en bane,
through the effulgent and distinctive ponencia of Justice Hernando,
highlighted the importnnce of water not just a mere commodity
for sale ;:ind consumption but n natural asset to be protected and
conserved. Sanitation is its corollary constant, as a poor state of
sewerage systems is one of the pillars of people's miseries. We have
a collective responsibility to preserve water resources and improve
sanitation facilities for future generations. The Court remarked:
"1t cannot be gninsnid that the role of water spans

from the nuclear to the astronomical. Yet this 'giver of
life' is threatened by various adversities. Local incidents
of water scarcity arc fast becoming normal occurrences
because of extended g1 Nifio conditions resulting from
climate change. Our sewerage systems are antiquated, if
not defunct or nonexistent, and far too neglected - the
fact that urban informal settlers by the creeks use the
same as their bathrooms and trash bins has reached the
status of common knowledge. '!'hat water has become an
ironically expensive resource is ever more apparent, and
unstable access to potable water is afflicting more and
more areas over time. While their importance is all too
ohviow;, the state of the Philippines' water supply and
water sanitation appear hopelessly grim.
(/)
()
Q)
The principal duty of' the Stnto anrl the water
::,
::,
(1)
0.
in<luRtry LoHupply drinking wntor nnd provide top-notch
:i:
;::;:
:::T
w:rniuwater HurvicuA thJ'ough JH'ovisions of' sownge nnrl
(j
Q) septage troatmunt.H to housoholclH and businesses neorls
3(/)
()
Q)
no further umplrnHiH. Pooplo hnvo pot'petunlly gunrrled
::,
::,
~ Lhemi,elves agninHt w 11t.ol' cont11minntion nncl have
,!
Hepuhlic' v. N. Dolu Morced & Serna, Inc., Gil No. 201501, Jun. 22, 2018.
:'GR No. :l07!l<H),J\u1~.(i, 201 !>.
398
evolved from convoying rnw wttAto to nnturul hodjeR of

w:itcr to devising complex l:lcwei·uge system 8. f n more
wnys thnn one, wnter and wnter quality hal-l hecn a
st.r~tegic resource which can cnuse considerable_ hon~th,
sanitation, and biodiversity impacts. Its socH~lo~ical
effects also proliferate in the cultural and economic lives
of each individual."
b. Water 111anage1nent under the "Public Trust

Doctrine"
Protruding from the basic tenet that water is a vital part of
human existence, the Court, in Mayn,:Zad,"introduced the public
trust doctrine which aims to put an additional strain upon the
duty of the water industry to comply with the laws and regulations
of the land.
A number of doctrines already protect and sanctify public
welfare and highlight the State's various roles relative thereto.
Article XII, Section 2, of the 1987 Philippine Constitution elaborates
on the ownership of the State over the nation's natural resources
and its right and duty to regulate the same. rrhis embodies the
concept of jura regalia which reserves to the State ownership of
all natural resources. The vastness of this patrimony precludes the
State from managing the same entirely by itself. In the interest of
quality and efficiency, it thus outsources assistance from private
entities, but this must be delimited and controlled for the protection
of the general welfare. The police power is the power of the state
to promote public welfare by restraining and regulating the use of
liberty and property. The justification is found in the Latin maxim
salus populi est suprema lex (the welfare of the people is the supreme
law) and sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas (so use your property as
not to injure the property of others). The doctrine ofparens patriae
focuses on the role of the state as a "sovereign" and expresses its
inherent power and authority to provide protection of the person
and property of a person non sui jnris.
While the Regalian doctrine is state ownership over nntural
resources, police power is state regulation through logislntion, and
parens patriae is the default stul:o responsibility to look after the
defenseless, there remains a limbo on n floxjb}e stnte policy bringing
these doctrines into a cohesive whole, enshrining the objects of
4
Supra.
CIIAl'Tlm XI - l'IIILll'l'IN!o: cu:AN WA'l'lm ACT anu
(Hep11hlic Ad No. !li7fi)
public int.creHt.. and hncking t.h , H •eurit.y of t.hc p •ople, rir{ht.H,nncl

resourccH from g--neral neglect., privnl.e greed, nnd even from the
own cxce.ss 'H of the St.nte. 'l'his void is filled throuvh I.he public
trust doctrine.
The public trust doctrine hns firm Const.itutionnl and
stntutory moorings in our jm·isdict.ion. 'J'hc doctrine impresses upon
states the Rffirmntive duties of a trustee to manngc the country's
natural resonrcesforthe bcnefitofpresentand future generations and
embodie key principles of' environmental protection, stewardship,
communal responsibility, and sustainability. A clear declaration of
public ownership, the doctrine reaffirms the superiority of public
rights over private rights for critical resources. In this framework, a
relationship is formed - "the {s]tate is the trustee, which manages
specific natural resources - the trust prindpal - for the trust
principal - for the benefit of the current and future generations -
the beneficia.n:es." The public is regarded as the beneficial owner of
trust resources, and courts can enforce the public trust doctrine even
against the government itself. But with the birth of privatization of
many basic utilities, including the supply of water, this has proved
to be quite challenging. The State is in a continuing battle against
lurking evils that has afflicted even itself, such as the excessive
pursuit of profit rather than purely the public's interest. These
exigencies forced the public trust doctrine to evolve from a mere
principle to a resource management term and tool flexible enough
to adapt to changing social priori ties and address the correlative
and consequent dangers thereof. The public is regarded as the
beneficial owner of trust resources, and courts can enforce
the public trust doctrine even against the govcrn1nent itself.
1t is in this same manner, declared the Court in JV/aynilad,that
the right to distrihute water was granted hy the Stntc vin utility
franc.:hiseH to Maynifad and Manila Water, un<lcr express statutory
reguJaiion through its delegated represontntivo, the MWSS. '.l'h
Staie conferred the frane..:hhw to thmm concessionnin s, working
under the firm h •lid' Urnt th shnll serve ns protect.ors oft.ht public
ly
jnterest and th• citizenry. Jn thi1-1reg11rd, wnt.01· rights l\\\lHt. hl)

secured Lo achi<w<~opLiu111IllHt! of wnLor l'OHourcoH,it.s consot·vnt.ion,
and its preservu Lion f'or II lloc11ti vo of'fic:iuncy. l11or t.hiH purposo,
water users who arn 1-,ul>jed to reg11l11t.ionliy t.ho t.nt.<ot' by it.
own franchjse mui;L oht11i II perm i tH n 11dcomply with t.ho flnnclions
imposed on them. The enjoymon L of Lhw10 ponnitA iB not. porpet.uul
and requfre n continued demonstration of qunlit.y nncl good sorvico.
Water nlloc11tion cl<·ei::;iorn;must coinciclo wit.h n comprohonsivo

LAW ON NA'l'UHAL ltl~SOUHCl1:S AND llULl~S
OF PB.OCl1:DUltl~ FOil 11:NVI HONMlj;NTALCi\Sl~S
water supply plnn which rullecl.8 not only economic efficiency but
also environmc.mtnl nnd health vnlue8. Henceforth, whenever there
are changing needs nnd circumstances, there must also be proper
re-allocation techniques. '.l'he state cnn rc-cvnluate prior allocations
and must net to preserve the right of' p1·esent uncl future generation.
The enactment of' Lhc Glean Wnter Act thrusts the obligation
onto the water concessionaires to provide for a proper sewerage
and septage system thut complies with environmental and health
standRrds to protect present and future generations. 'J.'he magnitude
of this law is highlighted by the trust relationship among the State,
concessionaires, and water users, which must reflect a universal
intangible agreement that water is an ecological resource that needs
to be protected for the welfare of the citizens. In essence, "[t]he
public trust doctrine is based on the notion that private individuals
cannot fully own trust resources but can only hold them subject to
a servitude on behalf of the public." States can acc01nplish this goal
more efficiently through statutory regulation which was essentially
done through the legislation of the Clean Water Act, and the urgency
and significance of which is now fortified by the courts under the
public trust doctrine.

One of the country's development objectives is enshrined in
RA No. 9275. This law stresses that the State shall pursue a policy
of economic growth in a manner consistent with the protection,
preservation, and revival of the quality of our fresh, brackish,
and marine waters. It also provides that it is the policy of the
government, among others, to stroamJinc processes and procedures
in the prevention, control, and abatement of pollution mechanisms
for the protection of water resources; to promote environmental
strategies and use of appropriate economic instruments and
of control mechanisms for the protection of wnter resources; to
formulate a ho]i1,tic national pl'ogrnm of' water qunlit.y mnnngement
that recognizes thnt issues ro'lntod l.o t.lris mnnngoment cnnnot
be separated from eonccrns about wntrn· sources nnd ecological
protection, water Hupply, public health, nnd quality of' lifo; nnrl to
provide a comprehonAivc mnnagumont. program f'o1·wnt.or pollution
focusing on pollution prevonlion.r•
~Motropolitn11 M1111il11
Duvolopnwnt. J\utlwl'ity v. Concol'llod Ho1:1iclontsof
Mnniln llny, GR No. 171!M7, Due. '18, 2008, fi7'1 SCllA nOl.

CIIAP'l'l•:H XI -- Pllll.ll'PINI•: Cl,l•:AN W/\'l'l,:Jt /\C'I' ,t()(
(Hop11hllcAd No. !J~'tr,)
n. 'rho Clonn Wntel' Act roflectH u holistic nutionul

progrmn of wntcr quality mnnngcmeut
'l'hc Court., in Maynt:lad, olrncrvcd that the Clean Wnt.cr /\ct
is n sweeping pieec of' legiHlnt.ion co11solidnti111~into a coherent
v,rhole th? frngmcnted a1:1peets of quality wnter milnngcrncnt.. This
purpose 1s rellectl~d in Sect.ion 2(c) thereof', which formnlizcR the
nccci to "formu]nt.e n hofo;t.ie 11at.io1111lprogrnm of' water quality
ma1rngoment. thnt. rccognizeH t.hnt wnt.cr quality management
issues CHnnot. he sepnrnt.ed f'rnm coneenrn about water Rourccs nnd
ccologicn] protection, wnter supply, public health and qunlity of life."
The esscntinl f'rnmework of' the i\et is summed up in Section 2, the
DecJiu·Htion of' Poliey. ')'he rntio for the enactment. of' the /\ct. wns best
exp]nincd by Senn tor Robc)rt '1nworski in his sponH01·ship speech of
Senate Bi]] No. 2115, the precrn·sm· of RA No. ~)275, lo wit:
"Wnt.er pollution is n pm:t;ieulnrly costly prnblem in

densely populated urban arens such as Metro Manila.
Ninety percent of our drinking water eomes from
underground sources. But these som·ccs ure threatened
by depletion and contamination, particularly from
non-existence of' sewerage systems Ol' faulty sewerage
systems thnt seep into underground wutcr sources. F'resh
water sources ncur mnny eities h11vcibecome so severely
contaminated that more dist.ant 8ources have lo be
explored a thigh coi:;Ls.Alt.hough sophistienled purification
methods to dean polJuted rivc1·s exist, such met.hods arc
expensive and comp]icat.ed. Mcianwhile, the cost of unsafe
wntcr is u]so high. We must 1·umember and realize lhnL in
developing countries Jike Llw Philippines, nn estimated
80(.¼,of uJJ illnesses 11rewn turhorne.
Jneffieient wuter rcsourco manngonwnt. also plnyR n
role in wutcr scnn:it.y. Water reHourcos nro dovolopocl nnd
managed nwre or less, indopondunt.ly nt. diffc•ronl h•vols
of juri1,di;:Lio11 - 1111t,ion11l,ro1.do11_nl, and_ locnl -. nnd by
sepHrtll,c i-wdorR, incl11di11gmtr 11_1dl1st.1·ws, 11g-r1cul~urc\
municipul wut<,. H1tpply, r, er, 111,11.>n n1~d sn on. RHch
fr 11g,rn_mt,11tj 011 Jc udH to poor pl111111111g ol w.at.( 1· lWO and
londH puoplo to 11Hu w11tor clll'I lwrnly 1ttl(l wtt.lwut. I'< g-ard
to itH cwm1<11l1ic val110. x x .x
'l'he lnck of , 1tH1thlo,c 101111WII1.01. Im, , ,. iHn problom
. 'O\ll'<'f'H .
·
tlrnt.confronts , , · • I .
u8 t.od11y. J htH 18t.1010HHO11, Mr • Pros1dtint,
• · • l'
this comm1Uuu tho11ght o su Hllt, ,mg , l ·11· r(hismellS\ll'(!HHO\ll'

402 L/\W ON NA'l'UH./\Llll~SOUllCl•~SJ\ND llULES
OF PHOCl•~DUIUt~FOil t•:NVlllONMEN'l'J\L C/\sgs
humble contribution in rinding nllol'nnt.ive 1:mlutions. This

bill will rnt.innnlize the various govct'nment institutions
nnd n1{encies who1-1efunctions huve Jong been fragmented,
resulting in uncoordinnt.ed nnd circuitous bureaucratic
policies nnd wasted l'undH. We put to tuHk the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to come
up with Water Reports an<l Water QuuHty Management
Systems to be accomplished within a reasonable time
frame, bearing in mind the urgency of this problem.
We nlso provided the mechanism for the participation
of our local executives nnd planners, non-government
organizations and the civil society." •
b. Fra1nework for sustainable development

ln line with the objective of the Act, the framework for
sustainable development shall be pursued consonant with the policy
of the State:
a) 'J'o streamline processes and procedures in the
prevention, control and abatement of pollution of the country's
water resources;
b) To promote environmental strategies, use of
appropriate economic instruments and of control 1nechanisms
for the protection of water resources;
c) 'l'o formulate u holistic national program of water
quality management that recognizes that water quality
management issues cannot be separated fro1n concerns about
water sources and ecological protection, water supply, public
health, and quality of' life;
d) 'J'o formulate an integrated water quality nu,rn,go-
ment framework through proper delegation nnd effective
·oorc.lination of' functions and activities;
(/)
()
0)
:,
~) 'J'o promote commcrcinl and i1uhrnlrial proceR~CRnnd
:,
ro
Q. products th11t nl'e environment. friendly nncl onorgy efticiont;
:E
;:;
:::,
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0) f) To uncou!'ngo coopornt.ion and solf-rogulntion nmon!!
3
(/)
()
0)
citizc!nH und ind uBtrim; I.Ii rough t.ho n pplient.ion of incontivoR and
:,
:,
~
market-h11Hed i1rnLn1nwnl.H11nd t.o promoto t.ho rolo of private
indlrnll'inl onterpriHuH in Hh11ping itH rogulntory profile within
the ucceplalilo lmundnrioH of' public honlt.h nnd onvironment;
g) 'l'o provido for n comprohonsivc management
prngl'um for waler pollulion focusing on pollution prevention;
Cllt\P'l'l•\H XI - Pllll,ll 1l'INI•: Cl,l•:/\N \Vi\'I'1.:H /\C'I; ,10:1
(lh1p11hlk/\t:1 Nn. !l~'.7f;)
h) 'l'o promote public infnrmnt.ion nnd odt1c11t.io11

n11clLo
cncourngo the pm'l.icipnt.ion of nn inl'ormod 1111cl
ndivu p11hlicin
wnt.er quality mnnngemenl nncl mnnit.oring;
i) 'l'o formulnt.o nncl enforce n 1-wi-d.omof 11cco1111t.nhilit.y
for short. nnd long-t.ct·m nrlverne envi 1·on11w11 l,11
I i 111
pnc:I.of 11
project, program 01· nct.ivit.y;nncl
j) To oncourngc civil society nnd ol.lwr !-iecl.01·8,pnl'ti-

cularly labor, the ncadome nnd bu11inei:1H unclort:nking-environ-
ment-rclntcd activities in their efforts t.o organize, educntc 11nd
motivate the people in ndch·eRsing pert.inmtt environmont:nl
issues and problems at the local nnd nnLionnl leveh-1. 11

As used in the J\ct:
a) Aquifer - mcnns n l11ycr of water-bearing rock
located underground that t1·1rnsmitR wnl:c1· in sufficient
quantity to supply pumping wcl'ls 01· nnturnl :-:;p1·ing8.
b) Aquatic life - means nil organiHmR living m
freshwater, bracldsh nnd mnrine cnvironmontH.
c) Beneficial use - mean::; I.he UHO of' tho environment
or any element or segment t.horcof' conducive l.o public 01·privnto
welfare, safety and health; and Hl111IJinclude, hut; not he limited
to, the use of water for domestic, 111unicip11l,irl'igation, power
generation, fisherjes, Jiv<JHLoek
l'ldsi11g,induHt.rinl, rccrenlionnl
and othel' purposes.
]. Use of water for domeHt.ic pu 1·poscH- monns
en
n
Cl
::,
::,
the uti)izntion of' w11l.el' f'ol' dl'inking, w1rnhing, hnthin~.
(1)
(l_
:E
cooking 01· of.her how;elwld rwcdH, homo 1~11rdonHnncl
;:.:
:T
(")
wa Leri ng of 111
wnH 01·domeHl.ic II n i tnn lH;
Cl
3
en
n
Cl
2. UHe ol' w11l.ci1·l'or 111urlieip11l purpm10H - moan~
::,
::,
~ tlw utiHz11Lion of' wul.ol' for H11pplyi11~·wnt.or rnquironwntH
of the comm II ni l.y;
:1. UHe of wnl.0I· I'm· inignt.ion - 11wanH t.ho
utiJizutio11 of wntor fol' p1·cHlucingngl'icult.l11·11lc1·opH;
()~'"' ') U A l\T,. 11n'7r:

404 LAW ON NJ\'l'Ull/\L IU~SOUllCES AND RULES
OF PHOC!t:DUlll<: FOil 1,;NVlllONMl~N'l'AL CAsgs
,1. Use of wntcr for power generation - mean 8 the

ut.iliintion of'wnter for producing electrical or mechanical
power;
5. Use of water for fisheries - means the
utilization of water for the propagation of culture of fish
as a commercial enterprise;
6. Use of water for livestock raising - means the
utilization of water for large herds or flocks of animals
raised as a commercial enterprise;
7. Use of water for industrial purposes - means
the utilization of water in factories, industrial plants and
mines, .including the use of water as an ingredient of a
finished product; and
8. Use of water for recreational purposes -
means the utilization of water for swi1nming pools, bath
houses, boating, water skiing, golf courses and other
similar facilities in resorts and other places of recreation.
d) Classification/Reclassification of Philippine Waters
- means the categorization of all water bodies taking into
account, among others, the following: (1) existing quality
of the body of water; (2) size, depth, surface area covered,
volume, direction, rate of flow and gradient of strean1; (3) most
beneficial existing and future use of said bodies of water and
lands bordering them, such as for residential, agricultural,
aquacultural, commercial, industrial, navigational,
recreational, wildlife conservation and aesthetic purposes; and
(4) vulnerability of surface and groundwater to contamination
from pollutive and hazardous wastes, agricultural chemical$
and underground storage tanks of petroleum products.
(/)
(1
0)
::,
e) Civil Society-means non-government organizations
::,
CD
a. (NGOs) an<l people's orguniiutions (POs).
:0
g::
(")
0)
f) Cleaner produclion - moans tho npplicnt.ion of nn
3
(/)
(")
0)
integrnlod, preventive onvironmontnl st.rntegy to proces scs,
::,
::,
~ products, services to incronso of'fieioncy nnd roduee risks to
humans and the environmunt.
g) Clean-up operations - means activities involving
the removal of pollutants dischnrgod or spilled into a water
body and its surrounding areas, and the restoration of th e
CHAP'n;n, XI - PIIILll'l'INI 1; CLJt:.1\N WA'l'l~ll AC'I' t10fi
(H11p11hlicAct. No. 0~'7fi)
nffcd:cd n1·cn~t.o thoir l'ormur phyl:lic11I,

chomicnl and hiologicn.1
stn tc or condit.imrn.
h) Contnminntion - me11111-1 the introduction of
substnnccs not found in the nnturn.l composition of water that
mnke the wnter less <lcRirnblc or unfit; f'or intended uHe.
i) Depnrt:ment: - means tho Dcpnrtment of I~nviron-
ment and Natural Resources.
j) Dischnrgc - includes, but iH not limited to, the net
of spilling, lcnking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying,
releasing or dumping of' any mntcrinl ·into n water body or onto
land from which it: might: flow or drain into said water.
k) Drinking water- means wntcr intended for human
consumption or for use in food preparation.
1) Dumping - means any urn:.n1th01:iied or illegal
disposal into any body of water or lnnd of wastes or toxic or
hazardous mate.rial: Prov1'.ded,That: it docs not mean u release
of effluent coming l.'rom commercial, industrial, and domestic
sources which urc within the effluent standards.
m) Effluent - mcnns discharges from known source
whjch is pusse<l into n body of wnter or land, or wastewater
flowing out of a munufnctu r,jng plnnt, indu:;;trinl plant including
domestic, eo1nmercin I, nnd recreational l'ncilities.
n) gffiuent Htirndnnl - moans nny legal restriction
or limitation on qun nti ties, I'll tcs, I\ ncl/or concontrntion~ or
any combination thereof', of' phyHicnl, chemical or biological
parameters of ef()uont which n pm·:-:ion or point source is allowed
to dischurge into n body of' wntm· 01· land.
(/)
0
Cl
::,
::,
o) l~nvfron mun tn l mn nngonwnt; - nwn ns tlw t~ntin'
Byf::!Lc~mwhich inel11dor-i,h11I:i:..:i nol. limit.ud t.o, <'<H\S('\'Vnt.ion,
(t)
Cl.
~
g: regulation und n1i11i111iznLion ol' pollution, clonn product.ion,
(")
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3
(/) w11Hte m11n11gorno11L, onviro11nw11t.nl111w111ulpnlic~·. onviron-
0
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::, mon t:111ud uc11 tion 1111diII l'rn·11111 I.ion, Ht,ud~,n nd mit.ig-nt.ionor th<'
~
onvironmont11I i111p11ct.H ol' h1111u\nnot.ivit.y, nnd onvironmontnl
rmmn1·eh.
p) l~nvi1·01111ui11l.11I mn nngonwnt, ~wHt.om - monns

tho p11rt ol' tho ovor 11II mnn11i:{onwnl. ~wHt.omthnt. includos
org11niznt.ionnl Hl.1·11et:111·u,plnnning nct.ivit.ioA,ro~ponsihilit.io~,
1n·ncticcs, procrnl111·oA, procoHHOH nnd ruHourcoR for <lovoloping',
r
,t()l; LAW ON Nt\'l'UIU\I. 1u,:souH.Clo:H/\ND llULgs

OF PHOCl•'.l>Utn: FOH. l•:NVI llONM l•:N'l'AL CJ\8gs
implementing, nchiuving, l.'uviuwing and maintaining the

environment.a 1pol icy.
q) Freshwater - nw:1118 wnler containing less than
500 ppm dissolved common salt, sodium chloride, such as that
in groundwater, l'ivel's, ponds and lakes.
r) Groundwater - means a subsurface water that
occurs beneath R water table in soils and rocks, or in geological
formations.
s) Groundwater vulnerability - means relative ease
with which a contaminant located at or near the land surface
can mignite to the aquifer or deep well.
t) Groundwater vulnerability map - means the
identified areas of the land surface where groundwater quality
is most at risk from human activities and shall reflect the
different degrees of groundwater vulnerability based on a
range of soil properties and hydrogeological criteria to serve as
guide in the protection of the groundwater from contamination.
u) Hazardous waste- means any waste or combination
of wastes of solid, liquid, contained gaseous, or semi-solid form
which cause, or contribute to, an increase in mortality or an
increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible
illness, taking into account toxicity of such waste, its persistence
and degradability in nature, its potential for accu1nulation or
concentration in tissue, and other factors that may otherwise
cause or contribute to adverse acute or chronic effects on the
health of persons or organism.
v) Industrial waste - means any solid, sen1i-solid
or liquid waste material with no commercial value released
by a manufacturing or processing plant other than excluded
(/)
() material.
"'
:,
:,
(1)
0.
~
w) Integrated Water Quality Management Framework
~ meanR the policy guideline intogt·nt.ing nll the existing
()
"'
3 frameworks pl'cpnred by 11IIgovornmont. agencies on water
(/)
()
"'
:,
:,
quality involving 1101lut.ion l'rom nil Rom·ces. Specificnlly, the
~
framework shall con tn i11 the l'ollowing: (n) wnter quality goals
and targeLH; (b) p01·iod of' comp Iinnco; (c) water pollution control
strategies and l:C!chniqucm; (d) water quality information and
education program; and (o) human resources development
program.
CHAPTER >-1- PHII..lPPI~E: CLE..\:'\ W.:\T&R ..\IT ~o-;
(Republic :\c! :--:o.9~'t5)
x) :\fargin- means a land·ward nnd outer limiting e-dgc

adjacent to the border of any water bodies or n limit be~·ond
where saturation zone ceases to exist.
y) National \Vat.er Quality Status Report - menns
report to be prepared by the Department indicating: (i) the
location of water bodi~. their water quality. taking into nccount
seasonal. tidal and other Yariations. existing and potential uses
and sources of pollution per specific pollutant and pollution load
assessment: (ii) water quality management areas pursuant to
Section 5 of this Act; and (iii) ,,..ater classification.
z) Non-point source - means any source of pollution
not identifiable as point source to include. but not be limited to.
run-off from irrigation or rainwater which picks up pollutants
from farms and urban areas.
aa) Point source - means any identifiable soui-ce of
pollution "ith specific point of discharge into a particular
water body.
bb) Pollutant - shall refer to any substance, whether
solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive, which directly or indirectly:
(i) alters the quality of any segment of the recei,·ing
water body so as to affect or tend to affect adversely any
beneficial use thereof;
(ii) is hazardous or potentially hazardous to health:
(iii) imparts objectionable odm\ temperature
change, or physical, chemical or biological change to nny
segment of the water body; or
(iv) is in excess of the allowable limits or concont.rn-
tions or quality standards specified, or in contrnvent.ion of
(/)
(")
Q)
:,
the condition, limitation or restriction proscrilwd in t.hi~
:,
(l)
a. Act.
:.;,
;:.:
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(")
Q)
cc) Pollution control technology - means pollution
3(/)
(")
Q)
control devices or appnrntus, processes, or other nwmrn t.hnt
:,
:,
~
effectively prevent, control or reduce pollution of wnt.or cnu~ell
by effluents and other discharges, from nny point. Hourcc nt.
levels within the water pollution stnndnrds.
dd) Potentially infectious medicnl wnsto - includes iso-
lation wastes, infectious agents, human blood nnd blood_prod-
ucts, pathological wastes, sharps, body parts, contanunntcd
""I
'108 I.AW ON NA'l'UltAL HESOlJHCt•:SAND llULl•~S

OF l'HOCEDUHE F()H ENVll(ONM l•~NTAL CMms
be<lrlin~, fntrgicnl wn1-1teH,

nnd othel' diHposnble me<licul equip-
ment and nrnterinl thnt may poHe n t'iHk l:o th<~public hcalt:h,
welfare 01· tlw marine environnient..
ee) Secretary - 111eansthe Secretary of the Department
of Environment and Nnturnl Resources (DENR).
ff) Scptnge - menns the sludge produced on individual
onsite wastewatcr-<lisposnl systems, principnlly septic tanks
and cesspools.
gg) Sewage - mcnns water-borne human or
animal wastes, excluding oil or oil wastes, removed from
residences, buildings, institutions, industrial and commercial
establishments together with such groundwntcr, surface water
and storm water as may be present including such waste from
vessels, offshore structures, other receptacles intended to
receive or retain wastes, or other places or the combination
thereof.
hh) Sewerage - includes, but is not limited to, any
system or network of pipelines, <litchcs, channels, or conduits
including pumping. stations, lift: stations and force mains,
service connections including other constructions, devices, and
app]iances appurtenant; thereto, which involves the collection,
transport, pumping and trentment; of sewage to a point of
disposa].
ii) Sludge - means uny solid, semi-solid or liquid
waste or residue generated from a wnstewnter treatment
plant, water supply treatment; plant, or water control pollution
facility, or any other such waste having similar characteristics
and effects.
jj) Surf'acu wuler - mcnns all wnter which is open to
the atmosphere nnd subject to surl'nco 1·un-ol'f.
(/)
0
0)
:,
:,
kk) Treatment - m<.mns nny mot.hocl, t.echniquo, or
ro
n.
:E
;::;:
proccHH dei;ig11e<lto nltei· tho phyHicnl, chomicnl m· biolo~icnl
:,-
(')
0)
nnd radiologic11l ch11rncLor 01· compm-{it.ion of nny wm1to or
3
(/)
0
waHlewater to l'(Jduco 01· pl'uvonl. pollution.
0)
:,
:,
~ 11) 'l'oxic 11111ounl.- monnH t.ho lowost. nmount. of
concentration of' toxic pull11t.nnt.11 which mny cnuHo chronic 01·
Jong-term aculo ol' lut.h11lconclit.ionn 01·offocls t.o tho nqnntic life
or health of' perAOllH 01· which mny n<lvorsoly nffoct designated
watol' uses.
CHAPTER XI - PIIILJPPINJ,; CLEAN WJ\'l'Jm ACT i10D
(Hopuhlic Act No. !J27o)
mm) Wnste - meanH nny mnt.e1·i11leither HolicJ,liquid,

semi-solid, contained gaH or other fo1·mH resulting from
industrial, commercinl, mining or ngricult.urnl operations, or
from community and household activities that is devoid of
usage and discarded.
nn) Wastewater - means waste m liquid state
containing pollutants.
oo) Water body_ b
bodies of fresh b ] . l means oth· natural and man-made
not lin i·ted t , rac•r.ns 1 ' and sal·ine waters, and mcludes,
• but is
· 1 o ' aqmiers ' ground t •
wa er, springs creeks streams
rivers pond 1 ' , ,
coast~l ands, a.~oons, wa.ter reservoirs, lakes, bays, estuarine,
manne waters. Water bodies do not refer to those
constructed
•• . ' devel ope d an d use d purposely as water treatment
facilities
. and/or water storage for r ecyc1·ing an d re-use wh1ch •
are integral to process industry or manufacturing.
_PP) Water pollution - means any alteration of the
physical, chemical or biological or radiological properties of a
water body resulting in the impairment of its purity or quality.
qq) Water quality - means the characteristics of water
which define its use in terms of physical, chemical, biological,
bacteriological or radiological characteristics by which the
acceptability of water is evaluated.
rr) Water quality guidelines - means the level for a
water constituent or numerical values of physical, chemical,
biological and bacteriological or radiological parameters which
are used to classify water resources and their use, which does
not result in significant health risk and which are not intended
for direct enforcement but only for water quality management
purposes, such as determining time trends, evaluating stages
(/)
()
0l
of deterioration or enhancement of the water quality, and as
::,
::,
ID
a.
basis for taking positive action in preventing, controlling or
~
~
()
abating water po)]ution.
0l
3(/)
()
ss) Water Quality Managcmcn_t Ar~n Action Plan -
0l
::,
::, includes, but not be limited to, the iollowmg: (1) l(OHls nnd 1
~ 1 1 8
11
targets including sewern ge or scp tn ge I ·ogr'. 11 ; (2) ""?"" ~
. 1· t "Ct tl1e 'l)Jt)lic11blc t'O<Jllll'Otnonts ot tlu~
of comp 1ancc ;o m~. ., . I I . t ,,gios 01· t.ochrnques;
• (tJ)
Act·' (3) water
. . po1lut10n
. . conLJ o s ,111,,
. t· •
rogrnm; (5) resource
water quality mformatwn and e<1ucn wn P •
,
410 LAW ON Nt\'l'UHJ\L HESOU!tcgs AND HUL11:S
OF PHOCEDUHE FOR ENVIHONMgN'l'AL CASES
requirement and possible sources; (G) enforcement procedures

of the plan; and (7) rcwnrrls and incentives under Chapter '1 of
this Act.;
B. General Provisions
05. Water quality management area.
The Depart1nent, in coordination with National Water
Resources Board (NWRB), shall designate certain areas as water
quality managen1ent areas using appropriate physiographic
units such as watershed, river basins or water resources regions.
Said management areas shall have similar hydrological, hydro-
geological, meteorological or geographic conditions which affect
the physicochemical, biological and bacteriological reactions and
diffusions of pollutants in the water bodies, or otherwise share
common interest or face similar development programs, prospects,
or problems.
Said 1nanagement area shall be governed by a governing board
composed of representatives of 1nayors and governors of member
local government units (LGUs), and representatives of relevant
national government agencies, duly registered nongovernmental
organization, water utility sector, and business sector. The Depart-
ment representative shall chair the governing board. In the case of
the LGUs with 1nemberships on more than one management board,
the LGU shall designate only one single representative for all the
management areas where it is a member.
The governing board sha11 formulate strategies to coordinate
policies necessary for the effective implementation of this Act in
accordance with those established in the framework nnd monitor
en
()
a,
::,
::,
the compliance with the action plan. 11
(1)
C.
:E
;:.
~
0
06. Management of non-attainment areas.
a,
3
en
()
a,
::,
The DepnrtmcHt Hhal1 designnt.e wut.ol' ho<lioH. or port.ions
::,
~ thereof, where specific poJJ11tnnt.1:;
from oil.hot· nnturnl or mnn-nu1<lt1
source have already exceeded wutor qunlit.y guidolinos ns non·
attainment areas for the exconducl pollutnnts. rt shall propnre and
7
8cc. '1, RA No. 9275.
t1scc. fi, RA No. 9275.
I
Cll/\P'l'l~ll XI - PIIILIPPINI•: CLl•:i\N WA'J'EH i\C'I' 111
(Hop11hlic/\c:t.No, !l!l7fi)
implement. n J>l'OJ.tl'llll\th11t, will not allow new HourceH of exceeded

wnter pollutnnt. in 11011-nttninmenL nrens wiLhout a corresponding
rerludion in dischnl'ges from existing sources.
The Department shaH, in coordination with NW.RB,Department
of HeRlth (DOH), Department of Agriculture (DA), governing board
and other concerned government agencies and private sectors shall
tRke such measures as may be necessary to upgrade the quality of
such water in non-attainment areas to meet the standards under
which it has been classified.
The LGUs shall prepnre and implement contingency plans and
other measures including relocation, whenever necessary, for the
protection of health and welfare of the residents within potentially
affected areas. 11
07. Domestic sewage collection, treatment and disposal.

The agency vested to provide water supply and sewerage
facilities and/or concessionaires in Metro Manila and other highly
urbanized cities (HUCs) as defined in RA No. 7160, in coordination
with LGUs, shall be required to connect the existing sewage line
found in all subdivisions, condominiums, commercial centers, hotels,
sports and recreational facilities, hospitals, market places, public
buildings, industrial complex and other similar establishments
including households to available sewerage system: Provided, That
the said connection shal] be subject to sewerage services charge/fees
in accordance with existing Jaws, rules or regulations unless the
sources had already utilized their own sewerage system: Provided,
further, That a1l sources of sewage and septage shall comply with
the requirements herein.
Tn areas not considered as HU Cs, the DPWH in coor<lination
with the Department, DOH nnd other concerned agencies, shall
mploy 1-mptageor combined sewerage-sept.ago management system.
(J)
"
a,
:,
:, The DOH in coordination v,1ith othor govornmont ng-encies,
shall formulaL<~'g11ideJines11ndst1111cl11rds
/1)
a.
;;, for t.lwcollodion, trontnwnt
s-
()
a,
:-ind disposal of 1-wwugeincl11ding guidolinos for Uw oBtnbliRhmont
3 111
(J)
and operation of c,mtr11liiud Huw11gotrout mont. t-iystom.
"
a,
:,
:,
~
11
Sec. <>,HA No. fl~7n.
JOScc.8, ibid.
·112 LAW ON Ni\'l'UHAL H!t:SOUIH:1,:sAND HULJ•:8
OF PHOCEDUHE FOH ENVIHONMEN'l'AL CASES
n. Necessity for scwcru~e facilities

As stressed in Maynilad Hla/.cr Services, Inc. v. Secretary of
Enuironnwnt and Natural Rcso111·ces,11 the necessity for sewers
and sewage, septage, and sewerage faciliticH is a mntter not up for
debate. Sewer, as generally understood in law, has reference to the
underground can11l or passage by means of which cities are drained
and the filth or refuse liquids nre cnnied to the sen, river, or other
places or reception, but it hns nlso been applied Lo an underground
structure for conducting the water of n natural strcnm. Either wny,
sewers are constructed as sanitary mensuros for the public good.
Septage arc waste found in septic tnnks, or the sludge produced on
individual onsite wnstewater-disposnl systems, principnlly septic
tanks and cesspool.. Although sewage and sewera{-[c arc terms used
often interchangeably, there is n distinction between th 'two, the word
sewerage being usually applied to a system of sewers, and sewage to
the matter carried off. A more graphic description of scwnge under
DAO No. 2005-1.0 triggers the extreme necessity to contain it - it
means water-borne human or animal wastes, excluding oil or oil
wastes, removed from residences, buildings, ins ti tu Lions, industrial
and commercial establishments together with such groundwater,
surface water and storm water ns maybe present including such
waste from vesse]s, offshore structures, other receptacles intended
to receive or retain wastes, or other places or the combinalion
thereof. Sewerage systems and the disposal of sewage nre matters of
particular imporlance to municipalities and locnl govcrnrn 'nt units,
what with the general health and environmental significance und
hazards lhey impose.
b. Obligation of water utility con1pnnics to provide

sewerage services n1nndn tory
'I'he Clean Water /\ct rcquirui, wnt.or utility companies to
provide for sewerage and sopLngo mn11ngomont. sorvicos wit.hin !ivo
(5) yean, of the la w'H p11HH1tgc. Suet.ion 8 ol' I.ho Act provides ns follows:
Col/ec:tion,Treatment
"SEC'J'fON 8. Do111(:Hlic:Se1tJc1g,1
and /Jispmull. - Within fivo (R) yo1trH following tho
cffectivity of thiH Act, tho 1tgo11cyv<HLod t.o provido wnto1·
supp]y nnd sewnrngo f'ncilitieA 1tnd/or concosHionniros in
11
GR No. 2028!)7, Aug-.G, 20m.
CIIAl''l'lt:lt XI - Pllll,f l'l'INJt: C:l,J,;ANWA'l'l~ll ACT
(Hopuhlic Act N11, !1:J.'/fi)
Met.ro M1111ilnmul ot.hm· hi1~hly 111·h1111i,r,ed c.:iti,1H(HUCH)

11srl ,fined in H.<public Ac.:t.No. 71 (i(), in coordinntion with
LGUs, Hhnll ho rnquired to c.:onnecL Lhe exiHLing H •wage
line foHnd in nil AHhdivisiuns, c.:ondominiumH, cornmercinl
centers, hot.o]H, sportA nnd recreationnl fncilitieH,
hospit.nls, rnarkot pluceH, public l>uildingH, industrial
complex nnd other similn,· eHtsthlishmcnf.s including
households to nvnilnblc sewerage system: Proviclccl, 'I'hnt
the suid connection shnll be subject to sewerage serviccH
charge/fees in accordance with existing lnwR, ruler; or
regu]ations unless the sources hud nlrcady ut.ili,r,cd their
own sewerage RyHtcm: Provided, further, 'I'hnt. sill sources
of sewage and septnge shall comply with the requirements
herein."
The obligation imposed by Section 8 thereof', as implemented

by Rule 8 of DAO No. 05-10, to connect the existing sewerage lines
is mandatory and unconclitionul. After the oxpfrn tion of the five-
year compliance period, the obligatory force oC Section 8 become
immediate and can be enforced without subordination to the
happening of a future and unccrtnin ovcnt. i
1
c. Water concessionaires lined for violation of the

Clean Water Act
The transcendental nature of the issues ruisccl in Nlaynilad, t:i
involving matters of extreme pub'lic interest, places the case on
an epochal plateau as tho Supreme Coul't rcnl'firmed the basic
tenet that water is a vituJ pnrt of humnn existence and that watel'
management in terms of quality and efficiency is a public trust. ln
this context, the public is regnrdecl ns the beneficial ownel' of trust
resources, and courts cnn enforce tho public tnu;l doctrine even
against the government itself.
In r-mid case, the right to clisLl'ibuto wntol' wns gnmlod by thC'
Staie via utiJity franchises to potit.ionm·s !Vlnynilnd nnd .Mnniln
Water, under expn.!sA statutory rogulnt.io11 thl'ough its clelog·att~ l
repre1:wntativo, tho MWSS. Tho St.nt.o confunod tho frnnchi~o lo
theme concw-rnionniroH, working undot· t.ho fit·m bolic f lhnt they ~hall
Herve us protcctorn of' Lhu public i11tor0Ht nnd t.ln oit il-{ 11\t')'. On \pl'il
1
~1u1<1.
l!lfill/Jl'Q,
.....
-..
·l l •I LAW ON NA'l'UllAL IIESOIJIWl•:S AND l!Ul.1°:8

OF l'IH)CEDUIU.: FOH 1•:NVIHONMl•:N'l'AI. CASl•:S
2. 2009. the He1{ionnl Office oft.ho Dep11rL111entof l•~nvironmcnt, and

Nntural Hc~ources (DENI{) I•:11viro1111w11t.nl M1tn11~emont. Bureau.
Hegion 111(EM B-Rl 11)nied n co111plnin t, before the D l•:NR'APollution
Adju<lication Uonrcl (PJ\B) chnrginJ~ MWSS 11nclits conccs8ionaircs,
Maynilnd and Mnniln \,Vntcr, with fniluro to provide, instnll, operate,
and maintnin ndequnte Wastewater TrenLtncnL Facilities (WWTF:-1)
for sewerage system resulting in the clegrndcd qunlity nnd heneficial
use of the receiving bodies of waler lending lo Mnnila Bay, and
which has directly forestalled the DENR's mnndate to implement
the operational plan for the rehabilitnlion nnd restoration of Manila
Bay and its river tributaries. Acting on the complaint, the SENR
ruled tlrnt under the Clean Water Act, the provisions on the five-
year period to connect the existing sewage lines, is mandatory, and
the refusal of petitioners' customers to connect to a sewage line is
irrelevant to Section 8 of the law. The SENR further stated that
petitioners' failure to provide a centralized sewerage system and
connect all sewage lines is a continuing unmitigated environmental
pollution resulting in the release and discharge of untreated water
into various water areas and Manila Bay. The Court of Appeals
sustained the action taken by the SENR and dismissed petitioners'
separate "petitions for review."
In affirming the appellate court's decision, the Supreme Court
ruled that petitioners violated the following obligations imposed by
Section 8 of the Clean Water Act dissected as follows:
1. 'I'he setting of' the obligation is prefaced by stating a
day certain for its complete pel'f'ol'mnnce - period of within
five years fro1n effcctivity of the Clean Water Act.
2. The actors here arc "the agenc[iesl vested to
provide water supply and sewerage facilities and/
or concessionaires in ·Metro Manila nncl other highly
en urbanized cities (HUCs)."
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a. The prestation sot by law is tho "[connection
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otl the existing sewage lino f'ouncl in nll subdivisions,
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condomi nh1n1s, con1nwrcin 1 con tors, hotels, sports
en
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und recrentionnl fucilitius, hospitals, 1unrl<ot places,
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~ public buildingH, in<-hrntl'inlcmuplox and othor shnilar
estahlisluncnlH inehuling honsoholds to avnilnble
sewerage HyHtmn."
Contrary to petitionm·A' contonlion thnt. Section 7 of the Clean
Water Act is a conclit:ion precoclont to tho application of Section 8,
.....
Cllt\l''l'l.;H, XI - l'll/1,/1 1 1'/N/•: cu:t\N WA'/'/,;/l, /\G'/' ,1.1r,
(llop11hllc:/\c:1.No, 11:nr,)
t:hc Coul'f, Hf,1•rn-mod I.ho f.wo pl'OViHio11Hprovide f'or different nnd

t.11111.
diHcn11nedecl co111pli11 nee pel'iodH rnclw11ed from I.ho <Jffcctivi Ly of the
Clenn \\Tntor /\ct.. ·111 nll, nothing i11Sud.ions 7 1111d 8 of the~Clean
Wntm· /\ct 01· ii.A I RH. 115 stutcs or, 111.tho very lu,u:it,implies that. the
fol'mer is n conrlition precedent of' Urn lnUer. l•'rom the foregoing, it
is nppHrcnl. thnt I.he ol>JigaH011imposed on putitionerH by Section 8,
HS implemented by Rule 8 of DAO No. 05-10, to connect the existing
sewerage lines is mandntory nnd unconditio1111I. After the expiration
of tJrn five-year compliance period, tho oblig11l.oryforce of Section B
becomes immcdinte nnd cnn L>oenforced against petitioners without
subordination to the happening of a future and uncertain event.
Accordingly, the Court ruled ns follows:
"MayniJad and Manila Water aro distinctly

accountable under their respective Concession
Agreements for the fines imposed by the SENR at the
initial rate of PhP200,000.00 a day from M:ay 7, 2009
until date of promulgation of this Decision, in the total
amount of PhP921,461,184.00 per concessionaire.
MWSS shaJJ be soli.dar.ily liable for these ]iabilities for
fines of its concessionaires, having bound itself to have
jurisdiction, supervision, and control over all waterworks
and sewerage systems within Metro Manila, the entire
province of Rizal, a portion of Cavite, and a portion of
Bulacan and for gn-Jnting Maynilad and Manila Water
the right to operate the waterworks and sewerage areas
in these Service A1~eas. Thereafter, they shall be fined
in the amount of PhP:322, 102.00 a day, subject to the
biennial 10'¼,adjustment provided under Section 28 until
petitioners shall have fuJJy complied with Section 8 of
the Clean Water Act. Tho fines shnll likowiRo onrn legal
interest: of six percent (G'½i)per nnnum from finality of
this Decision unUJ full sntisf'Hctionthereof."
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Q. C. Water Pollu lion Per,nitH and Clit1r1.:es
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3 08. Wastewaterchargesystem.
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'J1heDop11rtment Hh11IIi111pJomonl,11w11Ht.owHtot·
ehat·go8.Y!-ltom
in HJJman1:1genwnturonH inclt1Cliug tho Lngunn Lnlrn Hogion and
H.egionaJJndut;;I.J'iaJContm•f! through tho colloction of wastowntor
chal'ges/foes. Tho syHtcm BhuJJ ho 08t.abliRhodon the bnsiH of
..
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(; I.A\\' ON N/\'l'UH/\1. IOi:HOIJIH:11:H AND IUJl.l•!H
OF l'HOClm\Jln: FOH 11:NVIIIONM l•:N'l'AL CA!·Ho:H
pnynwnt. to t.lw novt 1·nnamt. for diHchnrging wnRl,ewutor into the•

1
wnt l't' brnlit'!4.11
09. Discharge permits.

The Dcpnrt.menl sholl require owners or operators of facilities
t.hnt. rlischnr1~c rcgu lntcd effluents pursuant to secure a permit to
<li~chnrge. 1'hc cHRchnl'gcpermit shn11 be the legal authorization
grnnlcd by t.hc Dcpnrt.mcnt to discharge wastewater. 'rhe discharge
permit 8hnll Rpecify nmong othcrA, the quantity and quality of
fflucnt thnt. snid f'ncilitics arc nlJowcd to discharge into a particular
water body, compliance schedule and monitoring requirement.'~
D. Financial Liability Mechanism

10. Financial liability for environmental rehabilitation.
The Department shall require program and project proponents
to put up environmcntnl guarnntec fund (EGF) as part of the
environmentul management plan attnche<l to the environmental
compliance certificate pursuunt to PD No. 1586 and its implementing
rules unc.l regulations. The EGF shall finance the maintenance
of the heulth of the ecosystems and specially the conservation of
watersheds and aquifers affected by the development, and the needs
of emergency response, clean-up or rehabilitation of areas that may
be damuged during the program's or project's actual implementation.
Liu bi lily for dumuges shnll continue even after tho termination of a
program 01· project nnd, until the lapse of a given period indicated
in the environmental compliance certificate, as determined by tho
Dcpmtment. •
11. Clean~up operations.

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Notwjthst11nding tho provisiorn-i of Soctiom:1 l f> nnd 2G hereof,
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uny pernon who c11useHpoll11t.ionin or pollut.08 wntor bodio~ in e.xcoss
:r
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of Orn upplic11l>le1111dpn!vniling Rl.nnclnl'dRshall bo t'08ponsiblo to
a,
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conluin, removu and clunn-11p nny pollution incidont nt his own
a,
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'XJHmHOt.o t.hlloxtont. Urnt t.ho 1➔ 1111w w11tor bodim-1hnvo boon rendered
!!l
unlit for uliliz11tio11und lwnofici11l\IMO. In tho ovont. omorgoncy clean·
up nperutionH nrn 110<.:UH1➔ 11ry 11ndtho pollut.or foils t.o immodintcly
underlulrn tho 1:m11w, tho Dopnrtmont, in coordinntion with other
14
1:foc.I :l, HA No. ll27fi.
ll•Scc. 1·1, iliid.
CHAPTER XI - PHILIPPINE CLEAN WATER ACT 417
government agencies concerned, shall conduct containment, removal

and c~ean-up operations. Expenses incurred in said operations shall
be reimbursed by the persons found to have caused such pollution
upon proper ad1ninistrative determination in accordance with the
Act. Rei1nbursements of the cost incurred shall be made to the
\Vater Quality Manage1nent Fund or to such other funds where said
disbursements were sourced. 16
a. • Concerned government agencies required to act

even in the absence of specific pollution incident
In Metro Manila Development Authority v. Concerned Residents
'of Manila Bay, 11 the Court, through Justice Velasco, ruled that even
in the absence of a specific pollution incident, the Metro Manila
Development Authority (MMDA) and other concerned agencies are
required to "to take such measures as may be necessary to meet
the prescribed water quality standards". They are not to confine
themselves to the containment, removal, and cleaning operations
only when a specific pollution incident occurs. In fine, the underlying
duty to upgrade the quality of water is not conditional on the
occurrence of any pollution incident.
b. Enforcement through the writ of continuing

mandamus
Referring in particular to the clean-up of Manila Bay, the
Court said that the cleanup and/or restoration of the Manila Bay is
only an aspect and the initial stage of the long-term soluti_o~. ~he
preservation of the water quality of _the bay after_ t~e rehab~htahon
process is as important as the cleaning p~ase. It ~s 1mp~rative then
that the wastes and contaminants found 111the rivers, inland bays,
and other bodies of water be stopped from reaching the :Nianila
Bay. Otherwise, any clean-up effort wo':ld just be a futile,_ cosmetic
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exercise for in no time at all, the Manila Bay water quality would
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again d~teriorate below the ideal minimum standards set by PD
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No. 1152, RA No. 9275, and other relevant laws_.The C?urt furth~r
()
0) said that, under extraordinary circumstances, 1t, may 1~sue n w~·1t
mandamus w1,·1·}1 th e 8 nd 1·n ot ensurm
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of continuing •
view
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indifference. 18
rnsec. 16, RA No. 9275.

17GR No. 171947, Dec. 18, 2008, 574 SCRA 661.
lBJbid.
418 L \WON NATUHAL 1msoUHCE8 /\ND RULES
oi/PHOCEDUHE FOH.ENVIHONMENT/\L CASES
c. LLDA chnrgcd with the responsibility of protecting

the inhabitants frmn the deleterious effects of
pollutants in the Laguna Lake area
RA No. 4850 (Laguna Lake Development Authority Act)
specifically mandates the LLDA to carry out and make ~ffective
the declared national policy of promoting and accelerating the
development and balanced growth of the Laguna Lake area and
the surrounding provinces of Rizal, and Laguna and the cities of
San Pablo, Manila, Pasay, Quezon, and Caloocan with due regard
and adequate provisions for environmental management and
control, preservation of the quality of human life and ecological
systems, and the prevention of undue ecological disturbances,
deterioration and pollution. LLDA, by virtue of its special charter,
has the responsibility to protect the inhabitants of the Laguna Lake
region from the deleterious effects of pollutants emanating from the
discharge of wastes from the surrounding areas.
Under Section 4-A of RA No. 4850, as amended, LLDA is
entitled to compensation for damages resulting from failure to meet
established water and effluent quality standards, thus:
"Sec. 4-A. Compensation for damages to the water

and aquatic resources of Laguna de Bay and its tributaries
resulting from failure to meet established water and
effluent quality standards and from such other wrongful
act or omission of a person, private or public, juridical or
otherwise, punishable under the law shall be awarded to
the Authority to be earmarked for water quality control
and management."rn
E. Institutional Mechanism
12. Lead agency.
Th_e Departme~t shall be the primary government agency

respons1hle for the implementation and enforcement of this Act
unles_sotherwise provided herein. As such, it shnll hnve the following
funct10ns, powers, and responsibilities:
a) Prepare ~ NAtional Wator Qunlity Stntus Report
within 24 months f rom tlie e f'f'octtv1ty
• • of this Act: Provided,
19
Alexandra Condominium Co.1110111, 1• I
ity GR No 169228 . ,wn v • .,ngunn Lnko Devolopment Author·
' • 8
, cpt. 11, 200B, oD!) SCHA 452.

CHAPTER XI - PHILIPPINE CLEAN WA'l'ER ACT 419
That the Department shall thereafter review or revise and

publish annually, or as the need arises said report·
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b) Prepare an Integrated Water Quality Management C
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Framework within 12 months following the completion of the Cl)
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status report; u"'
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c) Prepare a ten-year Water Quality Management Qj
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Area Action Plan within 12 months following the completion "'

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of the framework for each designated water management

area. Such action_ plan shall be reviewed by the water quality
management area governing board every five years or as the
need arises;
d) Prepare and publish a national groundwater
vulnerability map incorporating the prevailing standards and
methodologies, within 24 months after the effectivity of this
Act·
'
e) Enforce, review and revise within 12 months from
the effectivity of this Act water quality guidelines after due
consultation with the concerned stakeholder sectors: Provided,
That the Department, in coordination with appropriate
agencies shall review said guidelines every five years or as
need arises;
f) Review and set effluent standards every five years
from the effectivity of this Act or sooner as determined by the
Department: Provided, That in the interim, the provisions of
DENR AO No. 35 of the Department shall apply: Provided,
further, That when new and more stringent standards are set
in accordance with this section, the Department may establish
a grace period with a maximum of five years: Provided, finally,
That such grace period shall be limited to the moratorium on
the issuance of cease and desist and/or closure order against
the industry's operations except in the event such operation
poses serious and grave threat to the environment, or the
industry fai]s to institute retooling, upgrading or establishing
an environmental management system (EMS).
g) Establish within 12 months from tho offodivity of
this Act, internationa11y-accepted procedures fewsampling nnd
analysis of pollutants and in coordination with other concornod
agencies, formuJate testing procod1HOB and ostnblish nn
accreditation system for laboratories;
,
II
-t~O LAW ON NA'l'lllU\li 1n::-mu1w 1•:H~~~) H,(~~~~'H
OF l'HOC!i:l>Utn: FOH l•:NVIl!ONM l•,NI /\LC , "
h) \\lit hin l H motd.hR fro111 1.110, effec.:~,ivityof' this ~ct

and t'\'Pry ,, • , po111Lnnd
two .\'Onr~t.Iwren t't,01,, t"1togor1zo - non-point ai
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~O\ll'\'l'S or wntL'l' pollut.ion;

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Clnssi(v groun<lwnl01· sources within

i) 12 months u
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from the cffect.ivity of th is Act; "Cl
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j) Classify or reclnssify all water bodi~s. according to u

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their beneficial usngos. ln the interim, the provrnwns o_fDE~R

AO No. 34 shall apply. '.l'he classification or reclass1ficat10n
shall take into consideration the operation of businesses or
facilities that are existing prior to the effectivity of the Act.
The Department may authorize the use of the water for
other purposes that are more restrictive in classification. The
discharges resulting from such use shall meet the effluent
standards set by the Department;
k) Exercise jurisdiction over all aspects of water
pollution, determine its location, magnitude, extent, severity,
causes, effects and other pertinent information on pollution,
and to take measures, using available methods and technologies
to prevent and abate such pollution;
1) Exercise supervision and control over all aspects of
water quality management;
m) Establish a cooperative effort in partnership with
the government, LGUs, academic institutions, civil society and
the private sector to attain the objectives of the Act;
n) Disseminate information and conduct educational
awareness and value formation prograi~s and campaigns on
the effects of water pollution on health and environment water
'
quality management, and resource conservation and recovery
to encourage an environmentally action-oriented society in
coordination with government agencies identified in Section
22(f);
o) Promote nnd oncourngo pl'.ivnto nnd business sectors

especially manufacturing nnd processing plnnts the use of
water quality munugoment systoms equipment, including but
not limited to, in<ltrntrial wnstownto1· troutmont collection and
treatment facilities;
P) Report, on an annual basis, to Congress the quality

st atus of water bodies and other pertinent information and
CHAPTER XI-PHILIPPINE CLEAN WATER ACT 421
(Hcpuhlic Act No. !J27u)
recommend possible legislation, policies and programs for

environmental manngement and water pollution control; a;
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q) Issue rules and regulations for the effective (/)
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implementation of the provisions of this Act; (.)
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r) Issue orders against any person or entity and impose -0
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fines, penalties and other administrative sanctions to compel C
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compliance with water quality regulations and the provisions
of the Act;
s) Undertake appropriate protocol with other concerned
agencies for immediate coordinated responses to water related
emergency incidents;
t) Issue permits, clearances and similar instruments
pursuant to the Act; and
u) Exercise such powers and perform such other
functions as may be necessary to carry out the objectives of the
Act.
The Department shall gradually devolve to the LGUs, and to the
governing boards the authority to administer some aspects of water
quality management and regulation, including, but not to be limited
to, permit issuance, monitoring, and imposition of administrative
penalties, when, upon the Department's determination, the LGU
or the governing board has demonstrated readiness and technical
capability to undertake such functions. 20
a. The D ENR is the primary agency for the enforcement

and implementation of all aspects of' water quality
management
The DENR, under EO No. 192 (1987), is the primary agency
responsible for the conservation, management, development, and
proper use of the country's environment and natural resources.
Section 19 of the Philippine Clean Water Act of 200,1 (RA No. 9275),
on the other hand, designates the DENR as the primary governmont
agency responsible for its enforcement nnd implomontntion, moro
particularly over all aspects of water quality mnnngomont. On
water pollution, the DENR, under tho Act's Section 1D(k), oxorci8o8
jurisdiction "over alJ aspect, 8 of' water pollution, <lolormino[8j its
20
Sec. 19, RA No. 9275.
~
1
,122 LAW ON N/\'l'lJH/\1, 111<:HOIJltCl•:H
/\ND 1!.IJLl:H
1
OF PHOCEl>UHEFOi! l1:NVll!ONMl•:N'lAL (!AHl•:H
locnt.ion, mngnit.ude, oxt.ont., Hovol'ity, c11uHof:l 11ncJother

1111d off'ec.:I.H
<ii
pertinent. infot·mnt.ion on pollut.ion, 11ncl lt,nkoHI mo11Huru8, w-iing C:
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nvnilnhh? met.hods nncl technologieH, t.o prevent ,ind ttbnte Huch Cf)
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pollution''. 'l'he DENR hi nlHo t.11Hkedl.o prepurc II N11tional WatC!r "'
(.)
Qunlit.y St.nt.us Report., nn lnt.egrnt.ed Wntcr Quality Manngement -=

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Framework, nnrl u tcn-ycnr W11t.el' Qu11lit.y Mnnag<:mcnt Area C:

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Action Plnn which is nnt.ionwicle in H<.:opccovcl'ing the Manila Bay Cf)
and ndjoining nrens.i 1
b. The Pollution Adjudicntion Doard (PAil) is the

agency generally cluu·gcd with the <lctcrmination
nnd resolution of pollution cuscs
l~O No. 192 transferred t.o the Pollution Adjudication Board
(PAB) the powers nnd functions of t:hc National Pollution and
Control Commission provided in RA No. 3981, n8 amended by PD
No. 984. These empowered the PAB to "[d]ct:orminc the locution,
magnitude, extent, severity, cnusos nncl effects" of water pollution.
Among its functions is to "fs]ervc us arbHrntor for the determination
of reparation, or restitution of the damages und losses resulting
from pollution." In this rcgur<l, the PAD has the power to conduct
hearings, impose penalties for violation of PD No. 984, and issue
writs of execution to enforce its orders and decisions. The PAB's
final decisions may be reviewed by the Court: of Appeals under Rule
43 of the Rules of Court.il
But in Maynila.d Water Services, Inc. v. Secretary uf Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR),Z:1 t.he Court: declared:
"However, the.Orders of the SENR m·o different from

the issuances of the PAB. While under its 1997 rules, the
PAB had jurisdiction to impose the lino or nclministrntivo
sanction on alJ caoes of pollution, it. is Suet.ion 28 118 of the
CJeun Water Act und it.o JIll{, Huie 28 of DAO No. 2005-10,
which must be correctly npplied. It. Wll8 nlroady in offect
in 2009 un<l l::ipcciHcully hest:ows upon t.hu Sucn)tnry
of the DENR, upon rucon1111mulnt.ion of tho PAB.
1
:t Mctropolit1111M11nil11l>ovolop1111111t.
l\11th11l'1tyv. Co11rnnwd H(1:1idunh1of
Munilu Buy, u11pr11.
:t:tstwll Philippi11011l~xplorntio11v. JuloH, fiH No. 1711!l
lH, ~upt. 8, 2010, ti30
SCRA :.Hln.
o, :!.OW.
:.i:ionNo. 202807, A111I,
CHAP'J'Ell XI - l'IIILll'PINJ•: CLJ•:ANWA'/'Elt AC'/' t12H
(llep11lilic Acl. No. !l~7fi)
in cases of conunission of prohibited ucts under

and violations of the Clenn WutcJ' Act, the power
to iinpose fines, order the cJosul'c, suspension <ii
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of develop1ncnt or constructiou, or cessation of (/)

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operations, or, where appropriate disconnection of E

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water supply." £
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The Court also underscored that the role of the Pi\B in the C
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imposition of fines for violation of Section 28 of the Clean Water

Act is restricted to a recommendation of penalty. 'fhe execution of
punitive power thereunder remains with the SENR. 'fhjs, however,
should not be taken to mean that the recommendatory role of
the PAB is dispensable. Its technical expertise in pollution cases
remains crucial and cannot be disregard.
Adverting to the "public trust doctrine," the Court further
stressed the State's and its representative's continuing supervision
over the taking and use of appropriated water. Thus, "[p]arties who
acquired rights in trust property [only hold] these rights subject to
the trust and, therefore, could assert no vested right to use those
rights in a manner harmful to the trust." Water_ rights mus~ be
secured to achieve optimal use of water resources, its conservat10n,
and its preservation for allocative efficiency.
13. Role of local governments.

LGUs shall share the responsibility in the management and
improvement of water quality within their territorial jurisdictions.
Each LGU shall, through its Environment and Natural
Resources Office (ENRO) established in HA No. 7160, have the
following powers and functions:
a) Monitoring of water quality;
b) Emergency response;
c) CompJiunce with the frnmowol'lc of the vVntm·
Quality Management Action Plan;
<l) To Lake active pm'ticipntion in ull offorts concorning-
w;;iter quaJiLy protection und rohnbilitul.ion; nncl
e) To coordinate wHh ,0Lho1· govornnwnt uf:-oncio~ nn<~
civil society and the concoJ'nocJsectors in tho implomentut_wn of
In 1Jrov1nces/
measures to prevent nnd control w11to1·po 11Ui,IOH.'
1•
·_
nd
cities/municipalities where t,hero are no onv1ronment H
424 LAW ON NA'l'Ulli\L HESOUHCJ•:8AND llULJt:S
OF PHOCEDUHE FOH l~NVlllONMl•~N'l'J\LCJ\SJt:S
natural resources officers, tho locul executive concerned muy

with t.he approval of the Secretary of Lhc DENR designate any
of his official anrl/or chief of office preferably the provincial, <ii
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city or municipal agriculturist, or any of his employee. "'

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In case an employee is designated as such, he must have u"'
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sufficient experience in environmental, and natural resources ·~
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n1anageinent, conservation nnd u ti lizaLion.2~ C
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14. Linkage mechanism.

The Department and its concerned attached agencies
including LLDA shall coordinate and enter into agreement with
other govern1nent agencies, industrial sector and other concerned
sectors in the furtherance of the objectives of this Act. The following
agencies shall perform the functions specified hereunder:
a) Philippine Coast Guard in coordination with the DA
and the Department shall enforce for the enforcement of water
quality standards in marine waters, set pursuant to the Act,
specifically from offshore sources;
b) DPWH through its attached agencies, such as the
MWSS, LWUA, and including other urban water utilities for
the provision of sewerage and sanitation facilities and the
efficient and safe collection, treatment and disposal of sewage
within their area of jurisdiction;
c) DA, shall coordinate with the Department, in the
formulation of guidelines for the re-use of wastewater for
irrigation and other agricultural uses and for the prevention.
control and abatement of pollution from agricultural and
aquaculture activities. Discharges coming from non-point
sources be categorized and further defined pursuant to the
Act. The Bureau of Fisheries and i\quat.ic Resources (BF'AR)
of the DA shaJl be primarily responsible for tho prevent ion nnd
control of water pollution f'nr the dovolopmont mntrngonwnt
and conservation of the fishel'im; 11nclHquntic rusmtrcP~;
<l) DOH sh11ll liu pri11111rily rospunsihlo for tht>
promulgation, n:viHion nnd u11forcu111unt ol' drinking wnter
quality standardH;
:i.scc. 20, RA No. 9275.
~
CHAP'\'lo;llXI - Pllll.ll'l'IN!t: CLl~i\N Wi\'l'lt:ll i\C'I' ,1~(j
(Hopuhlh:/\cl. Nn. mnr,)
c)DOS'l', in coordinnt.ion with tho Dopnrtrnont nnd Qi

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other concerned ngoncieH shnll pl'epnre n program for the (.)
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evnluntion, verificnt.ion, development. nncl public clisHeminnt.ion «>
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of pollution pnwention and clenncl' pl'oduction technologies; -~
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{)Department of .Ech1cntion (DcpEd), Commission
on Higher Education (CJ-IED), Department of the Interior
and Local Government (DJ.LG) nncl Philippine f nformntion
Agency (PlA) shall assist nnd cool'dinnte with the .Depnrtrnent
in the prepurntion and implementation of n comprehensive
and continuing public education and informntion program
pursuant to the objectives of this i\ct.~r.
F. Civil Liability/Penal Provisions

15. Prohibited acts.
The following acts are prohibited:
a) Discharging, depositing or causing to be deposited
material of any kind directly or indirectly into the water bodies
or along the margins of any surface water, where, the same
shall be liable to be washed into such surface water, either by
tide action or by storm, floods or otherwise, which could cause
water pollution or impede natural flow in the water body;
b) Discharging, injecting or allowing to seep into the
soil or sub-soil any substnnco in nny form that would pollute
groundwater. In the case of geothermal projects, nncl subject to
the approval of the Department, regulated dischnl'ge for short-
term activities (e.g., well testing, 0ushing, cornmissioning,
venting) and deep re-injection of goothormul liquids may
be allowed: Provided, Thut safety meusm·os nro adopted to
prevent the contamination of tho gl'ounclwnLol';
c) Operating focilitios that. cliselrnrgo l'Ogulntml wnt.el'
pollutants without the valid requirnd pormitl-1 (ll' nft,ot· tho
permit was revoked for nny violntion ol' nny condition t.lH'l'oin;
d) Dit:,posul of pol.cnLinlly i11t'oct.iow1
nwdicnl Wlll-1t.uinto
sea wuter by vcrnsels unlmlH t.ho lwnll.h 01· Hnl'ut.yol' individuals
on board the vmrnel is thro11t.011od by n g-ront. nnd imminent
peril;
26
Suc. 22, HA No, U27fi.
4:W LAW ON NA'J'Ulu\L ltESOUHCli:S AND HULES
OF PHOCl•:DUllR FOH ENVIHONMEN'l'AL CASES
e)Unauthorized transport or dumping into sea waters

of sewage sludge or solid waste ns defined under RA No. 9003;
a;
c::
{) Trnnsport, clumping or discharge of prohibited c::
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chemicals, substances or pollutants listed under RA No. 6969; E

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g) Operate facilities that discharge or allow to seep,
willfully or through gross negligence, prohibited chemicals, "c::
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substances or pollutants listed under RA No. 6969, into water (/)
bodies or wherein the same shall be liable to be washed into

such surface, ground, coastal, and 1narine water;
h) Undertaking activities or development and
expansion of projects, or operating wastewater/sewerage
facilities in violation of PD No. 1586 and its implementing
rules and regulations;
i) Discharging regulated water pollutants without
the valid required discharge pennit pursuant to this Act or
after the permit was revoked or any violation of any condition
therein· ,
j) Noncompliance of the LGU with the Water Quality
Framework and Management Area Action Plan. In such a case,
sanctions shall be imposed on the local governrnent officials
concerned;
k) Refusal to allow entry, inspection and 1nonitoring by
the Department in accordance with this Act·,
I) Refusa] to a1low access by the Depnrtrncnt to rele-
vant reports and records in accordance with this Act·,
m) Refusa] or failure to submit reports whenever
required by the Department in accordance with this Act;
n) Refusal or failure to dcsignuto pollution control
officers whenever required by tho Dopnrtmont in uccor<lnnce
with this Act; nnd
o) DirectJy ui:;ing hoc1Ht.orpl1mpH in tho distribution
system or tam poring wit.h tho wal.ol' Hupply in such n \VHY ns to
alter or impair the wntm· qu11lity,:! 11
:.iosec. '27, RA No. H275.

CHAJ>TJ~HXJ-J>HJLJPPINE-CLEAN WATER ACT 427
(Hcpuhlic Act N,1.B27E5
16. Fines, damages and penalties.

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Unless otherwise provided herein, any person who commits C
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any of the prohibited acts provided in the immediately precedinP- E

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section or violates any of the provision of this Act or its implementini .s

·~
rules and regulations, shall be fined by the Secretary, upon the "Qj
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recommendation of the P AB, in the amount of not less than "'

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Pl0,000.00 nor more than P200,000.00 for every day of violation.

The fines herein prescribed shall be increased by ten percent every
two years to compensate for inflation and to maintain the deterrent
function of such fines.
The Secretary, upon recommendation of the PAB, may order
the closure, suspension of development or construction, or cessation
of operations or, where appropriate disconnection of water supply,
until such time that proper environmental safeguards are put in
place and/or compliance with the Act or its rules and regulations
are undertaken. This paragraph shall be without prejudice to
the issuance of an ex parte order for such closure, suspension of
development or construction, or cessation of operations during the
pendency of the case.
Failure to undertake clean-up operations, willfully, or through
gross negligence, shall be punished by in1prisonment of not less than
two years and not more than four years and a fine not less than
P50,000.00 and not more than Pl00,000.00 per day for each day of
violation. Such failtITe or refusal which results in serious injury or
loss of life and/or irreversible water contan1ination of surface, ground~
coastal and marine water shall be punished with i111prisonment of
not less than six years and one day and not 1nore than 12 years, and
a fine of P500,000.00 per day for each day during which the on1ission
and/or contamination continues.
In case of gross violation of this Act, the PAB shnll issue a
resolution recommending that the proper govern1nent agencies file
criminal charges against the viola tors. Gross violntion shnll mean
any of the following:
a) <lelibera t,e discharge of toxic pollutants identified
pursuant to RA No. 6969 in toxic nmounts;
b) five or more violations within a period of two years;
c) blatant disregard of the orders of the PAB, s~ch
as the non-payment of fines, breaking of se?ls or_operatin~
despite the existence of an order for closure discontinuance 01
nnnnn+-~n""' -C -.-..-, ..-+-~--
'128 LAW ON N/\'l'UllAL 1rnsouncgs AND ltULgs
OF PROCEDUH.g FOil I•:NVlHONM~~N'l'AL CASES
Offenders shnll bu punished with a fine of not Jess than

P500,000.00 but not more thun P3,000,000.00 per day for each <lay
of violation or imprisonment of not less than six years but not more
than ten yen rs, or both, at the discretion of the court. If the offender
is n juridical person, the president, manager and the pollution
control officer or the official in charge of the operation shall suffer
the penalty herein provided.
For violations falling under Section 4 of PD No. 979 or any
regulations prescribed in pursuance thereof, such person shall
be liable for a fine of not less than P50,000.00 nor more than
Pl,000,000.00 or by imprisonment of not less than one year nor
more than six years or both, for each offense, without prejudice to
the civil liability of the offender in accordance with existing laws. If
the offender is a juridical entity, then its officers, directors, agents or
any person primarily responsible shall be held liable. Any vessel from
which oil or other harmful substances are discharged in violation of
Section 4 of' PD No. 979 shall be liable for penalty of fine specified in
the immediately preceding paragraph and clearance of such vessel
from the port of the Philippines may be withheld until the fine is
paid and such penalty shall constitute a lien on such vessel which
may be recovered in proceedings by libel in rem in the proper court
which the vessel may be. The owner or operator of a vessel or facility
which diseharged the oil or other harmful substances will be liable
to pay for any clean-up eosts.
Water pollution eases involving acts or omissions committed
within the Laguna Lake Region shall be dealt with in accordance
wjth the proeedure under RA No. 4850, as amendeclY
a. Protection of the environ1nent, including bodies of

water, is no less urgent or vital thnn the prt~ssing
concerns of private enterprises, big or s1nnll
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In Uniuersa.l Rohina Corporation v. Laguna LaA"eDcvelopmcrtl
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Aullwril,y,"-11the Co11rL,through 1Justico Cnrpio-Mornlos, underscorrd
0.
~ that the protection of' Lho cmvironmont, inclnding budios of wnter,
s:
(") is no leHH urgent or vi tn I L1111 n Lho pl'OHHingconcorn8 of private
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enterpriReH, hi~ or i➔ mall. r~:voryono tn\18t.do t.hoir Hhnro to conserve
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::, the na Lionu I pa tri mony'H me11go1·r0Hm11·cof::l
for tho bonofit of not only
~
this genc!rntion, but of Lhoso to follow.
28, HA No. 0275.

:t·1sc1:.
wc;n,No. JnH27, Mny ao,2011, fitl!J SCHA 606.

CHAPTER XI - PHILIPPINE CLEAN WATER ACT 429
In this case, petitioner (Robina) is engaged in, among other

things, the manufacture of animal feeds at its plant in Bagong
Ilog, Pasig City. Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA),
respondent, through its Pollution Control Division-Monitoring
and Enforcement Section, after conducting a laboratory analysis
of petitioner's corn oil refinery plant's wastewater, found that
it failed to co1nply with government standards provided under
DENR Administrative Orders (DAOs) Nos. 34 and 35, series of
1990. Petitioner was ordered to pay accumulated daily penalties
amounting to a total Pl,247,000.00 without prejudice to the filing
of other cases for its subsequent violations. Petitioner challenged
by certiorari LLDA's orders before the Court of Appeals, attributing
to LLDA grave abuse of discretion in disregarding its documentary
evidence. The appellate court affirmed. Petitioner went [to] the
Supreme Court.
In denying the petition, the Court held that petitioner failed

to exhaust the administrative remedy of appeal to the DE~
Secretary. The Court further held that everyone must do the1r
share to conserve the national patrin1ony's meager resources for th~
b fit of not only this generation, but of those to follow. The lengt
en~ alone it took petitioner to upgTade its W~F ~from 20~3 to
of time • d t only under threat of continuing sanct10ns,
2007), a move_ arrive a . oncern for the well-being of the
militates against any genuine c
country's waterways.
17 .
Administrative •
sanctions a9 ainst .non-compliance with the
• I·ty management area action P1an.
water qua 1 · to
officials concerned shall be subJect .
Local government . f £ ilure to comply with then·
• • • f ons in case o a . . f' RA N
administrative sane I 'tl the relevant prov1s10ns o o.
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action plan in accordance w1 l
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G. Actions
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18. Administrative Action.
Without prejudice to the dght of nny nffcctod pol'son to fllo nn
administrative action, the Department shnll, on its own instance
29Sec. 29, RA No. 9275.

"
~
430 LAW ON NA'l'UllAL HESOURCl~S /\ND ltULES

OF PHOCEDUHI~ fi'OH l~NVJHONMl~N'11ALCASES
or upon verified complaint by any person, institute administrative

proceedings in the proper forum against any person who violates:
a) Standards or limitations provided by this Act; or
b) By any such order, rule or regulation issued by the
Department with respect to such standard or limitation.
19. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee.

A Joint Congressional Oversight Committee has been
established to monitor the imple1nentation of the Act and to
review the implementing rules and regulations promulgated by the
Department. The Committee shall be composed of five Senators
and five Representatives to be appointed by the Senate President
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively. The
Oversight Committee shall be co-chaired by the Chairpersons of the
Committee on Environment of the Senate and the Committee on
Ecology of the House of Representatives.: 10
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a0sec. 33, RA No. 9275.

Chapter XII
PHILIPPINE CLEAN AIR ACT
A. Preli,ninary
01. Governing law.
On June 23, 1999, RA No. 8749, or the ''Philippine Clean Air
Act of 1999," was enacted based on the principle that that a clean
and healthy environment is for the good of all and should therefore
be the concern of all.

The State shall pursue a policy of balancing development and
environmental protection. rro achieve this end, the framework for
sustainable development shall be pursue~. It shall be the policy of
the State to:
a) Formulate a holistic national program of air pollution
management that sha)J be implemented by the government
through proper delegation and effective coordination of
functions and activities;
b) Encourage cooperation ancl self-regulation among
citiiens and industries through tho application of market-
based instruments;
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c) Focus primarily on pollution provontion rather
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than on control nnd provide for II compruhonRivo management
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program for uir poJlul.ion;
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d) Promote public inf'or11111t.ion and oducntion and to
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~ encourage the pnl'Licip11l.ionof 1111inf'ormud nnd nct.ivo public in
air quality planning nncl 111011itol'ing; nnd
e) Formu]nte nnd onforco n systom ol' accountability
for short unc] Jong-term 11dvorA0 onvironmontul impuct of
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-,
'1:ii! I.AW ON Ni\TUJv\L Hl~SOUHCES A~D RULES
OV PIH)C:1-:DUHE FOH J•:NVfHON:-.tESTAL CASES
n project., 1iro1~r:n11or activity. This shall include the setting

up of n fundin~ or guurantce mechanism for clean-up and
cnvironmcntnl rehabilitation und compensation for personal
dnmages. 1
03. Recognition of rights.

Pursuant to the nbove-dcclarccl principles, the following rights
of citizens nre hereby sought to he recognized and the State shall
seek to guarantee their enjoyment:
a) 'rhe right to breathe clean air;
b) 'l'he right to utilize and enjoy all natural resources
according to the principle of sustainable development;
c) The right to participate in the formulation, planning,
implementation and monitoring of environmental policies and
programs and in the decision-making process;
'l'he right to participate in the decision-making
cl)
process concerning development policies, plans and programs
projects or activities that may have adverse impact on the
environment ancl public health;
e) The right to be informecl of the nature and extent
of the potential huznrd of nny activity, undertaking or project
and to be served timely notice of any significant rise in the level
of pollution and the ucciclcntal or deliberate release into the
atmosphere of harmful or hazardous substances;
i) The right of access to public records which a citizen
may need to exercise his or her rights effectively under the Act:
g) The right to bring action in court or qunsi-judicinl
bodies to enjoin a1l activities in violation of onvironmcntnl lnws
and regu]uLions, to compel tho rohnbilitnt.ion and dean-up of
Cf)
(1 affected area, and to sock tho imposit.ion of pennl sanction:,
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against violntors of' unvironmontnl laws; nnd
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h) The right Lu b1·ing nction in com'l for componsntion
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3 of personal dnmngeH t'UHttlt.ing-from t.ho nc\vorse onvironmontnl
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and public hunlt.h impnct. ol' tl project or activity.~
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Soc. a,RA No. 87'1!1.
:.!Sue.,t, il,icl.
L
CHAP'l'EH XII - PHILIPPINI•: CLEAN AlllAC'I' tJ33
(H1!puhlic /\ct. No. B711!))
For purposes of the Act, the following Le,·ms arc defined as

follows:
a) ''Air pollutant" means any matter found in the
atn1osphere other than oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor,
carbon dioxide, and the inert gases in their nntural or
nor1nal concentrations, that is detrimental to health or the
environ111ent, which includes but not limited to smoke, <lust,
soot, cinders, fly ash, solid particles of any kind, gases, fumes,
chen1ical 1nists, stean1 and radioactive substances;
?) "Air pollution" 1neans any alteration of the physical,
chem~cal and biological properties of the atmospheric air, or
any discharge thereto of any liquid, gaseous or solid substances
that will or is likely to create or to render the air resources of
the country hannful, detrin1ental, or injurious to public health,
safety or welfare or which will adversely affect their utilization
for domestic, c01n1nercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational,
or other legitimate purposes;
c) "Ambient air quality guideline values" means the
concentration of air over specified periods classified as short-
term and long-term which are intended to serve as goals or
objectives for the protection of health and/or public welfare.
These values shall be used for air quality management
purposes such as determining time trends, evaluating stages
of deterioration or enhancement of the air quality, and in
general, used as basis for taking positive action in preventing,
controJling, or abating air pollution;
d) "Ambient air quality" means the general amount of
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pollution present in a brand arcn; and refel's to the atmosphere's
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average purity as distinguished from d iseha rge uwnsunmwnts
a.
:E taken at the Bource of po1111tion;
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e) "Curtifkatc~ of Conformity" llltHrns ll <·orl ificHll) issuud
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by the Department of J!;uvin>11n1011I. 1111dNat.urn! Hl'sourct•~ to
~
a vehicle manufocturc!r/nt-rncnul>lur or import or <·tn·tit\·ing thnt n
particular new vehitle 01 , vohiclo type moots tho roq\liroments
provided under thiH /\ct and itH rulw, nnd rogul11tinns;
t) "Department" means tho I)opnrtnwnt of Environ-
ment and Natural Resources;
434
I /\WON NA'J'UH./\L,u:soUHCl~S AND n.u1...gs
OJ~PHOCl•:DUH.EFOH.l~NVJltONMEN'J'ALcAsgs
g) "Eco-profile" men ns the gcographi?-based instru-

ment for µlnnncrs nnrl <lcdsjon-makcrs which present an
evaluation of the environmental quality and carrying capacity
of an area. Tt is the result of the integration of prjmary and
secondary data and information on natural resources and
anthropogenic activities on the land which are evaluated
by various environmental risk assessment and forecasting
1nethodologies that enable the Department to anticipate the
type of development control necessary in the planning area;
h) "Emission" 1neans any air contaminant, pollutant,
gas strea111or unwanted sound fi~oma known source which is
passed into the atmosphere;
i) "Greenhouse gases" me.ans those gases that can
potentially or can reasonably be expected to induce global
warming, which include carbon dioxide, methane, oxides of
nitrogen, chlorofluorocarbons, and the like;
j) "Hazardous substances" means those substances
which present either: (1) short-term acute hazards such as
acute toxicity by ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption,
corrosivity or other skin or eye contact hazard or the risk of
fire explosion; or (2) long-term toxicity upon repeated exposure,
carcinogenicity (which in some cases result in acute exposure
but with a long latent period), resistance to detoxification
process such as biodegradation, the potential to pollute
underground or surface waters;
k) "Infectious waste" means that portion of 1nedical
waste that could transmit an infectious disease·
'
1) "Medical waste" means the 1naterials g·enerated as
a result of patient diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of
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human beings or animals;
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g: m) "Mobile source" means any vehicle propelled by or
0
Q) through combustion of carbon-based or other fuel, constructed
3
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and operated principa1ly for tho convoynnco of persons or the
:,
~ transportation of property or goods;
n) "Motor vehicle" means nny vohiclo propelled by a
gasoline or diesel engine ot· by any moans other than human
or animal power, constructed and oporute<l principally for the
conveyance of persons or the transportation of property or
goods in a public highway or street: open to public use;
CHAP'l'rnH.XII - PIIILIPPINI•: CLl1:/\N AIR i\C'l' '136
(Hepublie Act. No. 87 1!>)
1
0) "Municipal wnst:c" mennR the waste mnteria]s

generated from communities within n specific locality;
p) "New vehicle" means a vehic1c constructed entirely
fro1n new parts that has never been sold or registered with
the D01'C or with the appropriate agency or authority, and
operated on the highways of the Philippines, any foreign state
or country;
q) "Octane Rating or the Anti-Knock Index (AKJ)"

means the rating of the anti-knock characteristics of a grade or
type of automotive gasoline as determined by dividing by two
the sum of the Research Octane Number (RON), plus the Motor
Octane Nun1ber (MON); the octane requirement, with respect
to auto1notive gasoline for use in a motor vehicle or a class
thereof, whether imported, manufactured, or assembled by a
manufacturer, shall refer to the minimum octane rating of such
automotive gasoline which such manufacturer recommends for
the efficient operation of such motor vehicle, or a substantial
portion of such class, without knocking;
r) "Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)" means those
substances that significantly deplete or otherwise modify the
ozone layer in a manner that is likely to result in adverse
effects on hu1nan health and the environment such as, but not
limited to, chlorofluorocarbons, halons, and the like;
s) "Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)" n1eans
the organic compounds that persist in the environment,
bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of
causing adverse effects to human 1:ealth an? the envir?nm~nt.
These compounds resist photolyt'lc, chennca_l ~nd b10l?g1:al
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degradation, which sha11 include but not be hm1ted to d10~m,
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furan Polychlorinnted Iliphenyls (PCils), orgnnochlonne
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pestidides, such as alc.lrin, die]drin, DD'J', hexnchlorobe1rnene,
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lindane, toxaphere and chlordune;
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:::, t) "PoisonouH nnd toxic f'umo~" monn~ an~, omissions
~
and fumes which nro hoyoncl 1nt.01·11nt.10nnlly~nccepterl
standards, including but, not. limit.oil t.o Worlrl Henlth
Organization (WHO) guidolino v11luos;
u) "Pollution control device" monns nny d_evice ~r
apparatus used to prevent, con t 1•oI o1· . pollut10n of air
. . the
· abnt.e
. .
caused by em1ss10ns from 1'd en t'fi l Jollut10n sources at levels
,1 tel I
436 LAW ON NA'l'UHAL llt-:SOUllCl•:8AND RULES
OF PllOCEDUIU~ FOH.t•:NVlllONMl~N'l'ALCASES
within the n i1· pol Jut.ion control stu ndHrds cstuhl ished hy the
Department;
v) "Pollution control technology" moans the pollution
control devices, production processes, fuel combustion processes
or other means that effectively prevent or reduce emissions or
effluent;
w) "Standard of performance" 1neans a standard for
e1nissions of air pollutant which reflects the degree of emission
li1nitation achievable through the application of the best
systen1 of e1nission reduction, taking into account the cost of
achieving such reduction and any non-air quality health and
environn1ental impact and energy requirement which the
Department determines, and adequately de1nonstrates; and
x) "Stationary source" n1eans any building or immobile
structure, facility or installation which emits or may emit any
air pollutant.a
B. Air Pollution Clearances and Permits

The Department shall have the authority to issue permits as
it may determine necessary for the prevention and abatement of
air pollution. Said permits shall cover e1nission li1nitations for the
regulated air pollutants to help attain and 1naintai.n the an1bient ail-
quality standards. These permits shall serve as manage1nent tools
for the LGUs in the development of their action plan.· 1
C. Pollution from Stationary Sources

05. Ban on incinerations.
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Jncineration, which is defined as tho burning of 1nunicipnl.
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bio-medical and hnzar<lous wnstes, which process omits poisonous
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and toxic fumeH, is prohibited. But tho prohibition shnll not. npply
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to traditional i:;mall-Rc:1110 method of' commnnit.y/noighborhoocl
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sanitation "siga", tradit.ion11I, ugricu It.u1·nI, cttl Lut·nl, hon lt.h, nnd food
:,
~ prepar11tion and cremaL<wia.
Local government unit.B Ill'(! mnndntod to promote, encourage
and implement in their 1·espectivo jul'ii-Hlict.ion n comprehensive
:iscc. o,HA No. 87'1!).

1
' 8cc. Hi, ii,id.
CHAPTER XII - PHILIPPINE CLEANAIR ACT 437
(Hopuhlic Act No. 87-19)
ecological waste mnnngement thnt includes waste segregation,

recycling and composting.
With due concern on the effects of climate change, the Depart-
ment shall promote the use of state-of-the-art, environmentally-
sound and safe non-burn technologies for the handling, treatment,
thermal destruction, utilization, and disposal of sorted, unrecycled,
uncmuposted municipal, bio-medical and hazardous wastes. 5
D. Pollution fro,n Motor Vehicles

06. Pollution from motor vehicles.
The DOTC shall implement the emission standards for motor
vehicles set pursuant to and as provided in the Act. To further
improve the emission standards, the Department shall review,
revise and publish the standards every two years, or as the need
arises. It shall consider the maximum limits for all major pollutants
to ensure substantial improvement in air quality for the health,
safety and welfare of the general public. 6
a. Mandamus does not lie to compel public utility

vehicles (PUVs) to use compressed natural gas
(CNG) as alternative fuel in the absence of specific
law on the matter
There is no law that imposes an indubitable legal duty on
respondents LTFRB and DOTC that will justify a grant of the writ
of mandamus compelling the use of CNG for public utility vehicles.
The legislature should provide first the specific statutory remedy
to the complex environmental problems bared by herein petitioners
before any judicial recourse by mandamus is taken.
Thus ruled the Supreme Court in Henares v. LTFRB 1 where
petitioners asked the Court to issue a writ of mandamus commanding
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respondents Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory
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Board (LTFRB) and the Department of Transportation nnd
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Communications (DO'J'C) to require public utility vehicles (PUVs) to
0
a, use compressed natural gas (CNG) as nlternntive fuel. Petitioners
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alleged that the particulate matters (PM)-eomplex mixtures of dust,
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~Sec. 20, RA No. B7'1!l.

0
Sec. 21, il,i,l.
7
GR No. In82BO, Oct. 2:1, 2000, nonSCl1J\ I 0-1.
438 LAW ON NATURAL 1u;soun.cES AND RULES
OF PRoc1;:nu1u~ FOR gNVlllONMgN'l'AL CAsgs
dirt, s1noke, and liquid droplets, varying jn sizes and compositions

e1nitted into the air from various engine combustions - have caused
detrimental effects on health, productivity, infrastructure and the
overall quality of life. Petitioners particularly cite the effects of
certain fuel e1nissions fro1n engine combustion when these react to
other pollutants.
Denying the petition, the Court explained that the function of
the DOTC is li1nited to implementing the emission standards set
forth in RA No. 87 49 and the said law only goes as far as setting
the maximum li1nit for the einission of vehicles, but it does not
recognize CNG as alternative engine fuel. Undeniably, the right to
clean air not only is an issue of paramount importance to petitioners
for it concerns the air they breathe, but it is also impressed with
public interest. The consequences of the counter-productive and
retrogressive effects of a neglected environment due to emissions of
motor vehicles immeasurably affect the well-being of petitioners. On
these considerations, the legal standing of the petitioners deserves
recognition. However, the Court held that a writ of mandamus
commanding respondents to require PUVs to use CNG is unavailing
since there is no law that mandates the respondents LTFRB and the
DOTC to order owners of motor vehicles to use CNG.
07. Regulation of all vehicles and engines.

Any imported new or locally-assembled new motor vehicle shall
not be registered unless it complies with the emission standards set
pursuant to this Act, as evidenced by a Certificate of Conformity
(COC) issued by the Department.
Any imported new motor vehicle engine shall not be introduced
into commerce, sold or used unless it complies with emission
(/)
() standards set pursuant to the Act.
'"
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Any imported used motor vehicle or rebuilt motor vehicle
~ using new or ui~ed enr:,rines,major pu rts or components shall not
(")
3'" be registered unless it complies with Lho omission standards set

gi
'"
::,
::,
pursuant to the Act.
~
In cAse of non-complinncu, Lhu imporlor 01· consignee may be
allowed to modify or rebuild Uw vohicle or ongino so thnt it will be in
compliance with applicahlo emist:iion Rtund1uds.
No motor vehicle registration (MVR) shnll be issued unless such
motor vehicle passes the emission testing requirement promulgated
in accordance with the Act. Such testing shall be conducted by the
CI-1/\P'l'mt XII - PII I Lll 1 l'I N 1,;CLl•:/\N /\IH /\C'I' ,ta!)
(Hopuhlic /\ct No. H7 ID) 1
norrcor its authorized inspection cont.ot·R within (jQ d11yH pl'iol' to

date of registration.
'I'he D'l'I shall promulgate tho necessary regulations proscl'ihing
the useful life of vehicles nnd engines including devices in order to
ensure that such vehicles will conform to tho emissions which they
were certified to 1neet. 'l'hese regulations shall include provisions for
ensuring the durability of en1ission devices.A
a. City zoning ordinance to safeguard the health

of the people fro111 noise and pollution is a valid
exercise of police power
The issue in Ortigas & Co., Limited Partnership v. Fea.li Ban/1.
and Trust Co.9 is whether or not Resolution No. 27, series of 1960 of
the Municipal Council of Mandaluyong, Rizal declaring Lots Nos. 5
and 6, among others, as part of the commercial and industrial zone,
prevails over the deed restrictions imposed by plaintiff-appellant in
the deed of sale that the lots in question shall be used by the buyer
exclusively for residential purposes.
In sustaining the ordinance as a valid exercise of police power,
the Court held:
"Resolution No. 27, s-1960 declaring the western

part of Highway 54, now E. de los Santos Avenue (EDSA,
for short) from Shaw Boulevard to the Pasig River as an
industrial and commercial zone, was obviously passed
by the Municipal Council of Mandaluyong, Rizal in the
exercise of police power to safeguard or pr01note the
health, safety, peace, good order and general welfare of
the people in the locality. Judicial notice may be tnken
of the conditions prevailing in the area, especially where
(/)
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Lots Nos. 5 and 6 are located. The lots themselves not only
:,
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front the highway; industrial nnd commorcinl complexes
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()
have flourished about the plnee. /IJDSA, a main traffic
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artery which runs through seueral cities and municipalities
in the Metro Manila area, supports an c11dlcss ;-;trcamol
C')
"'
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:,
~
traffic and the reRullinlf nctiuity, noise n11dpollution are
hardly conducive lo the health, snfcty or wd/are of the
residents in its route. f/avi11g /wen ex1n·essly g·ranted the
8
Sec. 22, RA No. 8740.
0
GR No. L-24670, Dec. 14, HJ79, fM SCBA 5;l8.
,1-10 LAW ON N/\'l'llH1\I, In:sou1<c1,;s /\ND HULt•:8
(W PHOC!t:l)LJIOi: FOi< I1:NVIIU>NMl•~N'l't\L Ct\f·Hi:8
polUt?I' lo ndop/. zoninn und N11,luL1'.v1'..i.;ion ordinancen or

la I ion 8, th c m 11.niciI'" It'.ly uf fl1/c111.du
l'<'l-!11 l11.yong, lhrongh
its A/1111ici1Jnl Coundl, W<t8 reosonrd,ly, if nol perfectly,
)11st1'.fiedunder the circrunslances, in pussin.g the subject
resolution." (E111phasis supplied)
E. Pollution fr·oni Other Sources

08. Pollution from smoking.
Smoking inside a public building or an enclosed public place
including public vehicles and other means of transport or in any
enclosed nrea outside of one's private residence, private place of
work or any duly designated smoking area is hereby prohibited
under this Act. This provis.ion shall be implemented by the LGUs. 10
09. Pollution from other mobile sources.

The Department, in coordination with appropriate agencies,
shal] formulate and establish the necessary standards for all mobile
sources other than those referred to in Section 21 of this Act. The
iinposition of the appropriate fines and penalties from these sources
for any violation of emission standards shall be under the jurisdiction
of the DOTC. 11
F. Other Pollutants
10. Ozone depleting substances.
Consistent with the terms and conditions of the Montreal
ProtocoJ on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and other
internationa] agreements and protocols to which the Philippines
is a signatory, the Department shall phnso out ozone-depleting
(/)
()
suhstances. i.i
a,
:,
:,
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C.
:; 11. Greenhouse gases.
~
(')
a,
3
(/)
()
The Philippine /\tmoHphoric, Goophysicnl and Astronomical
a,
:,
:, Services /\dminiHtr11Lio11 (P/\G/\8/\) Hhnll rogulnrly monitor
~
meieoro]ogicn] fuetorH nffoct.ing onvirnnnHmt.nl conditions including
lOSec. !l'1, HA No. 871!1.

I 18cc. 2fi, il,id.
l:.!Sec. :m,ibid.
CHAPTER XII - PHILIPPINE CLEAN /\Ill i\C'I' 1t,1I
(Hopublic /\ct No. H7'1l>)
ozone depletion and gi-ccnhouse gnscs nnd eooi·dinntc with the

Department in order to effectively guide nir pollution monitoring
and standard-setting activities.
The Department, together with concerned agencies and local
govern1nent units, shall prepare and fully implement a national
plan consistent with the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change and other international agreements, conventions
and protocols on the reduction of greenhouse gns emissions in the
country. 13
12. Radioactive emissions.

All projects which will involve the use of atomic and/or nuclear
energy, and will entail release and emission ofradionctivc substances
into the environ1nent, incident to the establishment or possession
of nuclear energy facilities and radioactive materials, handling,
transport, production, storage, and use of radioactive materials,
shall be regulated in the interest of public health un<lwelfare by the
Philippine Nuclear Research. Institute (PNIU), in coordination with
the Department and other appropriate government agencies. 1•1
G. Institutional Mechanis,n
13. Lead agency.

The Department, unless otherwise provided herein, shall be
the primary government agency responsible for tho implementation
and enforcement of this Act. To be more effective in this regard,
the Department's Environmental Management 13urenu (KlVIB)
shall be converted from a staff bureau to a lino bureau for a period
of no more than two years, unless 11 sopnrnto, comprehensive.
Cf)
()
environmental management ngoncy is crontod. 1t• 'l'hu Dupnrt.mont
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:, shall consult, participate, coopernte and ent:ol' into ng1·oomont. with
(1)
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other government agencieA, or with 1tl'f'ucLod nongov01·nmont.nl
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organizations (NGOs) or peoplo's org1tniz11tionH (POH), 01· privat.0
3 11
Cf)
() enterprises in the furthernnee of' tho ohjodivoH nl' th iH/\ct.. '
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1
:isuc. a1, HA No. 87ttn.
HSoc. 3:1, il,id.
ll\Soc. 3t1, ibi'.cl.
10Soc. 36, iiJid.
4-12 LAW ON N/\'l'UH/\L Hl~SOUHCJ•:SAND HULES
OF PHOCEDUHI~ FOH ENVIHONMEN'l'/\L CASES
14. Role of local government units.

Locnl government units (LGUs) shall share the responsibility
in the management and mnintenance of uir quality within their
territorial jurisdiction. Consistent with Sections 7, 8, and 9 of the
Act, LGUs shal] implement air quality standards set by the Board
in areas within their jurisdiction. 17
a. Town mayor has responsibility of protecting its

inhabitants fro1n pollution
At issue in Technology Developers, Inc. v. Court of Appeals, 18 is
the authority of the local executive to protect the community from
pollution. In response to the complaint of the residents of Barangay
Guyong, Sta. Maria, Bulacan, calling the attention of petitioner to
the pollution emitted by the fumes of its plant whose offensive odor
"not only pollute the air in the locality but also affect the health
of the residents in the area," the Acting Mayor ordered the closure
of petitioner's establishment. This came about when petitioner,
despite notice, had not exerted any effort to extend or validate its
permit much less to install any device to control the pollution and
prevent any hazard to the health of the residents of the community.
Sustaining the closure order, the Court ruled that while it is
true that the 1natter of determining whether there is a pollution
of the environment that requires control if not prohibition of the
operation of a business is essentially addressed to the then National
Pollution Control Commission, now Pollution Adjudication Board
(PAB), the mayor of a town has as much responsibility to protect its
inhabitants from pollution, and by virtue of his police power, he may
deny the application for a permit to operate a business or otherwise
(/)
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close the same unless appropriate measures nro taken to control
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and/or avoid injury to the health of tho residents of tho community
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from the emissions in the operation of the business.
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15. Environment and Natural Resources Office.
::,
~
There muy he estahJishud nn Envil'nnmont and Nnturnl
Resources Office in every province, city, 01· nu1nicipnlit.y which shnll
be headed by tho environment. und nnt.ur11l 1·0Hourcos officor nnd
17
Soc. ~o,RA No. 87-19.
111
GR No. fM7fiH, ,Jnn. 21, 1!JH1,103 SCRA 1'17.
CHAPTER XII - PHILIPPINE CLEAN AIR ACT 443
shall_~e a~po~nted by the Chief Executive of every province, city or

nnnucipahty in accordance with the provisions of Section 484 of RA
No. 7160.
Its powers and duties, a1nong others, are:
a) To prepare comprehensive air quality management
programs, plans and strategies within the limits set forth in
RA No. 7160 and this Act which shall be implemented within
its territorial jurisdiction upon the approval of the sanggunian;
b) To provide technical assistance and support to the
governor or mayor, as the case may be, in carrying out measures
to ensure the delivery of basic services and the provision of
adequate facilities relative to air quality;
c) To take the lead in all efforts concerning air quality
protection and rehabilitation;
d) To recommend to the Board air quality standards
which shall not exceed the maximum permissible standards
set by national laws;
e) To coordinate with other government agencies and
non-governmental organizations in the implementation of
measures to prevent and control air pollution; and
f) ·Exercise such other powers and perform such duties
and functions as may be prescribed by law or ordinance:
Provided, however, That in provinces/cities/municipalities
where there are no environment and natural resources officers,
the local executive concerned may designate any of his official
and/or chief of office preferably the provincial, city or municipal
U)
agriculturist, or any of his employee. In case. an emplo~ee is
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:,
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designated as such, he must have a sufficient expenence
(1)
a.
=-,
in environmental and natural resources 1nanage1nent,
s:
() conservation and utilization. 19
0)
3
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:,
:,
~
H. Actions
16. Administrative action involving stationary sources.
Without prejudice to the right of any affected person to file an
administrative action, the Department shall, on its own instance
444 LAW ON NA'l'UHAL 1n:F10Ul!Cl :H AND llULJt:8
1
OF PHOCEl)lJJn: FOIi 1•:NVIl!ONM l•:N'l'AL C/\81•:8
or upon vm·iftcd complnint. hy nny per!-mn, iirntitute ndrniniHtrntive

proceedings ng·ninst. nny perHon who violat<JH:
n) Standards or limitntion provicJecl under this /\ct,; or
b) Any order, rule or rcgu Intion issued hy th,,
Department with respect Lo such standard or limitation. 21)
a. Pollution and Adjudication Board

The Pollution and Adjudication Board (PAB) shall have the
sole and exclusive jurisdiction over nll cases of' air pollution and all
matters related thereto, including the imposition of nd m inistrativc
sanctions, except as may be provided by law. Unless otherwise
revised or amended, the existing rules of the PAB shall apply. 21
b. Action for the abate1nent of a private nuisance

lies with the courts, not with the PAB nor the
sangguniang bayan,
The issue in AC Enterprises, Inc. v. Frabelle Properties
Corporation, lnc. 2'1. is who has jurisdiction over an action for
abatement of noise and/or air pollution and damages with a plea for
injunctive relief emanating from the air-cooled type air conditioning
units from a 29-storey commercial/residential condominium? [s it
the sangguniang bayan, the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB)
or the courts? The Court, through Justice Callejo, ruled that the
abatement of nuisance rests with the courts, thus:
"We agree with petitioner's contention that, under

Section 4-47(a)(3)(i) of R.A. No. 7160, otherwise known
as the Local Government Code, the Sangguniang
Panglungsod is empowered to enact ordinances declaring.
preventing or abating noise and other forms of nuisnnce.
(J)
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It bears stressing, however, that tho Snng·guninng Baycin
:,
(1)
a. cannot declare a pnrticulnr thing ns a nuisnnco µer ;-;enrnl
:;;
~ order its eondemnation. I I. does not. hnvo t.lw \HlW(~l' to
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(J)
find, as n f'uct, that n pnrtic11l111·
thing is n nuisnnco wlwn
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such thiug ii:, not a 11ui1mncuJJ<!I' se; nor cnn it. nnt.lwriio
:,
~ the extn1judiciu] condem1111t.io11n11d dost.ntdion of t.hnt
iosoc. '10,HA No. 874!>.

21
Sec. 2, Rulo L, IRR of HA No. 8740.
:nGR No. 1667'14, Nov. 2, 2006, 606 SCHA (rn5.
CHAPTER XII - PHILIPPINE CLEAN AIR ACT •"15
as a nuisance ,vhich in its nature. situation or use is not

such. Those things must be determined and resolved in
the ordinary courts of law. If a thing be in fact. a nuisance
due to the manner of its operation, that question cannot
be determined by a mere resolution of the Sangguniang
Bayan.
The Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB) has no
primary jurisdiction over the noise complained of by the
respondent. The resolution of the issue before the RTC,
which is whether the noise complained of is actionable
nuisance, does not require any especial technical
knowledge, expertise and experience of the PAB or even
of Makati City requiring the determination of technical
and intricate matters of fact."
17. Actions before the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

Actions for any violation of the motor vehicle pollution control
laws may be commenced by any person by filing a written complaint,
or by the DOTC on its own initiative, or by the foiling of a charge by
any deputized agent of the DOTC before the hearing officer.23 The
proceedings shall be summary in nature. The Rules of Court shall
not apply except in a supplemental character and only whenever
applicable.
a. Order or decision
If the respondent admits the charge, the hearing officer
shall issue an order imposing the appropriated fines and directing
the grounding the apprehended motor vehicle. Only upon the
presentation of the official receipt certifying full payment of fines
shall the grounded vehicle be released and to resume operations.:i.,
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(I)
18. Citizen suits.
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Any citizen may file an appropriate civil, criminal or
0
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3
administrative action in the proper courts against:
(/)
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(a) Any person who violates or fails to comply with tho
~
provisions of this Act or its implementing rulos nnd 1·ognlation8;
or
• ec.
2·.1s 2, Rule L, IRR of RA No. 8749.
21 S
ec. 7, i'b.u.i
446 LAW ON NATUHAL HESOUHCES AND HULES
OF PHOCEDUHE FOH ENVIHONMEN'l'AL CASES
The Ocpnrt.ment. or at.her i_mpl~mcnti~1g ng~ncics

(b)
with respect to orders. rules nnd rcgu ln t1onR tSsuccl 1ncons1stont
with this Act: nnrl/or
(c) Any public officer who willfully ~r grossly neglects
the performance of an net specificnlly cnj01ne~l as a duty by
this Act or its implementing rules nnd rcgulnt10ns; or abuses
his authority in the performance of his duty; or, in any
manner, improperly performs his duties under this Act or its
implementing rules nnd regulations. However, no suit can
be filed until after 30-day notice has been given to the public
officer and the alleged violator concerned and no appropriate
action has been taken thereon.
The court shall exempt such action from the payment of filing
fees, except fees for actions not capable of pecuniary estimations, and
shall, likewise, upon prima facie showing of the non-enforcement or
violation complained of, exempt the plaintiff fro1n the filing of an
injunction bond for the issuance of a preli1ninary injunction.
Within thirty (30) days, the court shall 1nake a determination
if the complaint herein is malicious and/or baseless and shall
accordingly dismiss the action and award attorney's fees and
damages. 26
The filing of an administrative suit against such person/entity
doe~ ~ot p~eclude the .ri.ght o_fany other person to file any criminal
or. c1~1lacti~n. ~uch civil act10n shall proceed independently of the
cr1m1nal act10n.26

On April 29, 2020, the Supreme Court passed the landmark
Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cnses/ 7 which allow for a
"citizen suit," and permit uny Filipino citizen to file nn action before
(/)
()
0)
our courts for violations of our environmontnl lnws:
:,
:,
Cl)
C.
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g: "SEC. 5. Citizen suit. - Any Filipino citi:t.en in
0
0)
3
representation of' others, inclurlin~ mino1·R 01· gonorntions
w
0) yet unhorn, may Hlo nn net.ion to onforco rights or
:,
:,
~ ohligntions undor onvirnnmont.nl lnws. Upon tho filing of
11
i Rec. 41, JlA No. H7ti0.
wsec. -12,ihid.
i·,A.M.No. oo.n.o.su,
offoctivo A1wil20, 2010.
Cl·I/\P'J'gn, xn - PHILIPJJINI~ cr,g;\N /\Jll /\C'J' '1'17
(Ho1rnhlic /\ct No. 87'1!))
a citizen
. suit ~ tho cotirf·• s I11111issue
• 11n ore1or which• shall
contain . u brief - dcs .....
•1··1p t··
1
,1011 o {' t·l
, 10 cnuf.:!eof.• action
• and
the 1~ehefs pr.ay~d for, requiring all interested particH to
inanifest then· interest to intervene in the case within
fifte~n (15) days fr01n notice thereof. The plaintiff may
P_ubbsh. the. order once in a newspaper of a general
c1rculation 111 the Philippines or furnish all affected.
barangays copies of said order.
Citizen suits filed under R.A. No. 8749 and R.A. No.
9003 shall be governed by their respective provisions."
In Resident Marine Ma,nmals v. Reyes,28 the Court stated that

the new rules of procedure may be retroactively applied to actions
pending and undetermined at the time of their passage and will
not violate any right of a person who may feel that he is adversely
affected, inasmuch as there is no vested rights in rules of procedure.
In fact, even before the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases
became effective, the Court had already taken a permissive position
on the issue of locus standi in environmental cases.
In Oposa v. Factoran, 29 the Court allowed the suit to be brought
in the name of generations yet unborn "based on the concept of
intergenerational responsibility insofar as the right to a balanced
and healthful ecology is concerned." Furthennore, the right to
a balanced and healthful ecology does not even need to be stated
in our Constitution as it is assu1ned to exist from the inception of
humankind and carries with it the correlative duty to refrain fron1
impairing the' environment.
20. Suits and Strategic legal actions against public participation

(SLAPP) and the Enforcement of the Act.
(/) Where a suit is brought against n person who filed an nction ns
"OJ::,::,
(1)
CL
provided in Section 41 of the Act, or ngninst nny person, institutio1:
:;;
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or government agency that implements it, it shall lw the duty ot
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3
the investigating prosecutor or tho court, ns tho cnsl1 mny be, to
(/)
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immediately make 11 dotunninntion 1101, oxcooding· ~10dnys whether
~ said legal action has been filoci t.o '1111'1\HH, vex, oxort. \\ nduo pross~u·o
or stifle such legal recourAos of'tho porHoll complaining ot'or enforcing
:1.11an
Nu. 180771, April :l, io 15.
:wau No. 10108:l, ,July :10, 1008.
~
448 LAWON NA'l'URALllli:SOUHCESAND RULES

OF PllOCE:DUlll~FOR l•~NVlllONMl~N'l'AL
CASl•~S
the provisions of this Act. Upon det.orminntion thereof, evidence

warranting the snmo, the court shnll dismisR the cnHo and nwnrd
nttorncy's fees and double clnmngcs.
This provision shall nlso apply und benefit public officers who
are sued for acts committed in their official capacity, there being no
grave abuse of authority, nnd done in the course of enforcing the
Act.i,o
21. Lien upon and personal and immovable properties of

violators.
Fines and penalties imposed pursuant to this Act shall be
liens upon personnl and immovnblc properties of the violator. Such
lien shall, in cnse of insolvency of the respondent violator, enjoy
preference subsequent to lnborer's wages under Articles 2241 and
2242 of RA No. 386, otherwise known us the New Civil Code of the
Philippines.: 11
I. Fines and Penalties

22. Violation of standards for stationary sources.
For actual exceedance of nny pollution or air quality standards
under this Act or its rules and regulations, the Department, through
the Pollution Adjudication Board (PA.13),shall impose u fine of not
more than Pl00,000 for every day of violation ngninst the owner or
operator of a stationary source until such time that tho standards
have been complied with.
For purposes of the application of the fines, the P i\fl shall
prepare a fine rating system to adjust the maximum Hnc buse<l on the
violator's ability to pay, degree of willfulness, degree of negligence,
Cf)
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D)
history of noncompliance and degree of recalcitrance. But in case
:::,
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(l)
of negligence, the first time offender's ability lo pny may likewise
C.
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be considered by the Pollution Adjudication Board; however, in
()
D) the absence of any extenuating or aggravating circumstances, the
3
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D)
amount of fine for negligence shu1l be equivalent to one-half of the
:::,
:::,
~
fine for willful violation.
:iosoc. .-ta,RA No. 87'19.

a1scc. 44, i/Ji<l.
CHAPTER XII - PHILIPPINE CLEAN AIR ACT 449
The fines herein prescribed shall be increased by at least ten

percent every three years to compensate for inflation and to maintain
the deterrent function of such fines.
In addition to the fines the PAB shall order the closure
. '
sus~ens10n of development, construction, or operations of the
'
statwnary sources until such time that proper environmental
safeguards are put in place. An establishment found liable for a
third offense shall suffer permanent closure immediately. This
shall be without prejudice to the immediate issuance of an ex parte
order ~or such closure, suspension of development or construction, or
ces~at10_nof operations during the pendency of the case upon prima
facie evidence that there is imminent threat to life public health
'
safety or general welfare, or to plant or animal life, or whenever there '
is an exceedance of the emission standards set by the Department
and/or the Board and/or the appropriate LGU. 32
23. Violation of standards for motor vehicles.

No motor vehicle shall be registered with the DOTC unless it
meets the emission standards set by the Department as provided in
Section 21 of the Act.
Any vehicle suspected of violation of emission standards
through visual signs, such as, but not limited to smoke-belching,
shall be subjected to an emission test by a duly authorized emis-
sion testing center. For this purpose, the DOTC or its authorized
testing center shall establish a roadside inspection system. Should
it be shown that there was no violation of emission standards, the
vehicle shall be immediately released. Otherwise, a testing result
indicating an exceedance of the emission standards would warrant
the continuing custody of the impounded vehicle unless the appro-
priate penalties are fully paid, and the license plate is surrendered
to the DOTC pending the fulfillment of the undertaking by t_heown-
er/operator of the motor vehicle to make the necessary repairs so as
(/)
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0) to comply with the standards. A pass shall h~rein ?e ~ssued b~ the
=>
=>
ro
a_ DOTC to authorize the use of the motor velucle witlun a specified
:;
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:,- period that shall not exceed seven days for the sole purpose of mak-
0
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3 ing the necessary repairs on the said vehicle. The owner/operator o~

(/)
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0)
=>
the vehicle shall be required to correct its defects and show proof of
=>
~ compliance to the appropriate pollution control office ~e~o:·ethe ve-
. · blic or subd1v1s10nroads.
h 1cle can be allowed to be driven on any pu
32
Sec. 45, RA No. 8749.
...,
'1GO LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND RULES

OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIHONMENTAL CASES
ln nddition, the driver nnd operntor of the apprehended vehicle

shall undergo a seminur on pollution control nnd mnnngcment
conducted by the DO'I'C nnd shn]) also suffer the fol1owing penn]ties:
u) First offense - n fine not to exceed P2,000.00;
b) Second offense - n fine not Jess thnn P2,000.00 nnd
not to exceed P-1,000.00; nncl
c) Third offense - one yenr suspension of the Motor
Vehic1c Registration (MVR) nnd u fine of not Jess thnn P4,000.00
und not more than P6,000.00.
Any vio]ntion of the provisions of Section 2 I, pnrngrnph (d) with
regard to nntionul inspection nnd mnintennnce program, including
technicians nnd facility compliance shall he pcnnlized with n fine
of not Jess than P::J0,000.00 or cnnccllntion of license of both the
technician nnd the center, or both, ns determined by the DTf.
All law enforcement officinls and dc·1rnt.izecl11gcnt.saccredited to
conduct vehicle emissiotrn tci-,t.ing and npprehcnsion.s Hhall undergo
o mundatory trnining- on emission RI 11ncl11rdsnnd rcgulntiorn=i. For
this purpose, the Department, togel her with the DOTC, DT[, DOST,
Philippine Nationa] Police (PN P) 1111d other concerned agencies and
private entities shul1 design a tr11ining- progr11m.:1:1
24. Fines and penalties for violations of other provisions of the

Act.
For violations of n11 other provjsions provided in this Act
and of the rules and regulations thereof, a fine of not less than
Pl0,000.00 but not more thnn Pl00,000.00 or six months to six years
imprisonment or both sha11 be imposed. If the offender is a juridical
person, the president, manager, directors, trustees, the pollution
(')
(/J control officer or the officials directly in charge of the operations
OJ
::,
::,
CD
sha11 suffer the penalty herein provided.: 11
a.
~.
g.
()
OJ
3
25. Gross violations.
(/J
(')
OJ
::,
::,
In case of gross violation of this Act or its implementing rules
~
and regu]utions, the PAB sha]] recommend to the proper government
agencies to file the appropriate criminal charges against the
violators. The PAB sha11 assist the public prosecutor in the litigation
:i:iscc. ,rn,RA No. 87 19.

1
a•scc. '17, ihid.

CHAP'l'Ell XII - PHILIPPINI~ CLEAN Arn AC'J' 151
(H.opuhlicAct.No. 871HJ)
of the cuse. Gross vio.Jation shnJI meun: (n) three or more specific
offenses within a period of one ycur; (b) three or more specific offenses
within three consecutive years; (c) bJatunt disregard of the orders of
the PAB, such ns but not Jimited to the breuking of sea), padlocks
and other similar devices, or operating despite the existence of an
order for cJosure, discontinuance or cessation of operation; and (d)
irreparable or grave damage to the environment as a consequence of
any violation or omission of the provisions of the Act.
Offenders shall be punished with imprisonment of not less
than six years but not more than ten years at the discretion of the
court. If the offender is a juridical person, the president, manager,
directors, trustees, the pollution control officer or the officials
directly in charge of the operations shall suffer the penalty herein
provided. :ir;
J. Congressional Oversight Committee and

Implementing Agencies
There has been created a joint congressional oversight
committee to monitor the implementation of the Act be composed
of five senators and five representatives to be appointed by the
Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
respectively. The oversight committee shall be co-chnired by a
senator and a representative designated by the Senate President
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.
The mandate given to the joint congressionnl oversight
committee shall be without prejudice to the performnnco of the
duties and functions by the respective existing oversight committees
of the Senate and the House of Reprcsentatives. 1u1
(/J
C)
0,
~
~
27. Implementing Agencies.
ro
a.
~ , The Department is the primnry govornmont ngoncy ro~ponsiblo
s:
()
0, for the impJemcntu Uon und cnforcomonf; of 1:hoAct..[t.Hhnll hnvo tho
3
(/J
C)
0,
foJlowing functionB:
~
~
~ (u) To JH'Omtdguto 1·tdrn1 nnd l'OgulutiouH HH nwy ho
necessary to impJomonl, Uw int.ont nncl proviHiom-1of t.lw Act;
111
Soc. 48, RA No, A74U.
;
:wscc. 63, ibitl.

LAW N NATURAL HESOUHCES AND HULES
OF PHOCEDUHE FOH EN\ IHONMEN'l'AL ASES
(b) rl'o ~losC'l~~up rvis \ nil or pnrts of tho nir quality

R t.ion plans unt.il ~u h t.imo Urnt tho locnl government
cone rn d ~1:u1 assume t.ho function to enforce t.ho stnndnrds
set by the Depnrt.ment:
(c) To r ,, ise, from time to t.ime, the designation of
air- hed utilizing eco-profiling techniques and undertaking
scientific studies:
(d) To de ignnte urcus whore specHic pollutnnts have
already exceeded ambient standards us non-attainment areas
and torevi ethedesignation of such ureas after consultation with
local government nut.horities, non-government organizations
(NGOs), people's organization (POs) and concerned sectors;
(e) To administer the Air Quality Management Fund;
(f) To establish a National Research and Development
Program for the prevention and control of air pollution, in
coordination with the Department of Science and rrechnology
(DOST), other agencies, the private sector, the academe, NGOs
and POs;
(g) To institute administrative proceedings pursuant to
Section 40 of the Act;
(h) To impose fines, through the Pollution Adjudication
Board, for violations of standards for stationary sources;
(i) 'fo exercise such other authority vested by the
Act and as provided for in these Implementing Rules and
Regulations. The Secretary may delegate such authority and
other powers and function to the Director.:'"'
The Environmental Management Bureau shall be n line bureau
primarily responsible for the implementation nnd onforcemont of
the Act. 3
1j
The other agencies primarily responsible for tho implomontn-

tion of the Act arc the Deportment of T1·anHpOl'tntion nnd Commu-
nications, the Department of gnergy, nnd tho Dopnrtmont of Tl'ado
and Industry.ao
:J?Sec.1, Rulo XLIV, mnof 11ANo. 87,HI.

811
Sec. 2, Rulo XI,JV, ibid.
30
Soc. a,Hulo XLIV, ihicl.

Chapter XIII
ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
ACT OF 2000
A. Preliminary
01. Governing law. ,
'
On January 26, 2001, RA No. 9003, or the ''Ecological Solid
Waste Management Act of 2000, "was enacted to provide a systematic,
~omprehensive and ecological solid waste management program.

The objectives of the Act are to:
(a) Ensure the protection of public health and environ-
ment;
(b) Utilize environmentally-sound methods that maxi-
mize the utilization of valuable resources and encourage re-
source conservation and recovery;
(c) Set guidelines and targets for solid waste avoidance
and volume reduction through source reduction and waste
minimization measures, including composting, recycling, re-use.
recovery, green charcoal process, and others, before collection,
treatment and disposal in appropriate and environmentally
sound solid waste manage1nent facilities in accordance with
ecologically sustainable development principles:
(d) Ensure the proper segregation, collection, transport,
storage, treatment and disposal of solid wnst.e through the
formulation and adoption of the best environmental practice in
ecological waste management excluding incinc rnt..ion;
(e) Promote national resenrch nn<l development pro-
grams for improved solid wnste management and resource con-
463

464 LAW ON NA'l'UIV\1. 1n:sou1WES AND llULgs
OP PHOCEDUHE FOB.11:NVlllONM l~N'l'AL CASES
servntion techniques, more effective institutiona] arrangement

and indigenous ,~nd improved methods of waste reduction, col-
lection, sepnrntion nnd recovery;
(f) Encourage greater private sector participation in
solid waste manage1nent;
(g) Retain primary enforcement and responsibility
of solid waste management with local government units
while establishing a cooperative effort among the national
governn1ent, other local govern1nent units, non-government
organizations, and the private sector;
(h) Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among
waste generators through the application of market-based
instruments;
(i) Institutionalize public participation in the devel-
opment and implementation of national and local integrated,
comprehensive and ecological waste management programs;
and
(j) Strengthen the integration of ecological solid waste
management and resource conservation and recovery topics
into the academic curricula of formal and non-formal education
in order to promote environmental awareness and action
among the citizenry. 1
a. RA No. 9003 requires a systematic, comprehensive

and ecological solid waste management program
Under RA No. 9003, it is the declared policy of the State to adopt
a systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste n1anagement
program which shall, among others, ensure the proper segregation,
collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of solid waste
through the formu]ation and adoption of the best environmental
practices in ecological waste management. The law provides thnt
segregation and colJection of solid waste shall be conducted nt the
barangay level, specifically for biocJegl'adable, compostnble and
reusable wastes, while the collection of non-recyclable materials nnd
special wastes shall be the responsibility of the municipality or city.
Mandatory segregation of solid wastes shnll pl'imarily be conducted
1
Sec. 2, RA No. 9003.

CHAPTER XIII- ECOLOGICAL SOLID WAS'I'E 455
MANAGEMENT AC'J' OF 2000
at the source, to include household institutional, industrial,

commercial and agricultural sources. '
~egregation _at source refers to a solid waste management
practice of separating, at the point of origin, different materials found
in solid waste in order to pron1ote recycling end re- use of resources
and to reduce the volume of waste for collection and disposal. Based
on the Rule XVII of the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) Administrative Order No. 2001-34, Series of
2001, which is the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of
RA No. 9003, barangays shall be responsible for the collection,
segregation, and recycling of biodegradable, recyclable, compostable
and reusable wastes. For the purpose, a Materials Recovery Facility
(MRF), which shall receive biodegradable wastes for composting
and mixed non-biodegradable wastes for final segregation, re-use
and recycling, is to be established in every barangay or cluster of
barangays.
Under the law, an LGU, through its local solid waste
management board, is mandated by law to prepare a 10-year solid
waste management plan consistent with the National Solid Waste
Management Framework. The plan shall be for the re-use, recycling
and composting of wastes generated in its juri~di~ti_on;_e~su~e _the
efficient management of solid waste generate~ within its J~risdict10n;
and place primary emphasis on impleme_nt~t10n ?f ~ll feasible re-use,
recycling, and composting programs while identifying the amount ?f
landfill and transformation capacity that will be nee~ed for sohd
waste which cannot be re-used, recycled, or composted.
B. Definition of Terms

For purposes of the Act:
a) Agricultural waste shall refe~· to _waste gen_~ra~ed_
( 1 t' or harvesting of crops, trHnming or pruning of
from p an ing
or run-off .
materials from {'arms or field s,•
p 1an t s an d was tes . · •- .
Bulky wastes shall r~for to waste mn_teri_nls,~lnch
(b)b . ately placed in separate contninei s because
cannot e appropri · l • l tt •·butes
of either its bulky size, shape or other P 1ys1cn n .11 . : •
. 1 d 1 e wor·n-out or broken household, comrneicial,
Th ese inc u e arg
2 Ferrer
. RN 210551 June 30, 2015.
v. Bautista, G o. •
46(; LAW ON Nt\'l'UHt\L HESO\JHCl•:N AND HULES
c,,s,,:~
OF l'HOC!o:l)UHE FOH 1°:NVIHONl\11•:N'l'1\I,
nnd indust.rinl itl'ms such n~ ful'nit.ur ', \nmps, bonkcnAos, filing

cabinets, nn<l nthet· ~imilnr itonrn:
(c) Bureau shn\\ refer t.u t.he \~nvinmmentnl Mnnngc-
ment Ilnrcnu:
(d) Buy-bnck cent.er shnl\ refer t.o n recyding cent.er t.hnt
purchases or othenvi~e nccept.s recyc\nb\e nrnterinls from the
public for the purpos" of recycling such mntc1·inls;
(e) Collection slrn\\ rel'cr to the net of removing solid
waste from the source or from n communnl storage point;
(i) Composting shall refer to the controlled decomposi-
tion of orgnnic matter by micro-organisms, mninly bacteria and
fungi, into a humus-like product;
(g) Consumer electronics shnll refer to special wastes
that include worn-out, broken, nnd other discarded items such
as radios, stereos, and TV sets;
(h) Controlled dump shall refer to a disposal site at
which solid waste is deposited in accordance with the minimum
prescribed standards of site operation;
(i) Department shall refer to the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources;
(j) Disposal shall refer to the discharge, deposit,
dumping, spilling, leaking or placing of any solid waste into or
in any land;
(k) Disposal site shall refer to a site where solid waste is
finally discharged and deposited;
(I) Ecological solid waste manngemont shnll refer to
the systematic administration or activities which provide for
segregation at source, segregnt.erl trnnsporLntion, st.ornge.
transfer, processing, treatment, nnrl disposnl of solid wnste nnd
all other waste mnnngemont nct.ivit.ics which do not. hnrm t.hc
environment;
(m) Environmentally 11ccept.nhloHirn\11·<l'or tot.ho qunlit.y
of being ro-uimb]o, biodogTadablo nt' compoAl.nhlo. l'Ccyclnblo
and not toxic or h11znrdous to t.ho onvironmont.:
(n) Generation Hhull l'of 'l' to tho net. or µrocoss of
producing solid waste;
J
(µ) H1w.nrdous wnHll I' .
:xtnhinntion of ~ l' i • , H1\I.\ 11 i·o u1· Lo Holid w1rntu or
on :'\nt.r•,tion or ...l~H . wirnt' w!11ch hu_:11uHuof' itH qunntity,
m.ay: ' • ' P 1~ Slcn 1.ch 1 \\\ icn I 01· i 11l'eetiou1:1chu rnctoristic8
• (l) . nuse, or significuntJy contribute to an increa8e

111
. 1nortaht
. : or •m1 inc.reuse ~ • • • •
111 scnous 1rrevcrs1ble, or
1ncapac1tHting reversible, illness; or •
(2) pose a substantial present or potential hazard
t~ lnunan health or the environ1nent when improperly
treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise
n1anaged;
(q) Leachate shall refer to the liquid produced when
waste under?o decon1position, and when water percolate
through sohd waste • undergoing decomposition. It is
contaminated liquid that contains dissolved and suspended
materials;
(r) Materials recovery facility - includes a solid waste
transfer station or sorting station, drop-off center, a composting
facility, and a recycling facility;
(s) Municipal waste shall refer to wastes produced
from activities within local govern1nent units which include
a combination of domestic, commercial, institutional and
industrial wastes and street litters;
(t) Open dun1p shall refer to a disposal area wherein
the solid wastes are indiscriminately thrown or disposed of
without due planning and consideration for environment.al and
health standards;
(u) Opportunity to recycle shall refor to the net of
providing a place for collecting sourco-sBpnrnt.ocl recyclable
material, located either nt a disposal sito or nt, nnot.hor location
more convenient to the population being sorvocl, nnd collection
at least onee a month of source-sopnrntocl recyclable material
from collection service customm·s and to providing u public
education and promotion program that gives notice to each
person of the opportunity to recycle and encourage source
separation of recyclable 1naterial;

LAW ON N/\'11lJltJ\L lll~SOUH.Cl•:HAND ltUL,gH
OF PHOCl•:DUIUt: FOH, l~NVlllONMl~N'l'J\L CAf·!lo:H
(v) Pet·Hon(R) Hhn1l rul'ur 1.o nny huinf{, natural or

juridical. mrncept.ible of l'ighls and oblignLionf:l,or of being the
subject. of legn I relntions;
(w) Post-consumer material shall refer only to thwm
materials or products generated by a businc!:!s or consumer
which have served their intende<l end use, and which have
been separated or diverted from solid waste for the purpose
of being collected, processed and use<l ns a raw material in the
111anufacturing of a recycled product, excluding materials and
by-products generated from, and commonly used within an
original 1nanufacturing process, such as mill scrap;
(x) Receptacles shall refer to individual containers
used for the source separation and the collection of recyclable
materials;
(y) Recovered material shall refer to material and by-
products that have been recovered or diverted from solid waste
for the purpose of being collected, processed and used as a raw
material in the manufacture of a recycled product;
(z) Recyclable material shall refer to any waste material
retrieved from the waste stream and free from contamination
that can still be converted into suitable beneficial use or for
other purposes, including, but not limited. to, newspaper,
ferrous scrap metal, non-ferrous scrap 1netal, used oil,
corrugated cardboard, aluminu1n, glass, office paper, tin cans
and other materials as may be determined by the Commission;
(aa) Recycled material shall refer to post-consumer
material that has been recycled and returned to the economy;
(bb) Recycling shall refer to the treating of used or
waste materials through a process of making thein suitable
for beneficial use and for other purposes, anrl includes nny
process by which solid waste materials are transformed into
new products in such a manner that tho ol'iginnl products mny
lose their identity, and which may ho usod ns rnw mntorinls for
the production of other goods or sol'vicofl: Provided, 'l'hnt the
collection, segref.{at.ionancl 1·0-llseof p1·oviously usod pncknging
material shall be deemed recycling undor this Act;
(cc) Resource conservation shnll rofor to the reduction of
the amount of solid waste that are gonoruted or the reduction
of overall resource consumption, and utilization of recovered
resources;
CHAPTER Xlll - ECOLOGICALSOLID WASTE 469
MANAGEMENTACT OF 2000
(dd) Resource recovery shall refer to the collection,
extraction or recovery of recyclable materials from the waste
stream for the purpose of recycling, generating energy or
producing a product suitable for beneficial use: Provided, That,
such resource recovery facilities exclude incineration;
(ee) Re•use shall refer to the process of recovering
materials intended for the same or different purpose without
the alteration of physical and chemical characteristics;
(ff) Sanitary landfill shall refer to a waste disposal site
designed, constructed, operated and maintained in a manner
that exerts engineering control over significant potential
environmental impacts arising from the development and
operation of the facility;
(gg) Schedule of Compliance shall refer to an enforceable
sequence of actions or operations to be accomplished within a
stipulated time frame leading to compliance with a limitation,
prohibition, or standard set forth in this Act or any rule or
regulation issued pursuant thereto;
(hh) Secretary shall refer to the Secretary of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources;
(ii) Segregation shall refer to a solid waste management
practice of separating different materials found in solid waste
in order to promote recycling and re•use of resources and to
reduce the volume of waste for collection and disposal;
(jj) Segregation at source shall refer to a solid waste
management practice of separating, at the point of origin,
different materials found in solid waste in order to promote
recycling and re-use of resources and to reduce the volume of
wrrnte for collection and disposul;
(kk) Solid w1rnte shall refor lo nil cliscnl'dccl housBhold
commercial waste, non-huznnlous inHtitut.ionnl nncl industrial
waste, slreel sweepingH, co1rnlrnct.ion clobris, ngdculturnl
waste, an<l other non-hazarclouH/non-t.oxic solid wnsto.
Unless specifically nolecl otherwise, the term "solid waste"
as used in the Act shall nol include:
(1) waste identified or listed as hazardous waste
of a solid, liquid, contained gaseous or semi-solid fo~·m
which may cause or contribute to an increase in mortality
460 LAW ON NATURALRESOURCES AND RULES
or in serious or incnpnci ta ting reversible illness, or

acute/chronic effect on the health of persons and other
.
organisms;
(2) infectious waste from hospitals such as
equipment, instru1nents, utensils, and fomites of a
disposable nature from patients who are suspected to
have or have been diagnosed as having communicable
diseases and 1nust therefore be isolated as required
by public health agencies, laboratory wastes such as
pathological speci111ens(i.e., all tissues, specimens of blood
elen1ents, excreta, and secretions obtained from patients
or laboratory animals), and disposable fomites that may
harbor or trans1nit pathogenic organisms, and surgical
operating room pathologic specimens and disposable
fomites attendant thereto, and similar disposable
materials from outpatient areas and emergency rooms;
and
(3) waste resulting fro1n mining activities, includ-
ing contaminated soil and debris;
(11) Solid waste 1nanagement shall refer to the discipline
associated with the control of generation, storage, collection,
transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of solid wastes
in a manner that is in accord with the best principles of public
health, econo1nics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, and
other environmental considerations, and that is also responsive
to public attitudes;
(mm) Solid waste 1nanage1nent facility shall refer to any
resource recovery system or component thereof; any system,
program, or facility for resource conservation; any facility
for the co11ection, source separation, storage, transportntion,
transfer, processing, treatment, or disposnl of solid \vnste:
(nn) Source reduction shul1 refer to the reduct.ion of solirl
waste before it enters the solid wnsto stream by motho<ls such
as product design, materials substitution, mntorinls re-use nnd
packaging restrictions;
(oo) Sou1·ce separn tion shnll refer to the sorting of solid
waste into some or all of its component parts at the point of
generation;

CHAPTER XIII- ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE 461
(pp) Special wastes shall refer to household hazardous

wastes such as paints, thinners, household batteries, lead-acid
batteries, spray canisters and the like. These include wastes
f{·o111residential and con1mercial sources that comprise of
bulky wastes, consumer electronics, white goods, yard wastes
that are collected separately, batteries, oil, and tires. These
wastes are usually handled separately from other residential
and co1nmercial wastes;
(qq) Storage shall refer to the interim containment of
solid waste after generation and prior to collection for ultimate
recovery or disposal;
(rr) Transfer stations shall refer to those facilities
utilized to receive solid wastes, temporai·ily store, separate?
convert, or otherwise process the materials in the solid wastes
or to transfer the solid wastes directly fron1 smaller to lai·ger
vehicles for transport. This tei·n1 does not include any of the
following:
(1) a facility whose principal function is to
receive, store, separate, convert, or otherwise process in
accordance with national minin1un1 standards~ 1nanure:
(2) a facility, whose principal function is to receive~
store, convert, or otherwise process wastes which have
already been separated for re-use and are not intended
for disposal; and
(3) the operations pre1nises of a dul) licensed solid
waste handling operator who receives, stores, trans£ rs.
or otherwise processes wastes as an activi.t) incid nt.al to
the conduct of a refuse collection and disposal busines~:
(ss) Waste diversion shall refer to nctiviti ~ whi hr du ~e
or e1iminate the amount of solid wuste front wnste di$pO~al
facilities;
(tL) White goods shall rof'er to 1nrg worn-out tr hr ,ken
household, commercinl, and indnst rin1 npplinnct)~ ~u ·h ns
stoves, refrigeraLors, dishwashers, nnd clothe~ WH$lwr~ nnd
dryers collecLedseparately. 'Nhito goods nr 'nsnnll~· <lis1nnntled
for the recovery of specific mnt. ~rinls (e.g., coppnr, nhuninu1n,
etc.); and
(uu) Yard waste shall refer to wood, small or chipped
branches, leaves, grass clippings, garden debris, vegetable

462 LAW ON NA'l'UIV\L ,msOUHCl•:S AND HULES
OF PH.OCEDUHI~FOll l~NVIJlONMf•;N'l'ALCASES
residue thnt: is recogniznble us pnrt of a plant or vegetable and

other mnterinls identified by the Commission.:J
C. Institutional Mechanism
04. National Solid Waste Commission.
There is established a National Solid Waste Management
Commission (Commission) under the Office of the President. The
Commission shall be composed of 14 members from the government
sector and three members from the private sector. The government
sector shall be represented by the heads of the following agencies in
their ex officio capacity:
(1) Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR);
(2) Department of the Interior and Local Government
(DILG);
(3) Department of Science and Technology (DOST);
(4) Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);
(5) Department of Health (DOH);
(6) Department of Trade and Industry (DTI);
(7) Department of Agriculture (DA);
(8) Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA);
(9) League of provincial governors;
(10) League of city mayors;
(11) League of municipal mayors;
(12) Association of barangay councils;
(13) Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA); and
(l ,1) Philippine Informntion Agency.
'rhe private sector shn]I he reprosontod hy the following:
A represen Lntive from nongnvornment organizations
(a)
(NGOs) whose principal 1n11·poi-;o iH to promote recycling and
the protection of air nnd water (Jt111lity;
8
Sec. 3, RA No. 9003.

CI-JAP'l'EH XIII - ECOLOGICAL SOLID WJ\S'J'E
MANAGEMEN'I' i\C'J' OF 2000
(Hop11hlicAd No. !JOOa)
(b) A representative from the rccyc.:lingindustry; and

\ (c) A representative from the manufacturing or
packaging industry;
The Commission may, from time to time, call on any other
concerned agencies or sectors as it may deem necessary. The
representatives from the NGOs, recycling and manufacturing or
packaging industries shall be appointed by the President for a term
of three years.
The Secretaries of the member agencies of the Commission shall
formulate action plans for their respective agencies to complement
the National Solid Waste Management Framework.
The Department Secretary and a private sector representative
of the Commission shall serve as chairman and vice chairman,
respectively. The private sector representatives of the Commission
shall be appointed on the basis of their integrity, high degree
of professionalism and having distinguished themselves in
environmental and resource management. The members of the
Commission shall serve and continue to hold office until their
successors shall have been appointed and qualified. Should a member
of the Commission fail to complete his/her term, the successor shall
be appointed by the President of the Philippines but only for the
unexpired portion of the term. Finally, the members shall be entitled
to reasonable traveling expenses and honoraria.
The Department, through the Environmental Management
Bureau, shall provide secretariat support to the Commission. The
Secretariat shall be headed by an executive director who shall be
nominated by the members of the Commission and appointed by the
chairman. 1
05. Powers and functions of the Commission.

The Commission shall oversee the implementation of solid
waste management plans and prescribe policies to nchievc tho
objectives of the Act. 'J'he Commission slrnll undert.nko tho following
activities:
(a) Prepare the nnlionul t:iolicl ,-vust.o mnnng-oment
framework- ,
1
Sec. 4, RA No. 9003.

464 LAW ON NA'l'UHAL lt1•:SOUH.C1':SAND llUJ.1':S
OF PHOCEDUHE FOH l•:NVJHONM1':N'l'AL CMm8
(h) Approve lucnl solid wnste mnnngcmcnt plans in

accordance wit.h its rules nncl rcgulntions;
(c) Review nnd monitor the implementation of local
solid wnste management plans;
(d) Coordinate the operation of local solid waste
management boards in the provincial and city/municipal levels;
(e) To the maximum extent feasible, utilizing existing
resources, assist provincial, city and municipal solid waste
management boards in the preparation, modification, and
implementation of waste management plans;
(f) Develop a model provincial, city and municipal solid
waste management plan that will establish prototypes of the
content and format which provinces, cities and municipalities
may use in meeting the requirements of the National Solid
Waste Management Framework;
(g) Adopt a program to provide technical and other
capability building assistance and support to local government
units in the development and implementation of source
reduction programs;
(h) Develop and implement a program to assist local
government units in the identification of markets for materials
that are diverted from disposal facilities through re-use,
recycling, and composting, and other environment-friendly
methods;
(i) Develop a mechanism for the imposition of sanctions
for the violation of environmental rules and regulations;
(j) Manage the Solid Waste Management Fund;
(k) Develop and prescribe procedures for the issuance of
appropriate permits and clearances;
(l) Review the incentives scheme for effective solid
waste management, for purposes of ensuring relevance and
efficiency in achieving the objectives of' this Ad;
. . (m). Formulnle the neccssnry odncnt.ion promotion nn<l
mf.ormatwn camp11ign strntegirn:i;
(n) allcw not.ico nncl hearing of the parties

EstahliAh,
concerned, standards, criterin, 1-{llidolinos nncl f'onnuln thnt nre
fair, equitable and rensonnblc, in eslnblishing tipping chnrges

'\
CHAPTER XII1 - f~COLOGICAL SOLID WASTE 465

MANAGEMI~N'I' ACT OF 2000
(H.cpuulic Act. No. 9008)
and rates that the proponent will charge in the operation

and manage1nent of solid waste management facilities and
technologies;
(o) Develop safety nets and alternative livelihood
programs for small recyclers and other sectors that will be
affected as a result of the construction and/or operation of a
solid waste management recycling plant or facility;
(p) Formulate and update a list of non-environmentally
acceptable materials in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
For this purpose, it shall be necessary that proper consultation
be conducted by the Commission with all concerned industries
to ensure a list that is based on technological and economic
viability;
(q) Encourage private sector initiatives, community
participation and investments resource recovery-based
livelihood programs for local communities;
(r) Encourage all local government agencies and all
local government units to patronize products manufactured
using recycled and recyclable materials;
(s) Propose and adopt regulations requiring the source
separation and post separation collection, segregated collection,
processing, marketing and sale of organic and designated
recyclable material generated in each local government unit;
and
(t) Study and review the following:
(i) Standards, criteria and guidelines for the
promulgation and imp1ementntion of an integl'nted
national solid waste management framework; nn<l
(ii) Criteria nncl guidelines for siting, design,
operation nnd mnintennnce ol' solid wnsto mnnngmncnt
facilities.'·
06. National Ecology Center.

There shn]] be est11bli1:,lwda Nnt.ionnl Eeology Center under the
Commission which shall provido cmrnult.ing-, int'onnntion, training,
11
Scc. Ii, HA No. D003.

466 LAW ON NA'l'UH.AJ. H.l~SOUltCr.S /\ND llULf~S
OF PHOCEDUH.I~FOB.Jt:NVIU.ONMRN'l'/\L C/\SJ,:S
and networking services for the implcmen tu tion of the provhiiona of

this Act..
The Nntional Ecology Center shalJ be headed by the director
of the Bureau in his ex officio cnpacity. lt shall maintain a multi-
sectoral, multi-<liscip1inary pool of experts including those from the
academe, inventors, practicing professionals, business and industry,
youth, women and other concerned sectors, who shall be screened
according to qualifications set by the Commission."
07. Role of the Department.

For the furtherance of the objectives of this Act, the Department
shall have the following functions:
(a) Chair the Com1nission created pursuant to this Act;
(b) Prepare an annual National Solid Waste Manage-
ment Status Report;
(c) Prepare and distribute information, education and
communication materials on solid waste manage1nent;
(d) Establish methods and other parameters for the
measurement of waste reduction, collection and disposal;
(e) Provide technicul and other capability building
assistance and support to the LGUs in the development and
implementation of local solid wustc management plans and
programs;
(f)Recommend policie8 to eliminate bnrrior~ to wast
reduction programs;
(g) Exerci1-.m
visi tol'ill 1u ncl onf'on:nment powers to nsure
strict eompJinnc<~with thin /\ct;
(h) Perform Huc.:11 ot.hor powon; nnd t\uwt,ionH nocns$Hl'Y
ol' LhiH Act; nnd
Lo achj •ve the ol>jc~ctivcrn
(i) lHHt1I! niloH 1111d rug11lnti01rnto offoctivoly implement

the provjHjOJl8 of' th iH /\ct. 1
11
8cc. 7, HA No, !H)O:l.
7
8cc. 8, ihi<I.

CHA1)1'ER Xlll - l~COLOGlCAL SOUD WASTE 167
MANi\GbMEN'J1 AC'l' OF 2000
(Republic /\ct. No. !)003)
08. Vlsltorlal powers of the Department.

The Departinent or its duly authorized representative shall
have access to, and the right to copy therefrom, the records required
to be n1aintained pursuant to the provisions of this Act. The Secretary
or the duly authorized representative shall likewise have the right
to enter the pre1nises of any generator, recycler or manufacturer,
or other facilities any ti1ne to question any employee or investigate
any fact, condition or 1natter which may be necessary to determine
any violation, or which may aid in the effective enforcement of this
Act and its implementing rules and regulations. This Section shall
not apply to private dwelling places unless the visitorial power is
otherwise judicially authorized. 8
09. Role of LGUs in Solid Waste Management.

Pursuant to the relevant provisions of RA No. 7160, otherwise
known as the Local Government Cod_e,the LGUs shall be primarily
responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the provisions
of the Act within their respective jurisdictions.
Segregation and collection of solid waste shall be conducted at
the barangay level specifically for biodegradable, compostable and
reusable wastes. But the collection of non-recyclable materials and
special wastes shall be the responsibility of the 1nunicipality or city. 9
a. LGU's share with the national government the

responsibility in the manage1nent of ecological
balance within their territorial jurisdiction
One of the operative principles of decentralization is that,
subject to the provisions of the LGC and national policies, the LGUs
shall share with the national government tho responsibility in the
management an<l maintenance of' ecological balance within th "ir
territorial jurisdiction. Cities are nllowecl to oxorciso such other
powers and di1:,charge such other f'unct.iu1rnnnd t'Osponsibilities ns
are necessary, a 11propriate, or inciclenl.nl to of{iciont, nnd effective
provision of the bnsic tmrvices 11nd l'ucilitim, which include, nmong
others, solid waste <lisposal Aystom 01· m,vironmont.al mn~ngement
system and services or facilities related to gonorul hygiene and
8
Sec. 9, RA No. 9003.
!lScc. 10. iliir/
468 LAW ON N/\'l'UHAL Hl~SOUllCl~SAND RULES
or;, PHocgouRE FOR l~NVIRONMrnN'l'ALCASES
sanitation. RA No. 9003, or the Ecologicnl Solid Wuste Management

Act of 2000, nffirms this authority ns it cxp1·esscs thut the LG Us shall
be primnrily responsible for the implementation and enforcement of
its provisions within their respective jurisdictions while establishing
a cooperntive effort among the nutiona] government, other local
government units, non-government organizations, and the private
sector. 10
b. LGUs n1ay hnpose and collect fees for services

rendered
Necessarily, LGUs arc statutorily sanctioned to impose and
collect such reasonable fees and charges for services rendered.
"Charges" refer to pecuniary liability, as re~1ts or fees against
persons or property, while "Fee" means a charge fixed by law or
ordinance for the regulation or inspection of a business or activity.
Nonetheless, although a special charge, tax, or assessment may
be imposed by a municipal corporation, it 1nust be reasonably
commensurate to the cost of providing the garbage service. The
authority of a municipality or city to impose fees is limited to the
collection and transport of non-recyclable and special wastes and
for the disposal of these into the sanitary landfill. Barangays, on the
other hand, have the authority to impose fees for the collection and
segregation of biodegradable, compostable and reusable wastes from
households, commerce, other sources of domestic wastes, and for the
use of barangay Materials Recovery Facility (M.RFs). This is but
consistent with Section 10 of RA No. 9003 directing that segregation
and collection of biodegradable, compostnble und reusable wastes
shall be conducted at the barangay level, while the collection of non-
recyclable materials and special wastes shall be the responsibility of
the municipality or city.
(/)
(")
Q)
For the purpose of garbage collection, there is no substantial
::,
::,
Cl)
a.
distinction between un occupant of' n lot, on ono hund, nnrl nn
:E
g: occupant of a unit in a condominium, socinlizod housing project or
0
Q)
3
apartment, on the other hnnd. Most likely, gnrhngo output proclucod
(/)
(")
Q)
::,
by these types of occupants iA unifnl'm nncl dorn:1not. vnry ton largo
::,
~ degree; thus, a similar Hchedule of' f'oo iHhol.h juAt nnd oquitnblo. 11
1
°Fcrrcr v. BuuliHlu, Gil No. 21 OonI, ,l11110 ao,2016.
11]1,id,
~
CHAP'l'gH Xlll - ECOLOGICAL SOLID WAS'l'g '16!)
MANAOI 1:M1':N'I' ACT OF 2000
(Hepuhlh: Act. No. noo:1)
1O. Provincial Solid Waste Management Board.

A Provincinl Solid Waste Management Board HhnJJ be
established in every province, to be chaired by the governor. Its
members shall inclu<le:
(a) All the mayors of its component cities and munici-
palities;
(b) One representative from the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan to be represented by the chairperson of either
the Committees on Environment or Health or their equivalent
committees, to be 1101ninated by the presiding officer;
(c) The provincial health and/or general services
officers, whichever may be recommended by the governor;
(d) The provincial environment and natural resources
officer;
(e) The provincial engineer;
(f) Congressional representative/s from each congres-
sional district within the province;
(g) A representative from the NGO sector whose
principal purpose is to promote recycling and the protection of
air and water quality;
01) A representative from the recycling industry;
(i) A representative from the manufacturing or
packaging industry; and
(j) A representative of each concerned government
agency possessing relevant technical nnd marketing expertise
as may he determined by the Board.
The Provincial Solid Wuste Mnnngoment Boar<l mny, from
Cf)
(")
Q)
::,
time to time, call on any other concerned agencies 01· sectors ns it
::,
<I)
a.
:;
may deem necessary. Heprcsonlntivoi:; from tho NGOs, recycling· ancl
~
(')
manufaduring or pnclrnging inclustrim; shnll ho soloctocl through
Q)
3
Cf)
a proce1,s designed 1,y Lhemsolv<.rnnncl Hhnll ho ondot'sod by tho
(")
Q)
::,
::,
government ageney rcprei-;enL11tivrn3of' tho Board. Int.ho P1·ovinco of
~
Palawnn, the Bourd shuJI lw chuirocl l>ytho <:l111i1·1nnnof tho Pnlnwnn
Council for Sustuinuhle Devulop1110nt.,JHll'Hllllllt to HA No. 7G1 l.
In the cose of Metro Mn11il11,Urn llo11l'clHhllll ho chnirod by the
chairperson of the MMDA and its mlrnil>Ol'R Hhnll include:
470 LAW ON NA'J'UHJ\L llESOUH.CES /\ND IWLES
OF PROCEDURI~ F'Oll ENVIHONMl~N'l'J\L CJ\Sl•~S
Ul
(i) All mnyors of its component cities un<lmunicipalities;
ac
(ii) A reprcsentntivc from the NGO sector whose
principal purpose is to promote recycling and the protection of
IT:
air and water quality;
V.
(iii) A representative from the recycling industry; and
(iv) A representative from the manufacturing or 11
packaging industry. p
The Board may, from time to time, call on any other concerned
agencies or sectors as it may deem necessary. Representatives from n
the NGOs, recycling and manufacturing or packaging industries q
shall be selected through a process designed by themselves and shall a
be endorsed by the government agency representatives of the Board. i:
The Provincial Solid Waste Management Board shall have the
following functions and responsibilities: 1
f
(1) Develop a provincial solid waste management plan
from the submitted solid waste management plans of the
respective city and municipal ·solid waste management boards ~
herein created. It shall review and integrate the submitted

plans of all its component cities and municipalities and ensure
that the various plans complement each other, and have the
requisite components. The Provincial Solid Waste Management
Plan shall be submitted to the Commission for approval.
The Provincial Plan shall reflect the general program
of action and initiatives of the provincial government in
implementing a solid waste management program that would
support the various initiatives of its component cities and
11.
municipalities.
(2) Provide the necessary logistical and operational N!an:;
support to its component cities and municipalities in consonance plan J
with subsection (f) of Section 17 of the Local Government Code; 1n ar(
(/)
()
Ol
::,
(3) Recommend measures and safeguards against
::,
(1)
Cl. pollution and for the preservation of the natural ecosystem; comp
:E
;::.·
::r
(") (4) Recommend measures l:ogenerate resources, funding as n1(
Ol
3
(/)
and implementation of projects ancl activities us specified in
()
Ol
::,
::,
the duly approved solid waste mnnngomont plans;
~
(5) Identify areas within its jurisdiction which have
common solid waste management problems and are appropriate -
CHAPTER Xlll - l~COLO<llCALSOLID WAS'l'f1; '171
MANAC.H:MgNT AC'I'OF ~ooo
(Hopuhlie Act No, !J00:J)
units for planning local solid waste management servjccs jn

accordance with Section 41. hereof;
.(~) -~oor?inate the efforts of the component cities and

n1un1c1pahties 1n the implementation of the Provincial So}jd
Waste Management Plan;
(7) Develop an appropriate incentive scheme as an
integral component of the Provincial Solid Waste Management
Plan;
(8) Convene joint meetings of the provincial, city and

municipal solid waste management boards at least every
quarter for purposes of integrating, synchronizing, monitoring
and evaluating the development and implementation of its
provincial solid waste management plan;
(9) Represent any of its component city or municipality
in coordinating its resource and operational requirements with
agencies of the national government;
(10) Oversee the implementation of the Provincial Solid
Waste Management Plan;
(11) Review every two years or as the need arises
the Provincial Solid Waste Management Plan for purposes
of ensuring its sustainability, viability, effectiveness and
relevance in relation to local and international developments
in the field of solid waste management; and
(12) Allow for the clustering of LGUs for the solution of
common solid waste management problems. 12
11. City and Municipal Solid Waste Management Board.

(f)
()
Ol
:::i
Each city or municipality shall form a City or Municipal Wnste
:::i
Cl)
Q. Management Board that shall prepare, submit and implement n
:E
§: plan for the safe and sanitary management of solid waste generated
()
Ol
3(f) in areas under its geographic and po]iticnJ coverage.
()
Ol
:::i
:::i The City or Municipal SoJid Waste Mnnngomont Bonni shall bo
~
composed of the city or municipal mnyo1·ns houd with the following
as members:
One representative of'tho Sanggu.niang Panlungsod
(a)
or the Sangguniang Bayan, pre/'ornb]y chuirpo1·sons of either
12Sec. 11, RA No. 9003.

'I
472 LAW ON NATURAL llESOUHCES AND RULES

OF PHOCEDUHE FOil I~NVlllONMI~NTALCASES
the Committees on Environment or Health, who will be

designated by the presiding officer;
(b) President of the Association of Barangay Councils in
the municipality or city;
(c) Chairperson of the Sangguniang l(abataan Federa-
tion;
(d) A representative . from NGOs whose principal
purpose is to promote recycling and the protection of air and
water quality;
(e) A representative from the recycling industry;
(f) A representative from the manufacturing or
packaging industry; and
(g) A representative of each concerned government
agency possessing relevant technical and marketing expertise
as may be determined by the Board.
The City or Municipal Solid Waste Management Board may,
from time to time, call on any concerned agencies or sectors as it
may deem necessary. The representatives from the NGOs, recycling
and manufacturing or packaging industries shall be selected
through a process designed by themselves and shall be endorsed by
the government agency representatives of the Board.
The City and Municipal Solid Waste Boards shall have the
following duties and responsibilities:
(1) Develop the City or Municipal Solid Waste
Management Plan that shall ensure the long-tern1 management
of solid waste, as well as integrate the various solid waste
management plans and strategies of the barangays in its
area of jurisdiction. In the development of the Solid vVnste
(/)
()
OJ
Management Plan, it shall conduct consultations with the
:::,
:::,
(1)
0.
various sectors of the community;
:,
;:.:
:::r
nOJ (2) Adopt measures to promote and ensure the viability
3
(/)
()
and · effective implementation of solid waste management
OJ
:::,
:::, programs in its component barangays;
~
(3) Monitor the implementation of the City or Municipal

Solid Waste Management Pinn through its various political
subdivisions and in cooperation with the private sector and the
NGOs;
CIIAPTEH Xlll - l1:cn1.ornc/\L ROI.JI) WJ\f-l'l'li: '17:1
MANMH:M 1•:N'I'/\C'I' OF Y.000
(H,•p11lillc /\d N11.!100!1)
(•I) Adopt. Hpeciflc rcvcm10-ge11e1·nt.i11gmcuHureH t.o

1n·omote t.lw vinhilit.y ol' it.HSolid W1wt.cM111111~011Hrnt
J>lun;
(G) Convcmc rcguln1· 11wcti111~H f'or ptll'JH>!-H!A of plnnning
nnrl coordinnt.ing t.he implcment.nt.ion of' Lhc solid wnHtc
mnnngcmcnt. plnnA of Lhe respective compononL hnrnnw1yi:i;
(G) Oversee the implcmentnt.ion of' t.hc City or Municipnl
Solirl W,rntc Mnnngcment PJnn; •
(7) Review cvc1·y two yearn or nA the need arises the
City or Municipnl Solid W1rnlc MnnngemcnL Pinn for purposes
of ensuring it.A sustninnhilit.y, vinhiliLy, cffcctivcncm-1 nnd
rclcvnncc in rclntion t.o locnl nnd intcrnnLionnl developments
in the field of solid wnstc mmrngcmcn t;
(8) Develop the 8pccific mcchnnics 1111d guidelines for
the implemcntntion of' the City or Municipal Sotid Waste
Mnnngemcnt. Plnn;
(9) Recommend to npproprinte local government
nuthorit,ics specific measures or prop,osnli::l for f'rnnchi:;c or
build-opernle-trnnsfcr ngrcemcnls with duly rccogniiccl
institution8, pursunnt to ]V\ No. G0G7, t.o provide either
exclusive or non-exclusive authority for the collection, transfer,
storage, processing, rccycJing or clisposnl of municipal solid
waste. The proposn]s shalt tnkc into consideration appropriate
government. ru]es and regulations on contract!;, frnnchii:;cs nncl
lrnild-opern te-transfer 11~rcementH;
(1O) Provide the 1wccssm·y logisLicnl nnd opernLionnl
support. to its component cities nnd municipalities in consonance
with subsection (f) of Section J7 of' the Local Government Code:
(1]) Recommend nwnsurcH 1111d ~mfcgunrds ngninst
poHution and for the prescrvnt.ion of the nnturnl ecosystem;
(/)
()
and
0)
:::,
:::,
Cl)
C.
(12) Coordinate the cfforti:, of its component. bcirwtl,!czys
::E
;::;:
:T
in the implcment11Lion of the cit.y or municipal Solid \Vmitu
o0)
3
Munugement J>l11n. 11
:
(/)
()
0)
:::,
:::,
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H181·c. Ii, HA No. IJOO:l.

...
474 LAW ON NA'J'UH.AL1n:souHCJ :s AND HULJ~S

1
OF PHOCEDUHg FOH.ENVlflONMJ•:N'l'/\LCASES
D. Segregation of Wastes
12. Mandatory Segregation of Solid Wastes.
The LGUs shall evaluate alternative roles for the pub]ic and
private sectors in providing collection services, type of collection
syste1n, or combination of systems, that best meet their needs.
The segregation of wastes shall primarily be conducted at the
source, to include household, institutional, industrial, commercial
and agricultural sources. 'J.1hewastes shall be segregated into the
categories provided in Section 22 of the Act.
For premises containing six (6) or more residential units, the
local government unit shall pro1nulgate regulations requiring the
owner or person in charge of such premises to:
(a) provide for the resident's a designated area and
containers in which to accumulate source separated recyclable
materials to be collected by the 1nunicipality or private center;
and
(b) notify the occupants of such buildings of the
requirements of this Act and the regulations promulgated
pursuant thereto. 14
13. Requirements for the segregation and storage of solid waste.

The following shall be the minimum standards and requirements
for segregation and storage of solid waste pending collection:
(a) There shall be a separate container for each typo
of waste from all sources: In the case of bulky waste, it will
suffice that the same be colJected and placed in a separate and
(/J
()
0)
designated area; and
~
~
(1)
C.
~- (h) The so]i<l woste contninol' doponding on its uso

~
(")
0)
sha]) be proper]y marked 01· iclentifiecl for on-sito colloction
3
(/J
()
0)
as "compostah]e," "non-recyclable," "l'ocyclnhlo" or ''spocinl
~
~
~
waste," or any othel" c]11RRificntionllHmny ho dotorminod by tho
CommissionY 1
14
Sec. 21, supra.
111
Sec. 2, HA No. 9003.
CHAPTI~H XIII - l~COLOOICALSOLi D WAS'J'E '175
MANAGl~Ml~N'I'AC'I' 01•' 2000
(Hopuhli1: Act. No, 000:l)
E. Collection and 1',.annpo,·t of Solid Wastes

14. Requirements for Collection of Solid Waste.
The following shall be the minimum stunclar<ls un<l require•
ments for the collection of solid waste:
(a) All collectors and other personnel directly dealing
with collection of solid waste shall be equipped with personal
protective equipment to protect them from the hazards of
handling solid wastes;
(b) Necessary training shall be given to the collectors
and personnel to ensure that the solid wastes are handled
properly and in accordance with the guidelines pursuant to
this Act; and
(c) Collection of solid waste shall be done in a manner
which prevents da1nage to the container, and spillage or
scattering of solid waste within the collection vicinity. 16
F. Recycling Program
15. Reclamation programs and buy-back centers for recyclables
and toxics.
The National Ecology Center shall assist LGUs in establishing
and implementing deposit or reclamation programs in coordination
with manufacturers, recyclers and generators to provide separate
collection systems or convenient drop-off locations for recyclable
materials and particularly for separated toxic components of the
waste stream like dry cell batteries and tires to ensure that they
are not incinerated or disposed of in a landfill. Toxic 1naterials
present in the waste stream should be separated at source, collected
separate]y, and further screened nncl sent to appropriate hazardous
Cf)
waste treatment and disposal plants, consistent with the provisions
0
Q)
::::,
::::,
(1)
of RA No. 6969. ' 7
a.
:E
g:
(")
Q)
16. Prohibition on the use of non-environmentally acceptable
3
Cf)
0
Q)
packaging.
::::,
::::,
~
No person owning, operating 01· conducting n conunercial
establishment in the country Hh111l Bull or convoy nt retail or
10
sec. 23, supra.
17
8cc. 28, RA No. 9003.
476 LAW ON NA'l'UHAL Rl~SOUH.Cl~R
AND llULfi:S
OF PHocgnuRR FOR l~NVI IU)NM l~N'l'AI, CM:Ht:8
possess with the intent to sell en· convey nt; retnil nny products
that are placed, wrnpperl or packngcd in or on packaging which is
not environrnentally ucceptnblc packaging. The CommiBf:iionshu]]
deterinine n phase-out period after proper consultation an<l hearing
,vith the stakeholders or with the sectors concerned. The presence
in the conunercial establislunent of 11011-environ,ncntally acceptable
packaging shall constitute a rebuttable presurnpti.on of intent to sell
or convey the sa1ne at retail to cust01ners.
A violation of this prohibition shall be sufficient grounds for
the revocation, suspension, denial or non-renewal of any license for
the establish1nent in which the violation occurs. 18
G. Waste Manage,nent Facilities

17. Prohibition against the use of open dumps for solid waste.
No open dumps shall be established and operated, nor any
practice or disposal of solid waste by any person, including LGUs,
which constitutes the use of open dumps for solid waste. Every LGU
shall convert its open dumps into controlled du1nps, in accordance
with the guidelines set in Section 41 of the Act. 1 !)
a. A national project that affects environmental and

ecological balance of local con1munities cannot be
implemented without prior consultation with the
affected local communities and prior approval of
the project by the appropriate sanggunian
Under the Local Government Code, two requisites must be
met before a national project that affects the environmental nnd
en
ecological balance of local communities can he implomontod:
0
Q)
:,
:,
ct)
C.
(a) prior consultation with tho affeetofl local commun 1•
:::
g: ties, an<l
(")
Q)
3
en
0
(b) prior approvul of tho project by t.ho npproprinte
Q)
:,
:,
~
sanggU,nian.
Absent either of lherm m1t1Hlnt.ory1·oquit·on10nlH,t.lw projoct.'s
implementation is illegal.
1
f1Sec. 30, supra.
111
Sec. 37, ibid.
CHAP'l'l~HXlll - ECOLOOICALHOLII) Wi\8'111•: 1177
~IAN1\Gl~MJ•;N'I'AC'I' Of•':WOO
(HPpubli<!Act. No. !)00:1)
rl'he Court. t.h1·oug-hthrntice Chieo-N11:1.,11·io,

HLl'eHRccl l.hi1-1r11loin
the cnsc of Province of Uiznl v. E:recnt,'.1Jc
Sccr<!lary,'l" who11i I. dec.:lnred
thnt the Snn :Mat.eaLnndfill shnll rcmnin pornarnenl.ly c.:lw-wd f'or t,hn
site has n<lvcrsely nffocterl its environs.
In this case, the DENR Environmontnl Mnnngement Bureau
gnu~ted the Metro Manila Authority (MM/\ [fol'mel'ly MMCJ) an
Environmental Compliance Certifiente (l~CC) for the operation of
a 2 1/2-hectare garbage dumpsitc in the municjpnJity of Snn Mateo.
The Province of Rizal, 1V1unicipality of San Mateo nnd various
concerned citizens raised serious objections to the operation of the
open dumpsite for health and ecological reasons. The Sangguniang
Bayan of San Mateo issued a Resolution "expressing a strong
objection to the planned expansion of the landfill operation in
Pintong Bocaue and requesting President Ramos to disapprove the
draft Presidential Proclamation segregating 71.6 hectares from
Marikina Watershed Reservation for the landfill site in Pintong
Bocaue, San Mateo, Rizal."
The Investigation Report of the Community Environment and
Natural Resources Officer of DENR-IV-1 stated that the sources
of domestic water supply of over one thousand families would be
adversely affected by the dumping operations. The succeeding report
included the observation that the use of the areas as dumping site
greatly affected the ecological balance and environmental factors of
the community. Respondent LLDA in fact informed the MMA that
the heavy pollution and risk of disease generated by dumpsites
rendered the location of a dumpsite within the Marikina Watershed
Reservation incompatible with its program of upgrading tho water
quality of the Laguna Lake. Another Investigation Roport submitted
by the Regional Technical Director to the DENR reported respiratory
illnesses among pupils of a primary school located approximately
100 meters from the site, as we11 as the constant presence of large
(/)
flies and windblown debris all over the school's playground. [t
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::,
further reiterated reports that the lcnc.:hnto Lroatmont. plant had
(1)
a.
~
been eroded twice already, contnrninnting tho ncml'by crooks t.hnt
~
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were sources of potnh]e water for the 1·esidontH. Tho cont.nminntcd
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3
(/)
water was a]i;o found to flow to the Wnw11Dam and 11mm-bosoHivor,
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which in turn emptieH into L11g111111 clo B11y.
!!1
However, despite all those ohjucl:ionH, tho Pl'osiclont, issuorl
Proclamation No. mmoxc.:Juding from tho Mnl'ikinn vVntorshod
20
GR No. 1295'16, Dec. 13, 2000, '177 SCHA 1tafl.
478 LAW ON NA'l'UH.AL 1msouncES AND HULES
OF PH.OCEDUH.g FOR ENVlllONMI•;NTAL CASES
Reservation certuin portions thereof for use n!:l n sanitary landfill

under the nrlminist.rntion of the M.MDA.
'-Justifying the proclamation, the DENR pointed out that
the l1u1dfill site is part of the public domain, and that neither the
Province of Riznl nor the Municipality of San Mateo has the power
to control or regulate its use since properties of this nature belong to
the national, and not to the local governments.
The Court rejected respondents' argument, explaining that,
under the Regalian doctrine, the State has the duty of preserving
as much as it can our natural resources and national heritage.
But although the DENR has jurisdiction over the Marikina
Watershed Reservation, this power is "subject to the law and higher
authority," which means that it is charged with the mandate to
control and supervise the exploration, development, utilization, and
conservation of the country's natural resources within the context of
the fundamental law.
Further, Section 2(c) of the Local Government Code law requires
all national agencies and offices to conduct periodic consultations
with appropriate local government units, non-governmental
and people's organizations, and other concerned sectors of the
community before any project or program is implemented in their
respective jurisdictions. Section 27 requires prior consultations
before a program shall be implemented by government authorities
and the prior approval of the sanggunian is obtained. Section 16
allows every local government unit to "exercise the powers expressly
granted, those necessarily implied therefrom, as well as powers
necessary, appropriate, or incidental for its efficient and effective
governance, and those which are essential to the promotion of the
general welfare," which involve, among other things, "promot(ing)
health and safety, enhance(ing) the right of the people to a balanced
ecology, and preserv(ing) the comfort; and convenience of their
en inhabitaniH."
(")
[l)
:,
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(1)
Q.
The Court held that RA No. 9003 (Ecological Solid \Vastc
:'!
;: Ma,naf.Jemen.l Act of 2000) wnH enacted p,11·sunnt. t.o tho cleclnrorl policy
(")
[l)
3
of the stnt.e "to udopL u Hyst.emnt.ic, comprohonsivo nnd ocologicnl
en
(")
[l)
:,
sohd waste munn~mnont. HyHt.omwhich tihlll\ onH\ll'll tho protection
:,
~ of public heulth und onvironnwnt., nnd ut.iliio onvironmontnllY
sound methodH thnt nwximizo t.ho ut.ili't.ut.inn of vnlunble rosources
and encouruge resource consorvntion and rocovory." It. roquires the
adherence t.o a Local Government. Solid Wust.e N[anngement Plun
~
CHAlYf'ERXIII - ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE -17!)
(Hepuhlic Act No. !>00:l)
to the effect thnt the site selected for lnndfills must. be locntcd in
an area where the landfill\; operation will not nrlvcr.scly nffcct
environmentally sensitive resources such as nquifcrs. groundwntcr
reservoirs or watershed areas.
b. Continuing effort of the Supren1e Court for the

conservation, 1nanagen1ent, develop1nent, nnd
proper use of the country's environn1ent nnd
natural resources
Relatedly, in its resolution dated February 15, 2011 in
Metropolitan Manila Developm.ent Authority v. Concerned Residents
of Manila Bay,2 1 the Court, following its main decision dated
December 18, 2008 ordering MMDA and other concerned agencies,
in their different capacities, to clean up, rehabilitate and preserve
Manila Bay, directed MMDA to submit a report of the location of
open and controlled dumps in Metro Manila whose operations are
illegal pursuant to Sections 36 and 37 of RA No. 9003, and its plan
for the closure of these open and controlled dumps. The Court also
ordered the DENR Secretary, as Chairperson of the National Solid
Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), to submit a report
on the location of all open and controlled dumps in Rizal, Cavite,
Laguna, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Bataan, and whether or not the
landfills mentioned strictly comply with Sections 41 and 42 of RA
No. 9003 on the establishment and operation of sanitary landfills.
The Court likewise ordered MMDA and the 17 LGUs in lVIetro
Manila to jointly submit a report on the nverage amount of garbage
collected monthly per district in all the cities in Metro Manila vis-
a-vis the average amount of garbage disposed monthly in landfills
and dumpsites, and a report on the apprehensions for violations of
the penal provisions of RA No. 9003, RA No. 9275 and other laws on
pollution.
Cf)
n
0)
:,
:,
(I)
Al1 these directives of the Court to mnke periodic reports and
0.
:,
;:;:
its close monitoring of actions takon to implomont: its main decision
:,-
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of Decemher 18, 2008, are in the nnl,uro of n continuing 111cmda11ws
3
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for the conservation, m11n11gemonl.,dovolopnwnt., nnd propor rn~oof
:::,
:, the country's environment 11nclnnl:u1·11lroHourcos.
~
1
i GH No. 1710-17, Jt'oh. lfi, 2011, (i'1il RCHA U0.
.,
480 LAW ON NA'l'UH.t\L ltE80UHCl~S AND nur,gs
OF PHOCEDUH.J•;FOJl gNVJltONMl•;NTAL CASE8
18. Criteria for siting a sanitary landfill.

The following shnll be the minimum criteria for the siting of
sanitary landfills:
(a) The site selected must be consistent with the overall
land use plan of the LGU;
(b) The site must be accessible from major roadways or
thoroughfares;
(c) The site should have an adequate quantity of earth
cover material that is easily handled and compacted;
(d) The site must be chosen with regard for the
sensitivities of the community's residents;
(e) The site must be located in an area where the landfill's
operation will not detrimentally affect environmentally
sensitive resources such as aquifer, groundwater reservoir or
watershed area;
(f)The site should be large enough to accommodate
the community's wastes for a period of five years during which
people must internalize the value of environmentally sound
and sustainable solid waste disposal;
(g) The site chosen should facilitate developing a
landfill that will satisfy budgetary constraints, including site
development, operation for many year·s, closure, post-closure
care and possible remediation costs;
(h) Operating plans must include provisions for coordi-
nating with recycling and resource recovery projects; and
(/)
(i) Designation of a separate containment area for
(')
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household hazardous wastes.i 2
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s: 19. Criteria for establishment of sanitary landfill.
0
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The f'o11owing shnl'I bo the minimum crit.orin for tho
:::,
!!1 establishment of sanitary landfills:
(a) LinerR - 11HyHtom of clny lnyors nnd/ol' geosynthetic
membranes used to cont:nin lonchnto nnrl roduco ol' prevent
contaminant flow to grounclwntor;
iiscc. •10, RA No. noo:1.

CIIAP'I'RH Xlll - ECOI.OOICALSOLID WASTE '181
MJ\NAnEMENT ACT OF 2000
(HPp11hlie Act No. !I00:I)
(b) Lcnchnte collection nncl t.rcntmcnt system -

instnllntion of pt}WA nl the low nrcns of the liner to collect
lcnchnte for storage nncl cvcntunl treatment nnd discharge;
(c) Gns control nnd recovery system - n series of
vertical wells or horizontal trenches containing permeable
materials and perforated piping placed in the landfill to collect
gas for treatment or productive use ns an energy source;
(d) Groundwater monitoring well system - wells placed
at an appropriate location nnd depth for taking wntcr samples
that are representative of groundwater quality;
(e) Cover - two forms of cover consisting of soil and
geosynthetic materials to protect the waste from long-term
contact with the environment:
(i) a daily cover placed over the waste at the close
of each day's operations, nnd
(ii) n final cover, or cap, which is the material
placed over the completed landfill to control infiltration of
water, gas emission to the atmosphere, and erosion;
(i) Closure procedure - with the objectives of
establishing low maintenance cover systems and final cover
that minimizes the infiltration of precipitation into the waste.
Installation of the final cover must be completed within six
months of the last receipt of wastes; and
(g) Post-closure care procedure - During this period,
the landfill owner shall be responsible for providing for the
general upkeep of the landfill, maintaining all of the lnnd-
fill's environmental protection features, operating monitoring
equipment, remediating groundwater should it become con-
taminated un<l controlling landfill gns migration or emission.n
(f)
II. Penal Provisions
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(1)
C. 20. Prohibited acts.
:;:
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The following ucl::;are prnhibited:
3
(f)
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(1) LiUering, throwing, clumping ot' wn~to mnUm·~
::,
~ in puhlie Jll11ccs, 1rnch HH rondH, Hi<l0\v11llrn, cnn11l~.esteros or
parlrn, nnd <.rntnhliHhmcnt.,or e,nrninr, rn· pol'lnit.t.ing-tho ~nnw:
nscc. '11, Ht\ No. !HHl:I.

.,
1 /\WON N/\TUHt\L IIJo:HOlJl!Ct•:H

AND HIJl,l•:H.
,If~?.
01; l'HOCJ.;D\llrn FOIi ENVlllONMEN'l'AI' CAHl•,S
(2) Undt'rtnkin1.:r nct.ivit.ieR or opernt.i_ng,. collect,ing_ or

· · • • 1 t • 11 of snmtntton
t rnni-.portlllf~ t•qrnpment. lll v10 n ,10 • . operat.1on
,
• . ·t, 8 ,t, ror·t
nnd otlwr reqmrcmenis or pet 1111 s c • , 1 h rn or estuhlrnhe<l
purs\lnnt. to this Act:

(~1) The open hurnin~ of solirl wnste;
(4) Cnusing or permitting the collection of non-
segregated or unsorted waste;
(5) Squntting in open dumps and landfills;
(6) Open dumping, burying of biodegradable or non-
biodegradable materials in flood-prone areas;
(7) Unauthorized removal of recyclable material
intended for collection by authorized persons;
(8) The mixing of source-separated recyclable material
with other solid waste in any vehicle, box, container or
receptacle used in solid waste collection or disposal;
(9) Establishment or operation of open dumps as
enjoined in this Act, or closure of said dumps in violation of
Section 37;
(] O) The manufacture, distribution or use of non-
environmentally acceptable packaging materials;
(11) Importation of consumer products packaged in non-
environmentally acceptable materials;
(12) lmportation of toxic wastes misrepresented as
"rec.:yclable"or "with recyclable content";
(13) Transport and dumping in bulk of collected domestic,
industrial, commereinl nnd institutional wastes in areas other
than centers or facilities prescribed under the Act·,
(/)
(l
"'
:,
:,
(1)
O_'1) Si_ie prepnrntion, construction, expansion or
a.
~
operation of wnste management facilities without an Envi-
g:
C) ronmentn] Compliance Certificnle required pursuant to PD No.
"'
3
(/)
(l
1586 un<l the Act 1111d
not cnnfol'ming with tho lnn<l use plnn of
"'
:,
:,
the LGU;
~
(16) 'l'he con1,tl'uetio11 of nny OHt.nhlishmont. within 200

meters from OJ)en du•m PH m. eontrollod <lumps or snmtary .
l undfills; and '
~
CIIAP'l'lm, XIII - l•~COLOOICAL HOLIJ>WA!-!'l'Jt; '183
MANACH:MJ•:N'J'AC'I' Of•''.1.000
(Hop11hlit Act No, !JOO:!)
(lG) 'l'hc conHtruction or operation of lonclfills or any

waste disposal fncility on nny aquifer, groundwater reservoir
or watershed aren nn<l or any portions thercof. 2•1
21. Fines and penalties.
(a) ~1~y person who violntes Section 48, paragraph (1) shall,
upon conviction, be punished with a fine of not Jess than P300.00
but not more than Pl,000.00 or render community service for not
less ~h~n one day to not more than 15 days to an LGU where such
proh1b1ted acts are committed, or both;
(b) Any person who violates Section 48, paragraphs (2) and
(3), shall, upon conviction, be punished with a fine of not less than
P300.00 but not more than Pl,000.00 or imprisonment of not less
than one day to not more than 15 days, or both;
(c) Any person who violates Section 48, paragraphs (4), (5),
(6), and (7) shall, upon conviction, be punished with a fine of not less
than Pl,000.00 but not more than P3,000.00 or imprisonment of not
less than 15 days but not more than six months, or both;
(d) Any person who violates Section 48, paragraphs (8), (9),
(10) and (11) for the first time shall, upon conviction, pay a fine of
P500,000.00 plus an amount not less than five percent but not more
than ten percent of his net annual income during the previous year.
The additional penalty of imprisonment of a minimum period of
one year, but not to exceed three years at the discretion of the court,
shall be imposed for second or subsequent violations of Section 48,
paragraphs (9) and (10).
(e) Any person who violates Section 48, pnragrnphs (12) and
(13), shall, upon conviction, be punished with a fine of not less than
(/)
()
Pl0,000.00 but not more than P200,000.00 or imprisonment of not
DJ
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:,
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Jess than 30 days but not more thun three years, or both;
a.
:E
g (f) Any person who violut.os Sect.ion 118, pnrngrnphs (14). (15)
(")
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3
and (16) shuJl, LJJ><>n
conviction, bo punished ,vit.h a fino not los~ than
(/)
()
DJ
:,
Pl00,000.00 hut not more Urnn P 1,000,000.00, 01·imprisonmont not
:,
~ less Urnn one yeur but 11ot. 111onJ l.h1t11 Hix ((i) yourH, or both.
If the offense is commiUed by n corporut.ion, pnrtnonihip, or
other jm·idicol entity duly or1t1tniz1.Hi
in nccordnnco with lnw, the chief
:.i◄ sec. 48, RA No. 9003.

,
484 LAW ON NATURAL HESOUHCES AND HULES

OF PHOCEDUHE F'OH ENVIHONMEN'l'AL CASES
executive officer, president, general manager, mannging partner or

such other officer-in-charge shall be liable for the commission of the
offense penalized under this Act.
If the offender is an alien, he shall, after service of the sentence
prescribed above, be deported without further administrative
proceedings.
The fines herein prescribed shall be increased by at least ten
percent every three years to compensate for inflation and to maintain
the deterrent function of such fines. 25
22. Administrative sanctions.

Local government officials and officials of government agencies
concerned who fail to comply with and enforce rules and regulations
promulgated relative to this Act shall be charged administratively
in accordance with RA No. 7160 and other existing laws, rules and
regulations. 26
I. Miscellaneous Provisions
23. Mandatory public hearings.
Mandatory public hearings for the national framework and local
government solid waste management plans shall be undertaken by
the Commission and the respective Boards in accordance with the
process to be formulated in the implementing rules and regulations.27
24. Citizen suits.

Any citizen may file an appropriate civil, criminal or adminis-
trative action in the proper courts/bodies against:
(a) Any person who violates or fails to comply with the
(/)
()
0,
:,
provisions of this Act or its implementing rules and regulations;
:,
(l)
C. or
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0,
(b) The Department or other implement.in~ ngencioH
3
(/)
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with respect to orders, 1·tdes and regulations issuocl inconRist.ont
:,
:,
!!1
with the Act; and/or
ir,Sec. 49, RA No. 900:3.

:.msec. 60, ibid.
27
8cc. 61, ibid.
j
CHAPTER Xlll - ~COLOGll:AL SOLlD \\'.-\81'1•: .,~r,
i\t.-\N:\G'fu\{1-:('\T.-\CT OF ~000
(R~-µublil· .-\d Nt,. ~l()\l!l)
(c) ..'-\ny public ot1ker who willfully or grossl.,· ncnlcctl-l

the performance of an nl't Sl,)L'cifkallyL't\ioincd ns n duty by
tl1e Act or its implementing rull'S nnd regulntions: or nbuscR
his authority in the performance of his rlut~•; or, in nny
1nanner. improperly performs his duties under the :\ct or its
in1plen1enting rules and regulations. No suit. cnn be filed until
after 30-day notice hRs been giYcn to the public officer nnrl the
alleged violator concerned nnd no npproprinte net.ion hns been
taken thereon.
The court shall exe1npt such net.ion from t.he payment of filing
fees and shall, likewise. upon prima (acie showing of the non-
enforcement or Yiolation complained of, exempt the plnintiff from
the filing of an injunction bond for the issuance of n preliminary
injunction.
In the event that the citizen should prevail, the court shall
award reasonable attorney's fees, moral damages, and litigation
costs as appropriate_:.?~
a. A writ of kalillasan under the RPEC is a separate

and distinct action fro1n RA No. 9003 and RA No.
8749
A petition for writ of halihasan under the Rules of Procedure for
Environmental Cases (RPEC) is a separate and distinct action from
RA No. 9003 Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000) and
RA No. 8749 (Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999). A writ of kalikasan
is an extraordinary re1nedy covering environmental damage of
such magnitude that will prejudice the life, health or property of
inhabitants in two or rnore cities or provinces. Given that the writ
(/)
of kalikasan is an extraordinary remedy and the RPEC allows
direct action to the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals where it is
(")
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:,
CD
a.
:;; dictated by public welfare, the prior 80-dny notice roqniroment for
~
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citizen suits under RA No. 9003 nnd RA No. 8749 is inapplicable. lt
3
(/)
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is ultimately within the Court's discretion whothor 01· not. to nccopt
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~
petitions brought directly before it.:w
2sgec. 52, RA No. 9003.

20 Osmeiiu v. Gargnnem, GR No. 231 HM, Mnrch 20, 2018.
..,
I
486 LAW ON NATURAL HESOUHCES AND RULES

OF PROCEDURE FOH gNVIRONMENTAL CASES
b. The rule on standing hns been liberalized in

environ1nental clain1s
In Oposa v. Facfo1'an/ 0 the Court, through Justice Davide, held
that petitioner minors can, for themselves and for generations yet
unborn, file a class suit based on the concept of intergenerational
responsibility to protect and preserve their right to a balanced
and healthful ecology in accord with the "rhythm and harmony of
nature." The 1ninors' assertion of their right to a s·ound environment
constitutes, at the same time, the performance of their obligation to
ensure the protection of that right for the generations to come. In this
case, petitioners sought to enjoin the DENR Secretary from further
issuing timber license agree111ents (TLA's) and to cancel existing
TLA's since these are 1nere privileges which can be withdrawn by
the government in the exercise of its police power.
The doctrine of standing in Philippine jurisprudence is
merely the catalyst of a greater concept: public participation in
environmental enforcement. If indeed the people have enforceable
environmental rights, then the legal syste1n n1ust·give the people a
venue to protect these rights. 31
25. Suits and strategic legal action against public participation

(SLAPP) and the enforcement of the Act.
Where a suit is brought against a person who filed an action as
provided in Section 52 of this Act, or against any person, institution
or government agency that implements this Act, it shall be the duty
of the investigating prosecutor or the court, as the case 1nay be, to
immediately make a deter1nination not exceeding thirty (30) days
whether said legal action has been filed to hnrnss, vex, exert undue
pressure or stifle such legal recourses of the porson co1nplainin~ of
(/)
or enforcing the provisions of the Act. Upon dctorminntion thereof.
""'
:::,
:::,
evidence wnrranting the snme, tho court shall dismiss the cnse nncl
Cl)
a.
:;: award attorney's fees and double rlnmnges.
s:
(")
"'
3 This provision shall a)Ho apply nnd honofit. puhlit oftit{'l"S who
(/)
""'
:::,
are sued for acts committed in thoir officinl cnpncit.y, t.horo hoing no
:::,
~ grave abuse of authority, and dono in tho courHo of onl'~lrcin~ tho
Act. 11i
aoGRNo. 101083, ,July 30, 1n~rn.

~i-1 SCHA 79~.
11
: nntionnle, Hules of Procedmc for Environmontnl Cnsos (RPEC).
:i:1scc. 63, RA No. 9003.
CHAP'l'gll Xlll - l~COLO(llC/\L SOLID WAR'J'J,: '187
M/\NAG l~Ml :N'l1AGI' OF ~000
1
(Hop11hlicAct No. !JOO:!)

A ,Joint Congressional Ovet·sight. Committee has been
established to monitor the implementation of the Act un<lto oversee
the functions of the Commission. The Committee shall be composed
of five Senators and five Representatives to be appointed by the
respectively. The Oversight Committee shaJl be co-chaire<l by a
Senator and a Representative designated by the Senate President
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.:ri
CJ)
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~:ssec. 60, su,pra.

,
Chapter XIV
POLLUTION ADJUDICATION BOARD
(Republic Act No. 3931, Presidential Decree No. 984,
and Executive Order No. 192)
01. Pollution Adjudication Board.

The Pollution Adjudicatiori Board (PAB) is the agency of
the government under the Office of the Secretary, Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which has assumed
the powers and functions of the National Water and Air Pollution
Control Commission (NWACC) created under RA No. 3931, and
the National Pollution Control Commission later created under
PD No. 984, with respect to the determination and adjudication of
atmospheric air and water pollution cases, including the latter's
role as arbitrator for determining reparation, or restitution of the
damages and losses resulting from pollution. 1
In 1987, EO No. 192 (Administrative Code of 1987).was passed,
reorganizing the DENR. Section 13, Chapter 2, Title XIV thereof
provides:
"SECTION 13. Pollution Adjudication Board. -

The Pollution Adjudication Board, under the Office of
the Secretary, shall be composed of the Secretary as
Chairman, two Undersecretaries as may be designated
by the Secretary, the Director of Environmental
en
0
D>
::,
Management, and three others to be designated by the
::,
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D. Secretary as members. The Board shall assume the
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powers and functions of the Commission/Commissioners
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en
of the National Pollution Control Commission with respect
()
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to the adjudication of pollution cases under Republic Act
~
1
Universal Robina Corporation v. Laguna Lnlrn Development Authority, GR
No. 191427, May 30, 2011.
488
\ 489
\ CHAPTER XIV - POLLU'l'JON ADJUDICA'I'ION BOARD
\ (Republic Act No. 3931, Pre1:1iclcntinlDecree No. H84,
nnd Executive Order No. l!J2)
3931 and Presidential Decree 984, particularly with

respect to Section 6 letters (e), (f), (g), (j), (k) and (p) of
P.D. 984. The Environmental Management Bureau shall
serve as the Secretariat of the Board. 'rhese powers and
functions may be delegated to the regional officers of the
Department in accordance with rules and regulations to
be promulgated by the Board."
The PAB took over the powers and functions of the National
Pollution Control Commission with respect to the adjudication
of pollution cases, including the latter's role as arbitrator for
determining reparation, or restitution of the damages and losses
resulting from pollution. 2

As used in PD No. 984:
(a) "Pollution" means any alteration of the physical,
chemical and biological properties of any water, air and/or
land resources of the Philippines, or any discharge thereto
of any liquid, gaseous or solid wastes as will or is likely to
create or to render such water, air and land resources harmful,
detrimental or injurious to public health, safety or welfare
or which will adversely affect their utilization for domestic,
commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational or other
legitimate purposes.
(b) "Sewage" means the water-carried human or animal
wastes from residences, buildings, industrial establishments,
or other places, together with such water infiltration and
surface water as may be present. The admixture or sewage and
industrial wastes or other wastes as hereafter defined shall
also be considered "sewage."
(/)
()
(c) "Industrial Waste" means any liquid, gaseous or

Cl)
:,
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(I)
a.
:E solid matter, or other waste substance or a combination thereof
s:
(") resulting from any process of' industry, manufacturing trade
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3
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or business or from the development, processing or recovery
:,
:,
~
or any natural resources which may cause 01· tend to cause
pollution, or contribute to tho pollution of tho wnter, air nnd
Janel resources of the Philippines.
iUniversul Robina Corporation v. LLDA, GR No. 101427, May 30, 2011.

,
490 LAW ON NA'l'UllAL ltl~SOUHCES/\NI> HULJ•:S
OF PHOCRDUHI~ FOil l~NVIHONM l•:N'l'/\1. CJ\81~8
(<l) "Other Wnstc" mcuns gurhngc, refuse, wood regj.

rlues, sand, lime cin<lcl's, nshes, uffnl, night-oil, tar, dye stuffA
acirls, chemicals, and other substnnecs not, sewage or indua:
trial waste which may cause or tend to euuse pollution; or
contribute to the pollution of the water, air and land rcsource 8
of the Philippines.
(e) "Sewage System or Sewerage System" means pipe
lines or conduits, pumping stations, force mains, constructed
drainage ditches, and all other constructions, devices, and
appurtenances used for collecting or conducting sewage, and
industrial wastes or other wastes to a point of treatment,
discharge or ultimate disposal.
(f) "Treat1nent Works" 111eansany method, construction
device or appliance appurtenant thereto, installed for the
purpose of treating, neutralizing, stabilizing, disinfecting, or
disposing of sewage, industrial waste or other wastes, or for
the recovery of by-product fr01n such sewage, industrial waste
or other wastes.
(g) "Sewage Works" means individually or collectively
those constructions or devices use for collecting, pumping,
treating, and disposing of sewage, industrial wastes or other
waste, or for the recovery of by-products from such sewage,
industrial waste or other waste.
(h) "Outlet" 1neans the terminus of a sewage works or
point of emergence in the water, air and land resources of the
Philippines of any sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes.
(i) "Commission" means the National Pollution Control
Commission.
(j) "Person" or "Persons" includes nny being, nnturnl or
(J)
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juridical, susceptible of rights and oblig·ntions or of being the
:,
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subject of legal relntions.
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a. Definition of "pollution" connotos spocinlizod
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knowledge und skills which is within PAB's
~
con1petencc
3
The case of Shell PhiliJJpines l!Jxploratio1111.\I. v. Jalos is
about the question of jurisdiction over an nct:ion ngninst a petroleum
:•anNo. 179918, Sept. 8, 2010.

\ \
CHAPTER XlV - POLLU'l'ION AD,JUDICNl'IONBOAHD
(Ropublic Act No. an:11, Pnmidont.!111
Docrno No. BfH,
mul Executivo Orilor No. 1B2)
401
cont~actor, whose pipeline operation hns nllcgedly driven the fish

away from constnl nrens, in Hiding loss of e1unings among fishermen.
In a complaint for damages filed against She11with the regional trial
court of Pinamalayiu1, Oriental Mindoro, Jalos, et al., claimed that
their fish catch became few after the construction of the pipeline.
They said that "the pipeline greatly affected biogenically hard-
structured communities such as coral reefs and led [to] stress to the
marine life in the Mindoro Sea." They now have to stay longer and
farther out at sea to catch fish, as the pipeline's operation has driven
the fish population out of coastal waters.
Shell moved for dismissal of the complaint. It alleged that the
trial court had no jurisdiction over the action, as it is a "pollution
case" under RA No. 3931, as amended by PD No. 984 or the Pollution
Control Law. Under these statutes, the Pollution Adjudication
Board (PAB) has primary jurisdiction over pollution cases and
actions for related damages. Shell also claimed that it could not be
sued pursuant to the doctrine of state immunity without the State's
consent. Shell said that under Service Contract 38, it served merely
as an agent of the Philippine government in the development of the
Malampaya gas reserves.
Issue: Whether or not the complaint is a pollution case that
falls within the pri1nary jurisdiction of the PAB.
Section 2(a) of PD No. 984 defines "pollution" as "any alteration
of the physical, chemical and biological properties of any water
... as will or is likely to create or render such water ... harmful,
detrimental or injurious to public health, safety or welfare or which
will adversely affect their utilization for domestic, commercial,
industrial, agricultural, recreational or other legitimate purposes."
The Court, through Justice Abad, held that from this definition,
the stress to marine life claimed by Jalos, et al., is caused by some
(J)
()
kind of pollution emanating from Shell's natural gas pipeline. The
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pipeline, they said, "greatly affected" or altered the nnturnl habitat
a.
:;; of fish and affected the coastal waters' natural function ns fishing
~
(")
Q) grounds. Inevitably, the proper tribunal must determine whether or 1
3
(J)
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not the operation of the pipeline ndversely nltcrod tho conHtnlwntor8
:,
:,
~
properties and negatively nffected its life Hllst.nining function. 'l'he
power and expertise neecJed to dotormino Huch iHsuo lios with the
Pollution and Adjudication Board (P/\11).
The definition of the term "pollution" itself connotes the need
for specialized knowledge and skills, technical and scientific, in
""'Ill
~92 LAWON NA'l'UHALHESOUHCESAND HULES

OF PROCEDUHEFOH l~NVlRONMEN'l'ALCASES
determining the presence, the cause, and the effects of po1lution.

These knowledge and skills nre not within the competence of ordinary
courts. Jalos. ct al., had, therefore, an administrative recourse
before filing their complaint with the regular courts. Resort must
first be mude to the PAB, which is the agency possessed of expertise
in determining pollution-related matters. 'l'he failure of Jalos, et al.,
to allege in their complaint that they had first taken resort to PAB
before going to court means that they failed to state a cause of action
that the RTC could act on. This. warranted the dismissal of their
action. without prejudice to its refiling with the PAB.
The Court further held that Shell is not an agent of the
Philippine government, but a provider of services, technology and
financing for the Malampaya Natural Gas Project. It is not immune
frmn suit and may be sued for claims even without the State's
consent.
b. A valid action for damages could be made if the

construction and operation of the pipeline indeed
caused fish decline and eventually led to the
fishennen's loss of income
According to the Court in the same case, a valid judgment for
damages could be made in favor of Jalos, et al., if the construction and
operation of the pipeline indeed caused fish decline and eventually
led to the fishermen's loss of income, as alleged in the complaint.
The rules do not require that the complaint establish in detail the
causal link between the construction and operation of the pipeline,
on the one hand, and the fish decline and loss of inco1ne, on the
other hand, it being sufficient that the complaint states the ultimate
facts on which it bases its c]aim for relief. The test for determining
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the sufficiency of a cause of action rests on whether the complaint
::,
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a. a]leges facts which, if true, would justify the relief demanded.
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c. Factual findings of' ndministrntivc bodies on
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technical 1nuttc1·s within their oxportisc nccorderl
~
respect
It is a <loetrine of long-standing thnt fnctunl findings of
administrative bodies on technical mnttors within their aroa of
expertise should be accorded not only rospect. but even finnlity if
they are supported by substnntial ovidence even if they are not
overwhelming or preponderant. Courts will not interfere in matters
'
'\ CHAP'l'EHXlV- POLLU'l1ION J\D,JUIJJCt\'rJONBOAHD

(Hopuhlic Ad No, :ma 1, Pre11idu11t.i11I
nnd l ;,<pe11t.ive
1
Ord111·
lJ(•ereo No. UfM,
No. 1112)
103
whic\l nro ndcfressed to the Hound diHcrel.ion of the government,

agency entrusted with rcgulntiou of nct.ivHies coming un<lor the
spociHl and lechnienl training and knowledge of such agency. Th~
exorcise of ndministrntive discretion is u policy decision and a
matter that is best discharged by the government agency concerned
and not by the courts.
d. ~LDA as a regulatory ancl quasi-judicial body can

issue an ex-parte cease and desist order with respect
to pollution cases in the Laguna Lake region
In_Pacific Steam Laundry, Inc. v. Laguna Lake Development
Authonty/ the Court he]d that under Section 4(h) of EO No. 927, the
Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) may "exercise such
powers and perform such other functions as may be necessary to
carry out its duties and responsibilities." The Court cited Laguna
La.he Development Authon:ty v. Court of Appeals 6 which upheld
the power of LLDA to issue an ex-parte cease and desist order
even if such power is not expressly c~nferred by law, holding that
an administrative agency has also such powers as are necessarily
implied in the exercise of its express powers. It ruled in that case
that LLDA, as a regulatory and quasi-judicial body with respect to
pollution cases in the Laguna Lake region, has the implied authority
to issue a "cease and desist order." The LLDA also has the power
to impose fines in the exercise of its function as a regulatory and
quasi-judicial body with respect to pollution cases in the Laguna
Lake region. n
e. A public prosecutor cannot charge a person with

a violation of the law on pollution without a prior
determination by the PAB that the net of such
(/)
()
person constitutes pollution
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The issue in Mead v. Argel 1 is whether or not tho p_ublie
:E
;: prosec;utor c;an file un informntion chnrging the ~etitioner w~th a
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3
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vio]ation of the provisions of RA No. 383] crontmg tlw Nntwnal
Water and Air PoJJution Control Commission (NvVACC), now
()
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:,
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~
Po1lution Adjudication Bo11rcl (P/\11), without. a p1·io1· finding or
~GR No. J Hf52~)!),

Dec. 18, ~OO!),0011SCHA ,1,1~.
6 GR No. 110120, March l<i, l!JfM, 2:11 SUHA ~fli.
0 Pacific Steam Laundry, Inc. v. Lug11nu Lake Development Authority, supra.
7 GR No. L-'11.9158,,July 20, 1982.

.,
-m-t LAWON NA'l'UH.AL1n:so111w1,:HAND HULl•!H

OF l'HOCl 1:nu1n: l 1'0H 11:NVIHONM 11:N'l'AL C/\l·Ht:H
deter1uinaHon by tho Bonrrl thnt tho nd of tho potitionor had c:auned

pollution in nny wnter or ntmosphoric nir of' tho Philippincm. 'l'he
Court ruled in the negntive. '.l'h0 prosecutor may do HO if the PAD
had 1uade a prior determiirntion thnt tho uct ol' petition or had cauBed
pollution to any water of the .Philippines. The definition of the term
"pollution'' in itself connotes that the determination of its exiAtence
requires specialized knowledge of technical and scientific matters
which are not ordinarily within the competence of prosecutors or of
those sitting in a court of justice.

Section 6 of PD No. 984, in relation to EO No. 192, provides as
follows:
"SEC. 6. Powers an.d Functions. - The Commission

(Board) shall have the following powers a~d functions:
XXX XXX XXX
Issue orders or decisions to compel compliance with

the provisions of this Decree and its implementing rules
and regulations only after proper notice and hearing.
(f) Make, alter or modify orders requiring the
discontinuance of pollution specifying the conditions
and the time within which such discontinuance must be
accomplished.
(g) Issue,· renew, or deny· permits, under such
conditions as it may determine to be reasonable, for the
prevention and abatement of pollution, for the discharge
of sewage, industrial waste, or for the installation or
operation of sewage works and industrial disposal system
or parts thereof: Provided, however, That the Commission,
(/)
()
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by rules and regulations, may require subdivisions,
:::,
"'
Q. condominium, hospitals, public buildings and other
~
§: similar human settlements to put up appropriate centi·al
0
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(/)
sewerage system and sewage treatment works, except
()
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that no permits shall be required of any new sewage
:::,
~ works or changes to or extensions of' existing works that
discharge only domestic or snnitnry wastes from a single
residential building provided with septic tanks or their
equivalent. The Commission may impose reasonable fees
~
"\
CHAPTER XIV - POLLUTION ADJUDICA'rION BOARD 495
\ (Republic Act No. 3931, Presidcntinl Decree No. 981,
• nnd Executive Order No. 192)
\nd charges for the issuance or renewal of all permits

herein required.
XXX XXX XXX
G) Serve as arbitrator for the determination of

reparations, or restitution of the damages and losses
resulting from pollution.
(k) Deputize in writing or request assistance of
appropriate government agencies or instrumentalities for
the purpose of enforcing this Decree and its implementing
rules and regulations and the orders and decisions of the
Commission.
XXX XXX XXX
(p) Exercise such powers and perform such other

functions as may be necessary to carry out its duties and
responsibilities under this Decree."
a. Powers and functions ofNPCC transferred to PAB

As explained in Shell Philippines Exploration B. V. v. Jalos, 8
EO No. 192 (1987) transferred to the PAB the powers and functions
of the National Pollution and Control Commission provided in RA
No. 3931, as amended by PD No. 984. These empowered the PAB
to "[d]etermine the location, magnitude, extent, severity, causes
and effects" of water pollution. Among its functions fa to "[s]erve
as arbitrator for the determination of reparation, or restitution of
the damages and losses resulting from pollution." The PAB has the
power to conduct hearings, impose penalties for violation of PD No.
984, and issue writs of execution to enforce its orders and decisions.
The PAB's final decisions may be reviewed by the Court of Appeals
(/)
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under Rule 43 of the Rules of Court.
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04. Jurisdiction.
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PAB Resolution No. 001-10 (Revised Rules of the Pollution
::,
::,
~
Adjudication Board on Pleading, Practice and Procedure in Pollution
Cases) 9 has classified PAB's jurisdiction as follows:
8
GR No. 179918, Sept. 8, 2010.
9
Dated June 29, 2010.
496 LAW ON NA'l'UHALHESOURcgs AND RULES
OF PROCEDURE FOH ENVIRONMENTAL CASES
a. Genornl jurisdiction
The Board shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the adjudica-
tion of pollution cases, and all other matters related thereto, includ-
ing the imposition of ad1ninistrative sanctions.
Pursuant to Section 19 of EO No. 192, the powers and functions
may be delegated to the Regional Officers of the Department in
accordance with the rules and regulation to be formulated by the
Board.
b. Specific jurisdiction
1) Clean Ai,· Act (RA No. 8749)
The Board has specific jurisdiction over the following
cases:
a) For actual exceedance of air quality standards
or limitations provided under the Clean Air Act;
b) Any order, rule or regulation issued by the
DENR with respect to such standard or limitation.
2) Clean Water Act (RA No. 9275)

The Board has exclusive and original jurisdiction with
respect to adjudication of pollution cases based on exceedance
of DENR Effluent Standards and other acts prohibited under
Section 27 of RA No. 9275.
3) Establishing an Environmental Impact State-

ment System (PD No. 1586)
The Board has jurisdiction to hear cases of violation of
PD No. 1586 and its IRR as defined in Section 27(h) of RA No.
(/J
(")
Ill
9275.
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4) Ecological Solid Waste Managerueut Act (RA
0
Ill
No. 900/J)
3
(/J
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:,
:,
The Board hns jurisdiction to henr cnsos of unauthorized
~
transport and dumping into seawnt:or solid wnste ns defined in
RA No. 9003.
5) Toxic Suhstances and flazardous Wastes Act

(RA No. li969)
CHAPTER Xt\' - l'OLLUTION AD,IUDIC'Nl'ION BOAHO ,197
(Rl'public ..\d ~o. :l!l:H. l'rr·~id1•n1inl Dt'<'l't'<' No. !lR-t.
and E:\t'<'Utiw 0Nlcr ;--..\,. I !l:!)
The Bo:1rd hns jurisdiction ovc'r cn~cf: of:

n) Illegal t rn ll$port or dumping or cli8chnrgc of
prohibited chemicnls. substnnre~ or pollutnnts listed
under RA No. G9G9: and
b)
Opernting facilities thnt. dischnrgc hnznrdous
substances into water bodies. 111
Section 10 of PD No. 9S-1 prm·idcs:
··Jurisdiction. - The Commission shall lrnvc no

jurisdiction o\·er waterworks or sewngc system opcrnted by
the ~Ietropolitan \V:lterworks Sewerage System. but the rules
and regulations issued by the Commission for the protection
and pre\·ention of pollution under the authority herein grnnted
shall supersede and pre\·ail o\·er any rules or regulations as
may heretofore haYe been issued b~-other government agencies
or instrumentalities on the same subject.
In case of de\·elopment projects involving specific human
settlement sites or integrated regional or sub-regional projects,
such as the Tonda Foreshore Development Authority and
the Laguna Lake Development Authority, the Commission
shaU consult with the authorities charged with the planning
and execution of such projects to ensure that their pollution
control standards comply with those of the Commission. Once
minimum pollution standards nre established and agreed
upon, the development authorities concerned mny, by mutual
agreement and prior consultntion with the Commission,
undertake the pollution control act ivit.ies themselves."
05. Hearing, review and execution.

2 EO No. 192 (l 987) transferred to the PA 13 the powers nnd
[ functions of the National PoJJution and Cont rnl Commission provided
! in RA No. 3981, :u; amended by PD No. nB-1. 'l'lwso <1 mpowl'rPd
~ the PAB to ··r d]ctermine Uw locnt.ion, lllllg"llituclu, oxlt lll, ~l t·it.v, 1 1
\'(
1
[ causes and effects" of w11ler pollution. /\111011g its (\lllct.ions is tci 'l,I
~ erve as arbitraLor for the determi1111t ion of ropn1·11t.ion,tH' rPst it.ut iun
of the damages and losses re 81t!ting frolll pollut.ion." 1n t.hi~ n gnrd, 1
the PAB has the power Lo conduct lwal'ings, impo:-io pu11nlt.ies for
10
Sec. 1, Huie Ill, PJ\13 Hesolut ion No. 00 I - 10.
498 LAW ON NA'l'UllAL 1rnsOUllCEH AND HULl~fi
OF PHoc1mu1rn FOH ENVlllONMl•~N'l't\l, C/\81•:8
violation of PD No. 984, nnd issue writs o(' execution to enforce itH
orders nnd decisions. The PAI3's finnl decisions may he reviewed h
the CA under Rule 43 of the Rules of Court. 11 Y
Section 7 of PD No. 984 prnvides:
"(a) Pnblic Hearing. - Public heurings shall he
conducted by the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners
or any senior official duly designntecl by the Commissioner
prior to issuance or promulgation of any order or decision
by the Commissioner requiring the discontinuance of
discharge of sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes
into the water, air or land resources of the Philippines
as provided in this Decree: Provided, That whenever
the Commission find a prima facie evidence that the
discharged sewage or wastes are of immediate threat
to life, public health, safety or welfare, or to animal or
plant life, or exceeds the allowable standards set by
the Commission, the Commissioner may issue an ex-
parte order directing the discontinuance of the same or
the temporary suspension or cessation of operation of
the establishment or person generating such sewage or
wastes without the necessity of a prior public hearing. The
said ex-parte order shall be immediately executory and
shall remain in force until said establishment or person
prevents or abates the said pollution within the allowable
standards, or modified or nullified by a competent court.
XXX XXX XXX
(b) Appeal to Courts. - Any decision of the

Commission, in the absence of nn appeal therefrom
as herein provided, shall become final f1fteen (15) clays
after the date of notification, nnrl judicinl review thereof
shall be permitted only nftel' nny party claiming to be
(/)
aggrieved thereby hns exhnusted the remedies bet'oro t,ho
()
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:,
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Commir-;i,ion. The Commission Hhnll ho doomed to bo n
(1)
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party to any juuiciul ncLion involving nny lloci:=iion.
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(c) Court Ueuicw. - '11110doeiHinu of the
3
(/)
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Commission upon uny clit:iputod mnt.t:01·mny bo roviowod
:,
:, both upon the law nnd Llie f'nct.Hof' t.ho cnRo by t.ho Court
~
11Shcll PhilippincH v, ,JaloH, Oil No. 17!l018, Hupt. 8, iOlO.

499
CHAPTER XIV - POLLUTION ADJUDICATION BOARD
(Republic Act No. 3931, Presidentinl Decree No. 984,
nnd Executive Order No. 192)
of Appeals. For purposes of such review, the procedure

concerning appeals from the Court of First Instance shall
be followed. Appeal from a decision of the Commission
must be perfected within fifteen (15) days from notification
of such decision: Provided, however, That any decision of
the Commission involving only questions of law, shall
be appealed to the Supreme Court. No appeal shall stay
the execution of any order or decision of the Commission
unless the Commissioner himself or the Court of Appeals
or the Supreme Court so orders.
(d) Execution of Decision. - Any decision or order
of the Commission, after the same has become final and
executory, shall be enforced and executed in the same
manner as decisions of Courts of First Instance, and
the Commission shall have the power to issue to the
City or Provincial Sheriff or duly coristituted authorities
whom it may appoint, such writs of execution as may be
necessary for the enforcement of such decision or order
and any person who shall fail or refuse to comply with
such decision, order, or writ, after being required to do so
shall, upon application by the Commission, be punished
by the proper court for contempt."
06. Rules of evidence.

In the conduct of hearings, the Board or Hearing Officer shall
not be bound by the technical rules of evidence under the Rules of
Court. However, the following simplified rules of evidence shall be
observed:
(a) The Board or Hearing Officer shall ad1nit and give
probative value to evidence con1monly accepted by a reasonably
(/)
()
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prudent man in the conduct of his affairs. In case of doubt, all
:,
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Q. evidence presented shall be admitted, subject to the objections
:;
~ interposed, if any;
()
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3
(/)
() (b) All documents forming pnrt of the records and
"'
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:,
!!l material to the issues of the cnso, whether 1nnrkerl as exhibits
or not, shalJ be deemed admil:ted us evidence nnd may be
considered in the resolution of the cnso;
(c) Documentary evidence may be 1·eceivedin the form of
copies or excerpts, if the original is not readily available. Upon
request, the parties shall be given opportunity to compare the
600 LAWON NA'l'URALRESOURCESAND RULES
OF PROCEDURI~FOR ENVIRONMENTALCASES
copy with the originnl. If the original is in the official custody

of a public officer, u certified copy thereof may be accepted;
(d) Every party shall have the opportunity to be heard
in accordance with administrative due process and to submit
rebuttal evidence; and
(e) The Board or Hearing Officer may take notice of
judicially cognizable facts and of generally cognizable technical
or scientific facts within its or his specialized knowledge. The
parties shall be notified and afforded an opportunity to contest
the facts so noticed.
07. Cease and desist order.

Whenever the Board finds prima facie evidence that the
emission or discharge of pollutants constitutes an immediate threat
to life, public health, safety or welfare, or to animal or plant life, or
exceeds the allowable DENR Standards, it may issue or recommend
to the DENR Secretary an ex-parte order directing the discontinuance
of the same or the temporary suspension or cessation of operation
of the establishment or person generating such pollutants, without
need of a prior public hearing.
The cease and desist order (CDO) shall be immediately
executory and shall remain in force and effect until modified or lifted
by the Board or the DENR Secretary.
The Board or the D ENR Secretary may also direct the Regional
Office to revoke, suspend or modify any permit to operate a pollution
control facility or any clearance whenever such is necessary to
prevent or abate the pollution.
A CDO shall be issued against the respondent for the purpose of
directing it to immediately stop or refrain from doing or conducting
(/)
(')
an act, or continuing a particular activity or course of action in
0,
:,
:,
violation of environmental laws, such as, but not limited to, the
(1)
C.
:, operation of a particular machine, equipment, process or activity, or
~ doing a particular net expressly prohihitecl by law.
()
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(/)
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Un<ler the Clean Air /\ct (llJ\ No. 87 1W), the Bon1·<lshall order
:,
~
the closure, suspension of <levolopnwnt,, eo11Ht1·uct.ion,
or oµerntions
of the stationary soureoH until Huch Limo thnt proper onvil'onmontnl
safeguards are in p]ac<J.
. Where an interim CDO effective fo1·sovon (7) dnys has beon
issued by the Regional Director, the Bourd shall issue a cease and
CHAPTER XIV - POLLUTION AD,JUDJCA'l'IONBOARD GOJ
(Republic Act No. 393 t, Pre1-1idcntinl Decrco No. B8'1,
nnd Exec11tive Ordor No. I !)2)
desist order or reco1nmend to the Sccretnry the issuance of a GOO,

pursuant to the provisions of the applicable law.
a. Grounds for the issuance of ex parte "cease and

desist" order
In Pollution Adjudication Board v. Court of Appeals and Solar
Textile Fishing Corporation, 12 the Court, through Justice Feliciano,
held that under Section 7(a) of PD No. 984, an ex parle cease and de-
sist order 1nay be issued by the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB):
(a) whenever the wastes discharged by an establishment pose an
"immediate threat to life, public health, safety or welfare, or to ani-
mal or plant life," or~(b) whenever such discharges or wastes exceed
"the allowable standards set by the [NPCC] ."
In this case, the Board issued an ex parte order directing Solar
Textile Finishing Corporation to immediately cease and desist from
utilizing its wastewater pollution source installations which were
discharging untreated wastewater directly into a canal leading to the
adjacent Tullahan-Tinejeros River. Solar contends that under the
Board's own rules and regulations, an ex parte order may issue only
if the effluents discharged pose an "immediate threat to life, public
health; safety or welfare, or to animal and plant life." According to
Solar, the inspection reports before the Board made no finding that
Solar's wastewater discharged posed such a threat.
However the Court held that it is not essential for the Board
to prove that an' "immediate threat to life, public health, safety or
welfare, or to animal or plant life" exists before an -ex parte cease
and desist order may be issued. It is enough if the Board finds that
the wastes discharged do exceed "the allowable standards set by the
[NPCC]." In respect of discharges of wastes as to which allowable
standardo have been set by the Commission, the Bonrcl mny issue
(J)
0
an ex parle cease and desist order when th ore is prinw facie ovirlen~c
of an establishment exc.;eeding such allownblo st.nndnrds. From the
Q)
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:!: reports of insped,ion, there wns at least. pri111n{(u:ie ovidonco bd'ore

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the Board that the effluonLA emnnnting from Solnr's plnnt oxcl'mletl
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the maximum allowahlc JcvulH of' phyHicnl Hnd clwmicnl substances
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~ set by the Board.
"Ex parte cease and dosii:;L 01·,lo1·H nro pormiUml by
law and regulations in i.;it.untions lilw Lhnt. hero prmwnlecl
12GR No. n:3891, March 11, 19nl, 1Un SCHA 112.

J.AW ON Nt\'l'UH.AL 1rnsouttc1,:H AND HUU•:8
602
OF PHOCtmutn: FOH l~NVIIWNMl•:N'l'AI, CA1-m8
prcci~oly bccnrnm 14toppin~ t.ho conl.inuouf:I diHchnrgo of

pollutive nnrl unt.rcuted offhwnt.~ into tho rivorH nnd othor <ii
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inlnn<l wnt.ors of t.hc Philippine:, cnnnot. ho mn<lo Lo wnit "'

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unt.il protrnct.ed lit.ignt.ionover tho ult.imnt:o cor!'cctncss or "'
(.)
propriety of such orders hns run its full course, including £

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multiple nnd scquentinl nppouls Huch ns those which Q)
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Solnr has token, which of course muy tnke sovornl years. "'
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The relevant pollution control statute nnd implementing

regulations were enacted nnd promulgated in tho exercise
of that persuasive, sovereign power t.o protect tho safety,
health, and general wclfnrc nnd comfort. of the public, as
well as the protection of plnnt. and animal life, commonly
designated as the police power."
b. Hearing required where findings of the Board are

contested
But the Court clarified in the same cnsc that where the
establishment affected contests the correctness of the prima facie
findings of the Board, the Bourd must hold u public hearing where
such establishment would huve an opportunity lo controvert the
basis of such ex parte order.
08. Temporary lifting order.

The Board may, upon motion of the respondent, issue or
recommend to the DENH Secretary a Temporury Lifting Order
(TLO) to allow the implementation or completion of comprehensive
pollution control programs subject to the conditions proscribed by
the Board.
The TLO shall be effective for a period to bo determined by
the Board, based on ihe complexity of the operations involved and
the technical nature of tho po]]ution control progl'ntn, which in no
case shall exceed thirty (30) duyi:;. However, tho Bonl'fl mny, upon
proper motion and for meritodous rcnsons, extoud tho offect.ivit.y of
the TLO, Hubject to the submisHion of weokly progT0HA 1·01>orts.
09. Arbitration.
~ny c_Iuimfor repurut.icm or ro1:Jtitutio11of dn11111J.{OH nnd lossm1

resultmg from the pollution of wutol', air or lund roAourcoA mny
be ?rou~ht before tho Ilourcl or tho Hogionul Offlco for volunt.ury
arb1trut1on 'J'he clu1'1nf' • -. t ·1 •' · · ·
• Hhnll t.nko into
01 1os ,1 ,U1,10n 01· I·0I>11rnt.1011
CHAP1'EH XlV - POLLUTION /\D,IUDICJ\'l'ION BO/\HD r.ma
(Republic Act No. :mal, Pre1-1idont.inl l)p(!l'(l(l No. !)8'1,
1\1\(l gXl't:Ut.ive o,·der No. I !)2)
account the gravity nncl clurnt.ion of I.he pollution nnd the extent and
reasonable vnlue of the dnmnge nnd losses, hnscd on the cvi<lenc.:c
tC
presented by t.hc pnrt.ies. Any amount recovered in excess of the C
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con1pensation due the Hggrieved parties shall accrue Lo the General E
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Fund of the Goven11nent. £
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If the pollution results in the death of fish or other aquatic life (I)
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or destruction of the natural habitat necessary for the propagation Cf)
of fish or other aquatic life, the person responsible for the pollution
shall pay the Government for da1nages for fish or aquatic life
destroyed. The reasonable value thereof shall be ascertained in
consultation with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
and other appropriate agencies.
EO No. 192 was issued on June 10, 1987 for the salutary purpose
of reorganizing the DENR, charging it with the task of promulgating
rules and regulations for the control of water, air and land pollution
as well as of pr01nulgating a1nbient and effluent standards for water
and air quality including the allowable levels of other pollutants
and radiations. EO No. 192 also created the Pollution Adjudication
Board under the Office of the DENR Secretary which took over the
powers and functions of the National Pollution Control Cmnmission
with respect to the adjudication of pollution cases, including the
latter's role as arbitrator for determining reparation, or restitution
of the damages and losses resulting from pollution. 13

The Rules of Procedures for Environn1ental Cases pronn1lgated
by the Supre1ne Court on April 29, 2010 shall not affect the
jurisdiction of the Board vested by the Clean Air Act (RA No. 87 49)
and Clean Water Act (RA No. 9275) and shall continue to adjudicate
water and air pollution cases.
The sanctions and administrative penalties imposed by the
Board shall be without prejudice to the ot.her reliefs to he grnntod
under the Rules of Procedure for Environnwntnl Cnsos such ns hnt
not limited to the writ of lwli/(Crnun, writ of continuing IH(tttdamus.
environmental protection order (EPO) and Ht nll ogic lnwsuit ngninst
public participation (SLAPP).
iaunivcrnul Rohinu Corpor11tio11 v. L11~un11Luku novulopmont Authority, GR

No. 191427, Mny 80, 2011, citing Aloxun,lria Condomi11iu1n Corporation v. Lugunu
Luke Development Authority, GR No. lli0:228, Sept. 11, ~OOH,595 SCHA •152.
,
504 Li\ WON Ni\'l'U ll/\L H.l~SOUllCl•:8 /\ND llULES

OF PHOCI•:DUHI•: FOH l•:NVIH.ONMJ•:N'l'/\1,CJ\sgs
11. Adjudication of pollution cases generally pertains to the PAB

unless a special law provides for another forum. <ii
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As a general rule, the adjudication of pollution cases generally "'

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pertains to the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB), except in cases u"'
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where the special law provides for another forum. uCl)
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a. LLDA has the power to issue cease and desist (/)
orders
Thus, as held in Laguna Lahe Developrnent Authority v.
Court of Appeals and Serapio, 14 the Court sustained the cease and
desist order issued by the LLDA requiring the City Government
of Caloocan to stop durnping its garbage in the Camarin open
dumpsite found to have been done in violation of RA No. 4850
(Laguna Lake Developn1ent Authority Act), as amended, and other
relevant environment laws, as a valid exercise by the LLDA of
its injunctive powers. The Court said that LLDA, as a specialized
administrative agency, is specifically mandated under RA No.
4850 and its amendatory laws to carry out and make effective
the declared national policy of pro1noting and accelerating the
development and balanced growth of the Laguna Lake area and the
surrounding provinces of Rizal and Laguna and the cities of San
Pablo, Manila, Pasay, Quezon, and Caloocan with due regard and
adequate provisions for environ1nental 1nanagement and control,
preservation of the quality of human life and ecological systems,
and the prevention of undue ecological disturbances, deterioration
and po1lution. In carrying out the aformnentioned declared policy,
the LLDA is mandated, among others, to pass upon and approve
or disapprove all plans, programs, and projects proposed by local
government offices/agencies within the region, public corporations.
and private persons or enterprises where such plans, progra1us nn<l/
or projects are related to those of tho :LLDA l'or the develop1nent of
the regjon. RA No. '1850, ns nmen<led by PD No. 813 nnd EO No. 927.
series of 1983, authorizes the LLDA to "make, nlto1·01·modify orders
requiring the djscontinuance m· pollution." •
b. LLDA haH the in1pl iocl power to itnposo lines

Does the LLDA have the impliocl powol' to impoRo fines ns set
forth in PD No. 984'? Tho quest.ion wnH 11nswo1·odin tho affirmative
by the Court in Pacific Steam Laund,y v. Laguna Lahe Development
HOR No. 110120, Murch 1G, lH!M, 2:-lI SCllA 202.

506
CHAP'l'Ell XIV - l'OLLU'l'ION AD,JUDICA'l'ION BOAllD
(Hopublic Act. No. :mat, l'nJHiduntinl Decreo No. 08'1,
11mlExecut.ivu Orclor No, I02)
Autho,-ity'I\ which noted that. umong tho ndditionuJ powers of

LLDA under EO No. B27 are to: issue orders or decisions to compel ai
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compliance with the provisions of said EO and its implementing rules "'
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(f)
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and regulations only after proper notice and hearing; make, alter or "'
t)
modify orders requiring the discontinuance of pollution specifying .s

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the conditions and the time within which such discontinuance Q)
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must be accomplished; and exercise such powers and perform such "'
()
(f)
other functions as may be necessary to carry out its duties and

responsibilities under the said EQ.rn Although the PAB assumed
the powers and functions of the NPCC with respect to adjudication
of pollution cases, this does not, according to the Court, preclude
LLDA from assu1ning jurisdiction of pollution cases within its area
of responsibility and to impose fines as penalty.
In expounding on this matter, the Court, in Public Hea,-ing
Committee of the LLDA v. SM Prime I-loldings, 11 held that the
adjudication of pollution cases generally pertains to the Pollution
Adjudication Board (PAB), except where a special law, such as the
LLDA Charter, provides for another forum. The Court further ruled
that although the P AB assumed the powers and functions of the
National Pollution Control Commission with respect to adjudication
of pollution cases, this does not preclude the LLDA from assuming
jurisdiction of pollution cases within its area of responsibility and
to impose fines as penalty. The intendment of the law, as gleaned
from Section 4(i) of EO No. 927, is to clothe the LLDA not only with
the express powers granted to it, but also those which are implied
or incidental but, nonetheless, are necessary or essential for the full
and proper implementation of its purposes and functions.
In Alexandra Condominium Corporation v. Laguna Lake
DeuelopmentAuthority,rn the Court affirmed the ruling of the Court of
Appeals which sustained LLDA's order requiring petitioner therein
to pay a fine of Pl,062,000.00 representing penalty for pollutive
wastewater discharge. Although petitioner in thut case did not
challenge LLDA'n authority to impose fine, tho Coul't. acknowledged
the power of LJ ,DA to impose fines, holding thnt. un<lor Section ,l-A
~f RA No. '1850, as amended, LLD/\ iH ont.it.lod lo compensntion
for <lamages rw-mJting from failure Lo meot ustnhliHhocl wntol' nn<l
effiuent stundards.
1
''GR No. Hifi2!)~), Dec. 18, 1000, HOBSCH/\ 1111:l.
10
sec. '1(c), (d), (i), EO No. !l:l7.
17
GR No. 170fifl9, Supl. :l:l, :lOJO.
IHGR No. 1Gfl2:l8, Sopl. 11, :lOOD,fi!)!) SCHA 11fi2.
606 LAW ON NA'l'UH.L\LHEt:3OUHCEfi/\ND HULl~8
OF PHOCEDUHl~ FOH ENVlllONM l~N'l'/\1, C/\SE8
c. But LLDA's nuthority is litnited to the Lugunu L~tke

region
a;
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But the Court stressed in Pacific Steam Laundry v. Laguna C:
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La°A·eDevelopment. A1.1,thority10
that the scope of authority of LLDA E
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to adjudicate pollution cases is limited to the Laguna Lalw region £

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as defined by RA No. 4850, as amended. Under EO No. 927, LLDA "QI
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is granted additional powers and functions to effectively perform "'

()
(/)
its role and to enlarge its prerogatives of monitoring, licensing, and

enforce1nent, among which are: issue orders or decisions to compel
compliance with the provisions of the EO and its implementing
rules and regulations after proper notice and hearing; make, alter
or modify orders requiring the discontinuance of pollution specifying
the conditions and the ti1ne within which such discontinuance
must be acc01nplished; and exercise such powers and perform
such other functions as may be necessary to carry out its duties
and responsibilities under the said EO. Although the Pollution
Adjudication Board assumed the powers and functions of the NPCC
with respect to adjudication of pollution cases, this does not preclude
LLDA from assuming jurisdiction of pollution cases within its area
of responsibility and to impose fines as penalty.
d. P AB is the agency charged with enforcing anti-

pollution provisions
Relatedly, in Estrada v. Court of Appeals and Bae no tan I Cement
Corporation, 20 the Court stressed that a premature invocation of a
court's intervention renders the complaint without cause of action
and dismissible on such ground. The reason is that prior availment
of administrative remedy entails lesser expenses and provides for a
speedier disposition of controversies. Comity and convenience also
impel courts of justice to shy away from a dispute until the system
of administrative redress has been completed and complied with.
In this case, the Court held that the PAB is the very agency of the
government with the task of determining whothor tho offluents of n
particular industrial ,~stablishment eornply with or violnto npplicnblt·}
anti-pollution siaiut.ory nnd reg11l11toryprovii-,io1rn.
lllGR No. 165299, Dec. 18, 200!), GOBSCHA 44~.

20
GR No. 137862, Nov. 11, 2004.
CHAPTER XlV - POLLU'l'ION AD,JUDICJ\'l'.IONBOJ\llD 607
(Hopublic Act. No. a!l:l I, Prm1ido11ti11I
Ducreo No. 08'1,
nnd l1:x,1cut.ivo0l'dor No. I !J~)
e. 'I'he protection of bodies of water is the duty and

responsibility of the on tire citizenry ....
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As stressed in Snmmit One Condominium Corporation v. 0
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Pollution Adjndicatfon Board: 2 1 co
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"The protection of the environment like the bodies QJ
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of water which are within the Metropolis,' is the duty and

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responsibility, not only of government agencies tasked

to oversee environ111ental preservation and restoration,
but, n1ore i111portantly, of the entire citizenry, including
n1anufacturing plants and industrial plants including
don1estic, con1111ercial and recreational facilities. The
Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB) dealt with the barrage
of pollution threats pouring out from the Summit One
Condominium Corporation' (SOCC) sewerage within its
vicinity when it conducted an inspection of the wastewater
samples, thus, giving teeth to the policy of R.A. No. 9275
which is to pursue a policy of economic growth in a manner
consistent with the protection, preservation and revival of
the quality of our fresh, brackish and marine waters. The
least that SOCC could do is to be more responsible, more
familiar and more responsive to the call of environmental
conservation."
12. PAB is not divested of jurisdiction over pollution cases by

the Mining Act.
Has the PAB under RA No. 3931, as amended by PD No. 984
(National Pollution Control Decree of 1976) been divested of its
authority to try and hear pollution cases connected with mining
operations by virtue of the subsequent enactment of RA No. 7942
(Philippine Mining Act of J .9.95)'?
ln Repuhlic v. J\1an:opper Mining Corporation,t~ the Cou\'t,
through ,JusLiee Gonzaga-Heyes, hold that t.horo is no irreconcilable
conflicL between Lhe Lwo laws. Suet.ion I fl of go No, 192 vested
the PAB wiLh the srwcilie power to adjudic:nto pollution cnses in
general. On Lhe other hand, Uw nut.horit.y of tho mines regional
director is complementury Lo Lhnt of tho PAll Soction Gf3of HA No.
R No. 216029, July fi, 2017.

:llG
iiGR No. 137174, ,July 10, 2000, 835 SCHA 386.

.,
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508 LAW ON NA'l'URAL Rl~SOUHCES AND RULES

OF PROCEDURE FOR ENV.lllONMgN'rAL CASES
7942 gives the 1nines regional director exclusive jurisdiction over :;:;
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the safety inspection of all installations, surface or underground in

(t)
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111iningoperations. The power granted to the mines regional director (t)
(.)
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to issue orders requiring the contractor to remedy any practice ·;:
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connected with 1nining or quarrying operations or to summarily C:
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(t)
suspend the san1e in cases of violation of pollution laws is for !Ii

purposes of effectively regulating and monitoring activities within
mining operations and installations pursuant to the environmental
protection and enhancement program undertaken by contractors
and permittees in procuring their mining permit. While the mines
regional director has express administrative and regulatory powers
over mining operations and installations, he has no adjudicative
powers over complaints for violation of pollution control statutes
and regulations.
The Court explained that the provisions creating the Panel
of Arbitrators for the settlement of conflicts refer to disputes
involving rights to mining areas, mineral agreements or permits
and those involving surface owners, occupants, and claimholders/
concessionaires. The scope of authority of the Panel of Arbitrators
and the Mines Adjudication Board conferred by RA No. 7942 clearly
exclude adjudicative responsibility over pollution cases.
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Chapter XV co
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NATIONAL INTEGRATED PROTECTED Cl)

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AREAS SYSTEM ACT OF 1992 (/)
A. Preli1ninary
01. Governing law.
RA No. 7586, enacted on June 1, 1992, provides for the
establishment and management of a national integrated protected
areas system referred to as the ''National Integrated Protected Areas
System Act of 1.992."
Congress enacted the NIPAS Act to secure the perpetual
existence of all native plants and ani1nals through the establishment
of a comprehensive system of integrated protected areas. These
~ areas possess common ecological values that were incorporated into
a holistic plan representative of our natural heritage. The system
encompasses outstandingly remarkable areas and biologically
important public lands that are habitats of rare and endangered
species of plants and animals, biogeographic zones and related
ecosystems, whether terrestrial, wetland, or marine. It classifies and
administers all the designated protected areas to maintain essential
ecological processes and life-support systems, to preserve genetic
diversity, to ensure sustainable use of resources found therein, and
to maintain their natura] conditions to the greatest extent possible. t

Cognir.ant of the profound impnc.:t of mnn's Hd.ivit.ios on nll
components of the naturu] environment pnrticularly tho effect
of increasing population, resource oxploitntion 11nd i1Hlust.rial
advancement and recogniiing Llw criticlll i1upot't.nnco of protoct.ing
1
Residcnt Murine Mammuli; v. HoyoH, en No. 180771, Apl'il ~1, !:!(llfi.
500
610 LAWON NA'l'UH.AL n1,:souuc1,;s
AND HULES
OF PHOCEDUHl•: FOH l•:NVIH.ONMEN'l'ALCAf--11<:8
and 1naintaining the nnt.urnl biolordcnl nnd phyHicnl <livornitiea of

the environment not.nbly on m·ons wit.h hiulogicnlly unique feature 8
to sustain ln1man life nnd rlcvclopment. ns well ns plant uncl unimul <ii
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life, the law declares it as n policy of the Stute to secure for the C
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Filipino people of present and future generations the perpetual E
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existence of all native plants and animals through the establishment .s
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of a co1nprehensive systein of integrated protected ureas within the "O
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classification of national park as provided for in the Constitution. "'
0
(/)
The law recognizes that these areas, although distinct in

features, possess common ecological values that may be incorporated
into a holistic plan representative of our natural heritage; that
effective administration of these areas is possible only through
cooperation among national government, local government, and
concerned private organizations; that the use and enjoyment of these
protected areas must be consistent with the principles of biological
diversity and sustainable development.
To this end, the law has established a National Integrated
Protected Areas System (NIPAS), which encompasses outstandingly
remarkable areas and biologically important public lands that are
habitants of rare and endangered species of plants and animals,
biogeographic zones and related ecosystems, whether terrestrial,
wetland or marine, all of which shall be designated as "protected
areas."i
03. Categories.
The law has established the following categories of protected
areas:
(a) Strict nature reserve;
(b) Natural park;
(c) Natural monument;
(d) Wildlife sanctuary;
(e) Protected lundscnpe and sonscnpes;
(i) Resource reserve;
(g) Naturnl biotic urous; and
:.!Soc. 2, RA No. 7686.
.J
CHAPTER XV - NA'J'IONALIN'J'l~OIV\'J'lt;I)
J'HO'l'EC'l'ft:D r,1 1
ARKi\S SYS'l'J,:MAC'!' Of••·l!J!J~
(Hepuhlic Act No. 7fifHI)
(h) Other categories cstnulished uy J11w,conventions or

internRtional ugreements to which the JJhilippine government al
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is a signatory. 11 u
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04. Definition of terms. ·i
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For purposes of the A ct , tl le 1.o
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owmg terms arc defined as
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(/)
(a) ,, ''!Vational Integrated Protected Areas Systems

(Nl!'AS) is the classification and administration of all
designated prote~ted areas to maintain essential ecological
p~oces_ses and life-support systems, to preserve genetic
diversity, to ensure sustainable use of resources found therein
and to maintain their natural conditions to the greatest exten~
possible;
(b) ''Protected area" refers to identified portions of land
and water set aside by reason of their unique physical and
biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity
and protected against destructive human exploitation;
(c) ''Buffer zones." are identified areas outside the
boundaries of and immediately adjacent to designated protected
areas pursuant to Section 8 that need special development
control in order to avoid or minimize harm to the protected
area;
(d) "bidigenous cultural community"refers to a group of
people sharing common bonds of language, customs, traditions
and other distinctive cultural traits, and who have, since timo
immemorial, occupied, possessed and utili:t.ed u territory;
(e) "National parl/' refers to II forest reservntion
esscntia11y of natural wilderness charnetor which h~rn lwon.
withdrawn from settlement, occupancy or nny form ot
exploitation except in conformity with npprovod mnn11go1110nt
p]an nnd set, aside ns such exclw,ively to ~ons~rvo t_hoa1·011 .or
preserve the scenery, tho nutuJ'III 1111cl_lt11--1t.o_r1c oh.1oct~:,wtld
animals and plnnU, therein 11nd t:o provide 1rn.1oy111011t. 0 1 I ho~lll
features in 1-rnchnreus;
({) "Natural 11wn11111enl" iH II rol11t.ivoly ~rn,ull u,·tm
.
focused on protectwn. ol. Hrnll JI l'011t,111
•OH I,o J>roloot. or pro801·vo
asec. 3, HA No. 758H.

512 LAWON NATlJHALHE~OUIWE~ AND l!UJ.f,;S
OF PHOCtmrnm FOH ENVIHONtvlfo:N'l'AL CMmS
1rnt.ionnlly significant nnt.urnl font.urcfl 011 nccounl. of I.heir

special int.crest or unique chnrncteristics;
(g) "Natural bfotic area''is an nren set nsidc to allow the
way of life of societies living in harmony with the environment
to adopt to modern technology at their pace;
(h) ''Natural parli" is a relatively large area not materi-
ally altered by human activity where extractive resources uses
are not allowed and maintained to protect outstanding natural
and scenic areas of national or international significance for
scientific, educational and recreational use;
(i) ''Protected landscapes I seascapes" are areas of
national significance which are characterized by the harmonious
interaction of man and land while providing opportunities for
public enjoyment through recreation. and tourism within the
normal lifestyle and economic activity of these areas;
G) ''Resources reserve" is an extensive and relatively
isolated and uninhabited are normally with difficult access
designated as such to protect natural resources of the area
for future use and prevent or contain development activities
that could affect the resource pending the establishment of
objectives which are based upon appropriate knowledge and
planning;
Or) "Strict nature reserve" is an area possessing some
outstanding ecosystem, features and/or species of flora and
fauna of national scientific importance maintained to protect
nature and maintain processes in an undisturbed state in order
to have ecologically representative examples of the natural
environment available for scientific study, environmental
monitoring, education, and for the maintenance of genetic
resources in a dynamic and evolutionary state;
(]) "Tenured migrant comm unities" are communities
within protected areas which have actually and continuously
occupied such areas for five years before the designation of the
same as protected areas in accordance with this Act: nncl nre
solely dependent therein for subsistence; and
(m) "Wildlife sanctuary" comprises nn nren which
a~su_resthe natural conditions necessal'y to protect nationally
sigmficant species, groups of species, biotic communities or

CHAPTl~H.XV - NA'l'IONAL IN'l'EGllJ\'l'l~I) PllO'l'EC'l'ED r,,a
Atn:As SYS'l'lo:M/\C'l' OF I!)!)~
(Ht'p\llilie Ad No. 7G8(i)
physical£ aturcs of the environment whol'e these may require

specific humnn manipulation for their perpetuation.~
05. NIPAS Act aimed at biodiversity conservation.

The NIPAS Act is aimed at overall biodiversity conservation,
although "biodiversity" is not defined in the Act or in its Implementing
Rules and Regulations of 1992 (NIP AS IRR). In Section 2, the general
objective of the law is stated: "'l'o secure for the Filipino people of
present and future generations the perpetual existence of all native
plants and animals through the establishment of a comprehensive
system of integrated protected areas." The Act focuses on habitat-
and ecosystem-related conservation, identifying forests, watersheds,
coastal zones, coral reefs and other such areas that represent a wide
variety of ecosystems. One category of protected area, the wildlife
sanctuary, is aimed specifically at species-related conservation but
areas within other categories may be identified to protect threatened
species as well, especially those that are endemic to the area. In
addition, the NIPAS Act takes into account irreplaceable areas with
unique natural characteristics and culturally important areas. 0
a. Tanon Strait - a protected area

Under Section 4- of the NTPAS Act, a protected area refers to
portions of land and water, set aside due to their unique physical
and biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity
and protected against human exploitation.
The Tanon Strait is a narrow passage of water bounded by the
islands of Cebu in the East and Negros in the West. It harbors a rich
biodiversity of marine life, including endangered species of dolphins
and whales. lt, was set aside and declnrecl a protecte<l area under
the category of protected seascape pursunnt to Proclnmntion No.
1234, The NJPAS Act. defines n protected sonscnpe to bo an aren of
national significance charndcriied by tho harmonious interaction
of man and land while providing oppoi-1.unit:iosfor public c njoynwnt
through recreation nud t.ouriHm within t.lw nonnnl lit'ost.ylo nncl
economic activity of' thiH n1·oaH; t.lnrn 11 m1111Hg-omont. plnn !'or onch
area must be designed to prot.ocL and onh11nco tho pennnncnt
p1·eservation of its nnturn] conditio1rn. CorrniHt.ontwit.h this onclonvor
is the requfrement Lhnt 1111 Environmont.nl ] mpnct. J\ssmrnment
1
' Sec. '1, ltA No. 7n8G.
11
1...nVi fin, Kho nncl Cn lodn, "I ,o~al Frnmowork for Protoctocl Arens: Philippine!'!."

514 Lt\W ON NJ\'l'UH.J\L JrnHOUH.CESAND ltULE!:l
OF l'HOCEDUHE FOH l•~NVll!.ONMgN'l'J\L CAflJ,;8
(Eli\) be mnde pl'ior to undcl't.11ki11~nny ncLivity out8i<le the scope

of the mnnngcm ,nt, plnn. Unless nn ,.,ccunder Lhe f~fi\ Hystem is
obt.ainc<l. no nct.ivit.y inconsistent. with the gouls of the NJPAS Act
shall be implemented.
b. No energy resource exploitation and utilization

111aybe done in a protected seascape, like the Tanon
Strait, without a law for the purpose
In Resident Man:,w Mammals v. Reycs, 6 the government, acting
through the DOE, entered into a Geophysical Survey and Exploration
Contract-102 (GSEC-102) with Japan Petroleum Exploration Co.,
Ltd. (JAPEX) on June 13, 2002, la_ter converted into Service Contract
No. C-46 (SC-46), for the exploration, development, and production
of petroleum resources in a block covering approximately 2,850
square kilometers offshore the Tanon Strait. Protesting the adverse
ecological impact of JAPEX's oil exploration activities in the Tanon
Strait, petitioners Resident Marine Mammals (toothed whales,
dolphins, porpoises, and other cetacean species, which inhabit the
waters in and around the Tanon Strait), joined by Stewards, aver
that a study made after the seismic survey showed that the fish
catch was reduced drastically by 50% to 70% and that before the
seismic survey, the average harvest per day would be from 15 to
20 kilograms; but after the activity, the fisherfolk could only catch
an average of 1 to 2 kilograms a day. 'l'hey further allege that the
ECC obtained by private respondent JAPEX is invalid because
public consultations and discussions with the affected stakeholders,
a pre-requisite to the issuance of the ECC, were not held prior to the
ECC's issuanc.:e.
Sustaining petitioners' submissions, the Court, through
Justice Leonardo-De Castro, held that while PD No. 87 is snffici ,nt
Lo satisfy the requirement of a general lnw, the absence of the two
other conditions required by Section 4, A1-t.icloXll of the Constitution
- that the President he a signatory t.o SC-tlG, nn<l thnt Congress be
notified of such <.:onL!'act- renders SC-4(i null an<l Yoid. Service
contrads invoJ ving the uxploi Lat.ion,dovolopmont, and utilization of
our natural re:-,our<.:lrnurn ol' Jllll'Hmount int.crost. t.o t.ho present nnd
future generations. I leni.; \ H11fr.1g-unrdR woi·o put. in place to insure
that the guirlo]ines set by lnw 111·0 moticulow.,ly ob. orvecl nn<l likewise
tiGH No, 180771, April 21, 2015.

CHAPTER XV - NATIONAL INTEGRATED PROTECTED 515
AREAS SYSTEM ACT OF 1992
to eradicat~ the corruption that may easily penetrate departments

and agencies by ensuring that the President has authorized or
approved of these service contracts herself.
As to the claim that the restrictions under the NIPAS Act may
have been violated, the Court ruled that while an exploration done
for the purpose of surveying for energy resources is allowed under
Section 14 of the NIPAS Act, this does not mean that it is exempt
from the requirement to undergo an EIA under Section 12. Surveying
for energy resources under Section 14 is not an exemption from
complying with the EIA requirement in Section 12· instead Section
14 provides for additional requisites before any' exploration
' for
energy resources may be done in protected areas. Public respondents
themselves admitted that JAPEX only started to secure an ECC prior
to the second sub-phase of SC-46, which required the drilling of an
oil exploration well. This means that when the seismic surveys were
done in the Tanon Strait, no such environmental impact evaluation
was done. While PD No. 87 may serve ns th • general luw upon which
a service contract for petroleum exploration nnd extraction may be
authorized, the exploitation and utilization of this energy resource
in the present case may be allowed only through a law passed by
Congress, since the Tanon Strait is n NIPAS area. There being no
such law, no energy resource exploitation and utilization may be
done in said protected seascape. Indeed, under Proclamation No.
2146 the Tanon Strait is an environmentally critical area, having
been' declared as a protected area in 1998; therefore, any activity
outside the scope of its management plan may only be implemented
pursuant to an ECC secured after undergoing an EIA to determine
the effects of such activity on its ecological system.
c. Land declared as a marine protected area is not

necessarily inalienable or non-disposable; but
in the absence of classification, the land remains
unclassified and not subject to registration
Proclamation No. 1801 declares the "Whole of Bata_ngas
Coastline" a marine reserve. As defined: "A Marine Reserve is an
MPA where strict sanctuary conditions are not mandated ~o~ ~he
entire area but there is still a desire to control access and activities,
'
such as boating mooring and various• fis h 1ng
• tee h n1ques.
• It may
'
consist of multiple • •
zones 1nclud1ng a sa~ctuary _area, " w hile "[a]
Marine Protected Area (MPA) is any specific marine area that has
been reserved by law or other effective means and is governed by

OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIRONMENTALCASES
special rules or guidelines to manage activities and protect the

entire, or part of, the enclosed coastal and marine environment."
Based on the above definitions, the Republic, in Republic v.
Saromo, 7 a ]and registration case, argued that since Proclamation
No. 1801 expressly declared the Batangas Coastline as a tourist
zone under the administration and control of the Philippine Tourism
Authority, it is a reserved area incapable of alienation and disposition
by private individuals. The Court disagreed holding that there may
be indications that the concerned area may be subject to special rules
or guidelines for its management and protection; but, it does not
follow that as a marine reserve, the area is automnticully inaliennble
and non-disposable. However, in the absence of classificntion, the
land remains unclassified lnnd until relensed and rendered open
to disposition. Whatever possession applicants mny hnve had, and
however long, still cannot ripen into pri, ate own r hip.
Unfortunately for the applicant th , •ry .-urvcy plan that he
submitted to the then Burenu of Land.· ns bnsis for his application
for free patent contnins n notntion thnt th' .-ubj ct lnnd is "inside
unclassified public forest land." Th fnct that the land was
planted with coconut trees 11n<lbench hou s hnd been constructed
thereon - are not conclusive on the clnssificntion of the subject land
as alienable agricultural Jnnd. Ruther, it is the official proclamation
releasing the ]and classified RS public forest land to form part of
disposable agricultural lands of the public domain that is definitive.
However, no such official proclamation, if any, has been submitted.
Accordingly, the Court ordered the cancel1ation of the title issued
to the applicant and the reversion of the land covered by it to the
State.
d. Bataan National Park withdrawn from sale,

settleinent, or other disposition
P~rsuant to Proclamation No. 24, dated December 1, 1945, all
properties ~f the public domain therein designated as part of the
Bataan Nat10nal Park were withdrawn from sale settlement or other
d_isposi~ion,subject to private rights. There ca~ be no "irrevocable
~·igh_ts,interest and participation" which may be conveyed over an
mahenable property.11
7
GR No. 18980:3, Murch 16 I 2018 '
A
AAA v. DilD, A.C. No. 5'199, Aug. rn, 2005 _

CHAPTER XV -NATIONAL INTEGRATED PROTECTED 517
e. Calauit Island, Busuanga, Palawan, declared a

game preserve and wildlife sanctuary but later
proclaimed by the President as an ancestral land
belonging to the Indigenous Cultural Comn1unity
ofTagbanua as their private but comn1unity proper
On Au~st 31, 1976, President Marcos signed Proclamation
No. 1578 which declared Calauit, a 3,600-hectare island that forms
part of the Calamianes Island group in the Province of Pala wan, as a
game preserve and wildlife sanctuary. Pursuant to the proclamation,
the hunting, wounding, taking, or killing within said territory of
any wild animals or birds and/or the destruction of any vegetation
or any act causing disturbance to the habitat of the wildlife herein
protected are prohibited. Thereafter, the DENR established the
Calauit Special Project (CSP) to manage and operate the Calauit
Sanctuary.
On March 11, 1977, the Prcsid •nt is. uecl Proclamation

No. 1626, declaring certain portions of th, ulion Leper Colony
Reservation excluded from the rcservn t.ion nnd opening them to
disposition under the provisions of the Public Lnnd J\ct. These
portions, known as Halsey nnd Burnbod. b ·11111, the rcscttlctncnt
areas for the settlers of Calauit. The term: of th proposed relocation
was later embodied in individual resettlement ngrcements whereby
the signatory settler agreed to: (1) be resettled to any selected
resettlement area in Busuanga; (2) relinquish "totally his rights and
claim (sic) over the land thereon in favor of the Government"; and (3)
vacate the premises upon receipt of 50% of the total amount of the
appraised value of the improvements, with the other half to be paid
upon proof of actual evacuation from the property.
Meantime, on March 25, 2008, pursuant to RA No. 8371,
entitled "The Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997," the Office
of the President, through the National Commission on Indigenous
Peoples (NCIP), issued a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title
(CADT) No. R04-BUS-0308-062 over 3,683.2324 hectares of land
in the Municipality of Busuanga, Province of Palawan, in favor of
the Tagbanua Indigenous Cultural Community (comprising the
communities of Barangays Calauit and Quezon, Calauit Island,
and Municipality of Busuanga), as evidence of their right "to hold
in ownership the above described ancestral domain as their private
but community property."

518 LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND RµLES
The issue raised by petitioners in Agnes v. Republic9 is

whether the resettlement agreements are valid,· and whether or
not the petitioners may be compelled to vacate Calauit by virtue of
their obligations enumerated in the resettlement agreements. The
Court, through Justice Leonardo-De Castro, decided in favor of the
petitioners, holding:
"Under the CADT, the Tagbanua ICC is given

authority 'TO HAVE AND HOLD IN OWNERSHIP,
the ... described ancestral domain as their private but
community property, which belongs to all generatio.ns
of the said Indigenous Cultural Community/Indigenous
Peoples'; and 'TO DEVELOP, CONTROL, MANAGE
and UTILIZE COLLECTIVELY the said ANCESTRAL
DOMAINwith all the rights, privileges and responsibilities
appurtenant thereto, subject to the condition that the
said ancestral domain shall NOT be SOLD, DISPOSED,
nor DESTROYED.' xx x
The issuance by the respondent of CADT No. R04-
BUS-0308-062 over 3,683.2324 (the entire area subject
of the resettlement agreements) in favor of the settlers,
including the petitioners, provide their occupation and/
or settlement on the subject land an apparent color
of authority at the very least by virtue of Republic Act
No. 8371. Precisely, under the law, a Certificate of
Ancestral Domain Title 'refers to a title formally
recognizing the rights of possession and ownership
of ICCs/[Indigenous Peoples (IPs)] over their ancestral
domains identified and delineated in accordance
with [the] law.' Therefore, the settlers' continued ·stay
in Calauit has become a non-issue." (Emphasis supplied)
f. The Baguio Townsite Reservation cannot be

covered by Certificates of Ancestral Land Title
(CALT) and Certificates of Ancestral Domain Title
(CADT)
In the epochal case of Republic v. National Commission on
Indigenous Peoples,10 the Court, through Justice· Carpio, held
that RA No. 8371 or the "Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997"
9
GR No. 156022, July 6, 2015.
10
GR No. 208480, September 25, 2019.

CHAP1'EH XV- NA'l'IONAL IN'l'lo:OHA'l'EDl'IW'l'ft:C'l'lm GH)
AHF.AS ~YS'l'EM AC'I' OF l!l!J:l
(HPp11hlk Ad No, 7G80)
(IPRA) expressly excludes the Cily of Bnguio from the npplie11tion

of the gencrnl provisions of the lPRA. Section 78 thereof is a 8pceial
provision ,~rhich clearly mandates that(]) the City of Buguio 8hnll
not be sub.1ect to provisions of the IP.H.Abut. shnll slill he governed
by its own charter; (2) all lands previously prnclnimcd aR part of the
City of ~aguio's Townsite Reservation sl~all remain ns sueh; Ui) the
re-classification of properties within the Townsile Reservation of the
City of Baguio can only made through a law pnRsed hy Congress; (4)
prior land rights and titles recognized and acquired through any
judicial, administrative or other process before the effectivity of the
IPRA shall remain valid; and (5) territories which became part of the
City of Baguio after the effectivity of the lPRA nre exempted. The
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NClP) is devoid of any
power to reclassify lands previously included as part of the Townsite
Reservation of Baguio City before RA No. 8371 was enacted. 'l'he
said power to re-classify these properties is solely vested in Congress
through the enactment of a new law.
Thus, absent legislation passed by Congress, the Baguio
Townsite Reservation shall belong to the public and exclusively
for public purpose. The Wright Part, the Secretary's Cottage, the
Senate President's Cottage, the Mansion House, and the public
roads therein which are all covered by the assailed CAL'l's shall
remain to exist for the benefit and enjoyment of the public. These
subject lands comprise of historical heritage and belong to the State.
But while the IPRA does not generally authorize the NCIP
to issue ancestral land titles within Baguio City, there aro also
recognized exceptions under Section 78. Those refer to (1) prior
land rights and titles recognized and acquired through any judicial,
administrative or other process before tho effectivity ol' the lPRA:
and (2) territories which became part of Baguio after the effectivitv
of the IPRA.
B. Establislunent and Extent of' the System

06. Establishment of the System.
Section 5(n) of JlA No. 758fi provides:
"SEC. 5. IEHiah/iu/1111e11I
u11d /t.,'.\·fc11tof flit• Sy,-;f<'m.-
'J'he estnhlishment nnd np1ir11t.io111diznt ion ul' t lw S~•stom
shall involve thu f'o]lowing:
(a) A11 nreus m· iHl11ncls in tho Philippi1ws
proclaimed, designated or sot 1rnido, 1n11·sunnt to n

law, presidential decree, presidential proclamation. or

executive order as national park, game refuge, bird
and wildlife sanctuary, wilderness area, strict nature
reserve, watershed, mangrove reserve, fish sanctuary,
natural and historical landmark, protected and managed
landscape/seascape as well as identified vir~in forests
before the effectivity of the Act are hereby designated as
initial components of the System. The initial components
of the System sha11 be governed by existing laws, rules
and regulations, not inconsistent with this Act."
In PICOP Resources, Inc. v. Base Metals ll!Hneral Resources

Corporation, 11 it was held that although the area status and
clearances, particularly those pertaining to MPSA Nos. 012 and
013, state that portions thereof are within the wilderness area of
PICOP, there is no showing that this suppos d wilderness area had
been proclaimed, designated or set asid, as. uch, pursuant, to a law,
presidential decree, presidentinl proclanwt.ion. or •xccutive order.
It was only when the area hnd been so cl . igrwt •d that Section 20
of RA No. 7586, which prohi!Jits miner11I loc11ti11gwithin prntectccl
areas, became operational.
07. Buffer zones.

For each protected area, peripheral buffer zones shall be
established to protect the same from. activities that will directly
and indirectly harm it. Such buffer zones shall be included in the
individual protected area management plan to be prepared for
the purpose. 12 Buffer zones may include public or private lands:
Prescriptions for the management of buffer zones shall be included
as component of the individual protected area management plan.
The DENR shall exercise the same authority over buffer zones in
the same manner as protected areas. 13
08. Management plans.
There _sha~l be a general management planning strategy to

serve as gmde m formulating individual plans for each protected
are~. The s_trategy shall promote the adoption and implementation
of innovative management t ech mques
• • l ud1ng,
inc · · necessary,
1f
11
GR No. 163509, Dec. 6, 2006.
12
Sec. 8, RA No. 7586.
13
Rulc 9, DAO No·. 2008-2G.

\
'
CHAPTER XV - NATIONALJN'l'EGHA'J'ED PHO'rEC'I'ED 621
AREAS SYSTEM i\C'I' OF L!)f)2
\
(Republic Act. No. 7fi80)
\
\
the concept of zoning, buffer zone management for multiple use

and protection, habitat conservation and rehabilitation, diversity
management, community organizing, socio-economic and scientific
researches, site-specific policy development, pest management, and
fire control. The management planning strategy shall also provide
guidelines for the protection of indigenous cultural communities,
other tenured migrant communities and sites and for close
coordination between and among local agencies of the government
and the private sector.
Each cmnponent area of the System shall be planned and
administered to further protect and enhance the permanent
preservation of its natural conditions. A management manual shall
be formulated and developed which must contain the following:
an individual management plan prepared by three experts,
basic background information, field inventory of the resources
within the area, an assessment of assets and limitation, regional
interrelationships, particular objectives for managing the area,
appropriate division of the area into management zones, a review
of the boundaries of the area, and a design of the management
programs.
C. Administration and Management of the System

09. Administration and management.
The NIPAS has been placed under the control and
administration of the DENR. Each regional office where protected
areas have been established shall have a Protected Areas and
Wildlife Division which shall manage protected areas and promote
the permanent preservation of their natural conditions.
To carry out the mandate of the Act, the DENR Secretary is
empowered to perform the following:
(a) Conduct studies on various characteristic features
and conditions of the different protected nrens, using
commona]ities in their characteristics, clmrnit'yand dHfine them
into c.:ategories and p1·et1cribepormissiblo or prnhibitod humnn
activities in each category in Lhe Systom;
(b) Adopt and enforco II Jnnd-nse scheme and zoning-
plan in adjoining areas for the p1·osm·vat,ion and control of
activities that may threaten the ecological balance in the
protected areas;

622 I AW ON NA'l'UHAL H.ESOUHCl•:S/\ND nu1,1,;s
01; PHOCEDUHE FOH Jt:NVIHONMEN'l'AI,CASl•:S
(c) Cnusc the prepnrnt.ion of nnd cxcrciHc t.h~ power to

review nll plnns nnd propoAnls fort.ho mnnngomcnt. of protected
arens;
(<l) Promulgnte rules und regulations necessary lo carry
out. the provisions of this i\ct;
(e) Deputize field officers and delegate any of his powers
under this Act and other laws to expedite its implementation
and enforcement;
(f) Fix and prescribe reasonable NIPAS fees to he
collected from government agencies or any person, firm or
corporation deriving benefits from the protected areas;
(g) Exact administrative fees and fines as authorized in
Section 21 for violations of guidelines, rules and regulations of
the Act as would endanger the viability of protected areas;
(h) Enter into contracts and/or agreements with private
entities or public agencie~ as may be necessary to carry out the
purposes of the Act;
(i) Accept in the name of the Philippine government
and in behalf of NIPAS funds, gifts or bequests of money for
immediate disbursements or other property in the interest of
the NIPAS, its activities, or its services;
(j) Call on any agency or instrumentality of the
government as well as academic institutions, non-government
organizations and the private sector as may be necessary to
accomplish the objectives and activities of the System;
(k) Submit an annual report to the President and to
Congress on the status of protected arens in the country;
(I) Establish a uniform marker for the System, including
an appropriate and distinctive symbol for each category in the
System, in consultation with npproprinto govornmont. ngoncies
and public and private organiintions;
(m) Determine the Hpecificnt.ion of' tho clnfl8, typo and
style of buildings uncl other st.ruc:t.u1·os tn ho cornit.ruclo<l in
protected areas and the muterinls to bo llH(l(l;
(n) Control the conHtruction, opol'ntion nnd mnintc·
nance of roads, trails, wutel'wnl'ks, Howm·n~o, firo protection,

\
CHAPTER >..'V- NATIONAL INTEGRA'l'ED PROTECTED fi23

(Hopublh: Act No. 7686)
and sanitation systems and other public utilities within the

protected area;
(o) Control occupancy of suitable portions of the pro-
tected area and resettle outside of said area forest occupants
therein, with the exception of the members of indigenous com-
munities are; and
(p) Perform such other functions as may be directed
by the President, and to do such acts as may be necessary or
incidental to the accomplishment of the purpose and objectives
of the System. 14
10. Protected Area Management Board.

The law established a Protected Area Management Board
composed of the following: the regional executive director under
whose jurisdiction the protected area is located; a representative
from the autonomous regional government (if applicable); the
provincial development officer; one representative each from the
municipal government, barangay covering the protected area, and
tribal community (if applicable); three representatives from non-
government organizations/local community organizations; and one
representative each from other departments or national government
agencies involved in protected area management.
The Board shall, by a majority vote, decide the allocations for
budget, approve proposals for funding, decide matters relating to
planning, peripheral protection and general administration of the
area in accordance with the general management strategy. The
members of the Board shall serve for a term of five years without
compensation, except for actual and necessary traveling and
subsistence expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
They shall be appointed by the DENR Secretary. 15
D. Environrnental Irnpact Assessrnent

11. Environmental Impact assessment.
Proposals for activities which lll'O outsi<le the scope of the
management plun for protected nrons shnll ho subject to nn
14
Sec. 10, RA No. 758fi.
lfiSec. 11, ibid.

,
524 I \WON NJ\'l'UHAL HESOUHCl~S AND HULJ~S
0/PHOCEDUHE FOH ENVIHONMl~N'l'J\L CJ\8E8
•
env1ronment:-1l •
11nµnct.H~sessmen,t bcro1·e
11 they arc
•
udopted,
•
and•• the
results thereof shnll be t.nken into consideratwn in_ t_h~ cJecrnion.
making · process. No HdUR ] imp
• Iemen tat·1·011
, of such uct1v1t1es
. . shall
.. be
allowed wit.bout the required Environmental Compliance Certificate
(ECC) under the Philippines Environment Impact Assessment
(ELA) sy~tem. Jn instances where such activities are allow~d to be
undertaken. the proponent shall plan and carry them out 1n such
manner as ~vill minimize any adverse effects and take preventive
and remedial action when appropriate. The proponent shall be liable
for any damage due to Jack of caution or indiscretion. 16
12. Ancestral lands and rights over them.

Ancestral lands and customary rights and interest arising
shall be accorded due recognition. The DENR shall prescribe rules
and regulations to govern ancestral lands within protected areas.
However, the DENR shall have no power to evict. indigenous
communities from their present occupancy nor resettle them to
another area without their consent. All rules and regulations
affecting said communities shall be issued subject to prior notice
and hearing. 17
The ancestral domain within a protected area shall be managed
in accordance with a plan harmonized with the Protected Area
Management Plan. Unless the ICC/IP submits a written notice of
its intent to manage the protected area, the DENR and PAMB shall
manage the protected area. In any case, the ICC/IP shall enjoy full
and effective assistance of the concerned P AMB. 18
13. Survey for energy resources.
Protected areas, except strict nature reserves and natural

?arks, m~y be subject to exploration onlr for the purpose of gathering
1nfon~at10n on energy resources and only if such activity is carried
out with the least damage to surrounding areas. Surveys shall be
conducted only in accordance with a program approved by tho DENH.
and the r~sult of such sul'veys shaJ] be made uvnilablo to the public
and submitted to the President for appropriato reconunen<lnt ion to
Congress. No exploitation and utilization of energy rosom·cHs found
10
Sec. 12, supra.
17
Sec. 13, RA No. 7586.
H!Rule 14(1), DAO No. 2008-26.

CHAPTER X\ - NATIO AL I TEGMTED PROTECTED
525
AHEA' YSTEM ACT OF rnn2
(Hcpulilic A t i o. 7G8li)
witlnn NIPAS shall b ullowcd unless through a law passed by

Cong1'.ess.11>
The de,·elopmcnt, utilization and operations of non-extractive
renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, or tidal energy, and
not more than three megawatts capacity for mini-hydro power, shall
be allowed in protected areas other than Strict Nature Reserves and
Natural Parks through the issuance of appropriate instruments in
accordance with existing laws and regulations. 20

Except as may be allowed by the nature of their categories and
pursuant to rules and regulations governing the same, the following
acts are prohibited within protected areas:
a. Hunting, destroying, disturbing, or mere possession
of any plants or animals or products derived therefrom without
a permit from the Management Board;
b. Dumping of any waste products detrimental to the
protected area, or to the plants and animals or inhabitants
therein;
c. Use of any motorized equipment without a pern1it
from the Management Board;
d. Mutilating, defacing or destroying objects of natural
beauty or objects of interest to cultural communities (of scenic
value);
e. Damaging and leaving roads and trails in a damaged
condition;
f. Squatting, mineral locating, or otherwise oc ·upying
any land;
g. Constructing or maintaining any kind of structure,
fence1:, or endosures, conducting nny business enterpri8e
without n permit;
h. Leaving in mqmsod or lllHmnitnrv conditions refuse
or debris, or dc~posit.ing in ground cw in hodi.os of water; nnd
rnsec. 14, supra.

•10
• Rule 1G(4), DAO No. 2008-26.

626 LAW ON NA'l'URAL m~souHcgs /\ND HULgS
OF PROCEDURE FOR gNVJllONMgN'l'AL CAsgs
i. Altering, removing destroying or defacing boundary

marks or signs. 21
In this connection, it has been held that land within a protected
area like the Bnti:tan Natural Park, is inalienable. The illegal
poss~ssion or sale of rights of portions thereof is prohibited under
22
the rules and regulations implementing the NIPAS Act.
Pursuant to Section 19 of RA No. 7942, or the Philippine
Mining Act of 1995, mining operations are not allowed in old growth
or virgin forests, proclaimed watershed forest reserves, wilderness
areas, mangrove forests, mossy forests, national parks, provincial/
municipal forests, parks, greenbelts, game refuge and bird
sanctuaries as defined by law in areas expressly prohibited under
the National Integrated Protected Areas System (RA No. 7586), and
DAO No. 25, series of 1992, and other laws.
15. Penalties.
Whoever violates the NIPAS Act or any rules and regulations
issued by the Department pursuant to the NIPAS Act or whoever
is found guilty by a competent court of justice of any of the offenses
provided in the NIP AS Act shall be fined in the amount of not less
than P5,000.00 nor more than P500,000.00, exclusive of the value
of the thing damaged or imprisonment for not less than one year
but not more than six years, or both, as determined by the court:
Provided, That, if the area requires rehabilitation or restoration
as determined by the court, the offender shall also be required to
restore or compensate for the restoration of the damaged areas.
Provided, further, That the court shall order the eviction of the
offender from the land and the forfeiture in favor of the Government
of all minerals, timber or any species collected or removed including
all equipment, devices and firearms used in connection therewith,
and any construction or improvement made thereon by the offender.
If the offender is an association or a corporation, the president or
manager shall be directly responsible for the act of his employees
and laborers: Provided, finally, Thnt administrative fines and
~enalties may be imposed upon the recommondution of t.h0 PA\VB
in consultation with the concerned PAMDs ancl tho D ll.JNRHogionnl
Offices.23
21
Sec. 20, RA No. 7586.
22c •
za ham v. Pizarro, A.C. No. 540!), Aug. Hi, 2005, 4fi7 SCHA l.
•Rule 22, DAO No. 2008-2H.

\\
Chapter XVI
PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
(Presidential Decree No. 1151),
AND
ESTABLISHING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT SYSTEM
01. Declaration of policy (PD No. 1151).

PD No. 1151 declares as continuing policy of the State the
following:
(a) to create, develop, maintain and improve conditions
under which man and nature can thrive in productive and
enjoyable harmony with each other,
(b) to fulfill the social, economic and other requirements
of present and future generations of Filipinos, and
(c) to insure the attainment of an environmental quality
that is conducive to a life of dignity and well-being. 1
In pursuing this policy, it shall be the responsibility of the
Government, in cooperation with concerned private organizations
and entities, to use all practicable means, consistent with other
essential considerations of national policy, in promoting the general
welfare to the end that the Nation may (a) recognize, discharge and
fulfil the responsibilities of each generation as trustee and guardian
of the environment for succeeding generations, (b) assure the people
of a safe, decent, healthful, productive and aesthetic environment,
(c) encourage the widest exploitation of the environment without
degrading it, or endangering human life, health nnd snfety or
creating conditions adverse to ngricuhure, commerce nncl industry,
1
8cc. 1, PD No. 1 lfil.

528 LAW ON NATUHAL I0,:80UllCl•:S /\ND HULES
OF PHOCl~DUHI•: FOH J<:NVIHONM l~N'l'/\L C/\Sl~S
(d) preserve important. historic nnd c.:ulturul nspec.:Lsof the Philippine

heritRge, (c) nt.t.ninA rational nnd orderly balnncc between populution
und resource use, nnd (f) improve t.hc utilization of renewable and
non-renewable resources. 2
ln furtherance of these gonls and policies, the Government
recognizes the right of the people ton healthful environment. It shall
be the duty and responsibility of ench individual to contribute to the
preservation and enhancement of the Philippine cnvironment.: 1
02. Environmental Impact Statements (EIS).

The Environmental Impnct Statements (EIS) contains a
detailed project description of the nature, configuration, the raw
materials/natural resources to be used, production system, waste
generation and control, timelincs, and all other reJnted activities of
the proposed project. It also includes an Environmental Management
Plan (EMP) detailing the proponent's preventive, mitigating,
compensatory, and contingent measures to enhance the project's
positive impacts and minimize ecological risks:'
PD No. 1151 sets the Philippine Environment Policy. Notably,
this law recognizes the right of the people to a healthful environment.
Pursuant thereto, in every action, project or undertaking, which
significantly affects the quality of the environment, all agencies
and instrumentaHties of the national government, including
government-owned or -controlled corporations, as well as private
corporations, firms, and entities ure required to prepare, file and
include a statement (i.e., Environmental Impact Statement or EIS)
containing the following:
(a) the environmental impact of the proposed net.ion.
project or undertaking;
(b) any adverse cnvironrncntnl offoct which cannot. be
avoided should the proposal be implomontod;
(c) alternative to I.ho proJ>nHecl11cl.ion;
(d) a deLermi11ntion thnt. t.lio sho1'1.-t.orm usos of

the resources of Llw onvironmont. 11ro consist.< nt with the
~Sec. 2, PD No. 11 o1.

:is ()C. o,
O
t·1JU• l •
~Brugu v. /\h11yn, GR No. 22ll07n, Sopt.. 18, 201 n.

CH \l"Tl:m X\'1- 1'1111.IPPINE l-:1 \ IH01 i\11-: T/\L l'OI.ICY /\NI) r,w
ESTi\HLl"lllN • AN EN 1HON~IE1 'l'AL li\lPM"I' ,"l'i\Tl•:i\11-: 1 T SYSTEM
( Pr\.•tii1h•ntin I DPcri•P No~. 11fit 1111d1r, Ii)
mnint nnncc nnd cnhnnc 'ment of t.hc long-lerm produclivity

oft he same: nnd
(r) whenever a proposal involv 'S the u~c of clepl ,tnble

or non-r n wnblc resources. a finding must be mncle that such
u..::eand commitment are warranted.
The EIS ystem requires nll entities to submit nn r~IS for
projects that would have a significant effect 011 the environment.
In 1981, Proclamation No. 2146 was i ·sued, enumerating the areas
and types of projects that are environmentally criticnl nnd within
the scope of the EIS System. The areas and projects not included in
the enumeration were considered non-critical to the environment
and thus, were entitled to a CNC.r,
PD No. 1151 and PD No. 1586 require all agencies and
instrumentalities of the national government, including GOCCs,
and private corporations, firms, and entities to file the EIS for every
proposed project or undertaking that significantly affects the quality
of the environment. Projects with potentially significant negative
environmental impacts are further required to conduct public
consultations so that the environmental concerns of stakeholders
are addressed in formulating the EMP.
Before an environmental impact statemenl is issued by
a lead agency, all agencies having jurisdiction over, or special
expertise on, the subject matter involved shall comment on the draft
environmental impact statement made by the lend agency within
thirty (30) days from receipt of lhe same.Ci
The impact assessmenl coneludes with EM B's approval in the
form of an Environmental Compliance Certificnle (ECC), or rejection
in the form of a denial leUer. The bCC signifies that the proposed
project will not cause significant negative impact on the environm 'nt
based on the proponent's representation. lt nlso cert ifie~ thnt. the
proponent has complied with the l!.ilS System nnd hns com.nHtted
to implement its approved EM P. J\ccnrdingly, t.ho 11,CC contmns tlw
specific measures nnd condit:ions LhuLtho propnnont. must undl'rtakl'
7
to mitigate the identified cnvironmontul i111p11ds.
r'Republic. v. N. De 111M un:et I&(_'

, ,7011H, ('l'Nii'JOltiOl,11111.i:.!,iOt~.
• 1 • - •
6
8cc. '1, ibid.
7
13rug11v. Ab11y11,
1;11pra.

530 LA\\1 ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND RULES
The DENR is the government agency vested with delegated

powers to review and evaluate all EIA reports, and to grant or deny
ECCs to project proponents. It is the DENR that has the duty to
implement the EIS system. 8
03. Key operating principles of the EIS system.

The following are the key operating principles of the EIS
system:
a. The EIS System is concerned primarily with
assessing the direct and ·indirect impacts of a project on the
biophysical and human environment and ensuring that these
impacts are addressed by appropriate environmental protection
and enhancement measures;
b. The EIS System aids proponents in incorporating
environmental considerations in planning their projects as well
as in determining the environment's impact on their project;
c. Project proponents are responsible for determining
and disclosing all relevant information necessary for a
methodical assessment of the environmental impacts of their
projects;
d. The review of the EIS by EMB shall be guided by
three general criteria: (1) that environmental considerations
are integrated into the overall project planning, (2) that the
assessment is technically sound and proposed environmental
mitigation measures are effective, and (3) that, social
acceptability is based on informed public participation;
e. E~fective regulatory review of the EIS depends
largely on timely, full, and accurate disclosure of relevant
information by project proponents and other stakeholders in
the EIA process;
~- The social acceptability of a project is a result of

meaningful public participation, which shall be assessed as
part. of. the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC)
app!icatwn, b~sed on concerns related to the ro·ect's
enVIronmental impacts; p ~
h' ;· The timelines prescribed by this Order within

w ic an Environmental Compliance Certificate :nust be
BB .
oracay Foundat 10 n I p .
' nc. v. rovince of Aklan, GR No. 196870, June 26, 2012.

"'HAPTl-:HX\ 1- Pllll..\1'1'1NE ENVIHONt-.lEN'l'At. POLICY AND G~I
ESTAl\Ll HING AN 1':1\ \HONMENTAL lr-.lPACT STATEr mNT SYSTEM
(Pn,~identin\ De·n:•0Nu~. llf1l nnd lf,HG)
i~sucd, or denied, npply only lo process 'S nnd uctions within

the Environmental Management Burenu's (EMB) control nnd
do not include actions or activities thnt. nre the responsibility of
the proponent. 9
The EIS contains a detailed project description of the nature,

configuration, the raw materials/nnturul resources to be used,
production system, waste generation and control, timelines, and all
other related activities of the proposed project. It also includes an
Environmental Management Plan (EMP) detailing the proponent's
preventive, mitigating, compensatory, and contingent measures
to enhance the project's positive impacts and minimize ecological
risks.
Projects with potentially significant negative environmental
impacts are further required to conduct public consultations so
that the environmental concerns of stakeholders are addressed in
formulating the EMP.
The impact assessment concludes with EMB's approval (in the
form of an ECC) or rejection (in the form of a denial letter). The ECC
signifies that the proposed project will not cause significant negative
impact on the environment based on the proponent's representation.
It also certifies that the proponent has complied with the EIS System
and has committed to implement its approved EMP. Accordingly,
the ECC contains the specific measures and conditions that the
proponent must undertake to mitigate the identified environmental
impacts. 10
04. The Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System

(PEISS).
To further strengthen and develop the EIS, PD No. 1586
established the Philippine Environmental Impnct Stntement
System (PEJSS). The PEISS is "n systems-oriented nnrl integrated
approach to the EIS system to ensure n rutionnl hnlnnce between
socio-economic development and environment:nl prntection for the
benefit, of present and future generations." The mnin objoct.ivoof the
PElSS is to require every project proponent t.otnlrn tho environment.
into consideration in tho implement.ntion ol' its project in orclm· to
9
Braga v. Abuy11, GR No. 22~I07(i, SopL. 1B, 20 I (i.
10
Ibid.

LAWON N•\TURALRESOUHCES AND RULES
532
OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIHONMl~NTALCASl~S
'd d te pi·otect ion to the environment or at least minimize

prov1 ea equa • • • C . · ·
the project's potential negative impacts. rrhe EC reqturement 1s
n1andated under Section 4 thereof:
"SECTION 4. Presidential Proclamation of

Envfronmentally Critical Areas and Projects •. -.. ~he.
President of the Philippines may, on his own 1n1tiative
or upon recom1nendation of the National Environment~l
Protection Council, by proclan1ation declare certain
projects, undertakings or areas in the country ~s
environmentally critical. No person, partnership
or corporation shall undertake or operate any
such declared environmentally critical project
or area without first securing an Environmental
Compliance Certificate issued by the President or
his duly authorized representative . ... " (Emphasis
supplied)
The PEISS consists of the Environmental Impact Assessment

(EIA) process, which is mandatory for private or public projects that
may significantly affect the quality of the environment. The EIA
involves evaluating and predicting the likely impacts of the project
on the environment, designing appropriate preventive, mitigating,
and enhancement measures addressing these consequences to
protect the environment and the community's welfare. To this
end, the process requires proponents to truthfully and responsibly
disclose all relevant information on the project through the EIS.
This facilitates meaningful and informed public participation that
ensures the project's social acceptability to the community. 11
The PEISS is supplementary and complementary to other
existing environmental laws. As early as the project's Feasibility
?tudy (FS) stage, the ·EIA process identifies the likely issues or
1mpa~ts that may be covered later by regional environmental
per1:1~tsand other regulatory bodies' permitting requirements. In
addit10~,.where there are yet no stnndurds or where there is a lack
of explicit de~nitions in existing laws, tho ElA procoss fills in the
gap and provides appropriate cover for onviL-onmontnl protection
and enh~n_cement-rela~ed actions. Por example, the planting- of
greenbelts is not a requirement under any environmental law but is
llB
raga v. Abuva, suora.
CHAPTER }..'VI - PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND 533
ESTABLISHING At~ ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT SYSTEM
(Presidentinl Decree Nos. 1161 nncl 1586)
included in the ECC as a contrnctual obligation and commitment of

the project proponent to the DENR. 12
EIA is used to enhance planning and guide decision-making.
Through the ELi\.. process, adverse environmental impacts of
proposed actions are considerably reduced through a reiterative
review process of project siting, design and other alternatives,
and the subsequent formulation of environmental management
and monitoring plans. A positive determination by the DENR-
EMB results to the issuance of an Environmental Compliance
Commitment (ECC) document, to be conformed to by the Proponent
and represents the project's Environmental Compliance Certificate.
The release of the ECC allows the project to proceed to the next
stage of project planning, which is the acquisition of approvals from
other government agencies and LGUs, after which the project can
start implementation. 13
There are six (6) stages in the regular EIA process. The
proponent initiates the first three (3) stages while the EMB takes
the lead in the last three (3) stages. Public participation is enlisted in
most stages. All government agencies as well as private corporations,
firms and entities who intend to undertake activities or projects
which will affect the quality of the environment are required to
prepare a detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prior to
undertaking such development activity. An environmentally critical
project (ECP) is considered by the EMB as "likely to have significant
adverse impact that may be. sensitive, irreversible and diverse"
and which "include activities that have significant environmental
consequences." 14
PD No. 1586 is implemented by DAO 2003-30 which, in
turn, sets up a system or procedure to determine when a project
is required to secure an ECC and when it is not. When an ECC is
not required, the project proponent procures a Certificate of Non-
Coverage (CNC). As part of the EIA process, the project proponent
is required to submit certain studies or reports (i.e., EIA document
type) to the DENR-EMB, which will be used in the review process in
assessing the environmental impact of the project and the adequacy
of the corresponding environmental management plan or program
12Revised Procedu!'a) Munual (Hoviiwd Manual) for DAO 2003-;I0.

13
/bid.
14 lnternational Service v. Green ponce Soul honst A0 i11(Philippines), GR No.
209271, Dec. 8, 2015.

634 LAW ON NA'J'UHAL HESOUHCES AND RULES
OF PROCEDURE FOH ENVJllONM I~N'l'AL CASES
to address such environmentnl impnct;. This will then be part of the

bases to grant or deny the npplication for un .ECC or CNC, as the
case may be.
Pursuant to the EISS, which called for the proper management
of environmentally critical areas, Proclamation No. 2146 was
enacted, identifying the areas and types of projects to be considered
as environmentally critical and within the scope of the EISS, while
DENR AO No. 2003-30 provided for its Implementing Rules and
Regulations (IRR).
Table 1-4 of the Revised Procedural Manual for DAO 2003-
30 summarizes the required EIA document type for each project
category. It classifies a project as belonging to group I, II, III, IV or
V, viz.:
I Environmentally Critical Projects (ECPs} In either
Environmentally Critical Area (ECA) or Non-
Environmentally Critical Area (NECA),
II - Non-Environmentally Critical. Projects (NECPs) In
ECA,
III NECPs in NECA,
IV Co-located Projects, and
V Unclassified Projects.
DENR Administrative Order No. 2003-30 defines an environ-
mentally critical area as "an area delineated as environmentally
sensitive such that significant environmental impacts are expected
if certain types of proposed projects or programs are located, devel-
oped, or implemented in it"; thus, before a project, which is "any ac-
tivity, regardless of scale or magnitude, which may have significant
impact on the environment," is undertaken in it, such project must
undergo an EIA to evaluate and predict the likely impacts of all its
stages on the environment.
Proclamation No. 214G was issued on Decembor 14, 1981,
proclaiming certain areas ancl types of projeds ns environmontally
critical and within the scope of the l~nvironmontnl Impact Statement
System established under PD No. ·1686.
As an exam11le, the Tanon Strait, under Proclamation No.
2146, is an environmentally critical area, having been declared as
a protected area in 1998; therefore, any activity outside the scope

CHAM'ER XVI - l'IIILIPPINE ENVIHONMEN'l'AL POLICY AND o::JG
ESTABLISHINGAN ENVIHONMl•:NT/\L IMPACT H'l'A'/'lt:MEN'I' SYSTEM
(Pr(•HidPnl in! D1•nr1•eNoH. 11fi I 1111dlfilHi)
of its management, plan mny only ho implenwnted pu1·f:lu11ntto an

ECC secured nftcr undergoing nn I~IJ\ to determine the effects of
such activity on its ecological systcmY· The 'J'mion Strnit, pursuant
to Proclamation No. 1234, was set aside nnd declnrcd n protected
area under the category of protected seascape, thus n management
plan must be designed to protect nnd enhance the permanent
preservation of its natural conditions. 10
On the other hand, the Dnvno City Artica Sports Dome does
not come close to any of the projects or areas enumerated under
Proclamation No. 2146. Since it, is not classified as environmentally
critical, or within an environmentally critical area, it was held that
the DENR had no choice but to issue the Certificate of Non-Coverage
(CNC). 11
05. Nature and stages of the Environmental Impact Assessment

(EIA) process.
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process
that involves predicting and evaluating the like]y impacts of a
project (including cumulative impacts) ·on the environment during
construction, commissioning, operation and abandonment. It
also includes designing appropriate preventive, mitigating and
enhancement measures addressing these consequences to protect
the environment and the community's welfare.111 Thus, the EIA
process must have been able to predict the likely impact of the
reclamation project to the environment and to prevent uny harm
that may otherwise be caused. The stages of ElA process are:
Screening - determjnes jf a project is covered or not cov~red
by the PEISS. ]fa project js covered, screening further determines
what document type the project should prepnre to securn tho ncecle<l
approval, and what the rest of the requi_r~ments nre_i1~terms of,EMB_
office of app]ication, endorsing 11nddec1s1on nuthor1t.ies, clurnt10n ot
processing.
Scoping-i 8 a proponent-driven 1111111.i-sor.lond
l'ormnl procm,s
of determining Urn focused Terms of l!eforn,~co of tho _l'.ilt\ tudy.
Scoping identifie 8 the most Hignifie11ntrns110Hlin1pncts of n proposocl
11 • . C'l(N 11 11!0771 April;.!1,l:!01).

'llct11dcnt Munno M1111111111lt, v. Hoy, ll, ' • ' .
1
,,
8cc HA No. 7f>8o (N11ti111111l
111 l11t11grntrnl l'rotw:11 d Arouu Hy~ll III Ad 01 t.J.li).
17Rupublic v. City of J>uv110,(;f( No. l•tHli~~. Hopi. I.)., l:!OO~. , I) H
1H • • (), ()()'I 'I() (l>ovittud l\l111111111),
:Soc. I. , l'· •
Rcv11,mdPrncedurul M11111111l for DA l • ·, '

l AW ON N/\'l'UHAL JO,:HOUIWl•:SAND IUJLEH
01; PHOCEDUHE FOB 1,:NVIIWNMl•:N'l'AL C/\81•:R
ProJ·ect. nnd then, rlelimit.H t.hu cxt.c11t.of hllfwl_inc infor~rhit.ion to

those nccei:.~111·yto cvnlunt.o nncl m1 .1~11l o ti, lC llll!WclH• ·-,,· J O. ncuc.1
·,·
for nnrl Hcopc ~f nn Envfronme11t.nl Risk Ai-mcs8lllCl11. (_l!illA)18 also
done durmg · • sess10n.
t.he scopmg • Scopmg
• • is done with . Lho local
community through Public Scoping, and with u th~rd party E_IA
Review Committee (EIARC) through rrechnicnl Scopmg,. both_ with
the pRrticipRtion of the DENR-EMB. 'rhe process ~esul.ts ma S1gned
Fornrnl Scoping Checklist by the review team, w1U1fmnl approval
by the EM'B Chief.
EIA Study-involves n description of the proposed project and
its alternatives, characterizntion of the project environment, impact
identification and prediction, evnluntion of impact significance,
impact mitigation, formulation of Environmental Management and
Monitoring Plan, with corresponding cost estimates and institutional
support commitment. The study results are presented in an EIA
Report for which an outline is prescribed by EMB for every major
document type.
Review of EIA Reports - normally entails an EMB
procedural screening for compliance with minimum requirements
specified during Scoping, followed by u substantive review of either
composed third party experts commissioned by EMB as the EIA
Review Committee for PEIS/EIS-based applications, or DhNR/
EMB internal specialists, the 'l'echnical Committee, for IEE-based
applications. EMB evaluates the EIARC recommendations and
the public's inputs during public consultations/hearings in the
process of recommending a decision on the application. The EIARC
Chair signs EIARC recommendations including issues outside the
mandate of the EMB. The entire EIA review and evaluation process
is summarized in the Review Process Report (RPR) of the EMB,
which includes a draft decision document.
Decision Making - involves evalunlion of ETA rccom-
~cndation~ and the draft decision document, resulting to the
J.ssuance of an ECC, CNC or Denial Letter. When approved. n
covcrc? projecl is issued ils certificate of Envimnmontnl Comµlinnco
~omm1tmcmt (ECC) while nn n11plicaLionol' n non-covorod prnioct. is
JSsued? _Certificnte of Non-Covernge (CNC). l~ndoniing nnd du~:iding
authontws are designated by AO No. ,12, nncl f'rn'l.hm· clot.ailed in
th e Manual for every report typo. Moreovol', Lho Proponont Hig-ns
8 sworn statement
c . . . c>f'f'11]] rnsponH1
. •Ill•11ty
• on •1mplomont.nt.1on
. ol. 1t.H
,
~mmit!nents J)l'JOJ' Lo lho rolonHo of tho 11:cc. 'l1ho l~CC is t.hon
" I_,...
t1 nnsm1lte<l to concer11'"'1l c·uH nncI ot.·1101·G/\s 101·
. mt.ogrnt.1011
. . mto.

Clli\P'l'EH XVI - PlllLIPl'INE ENVll!.ONMfi:N'l'i\L POLICY i\NO ria7
ES'l'i\HLIS111N(, i\N gNVll!ONMl•:N'l'i\l, IMl'i\C'I' H'l'Nl'fi:MEN'I' SYS'l'EM
(PrPt-dd1 1
11t.i11l Dl'Cl'l!ll NoH, I Ir, I II nd I r,fW)
their dccision-mnking prncess. 'l'hc l'cgulntcd pnrL of EfA Review

is limited to the processes within E:M.13 control. 'I'hc t,imelines for
the issuHnce of' clecision documents provided for in AO No. 12 and
DAO 2003-30 Hre applicable only from the time the ETA .Report is
accepted for substantive review to the time a decision is issued on
the application.
Monitoring, Validation and Evaluation/Audit - assesses
performance of the Proponent against the ECC and its commitments
in the Environmcntnl Management nnd M.onitoring Plnns to ensure
actual impacts of the project are adequately prevented or mitigated. 10
a. EIA is not a docu1nent but a process

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process
that involves evaluating and predicting the likely impacts of a
project (including cumulative impacts) on the environment during
construction, commissioning, operation and abandonment. It
also includes designing appropriate preventive, mitigating and
enhancement measures addressing these consequences to protect
the environment and the community's welfare. The process is
undertaken by, among others, the project proponent and/or EIA
Consultant, EMB, a Review Committee, affected communities and
other stakeholders.
When the proviso in the ECC, therefore, states that a new EIA
shall be conducted, this simply means thnt the project proponent
sha1l be required to submit such study or report, as warranted by
the DhNR Rules and circumstances, which will sufficiently aid
the DENR in making a new EJA and, thus, determine whether to
grant the proposed amendment (or project modification). Verily, the
various ETA documents, such us the EPRMP and PDR, nre mere
Loo]s used by the DENR to assess the environmcnlnl impact of n
pnrtieular project.
h. Signing of
the Stntcmont. of Accountnhility is
necmrnn1·y for t,he vnlidity oft.ho ECC
The Environmont 11J Compliunco Cortificntu (ECC) signitie~
U111LUw prnpofwd projiicL will not. cuuHOBi1~nifi<,:nnt nognt.ivo i.mpnct
on the environmcmt. J,wmd 011 t.ho proponont s r 1n·o~ontnt10n. It
also certifieH t.hut t.ho proponont. huB compliocl with tho It:1SSy~tem
111
HuviH •d M1111unl,
p. lfi.

and has committed to implement its approved EMP. Accordingly,

the ECC contains the specific measures and conditions that the
proponent must undertake to mitigate the iden~ified environmental
in1pacts.
The laws governing the ECC, i.e., PD No. 1151 and PD No.
1586, do not specifically state that the lack of signature in the
Statement of Accountability has the effect of invalidating the ECC.
This is because the Statement of Accountability is a mere off-shoot of
the rule-making powers of the DENR.relative to the implementation
of said decrees. But the signing of th~ Statement of Accountability
is an integral and significant component of the EIA process and the
ECC itself The evident intention is to bind the project proponent to
the ECC conditions, which will ensure that the project will not cause
significant negative environmental impacts by the "implementation
of specified measures which are necessary to comply with existing
environmental regulations or to operate within best environmental
practices that are not currently covered by existing laws." Indeed,
the EIA process would be a meaningless exercise if the project
proponent shall not be strictly bound to faithfully comply with the
conditions necessary to adequately protect the right of the people to
a healthful and balanced ecology.20
c. A separate environmental compliance certificate

(ECC) is required for additional removal or
replanting of trees affected by the expansion of _a -
mix-use tourism project
In Cordillera Global Network v. Paje, 21 the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued an
environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to SM Investments
Corporation for its SM Pines Resort Project. This 1nix-use, eco-
tourism project would span 8.5 hectares and cover a shopping mall,
a hotel, service apartments, a multi-purpose entertainment center,
and other related structures. After the completion of the project,
SM Investments Corporation undertook to expand its existing mall,
SM City Baguio, to increase its parking and commercial spaces.
This involved the cutting and earth-balling the Benguet pine,
Alnus trees, and saplings that affected by the expansion project.
Was there a need for a separate ECC for tho purpose? The Court,
zop·aJe v. c·asu1o, G R No. 207257, Feb. 3, 2015.

21
GR No. 215988, April 10, 2019.

CHAPTER XVI - PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND 539
ESTABLISHING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT SYSTEM
(Prcsidcntinl Decree Nos. 1151 and 1586)
through Justice Leonen, answered in the affirmative, and this was

to ascertain that the removal or replanting of the trees would not
lead to a significant negative environmental impact. It also said
that while the corporation's efforts to plant a considerable amount
of pine seedlings in and around Baguio City is laudable, it could not
make up for the removal or replanting of the trees affected by the
expansion project, which was patently illegal. The Court concluded:
"Commerce is important for human survival but so

.1s ecology. '
In addition to upholding what the law contains,
let this Decision affirm our human stewardship of the
planet. We belong to the land, its waters, and its forests.
Protection of the environment on behalf of our present
and future communities is progress. During our watch,
we will be on constant guard not only on what is done
beyond the law, but also against the hastened demise of
the natural endowments entrusted to us."
d. Prior public consultation and approval of local

government units for national government projects
required
In Bangus Fry Fisherfolk v. Lanzanas, 22 the Court explained
that Congress introduced Sections 26 and 27 in the Local Govern-
ment Code to emphasize the legislative concern "for the maintenance
of a sound ecology and clean environment." These provisions require
every national government agency or government-owned and
controlled corporation to hold prior consultations with the local
government unit concerned and to secure the prior approval of
its sanggunian before implementing "any project or program that
may cause pollution, climatic change, depletion of non-renewable
resources, loss of cropland, rangeland, or forest cover and extinction
of animal or plant species." Sections 26 and 27 provide:
"Section 26. Duty of National Governrnent Jli:encies

in the Maintenance of Ecological Balance. - It shall ht)
the duty of every national agency or govornmont.-owned
or controlled corporation 11uthnl'i:t.0dor involved in tho
planning and implcmcntntinn of nny projoct. 01· progrnm
that may cauHe pollution, cli111nt.icchnngo, cloplot.ion of
i 2GR No. 13JH2, ,July JO, 2008.

540 LAW ON NA'l'UHAL ,rnsouHCES /\ND llULES
OF PHOCEDUHE FOH ENVIHONMEN'l'/\L CJ\81o:8
non-renewnhlo re~ourccs, Imm of crop lnnd, l'llngulnnd,

or forest. cover ancl ext.im:tion of nnimnl 01· plnnt. species,
to consult with tho locnl government units, non-
governmental orgnnizntions, nnd other sectors concernocl
and explain the goals nnd objective8 of the project 01·
progrRm, its impnct. upon the people nncl the community
in terms of environmentnl or ecologicnl balance, nnd the
measures that will be undertaken to prevent or minimize
the adverse effects thereof.
Section 27. Pn:or Consnltat1:ons Required. - No
project or program shall be implemcnt:c<l by government
authorities unless the consultations mentioned in Section
... 26 hereof are complied with, and prior approval
of the sanggu.nia.n concerned is obtained: Provided,
That occupants in areas where such projects are to be
implemented shall not be evicted unless appropriate
relocation sites have been provided, in accordance with
the provisions of the Constitution."
However, the Court held that Sections 26 and 27 do not apply to

this case because, as petitioners admit, the mooring facility subject
of the case is not an environmentally critical an<l, hence, does
not belong to any of the six (6) types of projects mentioned in the
law.
In Lina, Jr. v. Pano/' the Court clarified that Section 27 should
be interpreted to mean projects and programs whose effects are
among those enumerated in Sections 26 und 27, to wit, those that:
(1) may cause pollution; (2) may bring about climatic change; (3)
may cause the depletion of non-renewable resources; (4) may result
in Joss of crop land, rangeland, or forest cover; (5) mny crnclicnte
certain animal or plant species; and (6) other projects or program~
(/)
()
Q)
that may ca]] for the eviction of' n particular group of' people rosirlin~
:,
:,
(1)
Q.
in the ]oca]ity where these wiJI be implomenl.ocl.~ 1
:E
;:;:
::::,-
0
Ol
Under DENR DAO 2008-30, proponents should initinto public
3
(/) consultations ear]y in order to ensure thnt. 011vironmontnlly rolovnnt
()
Q)
:,
:, concerns of stnkeholdern nre t11ken into considornt.ion i,·, t,lw l~Tf\
~
study and the formu]ution of' tho 11111nngomontplnn. All public
:ia41GPhil. 4:38(2001).
:l◄see nlHOBnn~us Fry cmNo. 131'1'12,,July 10, ~O(W.
Ji'ishmfolk v. Lnnzu11111:1,
CHAPTEH XVI -- J'llll.ll'l'INJ•; ENVIIIONMl•:N'l'J\L l'OLfCY AND fitl1
hS'l'ABLISIIINn AN Jt:NVIUONMl•:N'l't\L IMl'/\C'I' !-l'l'J\'l'l•:Ml•:N'f'HY8'f'f,;M
(P1·1'1lld1'1tt in! lJl'1'.l'1•f' Nm1. 11r, I 111111I r.llli)
duri11~{Uw J,;J;\ procCHA

cotHnlltnt.iorn-i nnd pllhlic lw11l'inw-1co11d11ct,~cl
nre to ht' rlocumcntod. The public he11ri11g/co11mrlL11Lion rroceHs
l'<'Pot't.Rhnll he vnlidntcd by the EMB/IBMBRD nncl t:drnll conHtitutc
pnrt. oft.he records of 1.hc EJA proccsA.
In Boracay F'ou.ndat,:m,,, .Inc. v. Province of /\ldun/r, the Court
stressed the need for the Philippine H,cclnmat.ion Authority to
seek prior cornmltnt.ion with I.he nffcctccl Iocnl communities, and
prior npprovRl by the npp.roprinte sanggnnian of the proposed
reclan1f1tion projeet in Cntielnn, Mnlay, Aklnn. The project involved
the reclamnt.ion of' lnnd thnt is more Urnn five times the size of
the origi1rnl reclaimed land. 'rhus, any impnct on the Bor::,cay side
cannot be totally ignored, ns Cnticlun nnd Ilorncay nre separated
only by a nnrrow strnit.. This becomes more imperative because of
the significant contributions of Boracuy's white-sand beach to the
country's tourism trade, which requires .respondent province to
proceed with utinost caution in implementing projects within its
vicinity.
Under the Local Government Code, two requisites must be
met before a nationnl project that aJ'f~cts the environmental and
ecological balance of local communities can be implemented: (a)
prior consultation with the affected local con1.munities,
and (b) prior approval of the project by the appropriate
sanggunian. Absent either of these mandatory requirements, the
projcet's implementation is i1legn1. Local government units cannot
therefo.re be deemed as outside the scope of the EIS system.
e. Docu1nentary requirc1ncnts for ECC applications

for projects within an cnvi1·onn1cntally critical
area
DENR Administrn Live Order No. 20m1-80 do fines in
•nvironmcnta]Jy criticnl nreu ns "nn nrcn doli1wated n~
environm •ntaJJy sensiUve such th11L sig11ificnnt, c nvironnwntnl
irnpuct,1, ure expected if cert11i11Lypes of' proposod project Hor progt·nm~
ure Jo ·11t0d, developed, <>I'implumc11tud i11it"; thus, lwt'oni n projt>d,
whkh iH "nny activity, rerJ11J'!lleHH of' Hc:1110 or m11g-11itudl, which may
have Hignifiennt impuct. 011 the onvirnnmo11t.," iH unclortnkl'll in it,
sueh project m,rnt undergo ,rn l~IJ\ tn ov11lu11toand pn diet t.ho likoly
impact8 of ulJ it.HHt.ng-ol:ion Uw onviro1111wnt.

642 LAW ON NJ\'l'Ull/\L HEROUHCl•:S /\ND HULJt:8
OP PHOCEDUlm FOH ENVIHONMl•~N'l'/\L C/\HES
Under DAO HG-37, nn gee npplicnnt for II project located

within nn cnvironmentnlly critical urcn is required to submit an
Initial Environment Examinntion, which must contain a brief
description of the environmental setting and u documentation of the
consultative process undertaken, when appropriute. 20 As part of the
description of the environmental setting, the ECC applicant must
submit a certificate of locational clearance or zoning certificate.
Under Proclamation No. 2146, the Tanon Strait - a narrow
passage of water bounded by the islands of Cebu and Negros which
harbors a rich biodiversity of marine life, including endangered
species of dolphins and whales - is an environmentally critical
area, having been declared as a protected area in 1998; therefore,
any activity outside the scope of its management plan may only be
implemented pursuant to an ECC secured after undergoing an EIA
to determine the effects of such activity on its ecological system.27
The Guadalupe Commercial Complex is not included in the list
of environmentally critical projects or areas under Proclamation No.
2146. As such, it is not covered by the EIS System and, consequently,
a Certificate of Non-Coverage (CNC) was rightly issued in its favor.
However, the CNC only exempts the owner from securing an
Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC). It does not exempt it
from complying with other environmental laws. Section 5 of PD No.
1586 provides:
"Section 5. Environmentally Non-Critical Projects.

-All other projects, undertakings and areas not declared
by the President as environmentally critical shall be
considered as non-critical and shall not be required
to submit an environment impact statement. 'l'he
National Environmental Protection Council, thru the
Ministry of Human Settlements may however require
non-critical projects and undertakings to provide
additional environmental safeguards ns it nu\y
deem necessary." (Emphasis supplied)
Environmenta)]y non-criticn] projects nro st.ill oxpected to

provide additional environmontul tmf'ogunrcls HA doom0<l nocossnry.
Hence, the proponent is still hound to uLido by onvironmontnl lnws
20g.
•
ection 19, pnrugruphs (11)nnd (o).
27
Rosident Morine Mummuls of tho Prot.oclcid Souscupo 'l'ur1on Struit v. Reyes,
GR No. 180771, April 21, 2016.

,CHAPTER XVI - PIIJLJl'PINE 1•:NVIHONMl~N'l'ALPOLICY AND fi,rn
ES1ADLJSHING AN ENVlllONM l~N'l'J\I, JMPJ\C'I'S'l'A'l'EM EN'I' SYS'l'EM
(Pre11iclont.i11lDec:rno No11.11r, I 1111d I fi8(i)
such as the Clean Wnter Act, even if' it, possesAcs a CNC. An entity
is not exempted from complinnce with applicable environmentnl
laws, rules, and regulations despite the issuance of a CNC in its
name. 28
f. Issuance of ECC/CNC not 1ninistcrinJ but involves

exercise of discretion
The grant or denial of an application for ECC/CNC is not an
act that is purely ministerial in nature, but one that involves the
exercise of judgment and discretion by the EMB Director or Regional
Director, who must determine whether the project or project area is
classified as critical to the environment based on the documents to
be submitted by the applicant. 29
In a case,:1°there was no sufficient showing that the petitioner
satisfactorily complied with the requirement to submit the needed
certifications. For one, no certification was obtained to the effect that
the project site was not within a critical slope. Also, the PHIVOLCS's
certification showed that the project site had experienced an
Intensity VII earthquake in 1990, a fact that sufficed to place the
site in the category of "areas frequently visited and/or hard-hit by
natural calamities." Clearly, the petitioner failed to establish that it
had the legal right to be issued the CNC applied for, warranting the
denial of its application.
Where a project is still in the bidding stage, a pe~ition for
continuing mandamus to compel the respondents to submit an EIS
and secure an ECC is premature.:1 1
0 n th e O ther hand , where the project is not classified
.. 1 as
environmenta]]y critica1, or within an environmentally cr_1t1caarea,
as in the case of the Davao City Artica Sports Dome, 1t becomes
th e mmrn • ] d u ty of. t}1e Ji'nvironmental Management 13urenu
· · t errn :.J •
r·
(EMB) , J:>"eg10n XI to issue the Certificate of Non-Cove_rngo (CNO),
, • f' l ··~~
.
th e per f ormancc of w 111c•. h c1111he compel1ed
, by wnt o mane <Wlltti.
. Cl! No 201fi01 ,11111. irn. :WW, citi111:

iijRepuhlic v. N. Morc1id & 8011H, Inc., '
D11111 • '
People,v. Leynes, GH No. 22'1.~Wtl,So!,I.. 21 • ~OW. UH No. l(IO!l/rn, ,11111
. 1,1,::mm.
21lSpcci1-1)
People, Jue. h,u11d11t1ollv. Cuudu, •
:IOJIJid.
:uBrngn v. Ahny11,HIIJJra. • , , . 2002.
aiHopuhlic v. City of D11vno, GH. No. 1'18h22, Sept. 12 '

544 LAW ON NA'l'UHAL JU,:ROlJHCE:-lAND U.ULER
OF PllOCEDUHE FOH ENVIIWNM l•:N'l'ALC/\81•:f-l
g. CcrtiHcnto of Non-Ovorlnp (CNO), un<lor Suction

59 of t:IrnlPRA Law, is not 11 precondition to the
issuance of nn ECC
Section 59, Chapter VIII of the IPRA Law provides:
"SEC. 59. Certification Precondition. - All depart-

111ents and other govern1nental agencies shall
henceforth be strictly enjoined from issuing,
renewing, or granting any concession, license or
lease, or entering into any production-sharing agreement,
without prior certification fro1n the NCIP that the
area affected does not overlap with any ancestral
domain. Such certification shall only be issued after a
field-based investigation is conducted by the Ancestral
Domains Office of the area concerned: Provided, That
no certification shall be issued by the NCIP without the
free and prior informed and written consent of ICCs/
IPs concerned: Provided, further, That no department,
government agency or government-owned or -controlled
corporation may issue new concession, license, lease, or
production sharing agreement while there is a pending
application for a CADT: Provided, finally, That the ICCs/
IPs shall have the right to stop or suspend, in accordance
with this Act, any project that has not satisfied the
requirement of this consultation process." (Emphasis
supplied)
Section 59 requires as a precondition, relative to the issuance of

any concession, license, lease, or agreement over natural resources,
a certification issued by the NCIP that the area subject thereof does
not lie within any ancestral domain. This is in keeping with the State
policy to protect the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities/
Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) to their ancestral domains in ordor
to ensure their economic, social and culturnl well-boing ns well ns
t? recognize the applicability of customary Inws governing property
rights or relations in determining the ownership nncl oxt.<nt of ~mch
ancestral domain.
But while the ahove st.ntut:ol'y provision rovonls thnt tho
EC? is an indispensable requiromont bof'oro (1) tho conduct of an
env~ron?'1entally critical project, 01· (2) the imploment.ntion of u
proJect 111 an environmentally critical uron, it doos not follow that

CHAPTER XV\ - Pl\\l.lPP\ EE VIHO 1 \E 1'/\L POLI r;y A ? 545
E TJ\l\US\\\NG t\1 EN\ lH01 m TAI. IMP,\ T STATEME T :Y. TEM
tPrt,~i1\t'nlin\ D'crrc o~. llfl\ nm\ lf> >)
th ECC i~ th ...''\i' n. ct or "permil" conlemplulcd under S 'C ion 59

of th IPR\. Law nnd its implementing rule .
The Court, in Paje v. Casirio:i.
1
sires ed:
''\\711ileSection 4 of PD No. 1586 shows that the

ECC is an indispensable requirement before (1) the
conduct of an en\ ironmentally critical project or (2) the
implementation of a project in an environmentally critical
area it does not follm, that the ECC is the "1icen e" or
"permif' contemplated under Sect.ion 59 of the IPR \. Law
and its implementing rules.xx x
The issuance of the ECC does not, by and of its'elf.
authorize th implementation of th project.. Rather, the
ECC is intend d to. among others 1 provide guidance or act
as a decision-making tool to other goy rnment agencies
and LGUs \\ hich have th final authority to grant
licenses or permits 1 such as building permits or licenses
to operate. that will ultimat ly result in, or authorize the
implem ntation of th project or tl1 conduct of pecific
acti,rities. x x x
In sum, \\
find thnt th EC is not th li.c ns r
permit contemplat d under e tion 59 of th IPR..:.\Law
and its impl m nting rul p.Hen'', th r is no n c s~ity
to secure th NO und r S :> ·tion 59 b for nn E mny
be issued and th issunn' of tlw subj t. 1 " without
1
first securing th nfor ~snid ertifi ·nt.i.ondo ~ not rendei- it

invalid.''
h. EIA review nnd E C issunn "\v sted in the DENR

Section 3 of PD No. 15 "G r 'quin's that nH RI.\ RPports bt'
submitted Lh Nationn1 l~m ironm ,ntn1 Protl'dion l'mm('\l or
NEPC (now DENH, through EO No. \ ~)~)for \'l'\'\ '\\ nnd l'\'~\l\\~\tfon.
Furthermore, 1rnrsunnt to '·t.inn .\ of PD Nn. 1GtW,.h , "'~nn' i~s\wd
only by the Pre:ident. of tho Phihppi1w~ or hi~ luly nuthm·ii,t'd
representative, which is DENH. t\ lh h,t~nh~l\nuthm-it\' l't\\\\H,t ht"
redelegulcd. Acrnrdin~\y, AO Nn. •\'2 is:-;\\\,\hv tlw l'rP~hknt nf th
Philippines on Novem\wr :W0'2vnst:-; Hpnn th~, nENH St'l'l'l'bn-y, ns

64G LAW ON N/\'l'UH/\1, 10,~HOUllCl•:H /\ND llULl-:8
OF PHOCEtlUtn~ FOH 1•:NVIHONM l•~N'l'/\1, C/\Hl•:8
:1H.er cg-o of the Pt·esic-lent.,t.he power t.o granl or deny ECC on heha]f
of t.hc l re~irlent .. /\0 No. 42 further <lesignnleB Lhc EMB Central and
R 'gtonal Directors Rs npproving authorities for certain types of ECC
Rpplicnt.ions. Thus, adir1inistrators of declared area management
authorities Rnd economic zones/industrial parks as well as LGUs do
not hav the authority to issue ECC/CNC under PD No. 1586 unless
otherwise expressly delegated by the President of the Philippines.:i-1
i. ECC validity and expiry

Once a project is i1nplemented, the ECC remains valid and
active for the lifetime of the project. ECC conditions and commitments
are permanently relieved from c01npliance by the Proponent only
upon validation by EMB of the successful implementation of the
environmental aspects/component of the Proponent's Abandonment/
Rehabilitation/Decommissioning Plan. This pre-condition for
ECC validity applies to all projects including those wherein ECC
expiry dates have been specified in the ECC. However, the ECC
automatically expires if a project has not been implemented within
five years from ECC issuance, or if the ECC was not requested for
extension within three months from the expiration of its validity. 35
J. Administrative proceedings for cancellation of an

ECC
DAO 96-37 provides for a separate ad111inistrative proceeding
to address complaints for the cancellation of an ECC. Under Article
IX of DAO 96-37, complaints to nullify an ECC n1ust undergo nn
administrative investigation, after which the hearing officer will
submit his report to the EMB Director or the Regional Executive
Director, who will then render his decision. The nggri 'V d party
may file an appeal to the DENR Secretary, who hns authority to
issue cease and desist orders. Article ]X nlso clnssifrns t.lH types of
violations covered under DAO 96-B7, including projcct.s operating
without an ECC or violating the conditions ol' t.ho ECC. This is
the applicable procedure to addross pot.iLioners' co1nplaint on
NAPOCOR's alleged violations and not the filing of a case in court.

CHAPTER XVI-PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND 547
ESTABLISHING AN ENVIRONMEN'l'AL IMPAC'r S'l'A'l'EMEN'l' SYSTEM
(President.in\ Decree Nos. 1161 nncl 1686)
06. Policy declaration (PD No. 1586).

The decree declares as a policy of the state to attain and
maintain a rational and orderly balance between socio-economic
growth and environmental protection. 36
It establishes the Environmental Impact Statement System
founded and based on the environmental impact statement required
of all agencies and instrumentalities of the national government,
including government-owned or controlled corporations, as well
as private corporations, firms and entities, for every proposed
project and undertaking which significantly affect the quality of the
environment. 37
07. Presidential proclamation of environmentally critical areas

and projects.
The President of the Philippines may, on his own initiative or
upon recommendation of the National Environmental Protection
Council, by proclamation declare certain 'projects, undertakings
or areas in the country. as environmentally critical. No person,
partnership or corporation shall undertake or operate any such
declared environmentally critical project. or area without first
securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate issued by the
President or his duly authorized representative. For the proper
management of said critical project or area, the President may by
his proclamation reorganize such government offices, agencies,
institutions, corporations or instrumentalities including the re-
alignment of government personnel, and their specific functions and
responsibilities.
PD No. 1586 prescribes the following duties of the BLURB (then
Ministry of Human Settlements) in connection with environn1entally
critical projects requiring an ECC: (a) prepare the proper land or
water use pattern for said critical project(s) or area(s); (b) establish
ambient environmental quality standards; (c) develop a progrmn of
environmental enhancement or protective measures against such
other functions as may be directed by the President from ti1ne to
time. 38
36
Sec. 1, PD No. 1586.
37
Sec. 2, ibid.
38
8 ec. 4 , t"b"d
t .

--·
548 ~~~) HU.LES.
LAW ON NNl'UllAL HESOUHCJ•:H
OF PHOCEDUHE FOH.Jo:NVIHONMl•,N
I AL C/\SJ•,S
All otlPr proj"ctR, und rt.nldngR nncl nrens not ~eclnred by the
President ns cnvironment.nlly criticnl shall be c~nsidcrc<l ~s non-
criticRl and shnll not be required to submit an environmental impact
st.nt.cment.~"
a. Duty of the Provincial Environment and Natural

Resources Officer (PENRO) to monitor compliance
with conditions stipulated in the ECC
The PENRO is tasked to monitor the project proponent's
compliance with the conditions stipulated in the ECC, with support
from the DENR regional office and the Environmental Management
Bureau. 40 The primary purpose of compliance monitoring is to
ensure the judicious implementation of sound and standard
environmental quality during the development stage of a particular
project. The monitoring duties of the PENRO mainly deal with
broad environmental concerns, particularly pollution abatement.
This general monitoring duty is applicable to all types of physical
developments that may adversely impact on the environment,
whether housing projects, industrial sites, recreational facilities, or
scientific undertakings.
b. But more specific monitoring is imposed on the

HLURB on housing and land development projects
However, a more specific monitoring duty is imposed on
the IiLURB as the sole regulatory body for housing and land
deuelopnient. It is mandated to encourage greater private sector
participation in low-cost housing through (1) liberalization of
development standards, (2) simplification of regulations, and (3)
decentralization of approvals for permits and licenses.
In Balicas v. Fact.-Finding and Intelligence Bllreau, Office
41
of the Ombudsman, petitioner appealed the decision of the
Ombudsman dismissing her from government service for ~ross
neglect of duty in connection with the lnnrlslirle nt t.he Chern• Hill.
Subdivision in Antipolo City on August 3, 19H9 which cnus.od the
death of several residents of the subdivision nncl tho clrn,truction of
property. The charge agnim,t petitioner involve cl n supposed failure
39S
ec. 6, supra.
40
DENR AO No. 96-37.
41
GR No. 145972, March 23, 2004.

CHAPTER XVI - PHILIPPINE ENVIIWNMJt:N'l'J\LPOLTCYAND 5'19
ESTABLISHING AN ~NVI~lONMEN'l'AL IMPJ\C'I' S'J'A'J'gMEN'I'SYSTEM
(PresHlentinl Decree Nm~. 1 I (i J II nd J fi8H)
on he_r p~rt to m?nitor and inspect the development of Cherry Hrns

Subd1v1s10n,
. wlnch was....assumed to be he r d u t y as J)ENI>
!i " •Hen10r
•
environmental
•
m·1nagem en t specia
• c
• 1·1st. assigned
· · the province
m · of
Rizal. In reversing the decision of the Ombudsman, the Court ruled
that ~h~ ~egal du~y to monitor housing projects, like the Cherry Hills
S~bdr:ision, against calamities such as landslides due to continuous
rain, is cle~rly pl~ced on the BLURB, not on the petitioner as
PENRO senior environmental management specialist.
~dverting to the related case of Principe v. Fact-Finding and
I~telligence Bureau 12 where Antonio Principe, regional executive
director for DENR Region IV who approved Philjas' application
fo~ ECC, was found not liable for gross neglect of duty, the Court
reiterated that the responsibility of monitoring housing and land
development projects is not lodged with the DENR, but with
the HLURB as the sole regulatory body for housing and land
development. •
Relatedly, in Cordillera Global Network v. Paje, 43 the Court
held that as the agency mandated with establishing standards and
guidelines for land use plans and zoning ordinances, the Housing
and Land Use Regulatory Board has the necessary knowledge
and expertise to pass judgment upon questions within its sphere
of expertise. Thus, questions on which zone the SM Pines Resort
Project and Expansion Project correctly belonged in, and whether
their locational clearances were validly issued, should have been
raised before the agency. The power to act as appellate body over
decisions and actions of local and regional planning and zoning
bodies and deputized official of the board was retained by the
HLURB and remained unaffected by the devolution under the Local
Government Code.
08. Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) for Palawan (R.A. No.

7611) held valid
R.A. No. 7611 is a comprehensive framework for the
sustainable development of Palnwan compntible with p.rotecting
and enhancing the natural resources and endangered envu·onment
of the province. Known ns the Strategic l~nvironmont nl Plnn fo1:
Palawan (SEP), it shaJl serve to guiclo tho locnl govt rnment ot
42GH. No.145973, J 1111. 2:1, 2002.

'13
GR No. 215988, April l 0, 201 fJ.

660 LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND HULES
Palawan and the government agencies concerned in the formulation

an_d in1pl_ementation of plans, pr~grams an~ projects affecting
said province. The Palawan Council for sustmnable Development
<ii
(PCSD) was established as the administrative machinery for the C
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SEP's iinplementation. (/)
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On February 25, 2002, the PCSD issued A.O. 'No. 00-05 -s

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providing that the transport of live fish from Palawan would be C
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allowed only through traders and carriers who· had sought and u
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secured accreditation from the PCSD. In alleged disregard of the

prohibition, Ejercito Lim, doing business as bonanza air services,
continued his business operation in Palawan despite the Notice of
violation and Show Cause Order issued by the PCSD to the effect
that he had continued his flight services without any accreditation
from the PCSD. The Court of Appeals granted Lim's petition for
prohibition and enjoined petitioners from enforcing Administrative
Order No. 00-05 and Notice of Violation and Show Cause Order for
being null and void.
In Chairman, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development
u. Ejercito Lim, 44 the Supreme Court sustained the validity of A.O.
No. 00-05 and related issuances. R.A. -No. 7611 has adopted the
Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) for Palawan consistent with
the declared policy of the State to protect, develop, and conserve
its natural resources. The SEP is a comprehensive· framework for
the sustainable development of Pala wan to protect and enhance the
province's natural resources and endangered environment. PCSD
has the explicit authority to fill in the details on how to carry out the
objectives of the law and to impose penalties and sanctions for any
violation thereof. As such, the PCSD's issuance of A.O. No. 00-95
and Resolution No. 03-211 was well within its statutory authority.
-t-tGRNo. 183173, Aug. 24, 2016.
a,
Chapter XVII
ID
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CLIMATE CHANGE ACT OF 2009 (0

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(Republic Act No. 9729, as amended (0
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01. The Philippines, vulnerable to climate change.

Climate change occurs when changes in Earth's climate system
result in new weather patterns that last for at least a few decades,
and maybe for millions of years. The climate system comprises five
(5) interacting parts, the atinosphere (air), hydrosphere (water),
cryosphere (ice and permafrost), biosphere (living things), and
lithosphere (earth's crust and upper mantle). The climate system
receives nearly all of its energy from the sun, with a relatively tiny
amount from earth's interior. The climate system also gives off
energy to outer space. When the incoming energy is greater than the
outgoing energy, earth's energy budget is positive and the climate
system is warming. If more energy goes out, the energy budget is
negative and earth experiences cooling. 1
The Philippines is a climate hotspot, vulnerable to some of the
worst manifestations of climate change. As a developing country,
with very little access to vital resources, it has a low ability to adapt
and a lower ability to cope with disasters brought about by climate
change impacts. Yet, even with the emerging trends of climate
variability, many provinces in the Philippines are still not aware
of their vulnerability, 1nuch less be able to prepare to cope with its
impacts. 2
Aside from recurring typhoons and increase in precipitation
that is experienced by certain regions in the country, sea level
rise is a major threat Lo marine ecosystems ancl to coastal hu1nnn
populations and their livelihoods. But climate change not only
exacerbates socio-economic nnd environmental problems that each
len.wikipci<liu.org/wi ki/CI i lllll ti,_cl 11111gu

:IJubinm; und Jnventor, "'l'ho Jlhilippin1m: A Cli11111to
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662 LAW ON NA'l'UH/\L 1n:soum:1,:H /\ND HULES

OF PHOCl•~DUtn: FOH ENVIHONrvn:N'l'/\1, C/\81•:S
region in t.hc Philippines iHcurrently expe1·icncing, it nlso t.hreutenH

tho country's rich cultural heritnge ns welJ nH Rouw of the r11rest and Q)
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most diverse frngilc ecosystems in the world.a "'

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'l'wo of the major greenhouse grn,C8 contributing to climat(! u"'
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chnnge nre producccl by conl combustion - carbon dioxide and "O
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nitrous oxide. As concentrations of' these gnses in the atmosphere C
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nccumulate, global tcmpernture increnscs, scUi ng in motion absolute
consequences of climate chnnge. Beyond the health impacts of coal-
based energy production lie the severe and irreversible impacts of
climate change across the world. The United Nations estimates that
26% of global mercury emissions come from the combustion of coal
in power plants. 4
Philippine consumption of coal has been on the upswing, which
increased by 27%) between 2012 and 2014. The explanation given
is anchored on simplistic assumptions - coal-fired power plants
are the country's dominant power technology because economically,
they are widely available and easy to build. What the "easy and
affordable" explanation fails to consider is the fact that there are
external costs to coal, which, if considered, would render coal-fired
power plants as one of the most expensive forms of power generation.
Coal-fired power plants' impacts on health, air quality, and climate,
and life - above anything else - are more vitnl considorntions.t1
02. Global warming.

Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO~) and other
air pollutants and greenhouse gases collect in the atmosphere
and absorb sunlight and soJar rudintion thnt have bounced off the
eatth's surface. Normally, this rndiation would escnpo into space
- but these po])utnnts, which can last. for yrnu·s to centuries in thl'
atmosphere, trap the heat nnd cnuse the planet. to get. hotter. This
is what is known us the greenhouse effoct.. Groonhouso ga~t~s t rnp
heat ra<liuting from the 011J't.hto Rpnco. 'l'his hont., in tho form of
infrured ru<liatiou, gets 11lmorl>ecl
and u111it.Lrnlb.v thoso gnsc's in tlH}
atmosphere, th1rn w11n11ingtho lowol' 11t.11wsphoruand tho surfoco.
'l'he effectH of g]olml wan11inu includo l'ising ~llH lovols, rogionnl
1
: lbicl.
4
Koy11ot.e~pcech of' Su11. Lomu Lug11nl11,81 Ht Climntu Huulity Londor:-ihip
Corptt '!'ruining, March 1,1,201 Ci,Sofltol Philippi110 Pluw, Munilu.
11
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653
CHAP'J'EH XVII - CLlMA'l'I~CHANGE ACT OF 2009
(Republic Act. No. 07!W, 111:11111w1ulocl
hy Hopuhlic Act. No. 1017'1)
changes in precipitation, more frequent extreme weather events

such as heat waves, and expansion of deserts. Mitigation of and <ii
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adaptation to climate change are two complementary responses to C
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global warming. 'l1his includes a combination of activities, jncluding E

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energy conservation and increased energy efficiency; the use of -5

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low-carbon energy technologies, such as renewable energy and .J

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nuclear energy; and enhancing carbon sinks through, for example, "'
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reforestation and preventing deforestation. 6
The Philippines' geographical location 1nakes it prone to

natural hazards and climate change is making it worse. The injustice
here is that the Philippines is a minor emitter of greenhouse gases
(GHG) with only 0.3% of global emissions, but it is among the most
vulnerable to climate change impacts. Ketsana or Ondoy in 2009,
Haiyan or Yolanda in 2013 are just a few examples. Global warming
has already breached the 1°C level with unprecedented warming in
the past months. The country has experienced countless tragedies
and losses from recurring impacts of extreme weather events under
a 1°C global warming. The 2°C warming above pre-industrial levels
is no longer a prognosis but a reality. Unofficial data shows that
average temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere likely exceeded
2°C above norinal even only for a few hours. 7
03. Non-renewable and renewable energy.

A non-renewable resource (also called a finite resource) is a
resource of economic value that cannot be readily replaced by
natural means at a quick enough pace to keep up with consun1ption.
An example is carbon-based fossil fuel. The original organic n1atter,
with the aid of heat and pressure, becomes a fuel such as oil or
gas. Earth minerals and metal ores, fossil fuels (coal, petroleu1n.
natural gas) and groundwater in certain aquifers are all considered
non-renewable resources, though individual elements nrc nlwnys
conserved (except in nuclear reactions). On the ot.hor hnnd.
resources such as timber (when hnrvost:od sustninnbly) nnd wind
(used to power energy conversion syst:oms) aro considered renewable
resources, largely because their localizod 1·oplonishmont cnn occur
within time frnmm; menningl'ul Lo huma11ti too.ti
0
https://en. wikipedin.org/wi lei/0)olml_w111'111
ii1g.
7
Keynole s1ieoch of Sen. Loron Log-11rcl11, ~mpm.
8
https://en.wikipcdiu.org/wiki/Non-runuwuhlo_rosourcc
~
654 LAW ON NNl'UH/\L Hlo:8UUIU..!J•:8

/\ND llULJt:8
OF PHOCEDUlllo: FOil ENVI ltONM l~N'l'/\1, C..:J\81•:8
On December l G, 2008, Congress enucted llA No. 95 lo

otherwise known as the Renewab]e Energy /\ct, one of the m08 ~ <ii
progressive 1·enewable energy Jaws in the wor]d - offering wide C
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range of incentives to spur the growth of the renewable energy sector. "
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The law aims to encourage and acce]erate the deve]opment and -s
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utilization of renewable energy resources such as, but not limited to, "Cl
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biomass, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and ocean energy sources, C

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including hybrid systems, as tools to effectively prevent or reduce "
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harmful en1issions and thereby balance the goals of economic growth

and development with the protection of health and the environment.
Since then, hundreds of 1negawatts of solar and wind in excess of
even the Department of Energy's targets were installed.
The Philippines was the first country in Southeast Asia to
deploy large-scale wind and solar technologies. Estimates from past
studies by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory indicate
that the Philippines has 24-6,000 megawatts of untapped renewable
energy capacity - from sun, tidal ocean power, wind, geothermal,
biomass, and hydro resources. Renewable energy currently accounts
for 33% of the country's energy 1nix. Renewable energy is recognized
as a long-term solution to the global effort to address the climate
crisis.I)
04. Philippines' climate change laws are "world's best."

The Philippines has taken the lead in the global campaign
to mitigate disaster risks brought about by global warn1ing. It has
an excellent legal fra111ework for disaster risk reduction and an
excellent legal fra1nework for climate adaptation. The country's laws
on climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction
(DRR) are said to be the "best in the world." 10
Re]evantly, the right to a balanced und healthful ecology nnd
the right to health are mandated as state policies by the Constitution
itse)f. 11 As emphotica11y declare<l in Oposa v. Fac:toran: 1'2
9
Kuynotu speech of Sun. Lonm Lug11nl11,HUuNoto ~I. . N
10
Mnrgurelu WuhlHLrih11 1 UN HJ>Ocinl onvoy nnd DHH ruproH0ntnt1vo of U
Secre tu ry G unum I Bun Ki-moon. hUu.Jlcli!l.Hililllill!.ujrnmj rnr,noWl5(-195/u~
philivvincs%c2%80%90-climoto-chtmt:o-Jows, (Lmil uccmrncHlMny 24, 2016)
11
Secs. 16 nnd H3,Art. II, Constitution.
1
:.iGRNo. 10108a, ,July 30, 1DH3
\
CHAP1'EH XVII - CLIMA'l'[t; CHANGE ACT OF 2009 555

(Republic Act No. B720, nH nmorHlecl hy Hopuhlic Act No. l.017'1)
"While tho right to a balunced and healthful ecology is

to be found under the Declaration of Principles and State
Policies und not under the Bill of Rights, it does not follow
that it is less important than any of the civil and political
rights enumerated in the latter. Such a right belongs to
a different category of rights altogether for it concerns
nothing less than self-preservation and self-perpetuation
- aptly and fittingly stressed by the petitioners -
the advancement of which may be said to predate all
governments and constitutions. The right to a balanced
and healthful ecology carries with it the correlative duty
to refrain from impairing the environment."
There exists a catena of laws reflective of the constitutional

edict. To mention a few, the Revised Forestry Code 13 regulates
the utilization and disposition of forest resources to the end that
public welfare is promoted. The Mining Act 1~ aims to promote
the rational exploration, utilization and conservation of mineral
resources. The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act 16 sets
guidelines for proper solid waste disposal and volume reduction.
The Clean Water Act 16 streamlines procedures for the prevention,
control and abatement of pollution of the country's water resources.
The Biofuels Act 17 provides for the mandatory use of bio-fuels to
lessen emission of greenhouse gases. The Renewable Energy Act 1t1
aims to accelerate the exploration and development of renewable
energy resources. The Climate Change Act 10 establishes a
Climate Change Commission tasked to coordinate action plans of
the government relating to climate change. The Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Acfw institutionalizes measures
for reducing disaster risks and enhanced disaster preparedness and
response capabilities. The Clean Air Acti 1 provides for a national
19
PD No. 700, M11y 1!J, J !l7fi.
14
M No. 7H'1:1., Murch :I, I !Wfi.
111
JlA No. !)00:i, ,J11u.:w,200 I.
16
RA No. 9270, Murch 22, :/.(HM.
17
RA No. 9073, Jun. 17, ~007.
18
flA No. !Jl o:3, Dec. Hi, 2008.
1
uRA No. B?:l!J, ,Jun. 17, 2007.
:lllJ>
v"'A No. 10121, Muy 27, 2010.
21J>"\A No. 87'19, ,June 23, 1999.

55G LAw ON Ni\TUHAL HJ~souncES AND RULES
OF PHOCL~DUHI~FOR ENVrHONMEN'l'AL CASES
program of air pollution mnnngoment and provontjon, ancl active

public pnrticipntion in nir quality planning ancl monitoring. 'rhe
Philippine Environ111entul Policy 22 seeks to develop, maintain
and improve conditions under which man and nature can thrive in
productive and enjoyable harmony with each other.
The policy legal framework is thus already in place - what is
needed is to make the laws work at the grassroots' level. The pressing
challenge then is to translate national policies, plans and programs
into local com1nunity action to save lives, and reduce disaster risks
and economic losses. 23
05. The 2015 Paris Agreement.

The 2015 Paris Agreement is a landmark agreement in this
history of humankind. The Philippines, as chair of the Climate
Vulnerable Foru1n, led the call to limit warming to l.5°C to be able
to survive. The Philippines has committed to a 70% reduction by
2030 from business as usual scenario from energy, transport, waste,
industry, and forestry. It also committed to building the resilience of
communities and promoting inclusive growth in accordance with the
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sustainable
Development Goals. Governments conveyed the message that they
are determined to act to achieve the goal of limiting the world's rise
in average temperature to "well below 2°C above pre-industrial
levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5
degrees Celsius." Bending the global warming curve to l.5°C is a
moral imperative, because it means saving the lives and livelihoods
of hundreds of millions of people; it means upholding the human
rights of the poor and vulnerable; it means ensuring the integrity of
our ecosystems. 24

The Climate Change Act (RA No. 9729, as amenrlerl) affirms
the policy of the State to afford f'ull protect-ion an<l tho n<lvancement
of the right of the people io a henlthf'ul ecology in nccor<l with the
2:.iJ l A No. 1 lnl, ,Juno 17, l!Jfi4.

1
:.i'.Sen. Loren Leg11nl11, UNJRDH (U11itu1l N11t.i01Hi Offlcu fm· Di~nster Risk
Hc_ducL1on) Glohul Ch11m11io11 for Hm;ilioncu 1111<1
Ch11ir of tho Sonnto Committee Oll
Chmatc Chan~c.
21
• Keynotc speech of Sen. Loren Legurdu, See Note a.

\
CHAPTEH XVJl - CLIMA'l'I•:CHANGE ACT OF 200B 667
(Hopuhlic Act. No. nnn, IIH lllllCIHlud 1,y Jlopuhlic Act, No. 1OJ7-1)
rhythm and hnrmony of nature .. In this light, tho State has adopted
the Philippine Agendn frnmework which espouses sustainable
development, to fulfill human needs while maintaining the quality
of the natural environment for current and future generations.
Towards this end, the Stnte adopts the principle of protecting
the climate system for the benefit of humankind, on the basis of
climate justice or common but differentiated responsibilities and
the Precautionary Principle to guide decision-making in climate
risk management. As a party to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change, the State adopts the ultimate
objective of the Convention which is the stabilization of greenhouse
gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system which
should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems
to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production
is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed
in a sustainable manner. As a party to the Hyogo Framework for
Action, the State likewise adopts the strategic goals in order to build
national and local resilience to climate change-related disasters.
Recognizing the vulnerability of the Philippine archipelago and
its local communities, particularly the poor, women, and children, to
potential dangerous consequences of climate change such as rising
seas, changing landscapes, increasing frequency and/or severity
of droughts, fires, floods and storms, climate-related illnesses
and diseases, damage to ecosystems, biodiversity loss that affect
the country's environment, culture, and economy, the State shall
cooperate with the global community in the resolution of climate
change issues, including disaster risk reduction.
Further recogniiing thuL climate change and disaster risk
reduction are closely interreln ted and effective clisnster risk
reduction will enhance climate change ndnptivo cnpncity, the State
shaJ1 integratt! disaster risk reduction into clinrnto chnngo programs
and initiatives.
Cognizant of' tlw need to ons11ro t.!111
t. nn tin nu I nnd suh-nntionnl
government policies, planH, 1n·o~r11111Hand projects nre founded
upon sound environmental cn11Hidorntions nnd t.ho principlo of
sustainable development, it, is hornby declnro<l tho policy of the
State to systematically integrate tho concept, of climate change in
various phases of policy f'ormulution, development plans, poverty

668 LAW ON NA'l'UllAL HESOUllCmj AND llULE8
OF PHOCRDUHE FOR l•:NVJHONMI•:N'l'ALCASI•:8
reduction strAt:cgics nnd ot.hor development. t.oo1Anncl Lochnique1-:1

hy
21
all agencies And instrumontnlitics of Lhc govcrnmont,. •

The following shall have the corresponding meanings:
(a) "Adaptation" refers lo the adjustment in natural
or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic
stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits
beneficial opportunities.
(b) "Adaptive capacity" refers to the ability of ecological,
social or economic systems to adjust to climate change
including climate variability and extremes, to moderate or
offset potential damages and to take advantage of associated
opportunities with changes n1 climate or to cope with the
consequences thereof.
(c)"Anthropogenic causes" refer to causes resulting
from human activities or produced by human beings.
(d) "Climate change" refers to a change in climate that
can be identified by changes in the mean and/or variability of
its properties and that persists for an extended period typically
decades or longer, whether due to natural variability or as a
result of human activity.
(e) "Climate finance" refers to resources that have
been allocated or may be utilized towards the climate change
adaptation and mitigation requirements of tho country and its
vulnerable communities.
(f) "Climate variability" refers to tho variations in
the average state and in other statistics of tho climate on nll
temporal and spatial scales beyond thnt of individual wonthcr
events.
(g) "Climate risk'' refers to t.ho pl'ocluct. of climntt nnd
related hazards working ovor tho vnhw1·nhilit.v ot' humnn nnd
natural ecoRyRtems. •
(h) "Disaster" roforH to n sol'iO\tH cliHl'upt.ion of t.ho
functioning of a community or n Hociot.y involvin~ wideHpren<l
human, material, economic or onvil'onmont.nl losses nnd
211
Sec. 2, RA No. 9729, us umended.

CHAPTER XVII- LIM.ATE CHANGE ACT OF 2009 559
(Republic Act l'\ . 97:.9. ns amended by Republic Act. No. 1017•1)
impacts which exc ed the ability of the nffected community or

society to cope u ..ing its own re~ourccs.
(i) "Disaster Risk Reduct.ion and lVIanagement (DRRM)"
refei-8 to the systematic process of using administrative
directh·es organizations, and operational skills and capacities
to implement strategies! policies and improved coping
capacities in order to lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and
the possibility of disaster. Prospective Disaster Risk Reduction
and Nlanagement refers to risk reduction and managen1ent
activities that address a11d seek to avoid the development of
new or increased disaster risks, especially if risk reduction
policies are not put in place.
G) "Gender mainstrean1ing'' refers to the strategy for
making the concerns and experiences of women as well as those
of men an integral dimension of the design, implementation,
monitoring, and evaluation of policies and programs in all
political, economic, environmental or ecological and societal
spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality
is not perpetuated. It is the process of assessing the implications
for women and n1en of any planned action, including legislation,
policies, or programs in all areas and at all levels.
(k) "Global warming" refers to the increase in the
average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and
oceans that is associated with the increased concentration of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
(1) "Greenhouse effect" refers to the process by which
the absorption of infrared radiation by the atn1osphere wanns
the Earth.
(m) "Greenhouse gases (GHG)" refers to constituents
of the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect
including, but not limited to, carbon dioxide, n1ethane, nitrous
oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur
hexafluoride.
(n) "Mainstreaming" refers to the integration of policies
and measures that address c1imale change into develop1nent
planning and sectoral decision-making.
(o) "Mitigation" in the context of cli111ate change, refers
to hu1nan intervention to reduce anthropogenic emissions
sources and enhance removals by sinks of all GHG, including
ozone-depleting substances and their substitutes.
l AW ON NA'l'UH/\L 1rnsoUHCEH AND llULl•~S
6GO
Ol; PHOCimUlm FOll l~NVlllONMgNTAL CAsgs
(p) ''MitigHtionpotential" sholl refer to ~ho_

scn~eof~ HG
,·ednctfonsthat could be made, relative to e~msswn ase J?es,
r • l 1 f ui·bon .price (expresse<l
LOrn given eve o c ,
1n costd per<lumt of
• •
carbon dioxide equivalent em1ss10ns uvo1•de d or re uce ) •
(q) "Sea level rise" refers to an increase i~ sea level
which may be influenced by factors like global warmm~ throu_gh
expansion of sea water as the oceans warm and melting of ice
over land and local factors such as land subsidence.
(r) "Vulnerability" refers to the degree to which a
system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, adverse effects
of climate change, including climate variability and extreme
climate events. Vulnerability is a function of the character,
magnitude, and rate of climate change and variation to which
a system is exposed, its sensitivity, and its adaptive capacity." 26
08. The Climate Change Commission.

1.'he Climate Change Commission (Commission) is an
independent and autonomous body and has the same status as that
of a national government agency. It is attached to the Office of the
President.
1.'he Commission shall be the sole policy-making body of the
government which shall be tasked to coordinate, monitor and
eval~ate the programs and action plans of the government relating
to climate change pursuant to the provisions of this Act.i1
09. Composition of the Commission.
Tl~e Commission shall be composed of the President of the

~epubbc of t~1e_Philippines who shall serve as the Chairperson, and
three Comm1ss1onersto be appointed by the President one of whom
shall serve as the Vice Chairperson of the Commissim~.
, 'rh
. e Comm1ss1on
• • shn11have an advisory bonrrl composed of the
following:
(a) Seeretnry of the Department. or Agriculturn;

(b) Secretary of tho Dopu rtmont; of lt.inorgy;
iuscc 3 RAN
27 •' • o. 9720, na nmendurl.
Sec. 4, supra.

CHAP'l'EH XVII - CLIMA'l'f,~CII/\NOJt: /\C'J' OF 200!J 061
(Republic Act. No. D72!J,11H11111mul<•d
1,y l!.uptililic A<:t.Nci. IO17'1)
(c) Secretary of the Depurtment of Environment and

NaturRl Resources;
(d) Secretary of the Department of Education;
(e) Secretary of the Department of F'orcign Affairs;
(f) Secretary of the Department of Health;
(g) Secretary of the Department of the Tnterior and
Local Government;
(h) Secretary of the Department of National Defense,
in his capacity as Chair of the National Disaster Coordinating
Council;
(i) Secretary of the Department of Public Works and
Highways;
G) Secretary of the Department of Science and
Technology;
Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and
(k)
Development;
(I) Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry;
(m) Secretary of the Department of Transportation and
Communications;
(n) Director-General of the National Economic and
Development Authority, in his capacity us Chair of the
Philippine Counci] for Sustainable Development;
(o) Director-General of the Nntionnl Security Council;
(p) Chairperson of the National Commission on the Role
of Filipino Women;
(q) President of the League of' Provinces;
(r) President of the Lo11guoof Citios;
(B) PreHiclent of tho Lo11guoof Municipnlitio8:
(t) PreHident of tho Lig-nng mg11H11r11ng11y;
(u) ftepre:-mnt11tivofrom tho ac11donw:
(v) Represontntivo from tho bw-iinoHH Hodot·; nnd
(w) Reprnsentntivo from nongovornmont11l orgnni'.tu-
tions.

562 I /\.WON NA'l'UH/\L JlESOUHCES /\ND HULES
01; PHOCEllUHE FOH ENVIHONMEN'l'/\L C/\SJ-:8
At least one of t.hc scctornl rcprcHentntivcs shnll come from the

disaster risk reduction community.
The representatives shall be npp?inte<l b~ the President
from a list of nominees submitted by thell' respective groups. They
shall serve for a term of six years without reappointment unless
their representation is withdrawn by the sector the~ represent.
Appointment to any vacancy shall be only for the unexpired term of
the predecessor.
Only the ex officio members of the advisory board shall appoint
a qualified representative who shall hold a rank of no less than an
Undersecretary. 28
10. Powers and functions of the Commission.

The Commission shall have the following powers and functions:
(a) Coordinate and synchronize climate change prog-
rams in consultation with national government agencies and
other stakeholders;
(b) Formulate a Strategic Framework on Climate
Change to serve as the basis for a program for climate change
planning, research and development, extension, and monitoring
of activities on climate change;
(c) Exercise policy coordination to ensure the attainment
of goals set in the strategic framework and program on climate
change;
(d) Recommend legislation, policies, strategies, prog-
rams on and appropriations for climate change adaptation and
mitigation and other related activities;
(e) Recommend key development investments in climate-
sensitive sectors such as water resources, agriculture, forestry,
coastal and marine resources, health, and infrastructure to
ensure the achievement of national sustainable development
goals;
(f) Create un enabling onvironmont for the design
of relevant and approprinto risk-shnring nn<l risk-transfer
instruments;
28
Sec. 6, ibid., see Nole 20.

CHAPTER XVll - CLIMA'l'l~ CHANQg AC'l' OF 2009 563
(Rupublic Act No. H720, UA nmonclo<l Ly lfopublic Act No. tol.7'1)
(g) Create an enabling environment that shall promote

broader multi-stakeholder purticipaLion nn<l integrate climate
change mitigation and adaptation;
(h) Formulate strategies for mitigating GHG emissions,
anthropogenic sources and enhance removals by sinks;
(i) Coordinate and establish a close partnership with
the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness in reducing the
people's vulnerability to climate-related disasters;
G) In coordination with the Department of Foreign
Affairs, represent the Philippines in the climate change
negotiations, constitute and lead the Philippine panel of
negotiators of the UNFCCC and the formulation of official
Philippine positions on climate change negotiation issues and
decision areas in the international negotiation arena;
(k) Formulate and update guidelines for determining
vulnerability to climate change impacts and adaptation
assessments and facilitate the provision of technical assistance
for their implementation and monitoring;
(1) Coordinate with local government units (LGUs)
and private entities to address vulnerability to climate change
impacts of regions, provinces, cities and municipalities;
(m) Facilitate capacity building for local adaptation
planning, implementation and monitoring of climate change
initiatives in vulnerable and marginalized communities and
areas;
(n) Promote and provide technical and financial support
to local research and development programs and projects in
vulnerable and marginalized communities nnd nrens;
(o) Oversee the dissemination of' information on
climate change, 1ocn1vu]nc!'abilitics nnd rislrn, rolevnnt. laws
and protoco]s nn<l adnpt;utionH nnd mit.i~nt.ion monsures;
(p) Estuh1ish u coordination nwchnnism with the
concerned government. ugoncioR uml othor slnkoholders to
ensure iranspnrency and cohoronco in tho ndministrntion of
climate funds taking into consi<lernt.ion tho official Philippine
position in international nogot.intions; nn<l

664 LAW ON NATUHAL JU,:.'OUIWE!i AND llUL1':8
F PHOCtmrnm FOH ENVIHONMgN'l'AL CA8ES
(q) Perform uch othel' functions ns mny be nccc8sary

for th .. effective implementnt.io11 oft.he Act.211
11. Framework Strategy and Program on Climate Change.

The Frnmework Strntegy on Climate Change serves as the
bnsis for n progrnm for climate chnnge planning, research and
development, extension, and monitoring of activities to protect
vulnerable communities from the adverse effects of climate change.
The Framework shall be formulnted based on climate change
vulnerabilities, specific adaptntion needs, and mitigation potential,
and in accordance with tho international agreements.~ 0
The Framework shall include, but not limited to, the following
components:
(a) National priorities;
(b) Impact, vulnerability and adaptation assessments;
(c) Policy formulation;
(d) Compliance with international commitments;
(e) Research and development;
({) Database development and management;
(g) Academic programs, capability building and
mainstreaming;
(h) Advocacy and information dissemination·
'
(i) Monitoring and evaluation; and
(j) Gender mainstreaming.: 11
12. National and local climate action plans.

The National Climate Change Action Plan slrnll include but
not limited to, the following components: '
(a) Assessment of the nntionnl impnct of climnto change:
. . (b) The identification of tho most vulnornhl, commu·
mties/nrens: ir~c.luding ecosyHt.oms to the impncts of climntc
change, vnrmb1hty nnd extrenwA;
wsec. 9, ::;ooNol(! 20.

30
Sec. 11, ibid.
:uscc. 12, sue N olo 20.

CHAPTER XVII - CLIMATE CHANGE ACT OF '..!009 fi(il,
(Republic Act No. 9729. n~ nml'nrlPd hy HP1n1hlicAct No. l O17-1)
(c) The identification of differential impnC'ts of climntl'

change on men. women and children:
(d) 'l'he assessment nnd marnu!emc.'llt. of risk nnrl
vulnerability;
(e) The identification of GHG mit.igntion potentinL: nnrl
(f) 'I'he identification of option~. prior.it.iznt.ion of
appropriate Rdaptation measures for joint projecL of nntionnl
and local governments. 32
The LGUs shall be the front.line ngencies in the formulnt.ion.
planning and implementation of climate chnnge net.ion µInns in
their respective areas, consistent with the provisions of the Locnl
Government Code, the Framework, and the Nnt.ionnl Climnt
Change Action Plan.
Barangays shall be directly invoh ed with municipal nnd cit.y
governments in prioritizing climate change issues nnd in identi(ving
and implementing best practices and other solutions. !\1Iunicipnl nnd
city governments shall consider climate change ndnptation, as on
of their regular functions. Provincial governments shall provide
technical assistance, enforcement and information mnnngement in
support of municipal and city climate change action plnns. Inter-
local government unit collaboration shall be maximized in the
conduct of climate-related activities. 11:1
13. Role of government agencies.

To ensure the effective implementation of the framework
strategy and program on climate change, concerned ngencies shall
perform the following functions:
(a) The Department of Educntion (DepEd) shnll
integrate climate change into the primary nnrl secondnry
education curricula and/or subjects;
(b) The Department of the Interior nnd Locnl Go,·<'l'n-
ment (DILG) and Local Government Acnch I\\~' shn\l fneilitn!t'
the development und provision of n trnining prngrnm for LG u~
in climate change;
32
Sec. 13, ibid.
33
Sec. 14, seo Noto 20.

566 LAW ON NA'rURAL RESOURCES AND RULES
(c) The Department of Environment and Natural

Resources (DENR) shall oversee the establishment and
maintenance of a climate change information management
system and network, including on climate change risks,
activities and investments, in collaboration with other
concerned national government agencies, institutions and
LGUs; ••'
(d) The Department of Foreign Affair~ (DFA) shall
review international agreements related to climate change
and make the necessary recommendation for ratification and
compliance by the government on matters pertaining thereto;
(e) The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) shall
disseminate information on climate change, local vulnerabilities
and risk, relevant laws and protocols and adaptation and
mitigation measures; and •
(f) Government financial. institutions, shall, any
provision in their respective . charters to the contrary
notwithstanding, provide preferential financial packages for
climate change-related projects. 34 .
14. Funding Allocation for Climate Change~

All relevant government agencies and LG Us shall allocate from
their annual appropriations adequate funds for the formulation,
development and implementation, including training, capacity
building and direct intervention, of their respective climate change
programs and plans. It shall also include public awareness campaigns
on the effects of climate change and energy-saving solutions to
mitigate these effects, and initiatives, through educational and
training programs and micro-credit schemes, especially for women
in rural areas. 35

The Joint Congressional Oversight Committee composed
of five Senators and five Representatives to be appointed by the
respectively, shall monitor the implementation of the Act. 36
34
Sec. 15, ibid.
35
Sec. 18, see Note 20.
36
Sec. 19, ibid.

CHAPTEH XVll-CLll\tATE "
CHANGE ACT OF 200:1 fiG7
(Republic Act No. ~729, n~ nmcndl•d by Hl'public Act No. 1017,t)
16. People's survival fund.

On August 16, 2012, RA No. 10174 wns issued establishing
a People's Survival Fund (PSF) ns n specinl fund in the Nntionnl
Treasury for the financing of adaptntion programs nnd projects bnsed
on the National Strategic Framework. The PSF mny he nugmentcd
by donations, endowm.ents, grunts nnd contributions. which shnll be
exempt from donor's tnx and be considered ns nllownble deduct.ions
from the gross income of the donor, in nccordnncc with the provisions
of the National Internal Revenue Code.~7
378cc. 1:1, HJ\ No, 1017,1, 11n111111lint{ HA No. 11'/~fl.

Chapter XVIII
PHILIPPINE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND

It shall be the policy of the State to:
(a) Uphold the people's constitutional rights to life and
property by addressing the root causes of vulnerabilities to
disasters, strengthening the country's institutional capacity
for disaster risk reduction and management and building the
resilience of local communities to disasters including climate
change impacts;
(b) Adhere to and adopt the universal norms, principles,
and standards of humanitarian assistance and the global
effort on risk reduction as concrete expression of the country's
commitment to overcome human sufferings due to recurring
disasters;
(c) Incorporate internationally accepted principles of
disaster risk management in the creation and implementation
of national, regional and local sustainable development and
poverty reduction strategies, policies, plans and budgets;
(d) Adopt a disaster risk reduction and 1nanagement
approach that is holistic, comprehensive, integrated, and
proactive in lessening the socioeconomic and environmental
impacts of disasters including cli1nate change, and promote the
involvement and participation of all sectors and all stakeholders
concerned, at a]] levels, especially the local con1munity;
(e) Develop, promote, and implemont n comprehensive
National Disaster Risk Reduction nnd Mnnngoment Plnn
(NDRRMP) that aims to strengthen tho capacity of the national
568

Chnpt.cr XVIII - PHILIPJ>INI~DISJ\S'l'ER RISK REDUCTION 56~)
AND MJ\NJ\GEMEN'l' J\C'J'OF :lOJ.O
(llcpuhlic J\ct. No. LOl21)
government nnd the local government units (LGUs), together

with partner stakeholders, to build the disaster resilience
of communities, and to institutionalize arrangements and
measures for reducing disaster risks, including projected
climate risks, and enhancing disaster preparedness and
response capabilities at all levels·
'
(f) Adopt and implement a coherent, comprehensive,
integrated, efficient and responsive disaster risk reduction
program incorporated in the development plan at various levels
of government adhering to the principles of good governance
such as transparency and accountability within the context of
poverty alleviation and environmental protection;
(g) Mainstream disaster risk reduction and climate
change in development processes such as policy formulation,
socioeconomic development planning, budgeting, and gover-
nance, particularly in the areas of environment, agriculture,
water, energy, health, education, poverty reduction, land-use
and urban planning, and public infrastructure and housing,
among others;
(h) Institutionalize the policies, structures, coordination
mechanisms and programs with continuing budget appro-
priation on disaster risk reduction from national down to
local levels towards building a disaster-resilient nation and
communities;
(i) Mainstream disaster risk reduction into the
peace process and conflict resolution approaches in order to
minimize loss of lives and damage to property, and ensure that
communities in conflict zones can immediately go back to their
normal lives during periods of intermittent conflicts;
(j) Ensure that disaster risk reduction and climate
change measures are gender responsive, sensitive to indigenous
knowledge systems, and respectful of human rights;
(k) Recognize the local risk pat.terns ncross the
country and strengthen tho capacity of' l...G"Us for clisnst.er risk
reduction and management thrnugh docent.rnliiod powers,
responsibilities, and resources 111.tho reg-ionnl nnd locnl levels;
(]) Recogniie nnd strcngt.hon the cnpncitics of LG Us
and communities in mitigating nnd preparing for, responding
to, and recovering from the impact of disasters;

570 LAW ON Ni\'l'UHAL Hl~SOUIWES AND IlULE8
OF PHOCEDURE FOR ENVIH.ONMl~N'l'ALCASJm
(m) Engage the purticipntion of civil society orgnniintion 8

(CSOs), the private sect.or nnd volunteers in the government's
disaster risk reduction programs towards complementation of
resources and effective delivery of services to the citizenry;
(n) Develop and strengthen the capacities of vulnerable
and marginalized groups to mitigate, prepare for, respond to,
and recover from the effects of disasters;
(o) Enhance and implement a program where huma-
nitarian aid workers, communities, health professionals,
government aid agencies, donors, and the media are educated
and trained on how they can actively support breastfeeding
before and during a disaster and/or an emergency; and
(p) Provide maximum care, assistance and services
to individuals and families affected by disaster, implement
emergency rehabilitation projects to lessen the impact of
disaster, and facilitate resumption of normal social and
economic activities. 1

For purposes of the Act, the following shall refer to:
(a) "Adaptation" - the adjustment in natural or human
systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or
their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial
opportunities.
(b)"Capacity" - a combination of all strengths
and· resources available within a community, society or
organization that can reduce the level of risk, or effects of a
disaster. Capacity may include infrastructure and physical
means, institutions, societal coping abilities, as well as human
(/)
()
knowledge, skills and collective attributes such us social
"'
:::,
:::, relationships, leadership and management. Capacity mny also
(l)
Q.
:E
;:;:
be described as capabiJity.
::::r
n
"'
3
(/)
(c) "Civil Society Orgnniiations" or "CSOs" - non-stnto
()
"'
:::,
:::,
actors whose aims are neither to gonornt:o profits nor to seek
~ governing power. CSOs unite peop]o to advnnco shnrocl gonls
and interests. They havo n pro:-;enco in puh]ic lif'o, oxprossing
1
Sec. 2, RA No. 10121.
Chnptcr XVIII - PHILIPPINE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION 571
AND i\tANAGEl\mNT ACT OF 2010
(Hcpuhlic Act No. to tit)
the interests nn<l values of their members or others, and are

based on ethical, cultural. scientific, religious or philanthropic
considerations. CSOs include nongovernment organizations
(NGOs), professional associations, foundations, independent
research institutes, community-based organizations (CBOs),
faith-based organizations, people's organizations, social
n1ovements, and labor unions.
(d) "Climate Change" - a change in climate that can
be identified by changes in the mean and/or variability of its
properties and that persists for an extended period typically
decades or longer, whether due to natural variability or as a
result of human activity.
(e) "Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management" or "CBDRRM" - a process of disaster risk
reduction and management in which at risk communities are
actively engaged in the identification, analysis, treatment,
monitoring and evaluation of disaster risks in order to
reduce their vulnerabilities and enhance their capacities,
and where the people are at the heart of decision-making and
implementation of disaster risk reduction and management
activities.
XXX XXX XXX
(h) "Disaster" - a serious disruption of the functioning

of a community or a society involving widespread hu1nan,
material, economic or environmental losses and impacts,
which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society
to cope using its own resources. Disasters are often described
as a result of the combination of: the exposure to a hazard; the
conditions of vulnerability that are present; and insufficient
capacity or measures to reduce or cope with the potential
(/)
()
OJ
negative consequences. Disaster impacts mny include lo~s
:::J
:::J
(l)
a.
of life, injury, disense nnd other negative effects on human,
:;;
;:;:
:::T
physical, mental nnd socinl well-boing, together with damage
0
OJ to property, destruction of' nssots, loss of sorvices, social and
3
(/)
()
OJ
economic disruption and environmoninl dogrn<lnt.ion.
:::J
:::J
~
(i) "Disaster Mit.igntion" - t.ho lossoning or limitation
of the advenm impncl.t.:1of' hmmrds nnd rolnto<l disnsters.
Mitigation mouAuros oncompnss onginoodng· techniques
and hnzard-resist.nnt construction ns well us improved
environmentnl policies und public nwnreness.
,....--
, , )tlHCFS AND H,lJJ.E8 (

672 LAW ON NNl'~H~L H~•N,s~moNMl•:N'l'AL cMms
OF PHOCEl)UIH, H>H J,,
, 11 _ f he lrnowled~e 11ncl and

') ''l)iAl\411'1' Pr<'))lll'l' 1IIH,RR ' .
(l ' • 1 'l'lllllC'llLH prof'cRHIOl1111 l'el:lpor1He and
cnpac1
·t· . rl '" 'lnpC'd >Y l{ovc
tl'R t l
nnn.l 1•cc<1\1er"., orrrn
t•
. • t. _
1117,1\,lOllR,
,
t
lo cffcct.iv<'ly nnt.icipnt.e, rcsponl 1 o, nnc
.
'
communities
J
nd .111d1v1clunh1
11
recover
•
. .
from the
-~ ,
I the
unpnd~ of 1·1 1 ·111111incntor current
l rn y, 1 . .
huznrd. events
• l . hor org:
concht• ions.• JJ . .l
re])Hl cones
s nction 1s carried out wit 1111. • .t e 1 mi:
cont ext of utsns c1 1 18
.l' t . , • Jc reduction nnd manngcmcnt and aims 111 C
t o ,.utll ·10 the capncitics needed to efficiently • •

manage nil types
f pos.
of emergencies and achieve orderly trm~s1t10ns .rom response and
to sustained recovery. Preparedness 1s based on a sound acti
:-mnlysis of disaster risk and good linkages w.ith early war~ing ne'-'
systems, and includes such activities as contmgency plannrng, poli
stockpiling of equipment and supplies, the development
of arrangements for coordination, evacuation and public
lnfc
information, and associated training and field exercises. These
amc
must be supported by formal institutional, legal and budgetary
ma!
capacities.
and
"Disaster Prevention" - the outright avoidance of
(k)
adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters. It expresses
nee,
the concept and intention to completely avoid poteµtial adverse
impacts through action taken in advance such as construction war
of dams or embankments that eliminate flood risks, land-use org~
regulations that do not permit any settlement in high-risk app
zones, and seismic engineering designs that ensure the survival of 1
and function of a critical building in any likely earthquake. nect
risk
(I) "Disaster Response" - the provision of emergency com
s~rvices ~nd public assistance during or immediately after a and
d1sa~ter m order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure The
pubhc safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of the emp
people aff~cted. Disaster response is predominantly focused hazi
~n. 1mmedrnte and short-term needs and is sometimes cnllcd
dJSaster relief."
espe
(f)
. . (m) "DiHa1,ter Risk" - the polenlinl disastor lossos
Cl
OJ
:,
m hves health statu , )ive
1
•
• ,]1·1100c.,
l nssotH. and
~,
. .
s01·vIcos, wlnch
:,
(D
could occur to n Jlurtic } . " .
Q_
:!: . . u 1u commu111t,y01· u sociot,y ovor snmo

;::.
::r specified futu)'e tJJne period. • publ
(")
OJ
3(f)
optic
(n) "Disaster Risk Pe \, <Iuc 1.,1011
• " - t,Iw eoneopt nnd 1n•nct1ce
• term
Cl
OJ
:,
0 f ie
.d •
ucmg
.
,. I , i1
disaster 118
and mana tl • {~ lroug 11 systematic offort.s to annly:t.e impl:
:,
~
ge 1e causal factor 8 0 1·· 1· · · throug l1
reduced e . • c 1sttsters, mcludmg and
xposu1es to hazard 1
• s, essene<l vulnornbility of people that
Chnpt.or XVlll - J>IIILll'PINI•~DIHAHTl~ltJUHi<IU.:DIJC'l'ION fi?:J
AND MANA<ll~Ml•:N'l'AC'I' OF 2010
(Hop11hlit:A<:tNo. 10121)
nnd p\'opcrt.y, wiAo mnn111~omu11t.

of' lnnd nnd I.he environment,
and improvucl propm·crlncHHfor ndverHu ovcnl.R.
(o) "DiHnslor H,ii,k llccluction and M11n11gemcnt" -
the systematic process of' w;ing ndminist.rat.ive directives,
orgnnizntions, and opctnLionnl RkillH 1111d cap11citics to
implement strategics, policicH 1111dimproved coping tapacitics
in order to lessen tho uclvon;o imp11ets of' hnznrds an<l the
possibility of <lisnst:cr. Prospective diH11HLcrrisk reduction
and mnnngement: roferH to riHk reduct.ion and mnnagemcnt
activities Lhnt ncldrcsR nnd seek t.o avoid the clcvclnpmcnt of
new or incrcnsccl clisnst:or risks, cHpccially if' risk reduction
policies arc not put in place.
(p) "Disaster Risk Hcciudion and Management
Information System" - n specialized dat11lmt1ewhich contains,
among others, information on disnstcrs and their human
material, econornic nnd environmental ·impnet, risk assessment
and mapping and vulnornble groupR.
(q) "Early Warning System" - the i:ict of capacities
needed to generate and disseminate timely and meaningful
warning information to enab.le in<.lividua]s, communities and
organizations threatened by a haznr:cl to prepare and to act
appropriately and in sufficient time to 1·c<luccthe possibility
of harm or loss. A pcople-eontel'Cd early warning system
necessarily comprises four key elements: knowledge of the
risks; monitoring, nnalysis and forecasting ol' the hazards;
communication or disscminuLion or nlcrLs and warnings:
and local capubiliLics to rc:-;pond to tho warnings received.
The expression "end-lo-end warning Hystcm'' is also used to
emphasize that warning systems need to spnn all steps from
hazard detection to community rci;ponHo.
(r) "Emergency" - unl'ornsuon 01· Hudclon oecurroncc,
(f)
()
"'
:,
espec.:ia]]y danger, don111nding immodint.o net.ion.
:,
(1)
0..
::: XXX XXX XX X
;:
()
"' (w) "Lnnd-Uso Pl1lllninJ.( - t.ho procPsH undot't.nkon by

3
(f)
() public nuthoritim, Lo idont.if'y, ov11lu11t.o
11nd docillu on difforont
"'
:,
:,
~
optionA for tho uso of 11111d,including- c01rnidl1rnt.ion of long-
term economic, Aocinl 11nd 011vii·o111110nt.nl objoct.ivos nncl tho
implications for diffol'ont communit.ioH nncl int.ormit groups,
nn<l the Auhsoquont. l'ot·mulnt.ion nnd promul~ntion of plnns
that descl'ibo the po1·miUod 01·11ccoptnhlo nsoR.
.....
674 LAWON NA'l'UllAL HESOUHCES AND HULES

OF PHOCl~UUJrnFOH ENVIHONMENTAL CASES
(x) "Mitigation" - structural and non-structural

measures undertaken to limit the adverse impact of natural
hazards, cnvironmcntnl degradaLion, and technological
hnzarrls and to ensure the ability of at-risk communities to
address vulnerabilities aimed at minimizing the impact of
disasters. Such measures include, but are not limited to,
hazard-resistant construction and engineering works, the
formulation and implementation of plans, programs, projects
and activities, awareness raising, knowledge management,
policies on land-use and resource management, as well as the
enforcement of comprehensive land-use planning, building and
safety standards, and legislation.
(y) "National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Framework" or "NDRRMF' - provides for comprehensive, all
hazards, multi-sectoral, inter-agency and community-based
approach to disaster risk reduction and management.
(z) "National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Plan" or "NDRRMP" - the document to be formulated and
implemented by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) that sets out
goals and specific objectives for reducing disaster risks together
with related actions .to accomplish these objectives.
XXX XXX XXX
(ee) "Rehabilitation" - measures that ensure the

ability of affected communities/areas to restore their normal
level of functioning by rebuilding livelihood and damaged
infrastructures and increasing the communities' organizational
capacity.
XXX XXX XXX
(ii) "Risk Assessment" - a methodology to determine

w
Q)
the nature and extent of risk by analyzing potential hazards and
:::,
:::,
(1)
evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability that together
Q.
::E
g: could potentially harm exposed people, property, services,
0
Q) livelihood nnd the environment on which they rlepend. Risk
3
(/)
()
Q)
assessments with associntocl risk mapping include: n roview of
:::,
:::,
~
the technical characteristics of hnzurds such ns thoir location,
intensity, frequency and probability; the nnnlysis of oxposure
and vulnerability including tho physical, socinl, health,
economic and environmentul <limonsions; nnd the evnlunt.ion of
the effectiveness of prevailing und nltornativo coping capacities
in respect to likely risk sconurios.
Chapter XVIll - PHILIPPINg DJ8AS'l'J~lt JlJSK REDUCTION G7n
AND MANACmMt•:NT ACT OF 2010
(Hup11hlic Act. No. 10121)
(jj) uH.isk M'nnngcment." - the Hystemntic approach

and practice of mnnnging unccrtuinty to minimize potential
harm and loss. It, comprises risk assessment and analyHis,
and the implementation of strategies and specific actions to
control, reduce and transfer risks. It is widely practiced hy
organizations to minimize risk in investment decisions and to
address operational risks such as those of business disruption,
production failure, environmental damage, social impacts and
damage from fire and natural hazards.
XXX XXX XXX
(11) "State of Calamity" - a condition involving mass

casualty and/or major damages to property, disruption of
means of livelihoods, roads and normal way of life of people
in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of natural or
human-induced hazard.
(mm) "Sustainable Development" - development
that meets the needs of the present without comprom1s1ng
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
It contains within it two key concepts: (1) the concept of
"needs", in particular, the essential needs of the world's poor,
to which overriding priority should be given; and (2) the idea
of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social
organizations on the environment's ability to meet present
and future needs. It is the harmonious integration of a sound
and viable economy, responsible governance, social cohesion
and harmony, and ecological integrity to ensure that human
development now and through future generations is a life-
enhancing process.
(nn) "Vulnerability" - the characteristics and
circumstances of a community, system or asset that make it
susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard. Vulnerability
(fJ
(")
Q)
:,
may arise from various physical, social, economic, and
:,
(1)
o_
:E
environmental factors such as poor rlesign and construction
~ of buildings, inadequate protection of nssots, lack of public
(")
Q)
3
(fJ
(")
information and awareness, limiterl official t·ecognition of
Q)
:,
:, risks and preparedness mensuros, nncl disrognrd for wise
~
environmental manugoment.
(oo) "Vulnerable nnd Mnrginnlhrnd Groups" - those that
face higher exposure to disaster risk and poverty including,
.,
576 LAW ON NA'l'URAL RESOURCES AND HULES
OF PROCEDURE FOH. ENVlllONMEN'I'AL CASES
but not li1nited to, wo1nen, children, elderly, <lffferently-abletl

people, and ethnic minorities. 2
03. Scope.
RA No. 10121 provides for the development of policies and

plans and the iin~le1nent~tion of a~tions and measures pertaining
to all aspects of d1s~ster risk reduction and management, including
go~d _governance, risk assess1nent and early warning, knowledge
bu1ld1ng and awareness raising, reducing underlying risk factors,
and preparedness for effective response and early recovery. 3
04. National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council, hereinafter referred to as the NDRRMC or the National
Council, shall be headed by the Secretary of the Department of
National Defense (DND) as Chairperson with the Secretary of
the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as
Vice Chairperson for Disaster Preparedness, the Secretary of the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as Vice
Chairperson for Disaster Response, the Secretary of the Department
of Science and Technology (DOST) as Vice Chairperson for Disaster
Prevention and Mitigation, and the Director-General of the National
Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as Vice Chairperson
for Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery.
The representatives from the CSOs and the private sector_sh~ll
be selected from among their respective ranks based on the criteria
4
and mechanisms to be set for this purpose by the National Council.
05. Powers and functions of the NDRRMC.

(/)
()
"'
:,
The National Council, being empowered with policy-making.
:,
ro
Q. coordination, integration, supervision, monitoring and evaluation
~
s:
(')
functions, shall have the following responsibilities:
"'
3
(/)
() (a) Develop a NDRRMF which shall provide for n
"'
:,
:,
~ comprehensive, an-ha~ar<ls, 1nulti-sectoral, inter-agency and
nd
community-based approach to disaster risk reduction. a. I
management. The Fra1nework shnll serve as the pr1ncipa
2 Sec. 3, RA No. 10121.

3 Sec. 4, see Note 1.
1 Sec. 5, ibid.
Chnptor XVIJJ - PHILIPPINE DISAS'l'Jm HISK HEDUC'J'JON 577
AND MANAGl~MEN'?'ACT OF 2010
(Hopublic J\cl, No. 10121)
guide to disaster risk reduction und management efforts in the

country nnd shall be reviewed on a five-year interva], or as may
be deemed necessary, in order to ensure its relevance to the
times;
(b) Ensure that the NDRRMP is consistent with the

NDRRMF·
'
(c) Advise the President on the status of disaster
preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response and
rehabilitation operations being undertaken by the government,
CSOs, private sector, and volunteers· recommend to the
. '
President the declaration of a state of calamity in areas
extensively damaged; and submit proposals to restore normalcy
in the affected areas, to include calamity fund allocation;
(d) Ensure a multi-stakeholder participation in the
development, updating, and sharing of a Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Information System and
Geographic Information System-based national risk map as
policy, planning and decision-making tools;
(e) Establish a national early warning and emergency
alert system to provide accurate and timely advice to national
or local emergency response organizations and to the general
public through diverse mass media to include digital and
analog broadcast, cable, satellite television and radio, wireless
communications, and landline communications;
(f) Develop appropriate risk transfer mechanisms that
shall guarantee social and economic protection and increase
resiliency in the face of disaster;
XXX XXX XXX
(l) Formulate a national institutional capability

(/)
()
Q)
building program for disaster risk reduction and management
::,
::,
ct>
to address the specific weaknesses of various government
a.
::,: agencies and LG Us, based on the results of 11 biennial baseline
~
()
Q)
3
assessment and studies;
(/)
()
Q)
::,
::,
(m) Formulate, harmoniie, and trnnslnto into policies n
~
national agenda for research and technology dovolopment on
disaster risk reduction and manngcmont;
(n) In coordination with the Clinrnte Change Com-
mission, formulate and implement a framework for climate
LAW ON NJ\'l'UHAL IIEHOIJIICl•:H AND HUI.EH
578
OF l'IIOCEDUHI~ FOH 1•:NVIHONMEN'l'AI. CJ\81•:H
chan1zcndn pt n t.ion n nd di14nHtcrriRk red 11c.:tionII n d mn nHJ{ernen t,

from which nll policieR. progrnmR, nnd projedH Hhnll bu hmied;
(o) Constitute a tcchnicn1 management group composed
of rcprcscntAt.ives of the nbovementioned departments, offices,
and orgimizatfons, that sha11 coordinate and meet as often as
necessary to effectively manage and sustain national efforts on
disaster risk reduction and management;
(p)Task the OCD to conduct periodic assessment
and performance monitoring of the member-agencies of
the NDRRMC, and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Councils (RDRRMCs), as defined in the
NDRRMP; and
(q) Coordinate or oversee the implementation of the
country's obligations with disaster management treaties to
which it is a party and see to it that the country's disaster
management treaty obligations be incorporated in its disaster
risk reduction and management frameworks, policies, plans,
programs and projects. 6
06. Office of Civil Defense; powers and functions.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) shall have the primary
mission of administering a comprehensive national civil defense
and disaster risk reduction and management program by providing
leadership in the continuous development of strategic and systematic
approaches as well as measures to reduce the vulnerabilities and
risks to hazards and manage the consequences of disasters. 6
The OCD shall have the following powers and functions:
(a) Advise the National Council on matters relating to
disaster risk reduction and management consistent with the
(/)
n
0)
:::,
policies and scope as defined in this Act;
:::,
(l)
a.
:,
~
(b) Formulate and implement the NDRRNlP and
(")
a,
3
ens~re that the physical framework, social, economic and
(/)
n
0)
:::,
env1~onmental plans of communities, cHios, municipalities and
:::,
~ provinces are cmrnistcnt with such plan. Tho Nnt.ionnl Council
shall approve the NDRRMP·
'
r,sec. 6, see Note 1.

6
8cc. 8, ibid.
Chapter XVIII - PHILIPPINE DISASTER HISK REDUCTION 579
AND MANAGEMENTACT OF 2010
(c) Identify, assess and prioritize hazards und risks in

consultation with key stakeholders;
(d) Develop and ensure the implementation of national
standards in carrying out disaster risk reduction programs
including preparedness, mitigation, prevention, response
and rehabilitation works, from data collection and analysis,
planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation;
(e) Review and evaluate the Local Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Plans (LDRRMPs) to facilitate the
integration of disaster risk reduction measures into the local
Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) and Comprehensive
Land-Use Plan (CLUP);
(f) Ensure that the .LGUs, through the Local Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Offices (LDRRMOs) are
properly informed and adhere to the national standards and
programs;
XXX XXX XXX
(i) Establish Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Training Institutes in such suitable location as may be deemed
appropriate to train public and private individuals, both local
and national, in such subject as disaster risk reduction and
management among others. The Institute shall consolidate
and prepare training materials and publications of disaster
risk reduction and management books and manuals to assist
disaster risk reduction and management workers in the
planning and implementation of this program and projects.
XXX XXX XXX
(n) Establish an operating facility to be known as the

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations
Center (NDRRMOC) that shall be operated and staffed on a
twenty-four (24) hour basis;
(o) Prepare the criteria und procedure for the enlistment
of accredited community disaster volunteers (ACDVs). It
shall include a manual of operntions for the volunteers which
shall be developed by the OCD in consultntion with vnrious
stakeholders. 7
7
Sec. 9, see Note 1.

080 LAW ON NA'J'UllALllESOUltCES AND HUL1':8
OF PHOCEDUHEFOR l~NVIHONMEN'l'/\LCM:ms
07. Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Organization at

the Regional Level.
The current Regional Disaster Coordinating Counci18 shall
henceforth he known as the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Councils (RDRRMCs) which shall coordinate,
integrate, supervise, and evaluate the activities of the LDRRMCs.
The RDRRMC shall be responsible in ensuring disaster sensitive
regional development plans, and in case of emergencies shall convene
the different regional line agencies and concerned institutions and
authorities.
The RDRRMCs shall establish an operating facility to be
known as the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Operations Center (RDRRMOC) whenever necessary. 11
08. Organization at the Local Government Level.

The existing Provincial, City, and Municipal Disaster
Coordinating Councils shall henceforth be known as the Provincial,
City, and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Councils. The Barangay Disaster Coordinating Councils shall cease
to exist and its powers and functions shall henceforth be assumed
by the existing Barangay Development Councils (BDCs) which shall
serve as the LDRRMCs in every barangay. 0
09. Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office

(LDRRMO).
(a) There shall be established an LDRRMO in every province,
city and municipality, and a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Committee (BDRRMC) in every barangay which shall
be responsible for setting the direction, development, implementation
and coordination of disaster risk management progrnms within
their territorial jurisdiction.
(b) The LDRRMO shall be under the office of the governor,
city or municipal mayor, nncl the punong harangay in cnse of
the BDRRMC. The LDRHMOs shall be initinlly orgnnized and
compos~d _ofn J?RRMO to be nssistecl hy throe st.nff responsible for:
(1) admmrntrabon and trnining; (2) rosem·ch nnd planning; nnd (3)
8
0
Sec. 11, ibid.

CllRptcr XVlll - PHILIPPI NI•~DISJ\STEH RISK REDUCTION 581
AND MJ\NJ\GEMgNT J\C'l' OF 2010
(Hepublic J\ct No. 10121)
operations and warning. '.l'he LDRRMOs uncl t,hc BDRRMCs shall

organize, train and directly supervise the local emergency response
teams and the ACDVs. 10
. ::3pecifically, LDRRMOs are empowered to, among others, (i)
1dent1fy, assess, and manage the hazards, vulnerabilities ancl risks
that may occur in their locality; (ii) identify and implement cost-
effective risk reduction measures/strategies; and (iii) respond to and
manage the adverse effects of emergencies and carry out recovery
activities in the affected area.
10. Integration of disaster risk reduction education into the

school curricula and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) program
and mandatory training for the public sector employees.
The DepEd, the CHED, the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA), in coordination with the OCD,
the National Youth Commission (NYC), the DOST, the DENR,
the DILG-BFP, the DOH, the DSWD and other relevant agencies,
shall integrate disaster risk reduction and management education
in the school curricula of secondary and tertiary level of education,
including the National Service Training Program (NSTP), whether
private or public, including formal and non-formal, technical-
vocational, indigenous learning, and out-of-school youth courses and
programs.
The NDRRMC, the RDRRMCs, the LDRRMCs, the LDRRMOs,
the BDRRMCs and the SK councils shall encourage community,
specifically the youth, participation in disaster risk reduction and
management activities, such as organizing quick response groups,
particularly in identified disaster-prone areas, as well as the
inclusion of disaster risk reduction and management programs as
part of the SK programs and projects. 11
11. Declaration of state of calamity.

The National Council shall recommend to the President of the
Philippines the declaration of a cluster of barangays, municipalities.
cities, provinces, and regions under a state of calamity, and the
lifting thereof, based on the criteria set by the National Council. '~"'he
President's declaration may warrant international humnnitnnnn
assistance as deemed necessary.
JOSec.12, ibid.
11

l AW ON NA'J'UllAL 1msou1w1~s AND ltULES
682 0·1; PROCEDURI~ FOil gNVIHONMEN'l'AL CASl~S
']'he decluration und lifting.,of the state of culam1d·

tyt_mayfalhso
•
be issued by the locul sanggumun, up on the recommen a 10n o t e
LDRRMC, bnscd on the results of the damage assessment a nd needs
analysis.'~
a. 'l'einporary closure of Bora cay, a prh~e tour_ist

destination, for its rehabilitation is a vahd exercise
of the police power
Paradise is a place of bliss, felicity, and deli~ht. For_Filipinos
and foreign nationals alike, Boracay - a small rnland 1n Malay,
Aklan with its palm-fringed, pristine white sand beaches, azure
water~, coral reefs, rare seashells, and a lot more to offer, is indeed
a piece ·of paradise. Unsurprisingly, Boracay is one of the country's
prime tourist destinations. It was declared a tourist zone and
marine reserve in 1973 by President Marcos under Proclamation
No. 1801. However, this island-paradise has been disrespected,
abused, degraded, over-used, and taken advantage of by both locals
and tourists. Hence, the government gave Boracay its much-needed
respite and rehabilitation. Claiming that Boracay has become a
cesspool, President Duterte issued Proclamation No. 4 75 on April 26,
2018, formally declaring a state of calamity in Boracay and ordering
its closure for six months. The closure was promptly implemented.
In Zabal v. Duterte, 13 petitioners, who base their locus standi on
direct injury and also from the transcend~ntal importance doctrine,
filed with the Court a petition for prohibition and mandamus praying
that Proclamation No. 4 75 be declared unconstitutional insofar as it
ordered the closure of Boracay and ban of tourists and nonresidents
therefrom. Petitioners argue that Proclamation No. 4 75 is an invalid
exercise of legislative powers and constitutes an impairment of the
right to travel.
In d_enying the petition, the Court en bane, through Justice

Del Cast~l~o, held that the activities proposed to be undertaken
to reh~bihtate Boracay involved inspection, testing, demolition,
relocation
f ' and construct· wn. 'J'l1ese cou lcl not
. have been nnplemented
.
1
ree Y a nd smoothly with tourists coming in and out of the island
, of th c• P0881 'bl e <l'rnrupt.10n
not on]y·lbecause •
tlle WOJ rn bemg t.hut thoy mny cnuse to
undertake 1. t • ·1
, • n, uu: J>l'Hnur1 y been use their snfety •
12
8 ec. 16, 1mpra,
i:iGRNo. 238467, Feb. 12, 20J0.

Chapter XVIII - PHILIPPINE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION 583
AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2010
and convenience might be compromised. Also the contaminated

waters in the island were not just confined to ~ sma11 manageable
area. The excessive water pollutants were all over Bolabog beach
and the numerous illegal drainpipes connected to and discharging
wastewater over it originate from different parts of the island.
Moreover, a piece- 1neal closure of portions of the island would not
suffice since illegal drainpipes extend to the beach from various parts
of Boracay. Also, most areas in the island needed major structural
rectifications because of numerous resorts and tourism facilities
which lie along easement areas, illegally reclaimed wetlands, and of
forested areas that were illegally cleared for construction purposes.
Proclamation No. 4 75 does not actually impose a restriction on the
right to travel. The President did not usurp the law-making power
of the legislature.
Even if it is otherwise, Proclamation No. 4 75 must be upheld for
··being in the nature of a valid police power measure. The motivating
factor in the issuance of Proclamation No. 4 75 is the interest of
the public in general. The statutes from which the said measure
draws authority and the constitutional provisions which serve as
its framework are primarily concerned with the environment and
health, safety, and well-being of the people, which are legitimate
objectives of governmental efforts and regulations. Certainly,
the closure of Boracay, albeit temporarily, gave the island its
much needed breather, and likewise afforded the government the
necessary leeway in its rehabilitation program.
In his concurrence, Justice Carpio stated that Proclamation
No. 475 was issued because of the environmental degr~dation
and destruction of the ecological balance of Boracay Island, which
was aggravated by the continuing rise of tourist arrivals. Under
Section 43 of PD No. 1586 (Establishing an Environmental Impact
Statement System), the President may declare certain areas in
the country as environmentally critical. To pave the way for the
rehabilitation of Boracay Island and prevent further degradation of
its rich ecosystem, the proclamation ordered the temporary closure
of the island as a tourist destination for six months, <luring which
period the government would undertake massive roa<l, <lrninnge, and
sewerage construction. The rehabilitation of Bot'acny lslnn<l resulted
in the closure of almost a]] of the hotols becnuse of non-compliance
with the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, National Building Code
of the Philippines, Code on Sanitation of the Philippines, Eco1~gica1
Solid Waste Management Act, and the Environmental Complwnce

"""'l
LAW ON NA'l'UHAI. HJt:HOlJll(!l•:!-l /\ND HIJl,l•;H

084
OF PHOClmUHJo: FOH 1•:NVIIIONM l•:N'l'/\1. C/\f-Hi:!-l
Ccrtificnte req\lircment.. 'l'heHO nrc lnwH1n11·1:1111111L

to I.he polico powur
of tho state. The PrcRillent., in t.hc cxureiHu ol' hit➔ eontrnl over th,,
Executive brnnch of government, c1111 di redly exercif-le tho f'unctiorn-;
of subordinnt.c officinlAt.nskcd to imple11H!lll.t.hese lnwH.
12. Remedial measures.

The declaration of n stnt.e of cnl11mit.yHhnll 11111ke
rnnndatory
the immediate un<lertaking of the following rcmcdi11l rncnsurcs by
the member-ngencics concerned ns defined in t.hc /\ct.:
(n) Imposition of' pdcc ceiling on baHic necessities nnd
prime commodities by the President upon Lhc recommendation
of the implementing agency ns provided for under Hepublic Act
No. 7581, otherwise known ns the "Price /\ct," or the National
Price Coordinating Council;
(b) Monitoring, prevention nnd contl'oJ by the Locul Price
Coordination Council of overpricing/profiteering nnd hoarding
of prime commodities, medicines nncl petroleum products;
(c) Programming/reprogramming of funds for the repair
and safety upgrading of public infrastructures nnd facilities;
and
(d) Grunting of no-interest loans by government
financing or lending institutions to the most nlfoctcd section
of the population through their cooperatives or people's
organizations. 1•1
Any person, group or corporation who commits nny of the

following prohibited nets shall be held liable nnd be subjected to the
penalties as prescribed in Sec.:Lion20 of' this Act:
(J)
(n) Dcre]ic.:Lionof duties which londs t.o doHt.nwtion, loss
0
Q)
:,
:,
of lives, crilicnl <lnmnge of' f'ncilitios nncl mi:-rnsool' l\mdR;
(I)
C.
~
g: (h) Preventing tho entry uncl diHt.l'ihut.ionot' roliof g-omb
0
w in ditrnHter-stricken nrenH, inch1cling npprop1·intu ll'chnolo~y.
3
(J)
0
Q)
tools, equipmP.nL,U<.:COHHOJ·hrn,diHnHl.01·
ton11H-1/uxp01-t.H;
:,
:,
~
(c) Buying, ro.. COIHHllllption 01' l'Wll\lu, t'rom diHHHt.er
l'elief' agencicB any rnliol' l~O(HIH, uquip111ont. 01· nthol' nid
14
Soc. 17, 1:,00 Noto l.
Chnplor XVlll - J>IIJLll'l'INE DIH/\H'l'Elt Ulf:11(llEDUC'l'ION l>BG
AND MANAflEMEN'I' t\C'I' OF 2010
(H11p11hlic/\ct. Nu, 101:ll)
commodities which nrc intended for diRf.rihution to disaster

affected commlmit.ies;
(d) Buying, for consumption or resale, from the recipient
disaster affected pc1·sons nny rnlicf goods, equipment or other
aid commodities received by them;
(e) Selling of relief goods, equipment or other aid
commodities which nrc intended for distribution to disaster
victims;
(f) Forcibly seizing relief goods, equipment or other aid
commodities intended for or consigned to a specific group of
victims or relief agency;
(g) Diverting or misdelivcry of relief goods, equipment
or other aid commodities to persons other than the rightful
recipient or consignee;
(h) Accepting, possessing, using or disposing relief
goods, equipment or other aid commodities not intended for
nor consigned to him/her;
(i) Misrepresenting the source of relief goods, equipment
or other aid commodities by:
(1) Either covering, replacing or defacing the
labels of the containers to make it appear that the goods,
equipment or other aid commodities came from another
agency or persons;
(2) Repacking the goods, equipment or other aid
commodities into containers with different markings
to make it appear that the goods, came from another
agency or persons or was released upon the instance of a
particular agency or persons;
(3) Making false verbal claim that the goods,
equipment or other aid commodity in its untampered
(/)
() original containers actually cume from another agency or
"'
:,
:, persons or was releused upon the instance of n pnrticulnr
(D
a.
:; agency or persons;
~
(")
"'
3 (j) Substituting or replncing roliof goods, equipment. or
(/)
()
"'
:,
other aid commodities with the snmo it.oms or infol'ior/ehcnpor
:,
~ quality;
(k) Jllegul solicitntions hy porHons or or~nnizntions
representing otlwn; us dofinod in t.ho Hlancl1u·dsand guide.lines
set by the NDRllMC;
LAW ON NA'l'UllAL llESOUllCES AND RULES
686
OF PHOCl•~DUHI•~
FOH l•~NVlllONMl~N'l'ALCASES
(1) Delihorntc use of fnlsc or inflnt.e<ldntn in 8upport of

the request. for funding, relief goo<ls, equipment or other aid
commodities for emergency nssistuncc or livelihood projects·
'
and
(m) Tampering with or stealing huzurd monitoring and
disaster preparedness equipment and paraphernalia. ir,
14. Penal clause.

Any individual, corporation, partnership, association, or other
juridical entity that commits any of the prohibited acts provided for
in Section 19 of the Act shall be prosecuted and upon conviction
shall suffer a fine of not less than P50,000.00 or any amount not
to exceed P500,000.00 or imprisonment of not less than six years
and one day or more than 12 years, or both, at the discretion of the
court, including perpetual disqualification from public office if the
offender is a public officer, and confiscation or forfeiture in favor
of the government of the objects and the instrumentalities used in
committing any of herein prohibited acts.
If the offender is a corporation, partnership or association, or
other juridical entity, the penalty shall be imposed upon the officer
or officers of the corporation, partnership, association or entity
responsible for the violation without prejudice to the cancellation or
revocation of these entities' license or accreditation issued to them by
any licensing or accredited body of the government. If such offender
is an alien, he or she shall, in addition to the penalties prescribed
in the Act, be deported without further proceedings after service of
the sentence.
However, the prosecution for offenses set forth in Section 19 of
the Aci shall be without prejudice to any liability for violation of RA
No. 8185, as amended, otherwise known as the Revised Penal Code.
and other civil linhililies. 111
Cf)
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:,
:,
<1l
a.
:E
~
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Q)
3Cf)
0
Q)
:,
:,
~
ir,Soc. 1!l, Hee Noto 1.

rnsec. 20, Heu Noto 1.
Chapter XIX
RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL CASES
PART I
RULE 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 1. Title. - These Rules shall be known as "The

Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases."'
a. Introduction
Environmental protection has long been entrenched and
institutionalized in· Philippine institutions and structures. In
terms of the formulation of the legal framework for environmental
protection, the Philippines has one of the most articulate and most
progressive environmental policies among developing countries. 2
Our Constitution guarantees the right of the people to a
healthy environment which the Supreme Court has declared, in the
landmark case of Oposa v. Factoran,:i as a legally demandable and
enforceable right "for it concerns nothing less than self-preservation
and self-perpetuation." The protection of the nation's marine wealth
in its archipelagic waters and the institution of measures to prohibit
logging in endangered forest and watershed areas are the subject of
constitutional safeguards, proceeding from the premise that these are
(/)
n
Cl
:::, 1Thc Annotations nnd Comments herein partly intcgmto tho Rntionnlo nnd
:::,
Cl)
a. Annotation on AM No. 09-6-8-SC, Rules of Procedure for Environmentnl Cnsos
:£
;: (RPEC), nnd A Sourcchook on Environmcntnl Rights nnd Lcgnl Rcmeclim, published
()
Cl by the Philippine ,Judiciul Academy (2011).
3
(/)
n 2A.G.M. Ln Vinn, '"I'he fligltt to <1/Ju/crnceclnricl Ilecilthful Ecology: The Od,vssey
Cl
:::,
:::, of a Constitu.timwl Policy," Philippine Nnturnl llesourcmi Lnw ,Jomnnl, Vol. No. (j, No.
~
1, ,July 1993, 118.
a224 SCRA 7B:l (1 HB~J).
687
.... ~
Lt\W ON NA'l'lJHt\L HEHOUll<!l•:H t\ND ltUl.l•:8

r,~8 OF PHOClmUtn: FOH t•:NVll!ONM t•:NTJ\I. CJ\Hl•:H
con~t.itntinnnll~, t{\lnrnnt1•1•1lh\lllllll\ riHht.H nnd, lwnco, enf'ortesthlci

inn court of lnw. 'l'lwre nl:-moxi1-d,Hn pn11oply of' lo1~iHlnLive ndH and
t'Xt'C~lt_h·c, ,~~,rnnc•ei,.nimctl nt implcmont.ing thcHc conHtit.utional
1)1'0\' I SH)ll ~.
b. The Rule,-; of Procedure for Environmental Cases

- n judicinl initintivc for the protection of cnviron-
1nentnl right.,-;nncl social justice
S u1H·cme Com..1, p l 1tys a crucinl• role
'l'hc ... .
in • environmental
.
J·w~t.ice which iR npt.ly <leRcriheclns "the fus1onAof.t.elnv1VroT1f1Jmefntthal

law • 1 Pm·sunn~ to S ec f,10~. 5 , . r ·1c c , .. o
• nn<l Rocinl justicc.'' c
Const.itut.ion, the Supreme Court 1s vested w1th the power to.
"(G) Promul~ntc rules concernin~ the protec~ion

nnrl enforcement. of constitutional nghts, pleadmg,
practice, and proce<lure in all courts, the udmiss~on to the
practice of'law, the lntegrnted Bur, und le~al ass1~tan?e to
t.he underprivileged. Such rule shall provide a s1mphfied
nnd inexpensive procedure for the speedy disposition of
cases, shall be uniform for ull courts of the same grade,
and shull not diminish, increase, or modify substantive
rights. Rules of' procedure of special courts and quasi-
judicinl bodies shall remain effective unless disapproved
by the Supreme Court."
The Huthority t.o promulgate rules gives the Supreme Court

the totality of administration of justice.r,
Jn 2009, the Supreme Court focused on the right to a healthy

.mvironment by conducting a Forum on Environmental Justice in
Baguio City, Jloilo City and Dnvno City. 'rhe forum addressed issues
on th<.!high cost of litigation, adopting innovative rules und ensuring
·ompliance with the decisions of courts. 11 'l'he Court nlso took
(/)
meaningful initiatives to focilitnte the resolution of environmental
cn1:ses ~)Y deHignuting 117 green benches. 7 Through the Court's
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'l'hu J>liilippi,w,/r1elici<1ry
c,t tlw Fon,fr<mt
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of l'ro111oti1111 ,ltrnti,·,•."
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S.,I., 'l'hu 1!)87 Con1-1t.it11t
''Hcrn111:1,
(:lOO:i),p. nim.
Com11umt.11ry Ion of tho Hupulilic ot' lho Philippi no~: A
11
7
:l()O!)Supl'umc Court. A11n1111I
Huport..
SC Ad111i11ii;;tl'11Livu
Cin:11l11rNo. 211-2008, tlunuury ~rn.
2008.
CIIAP'l'l~l{ XIX - llUL1:s OF PROCI:nu1rn
1 1 r,sn
FOil l~NVIUONMEN'l'AL CASfi;8
H11loI - Oo1w1·11l
l'roviHiorJH
provided Jong-term cnpncit.y building progn1m1:1f'ot·tho judgcH of the

designntod green bcnchcH,H
On April 29, 2010, the Supl'omc Court promulgated the Rules
of Procedure for Environmcnt11l Cnscs. The Rules have the following
objectives:
(n) To protect: nnd advance tho constitutional right of

the people to a balanced nnd hen1thful ecology;
(b) 'l'o provide a simplified, speedy nnd inexpensive
procerlure for the enforcement of environmental rights nnd
duties recognized under the Constitution, cx.isting laws, rules
and regulations, and international agreements;
(c) To introduce and adopt innovations and best
practices ensuring effective enforcement of remedies and
redress for violation of environmental laws; and
(d) To enable the courts to monitor and. exact compliance
with orders and judgments in environmental cases.u
The Rules are the end-product of tho valuable inputs from
the forum on environmental justice which Chief Justice Puno
characteri,md as "the principle that all people and communities arc
entitled to equal protection of environmental and public health laws
and regulations." The Rules took effect on April 29, 2010.
Considered to be the first of its kind in tho world, the Rules
constitute a significant catalyst in support or far-reaching and
sweeping reforms in environmental rights and implement the
power of the Supreme Court to "promulgate rules concerning the
protection and enforcement of constitutional rights" and to "provide
a simplified and inexpensive procedure for the clis position of cnsos."w
c. SaJient provisions of the Rules

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The Rules have lowered the threshold on loc:usstandi, encmu·nge
a.
:E citizen~<;
suits, an<l prescribe thu use of' mediation in cnvironmontnl
s:
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~
DiHHe111infltlon, H11(fJl't:f!lltelll und Adj1"/fr,1liu11,11p1·ot1u11t.11t.io11 hy ,Jm1t.icoOHwnl1loD.
Agc..:uoiliof tlw Philippirw ,l11dic:i11l J\1:11do111yOil t.ho l•'ornrn 011 l•:nvil'onmo11t.11l
,luHticu:
Upholdiul{' Uw Hight LoII H11l1111c:od 1111dl1011lt,hf11l l~colo~y hold Oil April IG-l 7, 200V
ut the Univerait,y of CordiJlornH, B11u11io City.
0 Sec. J, Hulc a, H11Jw, of' l'rocodu1·0 for 1,;11vironmo11t.11l C11110H (l{PEC),
111
Sec. fj(f>),Art,. VJJI, Co11Ht.it.11t.ion.
~
LAWON NATllHAL l!W40lll!Cl•:H/\ND llULft:8

690
OF \lHOCtmu,m l•'OHJ,;NVll!ONM t•:N'l'AL Ct\Hft:8
. p · ·
d1sputcs. rovts1ons 11
1 ,vc lJ"en mncle t.o minimiie dolnyR nnd
". . . . ,. , .
ensure effective und judicious d1spos1t10.nof onv 1,r?nmental tnAeR hy
providing for contin.11011sI.rial, clisnllowmg tho fili~g of delay-prone
pleadings, prohibiting the issuance of TROs ngnm 9 t. gov?rn~ent
agencies' action to enforce cnvironmcntnl lnws or prevent vt0l~t1~ns
thereof, proscribing the stny of judgments by nppcnl nnd submission
of memoranda in the form of n draft decision.
A new aspect of the Rules is the writ of halihasan''. which
authorizes the court, where the violation or threatened violation
results in destruction or dnmnge of such mngnitude as to impair and
deprive the right of the people ton balanced and healthful ecology,
to direct the respondent to immediately desist from undertaking
the activities complained of and to tnke positive steps to preserve,
rehabilitate, or restore the environment. The Rules also provide
for discovery measures, like ocular inspection and production or
inspection of documents of things.
Another feature of the Rules is the writ of continuing mandamus
directing any agency or instrumentality of the government or officer
to perform an act or series of acts decreed by final judgment which
shall remain effective until judgment is fully satisfied.
The Rules contain a provision on citizen's arrest and seizure of
the items, tools and conveyances used in committing the offense, as
well as the custody (preservation) and disposition of thereof.
The Rules integrate the caveat that the judge shall be guided
by the precautionary principle where full scientific certainty shall
not be required of the party alleging environmental damage.
As pointed out by Chief Justice Puna, the Rules reflect
the. sentiment that people who suffer from infringements of
environmental laws must not be impeded in pursuino- their remedies
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in c?urt. The Rules strengthen the hnnd of governm~nt in enforcing
OJ
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ro
~n~ir~n~ental la"_Vs;embrace the latest and best practices in other
a.
:E ~unsdic~1on.sto effectuate tho vindication ot' onvironmentnl rights
g 1~ o~r JUAt.icesystem; and prnvidc innovnt.ions c\rntomiicd to our
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dist.met needs.
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1nhis messugo ut tho Fornm on Envirnnmontal ,h1stico, PlllLJA Chnnc~llt
A1.cunasuggested the adopt.ion of II writ nkin to tho writ of nmpnro un<lhabeas< 0 a
to address tho right of the pooplo 1111ninst
environmontnl clogradution.
CHAPTERXIX- RULES OF PROCEDURE 591
FOR ENVIRONMENTALCASES
R\lle l - Genernl ProviHionH
SEC. 2. Scope. -These Rules shall govern the procedure

in civil, crhninal and special civil actions before the Regional
Trial Courts, Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial
Courts in Cities, Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal
Circuit Trial Courts involving enforcement or violations of
environ1nental and other related laws, rules and regulations
such as but not limited to the following:
(a) Act No. 3572, Prohibition Against Cutting of
Tindalo, Aldi, and Molave Trees;
(b) P.D. No. 705, Revised Forestry Code;
(c) P.D. No. 856, Sanitation Code;
(d) P.D. No. 979, Marine Pollution Decree;
(e) P.D. No. 1067, Water Code;
' (f) P.D. No. 1151, Philippine Environmental Policy of
1977;
(g) P.D. No. 1433, Plant Quarantine Law of 1978;
-\
(h) P.D. No. 1586, Establishing an Environmental

Impact Statement System Including Other Environmental
Management Related Measures a·nd for Other Purposes;
(i) R.A. No. 3571, Prohibition Against the Cutting,
Destroying or Injuring of Planted or Growing Trees,
Flowering Plants and Shrubs or Plants of Scenic Value along
Public Roads, in Plazas, Parks, School Premises or in any
Other Public Ground;
G) R.A. No. 4850, Laguna Lake Development Authority
Act;
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Ill
:,
(k) R.A. No. 6969, Toxic Substances and Hazardous
:,
CD
Q. Waste Act;
:;;
s:
0 (I) R.A. No. 7076, People's Sn1all-Scale Mining Act;
Ill
3
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Ill
:,
(m) R.A. No. 7586, National Integrated Protected Arens
:,
~ System Act including all laws, decrees, orders, proclmnntions
and issuances establishing protected areas;
(n) R.A. No. 7611, Strategic Environ1neutnl Plan for
Palawan Act;
-,
LAWON NA'l'UHAI, HESOUllCEHAND JtULJ.:S
r,!):l OF PHOCtmUHE FOil 1,;NVIHONMl•~N'l'AL
C/\8ES
JtA. No. 7U'12,Philippine Minin~ Act;

(o)
It.A. No. sa71, Indigenous Peoples Rights Act;
(p)
(q)
R.A. No. 8660, Philippine Fisheries Code;
(r) R.A. No. 8749, Clean Air Act;
(s) R.A. No. 9003, Ecological Solid Waste Management

Act;
R.A. No. 9072, National Caves and Cave Resource
(t)
Managen1ent Act;
(u) R.A. No. 914 7, Wildlife Conservation and Protection
Act;
(v) R.A. No. 9175, Chainsaw Act;
(w) R.A. No. 9275, Clean Water Act;
(x) R.A. No. 9483, Oil Spill Compensation Act of 2007;
and . , I
,,.
I, •
(y) Provisions in C.A. N~. 141, The Public Land Act;

R.A. No. 6657, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988;
R.A. No. 7160, Local Government Code of 1991; R.A. No. 7161,
Tax Laws Incorporated in the Revised Forestry Code and
Other Environn1ental Laws (Amending the NIRC); R.A. No.
7308, Seed Industry Develop111ent Act of 1992; R.A. No. 7900,
High-Value Crops Development Act; R.A. No. so,18, Coconut
Preservation Act; R.A. No. 8435, Agriculture and Fisheries
Modernization Act of 1997; R.A. No. 9522, The Philippine
Archipelagic Baselines Law; R.A. No. 9593, Renewable Energy
Act of 2008; R.A. No. 9637, Philippine Biofucls Act; and other
existing laws that relate to the conservation, developn1ent.
preservation, protection and utilization of' the onviron111ent
(/)
() and natural resources.
Cl
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a. Scope of the llulcs
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• • • t'rom li \W~• that
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l'e ale Lo L e conRervnl10n, • •
<lovolopmont, •
1>1·osm·vnt.10n,Pl•otectwn,
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~ <l ·1· • J' 1 • l . Section
an ul1 1znL10no Lin env1ronmonl. nnd nnt.tn·n resources.
2(y) enumerates lnws thnt nro not onvit·o1unentnl l 11ws P er se
(e.g., CA No. 111, '"!'he Public Lnn<IAct"; l{A No. 7160, "The Lo~a1
Government Code of 1090", etc.) but contnin provisions related tot 1:
conservation, development, 1weservation, protection, and utilizatioI
Clli\P'l'EH XIX - IWLl•:HOF Pl!,OCl•:nu,rn r,u:-i
FOH l~NVIHONM1':N'l'ALCM·-11•:S
H11h•I - ( lP1wrnl l'mvi11io1rn
of tho environment: nnrl nnturnl 1·eAourccA,1~ 'l'hc onumcrution of ~mid

Jaws is not mcnnt to be cxhmrntive.
Since Section 2 covers "civil, criminnl and spceiul eivil netions
.•• involving cnfo,-cc111cnt, 01· violntions of' envirnnmentnl nnd other
related lnws" (cmphnsis added), these llules mny npply in other irnits
not necessarily brrned on environment.111 lnws 01· lnwH containing
environmental provisions. Spceifienlly, fol' example, if' n clefenclnnt
in a civil damngcs or defnmntion suit. (the cnsc of' which is governed
by the regular rules of' civil/criminal procedure) invokes n SL/\PP
defense (see Rules G nn<l 19, infra.), then these Ru lcs shall npply
insofar as the SLAPP defense is concc1·ned.
The courts reforrc<l to jn this sect.ion nre those dcsignntcd
as special courts to try henr, try and clccicle environmental cnses
under AO No. 23-2008 1:1 nnd those that mny be cJesignatcd ns such
thereafter. 11
b. Cusc involving violation of cnviron1nental rights is

within the jurisdiction of nn cnviron1ncntal court
In Tunged v. St,a. Lucia Really ancl Deuelopmenl Corporation, 1~
petitioners who urc members of the lhaloi tribe alleged thnt: the
subject property is nn nncestral lnncl t:hnt: they have been occupying
in the concept of nn owner since Lime immemorial nncl thnt their
applications for the issuance of Certiflcnte of' Ancestral Land Titles
(CAL'l's) over thefr properties, including the subject land, nrc now
pending before the Nutional CommiHHion on Indigenous Peoples
(NCJP). They further allegecJ that reHpondents Sta. Lucia Rcn\ty, n
real estate developer, and Baguio Properties, Inc. were <lcmoliHhin~
and bulldozing the subject land, which caused the destn1t:tion of
Hma]] and fuJJ grown trees und :-myote plnnts and othor ni~ources
of the petitioner::;, in violation of I.heir right.H under the lmli~onou~
Peoples Rights Act. (I PRA) ns well ns onvirnnmcntnl lnwH. For it::-
pari, Baguio Properties, Jnc. invoked ow1w1·ship over tho Huhject
(/)
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]and and argued thnt. pctiLionel'H' complnint. i~ n collnlt'rnl nttiwk
on it!, 'l'orrenH titl(!H. 'l'he wrc,i:;it.t.ing-11~1
:,
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c.. Ill\ onvirnnnwntnl ruurt,
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ii8uo AHc11oili, "'/',11111ri"I /,WP w,d
l,111/n11111!/l/11 i11th,• l hili111,i111•,-1: /\,/i't~,·."
l:JHu: D1•ttig1111lltJ11or Hp1•ci11l Co11rlH 111 ll11111·, 'l'ry 111111
l)\l\'i1h1 t•:nviw1111\\'lltlll
CIIHOH, ,J11111111ry :.rn,
:lOIJH,
14
(Hl'l•:C),
An11ol11tio11, H11l1111of' l'rn1'1Hlllrn f'm t•:11vlr1111111u11t11lCw11•.~1
ir,an,No. :.'.:117:17,Murch 11,~Ollt
6!)4
LAW ON NA'J'Ulu\L HESOUHCES /\ND HULES
OF PHOCIWUHE FOH 1':NVIIWNMEN'l'/\L CASES
recognition of the pctitionors' ri~hts us I.Pa is not t,h~ prnper Sl~hje~tof

·
un env1ronmcn t nI ens O1.,u, 1, "llO'tld be threshed out rn? nn npp1 oprrnto
l, .-. , ,
proceeding under the JPRA. Ii-ithe clismissn] proper.

'rho Court, through tlustico 'l'ijnm, reversed, adverting to the
Court' ruling in Unduran v. Aherast.uri, 10 thus: •
"(P)ursunnt to Section 6(i of the JPRA, the NCIP

shnll huve jurisdiction over cJnims and dispu~es
involving rights of ICCs/IPs only when they unse
between or n111ong parties belonging to the sn111e
ICC/IP. When such clnin1s and disputes arise
between or an1ong parties who do not belong to the
saine ICC/IP, i.e., parties belonging to different ICC/
JPs or where one of the parties is a non-ICC/IP, the
cusc shall fall under the jurisdiction of the proper
Courts of Justice, instead of the NCJP. In this cnsc,
while most of the petitioners belong to 'l'n lnnndig Tribe,
respondents do not belong to the same ICC/IP. Thus,
even if the real issue involves II dispute over 11111dwhich
uppenr to be located within the ancestral domain of the
Tnlaundig Tribe, it is not the NCJP but the RTC which
shu]) have the power to hear, try and decide this cusc.''
Indeed, said the Court, non-ICCs/IPs cannot be subjected to

the special and limited jurisdiction of the NClP even if the dispute
involves rights ofICCs/IPs since the NClP has no power and authority
to decide on u controversy involving rights of non-ICCs/lPs which
should be brought before the courts of general jurisdiction within
the legal bounds of rights und remedies. Plainly, contrary to the
court a quo's conclusion, the case cannot be subjected to the NCIP's
jurisdiction as respondents are clearly non-ICCs/IPs. Ultimately,
petitioners' cause of action is grounded upon the alleged
eartlunoving activities and operations of the respondents
within petitioners' ancestral land, which violated and
continue to violate petitioners' environmental rights under
the IPRA and PD 1586 as the said activities were averred to
have grave and/or irreparable danger to the environment,
life, and property. Clearly, such cause of action is within the
jurisdiction of the RTC, sitting as a special environmental
10771
Phil. G:1(i(2016); Soc nlAoGnlun~ v. Wnllis, GR No. 22a,13,1,July 3, 20Hl,

CHAP'l'EH.XlX - RULES OF PH.OCEDUHI~ n95
FOH ENVHlONM1:N'l'AL CARES
1
Huie 1 - Gmwrnl ProviHionH
court, pursuant to AO No. 23-2008 in rclntion to BP 129 and

A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC. Whether or not petitioners ure entitled to their
claim is irrelevant in the preliminary issue of jurisdiction. Again,
once jurisdiction is vested by the allegations in the complaint, it
remains vested regardless of whether or not the plaintiff is entitled
to recover upon all or some of the claims asserted therein.
Rule 2 of AM No. 09-6-8-SC explicitly states that if the
complaint is not an environmental complaint, the presiding judge
shall refer it to the executive judge for re-raffle to the regular court. 17
SEC. 3. Objectives. - The objectives of these Rules are:

(a) To protect and advance the constitutional right of
the people to a balanced and healthful ecology;
(b) To provide a simplified, speedy and inexpensive
procedure for the enforcement of environmental rights and
duties recognized under the Constitution, existing laws,
rules and regulations, and international agreements;
(c) To introduce and adopt· innovations and best
practices ensuring the effective enforcement of remedies
and redress for violation of environmental laws; and
(d) To enable the courts to monitor and exact
compliance with orders and judgments in environmental
cases.
SEC. 4. Definition of ter,ns. -
(a) By-product or derivatives means any part taken or
substance extracted from wildlife, in raw or in processed
form including stuffed animals and herbarhun specin1ens.
(b) Consent decree refers to a judicially-approved
settlement between concerned parties based on public
interest and public policy to protect und preserve the
environment.
(c) Continuing 1ncuula11111His n writ issuod by n
court in an cnvironancntnl cnse directing any n~uncy or
instrumentality of the govornnrnnt or· officor thorcof to
perform an act or series of ncb; decreed by Hnnl judg111ent
which shall remain effective until judgrnunt is fully satisfied.
17
Tunged v. Sta. Lucin Hcmlty nnd Dovolopm,mt Corporntion, Hitprci.

LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND RULES
596
(d) Environrnental Protection Orde 1: (~P_O) refers to an

order issued by the court directing or enJoining any person
or government agency to perform or desist from p_e~forming
an act in order to protect, preserve or rehabilitate the
environment.
(e) Mineral refers to all naturally occurring inorganic
substance in solid, gas, liquid, or any intermediate state
excluding energy materials such as coal, petroleu1n, natural
gas, radioactive materials and geothermal energy.
(f) Precazttionary principle states that when human
activities may lead to threats of serious and irreversible
damage to the environment that is cicntifically plausible
but uncertain, actions shall be taken to avoid or diminish
that threat.
(g) Strategic Lawsztit Against Public Participation
(SLAPP) refers to an action whether ci vii, criminal or
administrative, brought against any person, institution
or any government agency or local government unit or its
officials and employees, with the intent to harass, vex, exert
undue pressure or stifle any legal recourse that such person,
institution or government agency has taken or may take in
the enforcement of environmental laws, protection of the
environment or assertion of environmental rights.
(h) Wildlife means wild forms and varieties of flora and
fauna, in all developmental stages including those which are
in captivity or are being bred or propagated.

PART II
CIVIL PROCEDURE
RULE2
PLEADINGS AND PARTIES
SECTION 1. Pleadings and ,notions allowed. - The

pleadings and motions that n1ay be filed are complaint,
answer which may include compulsory counterclaim and
cross-claim, motion for intervention, motion for discovery
and motion for reconsideration of the judgment.
Motion for postponement, motion for new trial and
petition for relief from judgment shall be allowed in highly
meritorious cases or to prevent a manifest miscarriage of
justice.
a. Pleadings defined
Pleadings are the written statements of the respective claims
and defenses of the parties submitted to the court for appropriate
action. 1
b. Kinds of pleadings
The complaint is the pleading alleging the plaintiffs cause of
action or causes of action. The complaint should contain a concise
statement of the ultimate facts constituting the plaintiff~ cnus' of
action/ and the reliefs prayed f'or.:.i
The answer is n pleading in which n dol'onding- party :--ets
forth his defenses.· 1 A conn len:laim is any claim which n clef ,nding
1Sec. 1, RuleH of J'roc<id11ro for l~11vir011111t111111

C11H(•
isec. 1, Jlule 8.
3
Sec. 2, Huie 7.
4
Sec. 4, Jlule 6.
Gfl7

LAW ON NA'J'URALRESOUH.Cl~SA~? RULE~
698 OF PHOCEDURE FOH ENVlllONM EN I Al' CASlo,S
party may have ngninst nn opposing .purty.n Althougl? it ~a~ he

alleged in the answer, it is not part o( ~he answer. It 18 a dis_tm~t
and independent cause of action. Hence, it must be _ans~ered w1t~m
ten days from service. o A compulsory countercl~im 1s one which
arises out of or in connected with the transact10n or occurrence
constituting the subject matter of the opposing part~'s clai~ and
does not require for its adjudication the presence of third parties of
whom the court cannot acquire jurisdiction. Such counterclaim must
be within the jurisdiction of the court both as to the amount and the
nature thereof. 7
A cross-claim is any claim by one part against-a co-party arising
out of the transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter either
of the original action or of a counterclaim therein. 8
A motion for intervention is proper where a person who has a
legal interest in the matter in litigation, or in the success of either
of the parties, or an interest against both, or is so situated as to be
adversely affected by a distribution or other disposition of property
in the custody of the court of an officer· thereof. 9 The motion to
intervene may be filed at any time before rendition of judgment. A
copy of the pleading-in-intervention shall be attached to the motion
and served on the original parties. 10
c. Modes of discovery
The modes of discovery under the Rules of Court are depositions
pending action (Rule 23), depositions before action or pending
appeal (Rule 24), interrogatories to parties (Rule 25), admission by
ad_verse party (Rule 26), production or inspection of documents or
things (Rule 27), and physical and mental examination of persons
(Rule 28).
d. Motion for reconsideration

Wi t bin tht .8 p~riod for taking an appeal, the aggrieved party
may fi1e a mo ion ,or reconsider a t.ton t o set aside
. the Judgment
. or
6Sec. 6, RPEC.
6 Sec. 4, Rule 7.
7Sec. 7, Rule 6.
8Sec. 8, ibid.
9 Sec. 1, Rule 19.
lOSec.2, ibid.

CIIAP'l'l,:U XIX - HULl•:S OF l'fl()(_;l•:DUlm fi!)9
FOH 1•:NVIHONM I°:N'l'J\I, CMm8
H1th ~
1
- Ple11cli11J~H
111111P11rl.ieH
finnl order nnd grnnt. n new t.rinl fo1·one or more of the following
causes mnterially nffecting t.he substnnLiaJ rights of said party:
1. Fraud, accident, mistake or excusable negligence
which ordinary prudence could not have guarded against and
by reason of which such aggrieved pnrty hns probably heen
i1npaired in his rights; or
2. Newly discovered evidence, which he could not, with
reasonable diligence, have discovered, and produced at the
trial, and which if presented would probably alter the result.
Within the same period, the aggrieved party may also move
for reconsideration upon the grounds that the damages awarded are
excessive, that the evidences insufficient to justify the decision or
final order, or that the decision or final order is contrary to law. 11
Section 2 enumerates the prohibited pleadings or motions.
Note, however, that under Section 1, a motion for postponement,
motion for new trial and petition for relief from judgment shall
be allowed in highly meritorious cases or to prevent a manifest
miscarriage of justice.
Also, a motion for extension to file answer is allowed but the
extension shall not exceed 15 days. ii The motion must be filed before
the expiration of the time sought to be extended.
SEC. 2. Prohibited pleadings or ,notions. -The following

shall not be allowed:
(a) Motion to disn1iss the co1nplaint;
(b) Motion for a bill of particulars;
(c) Motion for extension of tin1e to file pleadings,
except to file answer, the extension not to exceed fifteen (15)
days;
(d) Motion to cleclure the clcf'endnnt in default;
(e) Reply nncl rcjoinclcr; nncl
(f) Thircl purty co1nplnint.
11
Soc. 1, RPEC.
tisoc. 2(c), infra.

GOO
'l'lw •
•nunHn·nt.1ot1 o (' 1u·oI11·1,1·t•ud Jllund i n~H u imH to
n. ,
nddrcss t.hc qucRf.10t1 f' I I
o l c ny
jn unvironmentul
d ispoRit.ion.
The environmental court is munduted to "prforiti_ze the
ndjudicAt:ion of cnvil'onmcntnl cnAes." 1~ 'rhe ru 1e~ c1tsn11owmg ~he
filing of prohibited plendings is intended to expedite ~~c resolut10n
of cnscs nnd to dissundc crnf'ty 1itignnts from nvmhng of these
plendings just to dclny the disposition of t.he ~nse or prevent the
final entry of judgment.. This objective is complimentary to the rule
requiring continuous t.rinl which shall not exceed two mo~ths from
t.hc date of the issuance of the pre-trial order, 1•1 and a perrnd of one
year from the filing of the complnint to try nnd decide the case. tr,
b. Intervention
But a motion for intervention is allowed to broaden public
participation in the enforcement of environmental laws. A person
who has a legal interest in the matter in litigation, or in the success
of either of the parties, or an interest against both, may, with leave of
court, be allowed to intervene in the action. 111The interest must be of
such direct and immediate character that the intervenor will either
gain or lose by the direct legal operation and effect of the judgment.
Otherwise, if parties not having direct interest in the subject matter
of the action would be a11owed to intervene, the proceedings would
become unnecessarily complicated, expensive and interminable. 17
A motion to intervene may be filed at any time before rendition
of judgment by the trial court. 1H The certiorari jurisdiction of courts
may also be invoked in appropriate cases.
SEC. 3: Verified conip.laint. - The verified co1nplnint

shall co~tai~1 the names of the parties, their nddresses, the
cause of action and the reliefs prayed for.
T?e plaintiff shaJJ attach to the verified con1plnint

a.II evidence proving or supporting the cause of action
iasec. o,Hulu rl, HJ>EC.

11
8 ec.. 1, 1.,,11. , .
rnscc. o,ibid.
rnscc. 1i, Rule 1n,lluloti of Cou1·t
'o ·111nnd Noche c· ·1J>. .
17]" 1 • •
111, ' .,w,.
1 I\Acunlv Rol I , GJ' rn,.e<lt1n! A1111ntutccl Vol l ~001 l•'cl ,18"'
' • , , ., p. LJ.
• > es, ..1 "No. 182(ii15, ,Juno ii, 80 t l.

602 LAW ON NATURAL HESOUHCES AND RULES
OF PHOCEDUHI~ FOH 1.;NVJllONMl~NTAL CASES
prosecuted or defended in t.hc nnmc of' the reul ~arty-j~-i~terest. 21 A

necessary pnrty, on the other hand, is one who is not 1n<lrnpensab]e
but who ought to be joined as a party if complete rclie~ is _to be·
accorded to those already parties, or for u complete determ1nat10n or
settlement of the claim subject of the action. 22
A real party in interest includes the government and juridical
entities which may be authorized by law to file a civil action involving
the enforcement or violation of any environmental law. A Filipino
citizen or an alien can file a suit so long as they are able to show
direct and personal injury. A person who suffers damage or injury
arising from an environmental prejudice which is also the same
subject of a citizen suit can file a separate action under this section
to recover for his personal injury. 23
In West Tower Condominium Corporation v. First Philippine
Industrial Corporation, 24 the Court en bane, on the issue of real
party-in-interest, stated through Justice Velasco:
"In the case at bar, there can be no quibble that the

oil leak from the WOPL affected all the condominium unit
owners and residents of West Tower as, in fact, all had to
evacuate their units at the wee hours in the morning of
July 23, 2010, when the condominium's electrical power
was shut down. Until now, the unit owners and residents
of West Tower could still not return to their condominium
units. Thus, there is no gainsaying that the residents of
West Tower are real parties-in-interest.
There can also be no denying that West Tower Corp.
represents the common interest of its unit o,vners
and residents, and has the legal standing to file and
pursue the instant petition. While a condominiuin
corporation has limited powers under RA 4 726, otherwise
known as The Condominium Act, it is empowered to
pursue actions in behalf of its members. In lho instant
case, the condominium corpornt.ion is tho 1nanngement
21
West 'fower Condominium Corp Ji" . 't Pl 11•,· . .
194239, June 16, 20 16 . • v. 118 lpp1nu Industrinl Corp., GR No.
22
Sec. 8, ibid.
2aAnnotation, AM No. 09-6-8-SC RPEC
:.!1S 1 .:., ,
upra.

CJIAPTEH XIX - HULE!-l OF PHOCJ•:DUHJ•:
l•'OH I•:NVIHONM l•:NT/\L CM-ll•:H
H11l1•!l - l'l1•11di111~H
1111dl'11rl.i(i1t
body of WeHt 'row nnd dc11IHwit.h everything that mny

'I'
affect some or all of t.hc condominium unit owner£:! or
users.
It is of no moment thnt only five residents of West
Tower signed their acquiescence to the fiJing of the petition
for the issuance of the Writ of J(alihasan, as the merits of
such petition is, as aptly put by the CA, not measured
by the number of persons who signified their assent
thereto, but on the existence of a prima facie case of a
massive environmental disaster. As to the residents of
Barangay Bangkal, they are siinilarly situated with
the unit owners and residents of West Tower and
are real parties-in-interest to the instant case, i.e., if
they so wish to join the petitioners."
SEC. 5. Citizen suit. - Any Filipino citizen in

representation of others, including minors or generations
yet unborn, may file an action to enforce rights or obligations
under environmental laws. Upon the filing of a citizen suit,
the court shall issue an order which shall contain a brief
description of the cause of action·and the reliefs prayed for,
requiring all interested parties to manifest their interest
to intervene in the case within fifteen (15) days from
notice thereof. The plaintiff 1nay publish the order once in
a newspaper of a general circulation in the Philippines or
furnish aJI affected barangays copies of said order.
Citizen suits filed under R.A. No. 8749 and R.A. No. 9003
shall be governed by their respective provisions.
a. A "citizen suit" liberalizes requirements for

standing of litigants enforcing environrnent rights
Section 5 refers to a suit fiJed by n Filipino citizen by hinu.elf
and in representation of others, including minors 01· genorntions
yet unborn, to enforce rights or ohligat.ions undor < nvironnH ntnl
laws. The provision Jiher11]izrn1tho roquiromontH for stnn<ling for
all cases for the crnforeomellL of' environnH ntnl lnws nnd eschews
the traditiona] ru]e on porsonal 11nd diroc;t, intoroHL hnsed on the
principle that humans arc Atowitl'<ls of' nntu1·0. Citizen suits may
be filed for a1l types of environmental cn8o8. Ilut in the case of non-
government organizations (NGOs) nnd people's organizations (POs),
proof of their juridical personnlity (,:.e.,nccre<litntion, recognition or

604 LAW ON NATURALHESOUHCER AND HULES
OF PHOCEUUHJ•: FOR ENVIHONrvrnNTAL CASES
registrntion) is required, given the re]ntivc ensc by which u number

of groups can loosely organize and lnbel t.hcmsclvcs ns NGO's or
PO's. The snme proof of juridical personality is nlso required in a
petition for a writ of halihasan. 2r.
As held in International Service (oT' the Acqllisition of Agri~
Biotcch Applications, Inc. v. Greenpeace Southeast Asia (Phils.) 2';
the rule on standing is a matter of procedure which can be relaxed
for non-traditional plaintiffs like ordinary citizens, taxpayers, and
legislators when the public interest so requires, such as when the
matter is of transcendental importance, of overl'eaching significance
to society, or of paramount public interest. The Court thus had
invariably adopted a liberal policy on standing to allow ordinary
citizens and civic organizations to prosecute actions before the Court
questioning the constitutionality or validity of laws, acts, ruling or
orders of various government agencies or instrumentalities.
The landmark case of Oposa v. Facto ran, :1.7 signaled an even
more liberalized policy on locus standi in public suits. In said case,
the Court recognized the "public right" of citizens to "a balanced
and healthful ecology which, for the first time in our nation's
constitutional history, is solemnly incorporated in the fundamental
law." Such right need not be written in the Constitution for it i
assumed, like other civil and political rights guarantcc<l in the Bill
of Rights, to exist from the inception of mankind and it is an is ue
of transcendental importance with intergenerational implication .
Such right carries with it the correlative duty to refrain from
impairing the environment. Since the Oposa ruling, ordinary
citizens not only have legal standing to sue for the enforcement of
environmental rights, they can do so in representation of th 1r own
and future generations.
Indeed, as reiterated in Arigo v. Swift/ii the libernlizntion of
standing first enunciated in Oposa, insofar as it refers to minors ntHl
generations yet unborn, is now enshrined in the Rules which allow~
t?~ filing _of~~citizen suit in environmental cases. 'l'h provision on
citizen suits 1n the Rules "col1npses tho t.raclit.ional i·ulo on porsonnl
20A •
nnotat10n, supra.
26
GR No. 209271, Dec. 8, 2015.
27
GR No. 101083 July '·l0 1')93· S 00 I .
A · •• . .' • ' •• • n 1:10 Intornnt1on11l Sorvico for the
cqms1t10n
.1. . of Agr1-B10tech Applicntions , Jiic . v. G reonponco Sout hl nst :\sill
(ph11ppmes), GR No. 209271, Dec. 8, 2015.
2aa.R . No. 206610, Sept. 16, 201'1.
CHt\J>'J'EHXIX - HUI.f,:SOF PHOCl:DUIU,: 1 (j(}f,
FOH I~NVIH.ONMEN'l't\Lr,M:H•~S
H11lo~ - Pll'11di11,:11
1111dP11rf.il't1
and direct intorest, on tho pdnciple Lhnt h11m111rnnrc Hf.ew:irdH of

nature."
'1'hc_ci!.izonsuit is filed in the pubJic internst, hence, no proof of
personnl Ill.Jury is required. A .Filipino citizen mny he an individual
or H corporation so long as the requirements of Phiiippine citizenship
nre complied with.
b. Do whales, dolphins and other cetacean species

have the locus .i,tandi to sue?
This is one of the primary issues raised in Resident Marine
Mammals v. Reyesw involving a petition to nullify Service Contract
No. 46 (SC-46) which alJowed the exploration, development, and
exploitation of petroleum resources by Japan Petroleum Exploration
Co., Ltd. (JAPEX) within Tafion Strait, a narrow passage of water
situated between the islands of Negros and Cebu. Petitioners (in
G.R. No. 180771), collectively referred to as the "Resident Marine
Mammals" in the petition, are the toothed whales, dolphins,
porpoises, and other cetacean species which inhabit the waters in
and around the Tafion Strait. They are joined by Gloria Estenzo
Ramos and Rose-Liza Eisma-Osorio as their legal guardians and as
friends (to be col]ectively known as "the Stewards") who allegedly
empathize with, and seek the protection of, the aforementioned
. .
marine species.
Protesting the adverse ecological impact of JAPEX's oil
exploration activities in the Tanon Strait, petitioners Resident
Marine Mammals and Stewards aver that a study made after the
seismic survey showed that the fish catch was reduced drastically
by 50<¾> to 70%; that before the seismic survey, the ~verage ha~·v_est
per day wou]d be from 15 to 20 kilograms; that nfter the activity,
the fisherfo]k cou]d on]y catch an average of 1 to 2 kilograms n day.
They further allege that the Environmentnl Compliance Ccrt.ifi~ntc
(I~CC) obtained by (JAPEX is invalid because public consultntt~ns
and discussions with the affected stnlrnholdors were not hold pnor
to the hCC's iHf:Humce.
PubJic respondc.mti, arg1w t.hnt. the Hosidont. Mnrino ivlnmmnl~
have no standing• c, •
hec111rne.~ec:t1on , 11Ic• ,'I c>I' 111
I , J> ~ . ,., of Court
.' l'ltli"' ..
requires parties to un action t.o ho eitlwr 1111t11rnl01· ,1u1·1d1c11l 01 011
1_> ~ . s.
As regards tho StowurdH, pu l>I1c • 1·0AJH>1HIon LA c·Iin 11°tl"'(l r-,

t•11011·claun
;wen No, 180771, April ~I, 201n.

606 1 AWON NA'l'URAL1rnsounc1,:s AND HULES
01; J>HOCl~DUHE
FOH ENVIHONMl~N'l'J\L CJ\Sf,;s
of legal stRnding on t.hc ground thnt they uro reprmicnt.inv animnlH,

which c1u1110t.be pin-ties to nn Hction. Moreover, the Stownr<ls are
not the reRl pnrties-in-interest for their failure to show how they
stand to be benefited or injured by the decision in the case.
On the other hand, the Resident Marine Mammals, through
the Stewards "claim" that they have the legal standing to file the
action since ti1ey stand to be benefited or injured by the judgment
in this suit. Citing Oposa v. Factoran/ 0 they also assert their right
to sue for the faithful performance of international and municipal
environmental laws created in their favor and for their benefit.
They allege that they have the right to demand and be accorded the
benefits granted to them in multilateral international instruments
that the Philippine government had signed, under the concept of
stipulation pour autrui.
Addressing the issue on legal standing, the Court, through
Justice Leonardo-De Castro, held that the issue of whether or not
animals or even inanimate objects should be given legal standing in
actions before courts of law is not new in the field of animal rights
and environmental law, citing the opinion of Justice Douglas in the
1972 United States case of Sierra Club v. Rogers C.B. Morton,:H thus:
"Inanimate objects are sometimes parties in

litigation. A ship has a legal personality, a fiction found
useful for maritime purposes. The corporation sole - a
creature of ecclesiastical law-is an acceptable adversary
and large fortunes ride on its cases. The ordinary
corporation is a 'person' for purposes of the adjudicatory
process~s, wheth~r it represents proprietary, spiritual,
aesthetic, or charitable causes.
. So it should be as respects valleys, alpine meadows,
nvers, lakes, estuaries, beaches, ridges, groves of
trees, swampland, or even air that feels the destructive
p_ressures of modern technology and modern life. Tho
river,_for example, is the living symbol of all tho life it
sustains or nourishes - fish, aquutic insects, wnto1·
?uzels'. otter, fisher, deer, elk, hem·, nnd nll othor nnimnlR,
mcludmg man, who are dependent, on it, or who onjoy it. for
:~GR No. 101083, July 30, 1093 .

• 405 U.S. 727, 92 S.Ct 1301, 31 L,Eci.2d 030.

CHAP'l'Ell XIX - HULES OF Pl!OCEDUHJ•: (i07
FOH ENVIHONMEN'l'/\L CASl•:S
llulu :.! - l'lt 111di111(111111d P11rt.io11
its sight, its sound, 01· its lifo. The 1·iv01· us plnintiff HpeakA
for the ccolo~icnl unit. of life thnt is pnrt of it. 'J1hm-iepeople
who huve n meaningful relation to Urnt. body of water
- whether it be n fisherman, a cnnoeist., n ;t,oologist, or
a logger - must be able to sponk for the values which
the river represents and which are threatened with
destruction."
'rl1e Court took note that the Rules of Procedure for

Environmental Cases, specifica11y Section 5, Article II, allow for a
"citizen suit," and permit any Filipino citizen to file an action before
our courts for violations of our environmental laws. This provision
liberalizes standing for all cases filed enforcing environmental laws
and collapses the traditional rule on personal and direct interest,
on the principle that humans are stewards of nature. Moreover,
even before the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases became
effective, the Court had already taken a permissive position on the
issue of locus standi in environmental cases. For instance, in Oposa,:i~
the Court allowed the suit to be brought in the name of generations
yet unborn "based on the concept of intergenerational responsibility
insofar as the right to a balanced an_dhealthful ecology is concerned."
Hence, the Court, in Resident Mammals, concluded:
"In light of the foregoing, the need to give the

Resident Marine Marmna]s legal standing has been
eliminated by our Rules, which allow any Filipino
citizen, as a steward of nature, to bring a suit to
enforce our environ1nental laws. It is worth noting
here that the Stewards are joined as real parties in the
Petition and not just in representation of the named
cetacean species. The Stewards, Ramos and Eisma-
Osorio, having shown in their petition that there may
be possible violations of laws concerning tho habitat. of
the Resident Marine Mammuls, are thorof'oro <lcclnred to
pmrneHsthe legal standing to file this pot.it.ion.'' (11;mphnsi~
suppJied)
In fine, us pruyed for hy potitionot·H, tho Colll'I. d<clnrod Service

Contract No. •Hi uuJI 11nd void for viol11ting I.ho I D87 on~tit.ution
•noR No. 10108::J,,July :m, J!)!l:l.

(the President was not the signatory to SC-46 and the same was
not submitted to Congress), RA No. 7586 (National Integrated
Protected Areas System Act of 1992), and PD No. 1586 (Establishing
an Environmental Impact System).
c. Publication of order requiring interested parties to

intervene
Section 5 permits the plaintiff to publish the order containing a
brief description of the action in order to allow other persons to join
as such, consistent with the public character of the citizen suit. This
adopts the features of the general rule on publication found in cases
in rem and is meant to reflect the distinct nature of environmental
cases. However, publication is permissive and non-jurisdictional
and is meant only to encourage public participation. 33
d. Reliefs in a citizen suit

Section 4 must be read in conjunction with Section 5 on a citizen
suit and Section 1 of Rule 5 on the proper reliefs in a citizen suit. The
. reliefs would include the protection, preservation or rehabilitation
of the environment, submission of a program for the rehabilitation
or restoration of the environment, and the payment of costs by the
violator.
Illustrative is the case of Metro Manila Development
Authority v. Concerned Residents of Manila Bay,:11 where the Court,
through Justice Velasco, directed the MMDA to fully implement
its Operational Plan for the Manila Bay Coastal Strategy for the
rehabilitation, restoration, and conservation of the Manila Bay
at the earliest possible time; the DILG to require LGUs to order
non-complying establishments and homes to set up wastewater
treatment facilities or septic tanks within a reasonable time to
prevent industrial wastes, sewage water, and human wastes from
flowing into these rivers, waterways, estcros, and the lVlunilu Bny.
under pain of closure or imposition of fines nnd othor snnction; the
MWSS to provide, install, operate, and mnintnin the necessnry
adequate waste water trentmont f'nciliLios in Mot.ro ·Mnniln, Hiinl.
and Cavite where needed uL Lho ourliosL ]>f>Rsihlotimo; tho }/lMDA.
in coordination with the DPWH, Dl LG, nffoctocl LGUs, PNP
33
AnnolHlion, AM No. 09-G-8-SC, HPEC.
11
: GR No. 171947, Dec. 18, 2008, 57'1 SCHA fH-il.

CHi\P'l'ml XIX - HULES OF J>llOCP.DUflE 609
FOH, l•:NVIH,ONM!i:N'l'/\L C/\f:lr,:s
llule 2 - l'lrnulingH 1111df'mt.im1
Maritime Group, Housing nncl Urbnn Development Coordinating

Council (HUDCC), nncl other ngencjuH, to dismant,lu and remove all
structures, constn1ctions, and nthei- encronchmunt.H established or
built in violation of RA No. 7279, unc1other applicable law8 along
rivers, waterways and esteros in Metro Manila; and the heads of
petitioners-agencies MMDA, DENR, DepEd, DOH, DA, DPWH,
DBM, ·PCG, PNP Maritime Group, DILG, and also ofMWSS, LWUA,
and PPA, in line with the principle of "continuing mandamus,"
to subn1it to the Court, from finality of its decision, a quarterly
progressive report of the activities undertaken in accordance with
said decision.
e. Citizen suits under RA No. 8749 and RA No. 9003

Prior to the Rules, citizen suits were 1nerely applied in violations
of RA No. 8749 (Clean Air Act) and RA No. 9003 (Ecological Solid
Waste Manage1nentAct), both of which provide for specific provisions
on citizen suits.
In Os,neiia v. Garganera,ar.the Court clarified that a petition for
a writ of halihasan under the Rules of Procedure for Environmental
Cases (RPEC) is a separate and distinct action from RA No.
9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Manage1nent Act) and RA No. 87 49
(Philippine Clean Air Act). A writ of kalikasan is an extraordinary
remedy covering environmental damage of such magnitude that
will prejudice the life, health or property of inhabitants in two or
more cities or provinces. It is designed for a narrow but special
purpose: to accord a stronger protection for environn1ental rights,
aiming, among others, to provide a speedy and effective resolution
of a case involving the violation of one's constitutional right to a
healthful and balanced ecology that transcends political and
territorial boundaries, and to address the potentially exponential
nature of large-scale ecological threats. Moreover, Section 3. Rule
(/J
(') 7 of RPEC a11ows direct resort to the Snprcme Con rt or with any of
"'
::,
::,
(1)
a. the stations of the Court of Appeals. Given that the writ of l-:alikasan
:::
;::.·
:::r is an extraordinary remedy and the RP~C allows direct action to
()
"'
3
(/J
the Supreme Court nnd the Conrt. of f\ppcnls whore it 1s dictated
(')
"'
::,
::,
by public welfare, the Court cloclnrod thnt tho prior 30-day notice
~
require,nenl for citizen RuiLR11ndor IU\ No. 0003 and RA No. 8749 is
inapplicable. It is uHimntoly within the Court's discret1on whether
or not to accept petitions brought directly bcforo it.
6
:i GRNo. 231.lM, Mareh :lO, 2018.
610 I J\WON NJ\'l'lJllJ\L 1rnsou1tCE8 ~~~) ll~~~f·s
01; PHOCEDUHE FOil ENVll{ONM I-,NI Al ..J • .,,
I
1 ·ourl in ,1 citi,r,cn Buit HhaJ1

Under Section 12 of Rule 2, t 1c cwhich shaH serve aR a flrgt
defer the payment nn<l other legal fees
lien on the judgment award.
• t on the government. or
SEC 6 Se1·vice of the c01np l ain .
its agencies: - Upon the filing of the complaint, the pla1~tiff
is required to furnish the government or the ap~ropriate
agency, although not a party, a copy of the comp!aint. Proof
of service upon the government or the appropriate agency
shall be attached to the complaint.
a. Service of a copy of the complaint to government

agencies mandatory
Section 6 makes it mandatory for the plaintiff to notify the
proper agency of the government. In particular, the DENR, being
the primary agency charged with the enforcement of environmental
laws, should be served with a copy of the complaint. The Office of the
Solicitor General (OSG), being the law office of the government, its
agencies or instrumentalities, should also be served with a copy of
the complaint to better ensure that public interest is fully protected.
SEC. 7. Assignment by raffle. - If there is only one (1)

designated branch in a multiple-sala court, the executive
judge shall immediately refer the case to said branch. If
there are two (2) or more designated branches, the executive
judge shall conduct a special raffle on the day the complaint
is filed.
SEC. 8. Issuance of Temporary Environmental Protection

Order (TEPO). - If it appears from the verified complaint
with a prayer for the issuance of an Environmental Protection
Order (EPO) that the matter is of extreme urgency and the
applicant ~ill_ suffer grave injustice and irreparable injury,
the executive Judge of the multiple-sala court before raffle or
the P_residing judge of a single-sala court as the case 111aybe,
may issue ex parte a TEPO effective for only seventy-two (72)
hours from . date of the receip• t o f'• th
• e 'rE◄ PO by the partu or
person enJoined w·th 1 • "d • ·'
• • • in sa1 period, the court where the case
is hast~gne~, shall conduct a sum1nary hearing to detern1ine
wthe er t e TEPO may be extended until the termination of
e case.

CHAJ>Tl~HXIX - HULl~SOF l'HOCl•:ou,m 61.1
FOil l•:NvmONMJ,;N'f'ALCASJ,;S
H11l1i 2 - Plu11dil11(11 IIIHI P11rtioH
'l'he court whero the cuso is nssigned shnJI periodically

•
n10111tor 'I,; 1c. cx1stcncc
• of nets thut nt·e the ' subject matter of
the 1,EPO even if.issued by the executive judgo, and may lift
the san1e at any t1111eas circu111stuncos mny warrant.
The applicant shall be exempted from the posting of a
bond for the issuance of a 'l'EPO.
a. A temporary environmental protection order

(TEPO) integrates both prohibitive and mandatory
reliefs
An environmental protection order (J~PO)is an order issued by
the court directing or enjoining any person or government agency
to perform or desist from performing an act in order to protect,
preserve or rehabilitate the environment. The EPO performs a
similar function as a prohibitory or mandatory injunction, but the
EPO specifically applies to environmental cases.
The procedure for the issuance of a temporary environmental
protection order (TEPO) stems from the same procedure for the
issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO). A temporary
environmental protection order (TEPO) integrates both prohibitive
and mandatory reliefs in order to appropriately address the factual
circumstances surrounding the case.
The TEPO is a remedy available for both civil and criminal
environmental cases. The procedure for the issuance of a TEPO
in both is the same. The TEPO is also available under the writ
of kalikasan and writ of continuing mandamus as a relief or as a
means of expediting the proceedings and preserving the rights of
the parties. 36
b. Who may issue TEPO

A TEPO may be issued by the executive judge of n mult.iple-
sala court before raffle or the presirling jurlgo of n single-snln court if
it, Hppenrs from the verified complnint thnt tho mnttor is of extreme
urgency and tho npp]icnnt will suffor gl'nvo injustico or in·opnrnble
injury from the violation compl11inod of. 'l'ho npplicnnt shall be
exempted from tho poAting of II bond for tho ism1nnce of n Tl~PO.
:inA Sourcehook on Environmentnl RightH unct Logul Romodie~ (SERLR), p. 170.

612 LAWON NATURAL1msouncES AND RULES
OF PROCl~DUH.I~
FOH gNVIHONMEN'l'ALCASES
c. Heuring required to extend to TEPO

A 'l'EPO is effective for only seventy-two (72) hours from
date of the receipt of the 'l'EPO by the party or person enjoined.
However, within said period, the court where the case is assigned
shall conduct a summary hearing to determine whether the TEPO
may be extended until the termination of the case. The requirement
of a hearing is so fundamental that failure to comply with it not only
amounts to gross ignorance of rules and procedure, but also to an
outright denial of due process to the party denied such a hearing/ 17
d. Safeguards
The issuance of a TEPO ex parte is an exception to the general
requirement of due process which requires the other party to be
heard. For this reason, the Rules laid down the following safeguards:
1. The TEPO shall be effective for only seventy-two
(72) hours from date of receipt thereof by the party or person
enjoined.
2. Within the same period of seventy-two (72) hours,
the court shall conduct a summary hearing to determine
whether the TEPO may be extended until the termination of
the case.
3. If, after hearing, it appears that the issuance or
continuance of the TEPO would cause irreparable damage to
the party or person enjoined while the applicant may be fully
compensated for such damages as he may suffer, the TEPO
may be dissolved upon bond posted by the party or person
enjoined. 38
e. Lifespan of a TEPO
Section 8 states that the TEPO shall be effective for seventy-
~wo ~72) hours .but. it may be extended, after a summary hearing,
until the termmat10n of the case." Under Section 5, Rule 58 of the
Rules of Court, a temporary restraining order (TRO) may be issued
. par te wh'ich 1s
ex • effective for only seventy-two (72) hours from its
lSSuance. Thereafter, within said period, a summary hearing shall
~1Lagov. Abul, AM No. R'I1J-10-2256 ,Jcm 17 2011

,18S
ec. 9, Rule 2, RPEC. ' • I •

CJIAP'l'l.:H, XIX - HULES OF J>HOCJ•:DUW~ (il3
!◄'OHl•:NVIHONMEN'l'AL CA!:JJ,;H
Hulo i - Pit 11di11,:,-1
1111rll'111tio11
be conducted to determine whot.hel' tho 'l 1HO slrnll he extended unti]

the applicnt.ion f'or pro1iminn1·y injunction can be heurcJ, hut in no
case shall the totnl period of its cffcctivHy exceed twenty (20) <lays.
SEC. 9. Action. on ,notion for dissolution of 1'EPO. - The

grounds for 1notion to dissolve a TEPO shall be supported hy
affidavits of the party or person enjoined which the applicant
may oppose, also by affidavits.
The TEPO 1nay be dissolved if it appears after hearing
that its issuance or continuance would cause irreparable
damage to the party or person enjoined while the applicant
may be fully con1pensated for such damages as he may suffer
and subject to the posting of a sufficient bond by the party
or person enjoined.
SEC. 10. Prohibition against te,nporary restraining order
(TRO) and preliminary injunction. - Except the Supreme
Court, no court can issue a TRO or writ of preliminary
injunction against lawful actions of government agencies
that enforce environmental laws or prevent violations
thereof.
a. Prohibition against the issuance of a TRO and

preliminary injunction.
PD No. 605,au dated December 12, 1974, provides:
"SECTION I. No court of the Philippines shall have

jurisdiction to issue any restraining o_r~er, p_reli~1inary
injunction or preliminary mandatory_ 1nJunct10n 1n any
case involving or growing out of the ISsuance, approval
• proval revocation or suspension of, or any action
or d 1sap , . . . f'fi . b ,.J
whatsoever by the proper adm1mstrat1ve o cm1 or Ol~Y
on concessions, licenses, permits, patents, _or p_u~hc
grants of any kind in connoctio~ with the chspos1t10n,
exploitation, utifru1tion, exp)ornt10n and/or devolopmont
of the natural resources of' the Phi]ippinos."
ai,13 , y ti j 1muu, 1co by co11rt1:J injunction in cnHtiHinvolving-

of pruli111i1111ry
.
concess10ns, • ns""'"'" 11r1u- otlwr• 1wr1111turn1Htu( >Yrm> w n, Im111rnt.a·ntivo
unnmg
1ice
JU 1 • • I I 11' ' • • off'icmhl
• CH'
bodies for the exploitution of n11t11rnlro1:Jo11rc,m.

PD No. 605 was issued to stop the common practice for courts
to issue preliminary injunctions and/or preliminary mandatory
injunctions in disputes involving or growing out of the issuance,
suspension, revocation, approval or disapproval of any concession,
license, permit, patent or public grant of any kind for the disposition,
exploitation, utilization, exploration and development of the natural
resources of the country. Such practice was found to be undesirable
as it has resulted in the disruption of the smooth functioning of the
administrative machinery having charge of the natural resources
of the country and a contributory deterrent to the development and
exploitation of our natural resources. The provision covers situations
where a definite act has been undertaken or is being performed by
administrative officials. 40
PD No. 1818,41 dated Jan. 16, 1981, reads:
"SECTION 1. No court in the Philippines shall have

jurisdiction to issue any restraining order, preliminary
injunction, or preliminary mundntory injunction in any
case, dispute, or controversy involving nn infrastructure
project, or a mining, fishery, forest or other natural
resource development project of the govcrnrncnt, or any
public utility operated by the government, including
among others public utilities for the transport of the
goods or commodities, stevedoring and urrastre contracts,
to prohibit any person or persons, entity or governmental
official from proceeding with, or continuing the execution
or implementation of any such project, or the operation
of such public utility, or pursuing any lawful activity
necessary for such execution, implementation or
operation."
PD No. 1818 adopted a similar prohibition against the issuance

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of such restraining orders or injunctions in other areas of activity
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equally critical to the economic development effort of the nation, in
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order not to disrupt or hamper the pursuit of essential government
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projects.
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40
Republic v. Court of Appeals and Dicdican, GR No. 128010, Feb. 28, 2000.
1
" Prohibiting courts from issuing restraining orders or preliminary injunction
in cases involving infrastructure and natural resources development projects of ao d
public utilities operated by the government.
~
CHAPTER XIX - RULES OF PROCEDURE 615
FOR ENVlRONMENTAL CASES
Ruic 2 - Pleadings and Parties
b. Preliminary injunction is unavailable where no

right has been violated
In Republic v. Court of Appeals and Dicdican,· 1'1. respondent
EMROInternational, Inc. entered into n Foreshore Lease Contract
with th: government over a foreshore land (marina) in Ibo, Lapu-
Lapu City. Under the contract, the sublease, assignment or any
encumbrance of the leased premises without the written permission
from the DENR was prohibited. Thereafter, EMRO entered into a
Memorandum of Agreement with Alta Resource Group, Inc. (ALTA)
for the purpose ofleasing to the latter a portion of the leased premises
and the existing facilities thereon. In a confidentinl memorandum
from the Regional Technical Director for LMS DENR (Region
VII) sent to the Regional Technical Director for EM Pi\S DENR
(Region VII), EMRO was reported to have violated the conditions
of the foreshore lease contract with the government. Anticipating
the revocation or cancellation of' its lease contract with petitioner,
EMROfiled a petition for declaratory relief and injunction seeking
to prohibit the government from cancelling or revoking its foreshore
lease agreement with the latter. A writ of preliminary injunction
was thereafter issued by the trial court. Petitioner challenged the
order in the Court of Appeals, but its petition was denied. Petitioner
questioned the writ of preliminary injunction on the ground that
it was issued in violation of §1 of PD No. 605. In dissolving the
preliminary injunction issued by the trial court, the Court stated
that there is really no need to determine at that point whether
§ 1 of PD No. 605 applies. This provision covers situations where
a definite act has been undertaken or is being performed by
administrative officials. The issuance of an injunctive order in this
case is, therefore, pre1naturc.
c. Only the Supre1ne Court may issue a TRO,

prelin1inary injunction and preliminary mandatory
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injunction against lawful actions of government
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agencies
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Section 10 is formulated to support the government and
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its agencies in their responsibilities and tasks. Hence, no court
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except the Supreme Court can issue a TRO or writ of preliminary
!!1 injunction against lawful actions of government agencies that
enforce environmental laws or prevent violations thereof.
2
" GR No. 128010, Feb. 28, 2000.
616 LAW ON NATURAL RESOUHCES ANO RULES
OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVJTIONMEN'l'AL CASES
Relatedly, in WT Construction, Inc. v. Depa.rtmcnt of Public

Worhs and Highways, 13 it was held that pursuant to the mundnte
of RA No. 8975,H only the Supreme Court has the nuthority to
issue a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction and
preliminary mandatory injunction ngninst the government or any
of its instrumentalities, officinls and ngcncies in cnses such as
those filed by bidders or those claiming to have rights through such
bidders involving such contract or project. IU\ No. 8975 prohibits
lower courts from issuing injunctive orders in connection with the
implementation of government infrnstruclurc projects unless the
case pertains to matters of extreme urgency involving constitutional
issues such that unless n temporary restraining order is issued,
grave injustice and irreparable injury will arise. The prohibition,
however, does not deprive the lower courts of the authority to take
cognizance of the issues raised in the principal action, as long as
such action and the relief sought, are within their jurisdiction.
d. But courts 1nay not be prevented fron1 exercising

their power to restrain or prohibit ad1ninistrativc
acts involving questions of law
In Hernandez v. National Power Corporalion,· 16 the Court,
through Justice Chico-Nazario, ruled:
"Although Presidential Decree No. 1818 prohibits

any court from issuing injunctions in cases involving
infrastructure projects, the prohibition extends only to
the issuance of injunctions or restraining orders against
administrative acts in controversies involving facts or the
exercise of discretion in technical cases. On issues clearly
outside this dimension and involving questions of law
this Court declared that courts cou]d not be prevented
from_ ~xerci_sing their power to restrain or prohibit
adm1m~trat1ve acts. In such cases, let the hammer fall
and let 1t fall hard." (Emphasis supplied)
T In th is cas~, the issue is whether the trial court may issue

a RO or preliminary injunction to restrain the construction
::anNo. 163352, July 31, 2007, 528 SCRA 685

An Act to Ensure the E c1• • •
Government Infrastructure p. . , xpc itious Implementation and Completion of
H, I OJec~s,etc.
GR No. 146328, March 2~1 200f'1 "8r. SC
' ' • ., ,) RA 16G.

\
\
CHAPTER XIX- RULES OF PROCEDURE 617
Rule 2 - Pleadings and Parties
an? operation of 29-decagon-shaped steel poles or towers with a

height ~f 53.~ m_eters to support overhead high tension cables in
connectwn with its 230 Kilovolt Sucat-Araneta-Balintawak Power
Tran_smission Project. Said transmission line passes through the
Sergio Osm~fia'. Sr. Highway (South Superhighway), the perimeter
of Fort Bonifacio, and Dasmarifias Village proximate to Tamarind
Road, where petitioners' homes are.
The Court resolved the issue in favor of the issuance of a
preliminary injunction under Section 3 Rule 58 of the Rules of Court
holding_that there is adequate evidenc~ to justify the conclusion tha~
the proJect of NAPOCOR probably imperils the health and safety of
the petitioners so as to justify the issuance by the trial court of a writ
of preliminary injunction. Indeed, petitioners adduced in evidence
copies of studies linking the incidence of illnesses such as cancer and
leukemia to exposure to electromagnetic fields.
In Alvarez v. PICOP Resources, lnc.,~r.the Court held that PD
No. 605, PD No. 1818 and RA No. 8975 merely proscribe the issuance
of temporary restraining orders and writs of preliminary injunction
and preliminary mandatory injunction. They cnnnot, under pain of
- violating the Constitution, deprive the courts of nuthority to take
cognizance of the issues raised in the principal action, as long as
such action and the relief sought are within their jurisdiction.
SEC. 11. Report on TEPO, EPO, TRO 01· preliminary

injunction. - The judge shall report any action taken on a
TEPO, EPO, TRO or a preliminary injunction, including its
modification and dissolution, to the Supreme Court, through
the Office of the Court Ad1ninistrator, within ten (IO) days
from the action taken.
SEC. 12. Payment of filing and other legal fees. - The
a ment of filing and other legal fees by the plaintiff shall be
pd,~ rred until after J'udgn1ent unless the plaintiff is allowed
e1.e • fi 1· h
to litigate as an indigent. It shall constitute a rst ien on t e
judgment award.
For a citizen suit, the court shall defer the p?yment of
filing and other legal fees that shall serve as first hen on the
judgment award.
•16GR No. 162243, Nov. 29, 2006, 508 SCRA 498.

SEC. 13. Service of sumrnons, orders and other court

processes. - The summons, orders and other court processes
may be served by the sheriff, his deputy or other proper
court officer or for justifiable reasons, by the counsel
or representative of the plaintiff or any suitable person
authorized or deputized by the court issuing the su1n1nons.
Any private person who is authorized or deputized by
the court to serve sum1nons, orders and other court processes
shall for that purpose be considered an officer of the court.
The sum1nons shall be served on the defendant, together
with a copy of an order infonuing all parties that they have
fifteen (15) days fro1n the filing of an answer, within which to
avail of interrogatories to parties under Rule 25 of the Rules
of Court and request for ad111ission by adverse party under
Rule 26, or at their discretion, 1nake use of depositions under
Rule 23 or other 111easures under Rules 27 and 28.
Should personal and substituted service fail, su1nmons
by publication shall be allowed. 1n the cusc of juridical
entities, su1nmons by publication shall be done by
indicating the na1nes of the officers or their duly authorized
re11resentatives.
a. Service of sun1.mons by a "suitable person"

The "suitable person" referred to in the first paragraph of
this section is required to perform the duties of a sheriff. The role
is similar to that of a process server. The next paragraph imposes
the duties and responsibilities of an officer of the court on a private
person authorized of deputized to serve summons.
Service by publication is deemed a sufficient compliance with
the requirement of due process. The plaintiff, however, must fil~ a
motion in order to avail of this mode of service. This mode of service
by publication is an innovation to the traditional rule on service of
summons and applies to environmental cases.' 17
b. Availment of discovery procedures

Within fifteen (15) days from the filing of an answer, the par~ies
may avail of discovery mechanisms like interrogatories to partie 5 ,
47Annotation, RPEC.

Rule 2 - Pleadings and Parties
request for admission or the use of depositions as provided for in the

Rules of Court.
Under Rule 25 (Interrogatories to Parties), any party desiring
to elicit material and relevant facts from any adverse party shall
file and serve upon the latter written interrogatories to be answered
by the party served. The purpose of the rule is to obtain admissions
and avoid unnecessary testimony and waste of time in preparation.
Under Rule 26 (Admission by Adverse Party), at any time after
the issues have been joined, a party may file and serve upon any
other party a written request for the admission by the latter of the
•genuineness of any material and relevant document described in
and exhibited with the request or of the truth of any material and
relevant matter of fact set forth in the request. The purpose is to
expedite trial and to relieve the partie of co t nnd labor of proving
facts which will not be disputed at the trial and lhe truth of which
can be ascertained by reasonable inquiry.
Under Rule 23 (Depositions Pending Action), the testimony of
any person, whether a party or not, mny b taken at the instance
of any party, by deposition upon oral examination or written
interrogatories. The purpose is to make discovery in preparation for,
or to be used as evidence upon the trial of, the action.
c. Importance of the rul_es of discovery

The various modes or instruments of discovery are meant to
serve as a tool, along with pre-trial, (1) to narrow and clarify the
basic issues between the parties, and (2) for ascertaining the facts
relative to those issues. The evident purpose is to enable the parties
to obtain the fullest possible knowledge of the issues and facts before
civil trials and thus prevent that said trials are carried on in the
dark. 48
SEC. 14. Verified answer. -Within fifteen (15) days from

receipt of summons, the defendant shall file a verified answer
to the complaint and serve a copy thereof on the plaintiff.
The defendant shall attach affidavits of witnesses, reports,
studies of experts and all evidence in support of the defense.
48Feria and Noche, Rules of Discovery. Civil Procedure Annotated, supra.

620 LAWON NA'l'UR.J\LRESOURCES AND llULES
OF PROCEDURE FOil ENVIHONMfo:N'l'AL
CASES
Affirtnative and special defenses not pleaded shull be

deetned waived, except lack of jurisdiction.
Cross-clahns and co1npulsory counterclaims not asserted
shall be considered barred. The answer to counterclaims or
cross-clahns shall be filed and served within ten (10) days
fron1 service of the answer in which they are pleaded.
SEC. 15. Effect of failure to answer. - Should the
defendant fail to answer the complaint within the period
provided, the court shall declare defendant in default ancl
upon motion of the plaintiff, shall receive evidence ex parte
and render judg1nent based thereon and the reliefs prayed
for.
RULE3
PRE-TRIAL
SECTION 1. Notice of pre-trial. - Within two (2) days
from the filing of the answer to the counterclaim or cross-
claim, if any, the branch clerk of court s~all issue a notice of
the pre-trial to be held not later than one (1) month from the
filing of the last pleading.
The court shall schedule the pre-trial and set as many
pre-trial conferences as may be necessary within a period
of two (2) months counted from the date of the first pre-trial
conference.
a. Pre-trial n1andatory
Pre-trial is a mandatory conference and personal confrontation
before the judge between the parties litigant and their respective
counsel for the purpose of settling the litigation as soon as possible,
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or simplifying the issues, without sacrificing the necessary demands
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of justice. 4\J
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Within two clays from the filing of the answer to the counterdnim
3
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or cross-claim, if any, the lJl'nnch clerk of court shall issue a notice
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::, of the pre-trial to he held not 1atel' than one month from tho Hlin~ of
~
the last plen<ling. 'l.'he court shall schedule t.ho pre-trinl and set, ns
4
llJ3orju v. Rox11H1 GH. No. 484fi1, Aug. 10, 1942, 78 Phil. 647.
j
CHAP'l'Ell XIX - llULES OF PROCEDUllE 621
FOR ENVIHONMEN'l'/\L CASES
\
I
Hule :I - Pre-trinl
inany prc-trinl conferences ns mny be necessary within a period of

two months counted from the date of the first pre-trial conference.
b. Purpose of pre-trial
Pre-trial is meant to simplify, if not fully dispose of, the case at
its early stage. While it is not reasonable to expect that a pre-trial
will always result in the parties' reaching an agreement as to all
matters specified in the rule, e.g., amicable settlement, stipulation
of facts, number and names of witnesses, etc., the parties during
the pre-trial are obliged not only to make a formal identification
and specification of the issues and their proofs but also to directly
address and discuss with sincerity and candor and in entire good
faith each of the other subjects enumerated in the Rules and such
other matters as may aid in the prompt disposition of the case. 50
The Court has recognized "the importance of pre-trial procedure
as a means of facilitating the disposal of cases by simplifying or
limiting the issues and avoiding unnecessary proof of facts at the
trial, and x x x to do whatever may reasonably be necessary to
facilitate and shorten the formal trial." The need for strict adherence
to the rules on pre-trial thus proceeds from its significant role in
the litigation process. This is not to say, however, that the rules
governing pre-trial should be, at all times, applied in absolute terms.
While faithful compliance with the rules is undoubtedly desirable,
they may be relaxed in cases where their application would frustrate,
rather than facilitate, the ends of justice. The relaxation of the rules,
however, is contingent upon a showing of compelling and persuasive
reasons to justify the same. 51
SEC. 2. Pre-trial brief. -At least three (3) days before the
pre-trial, the parties shall subn1it pre-trial briefs containing
the following:
(a) A stateinent of their willingness to enter into au
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amicable settle1nent indicating the desired ter1ns thereof or
:,
a.
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to submit the case to any of the alternntivc 1nodes of dispute
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resolution;
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3 (h) A sum1nul'y of' adrnittod fncts nnd proposed ~tipuln-
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r,onovclopmonl Bunk of l ho PhilippitllHl v. Comt of i\pptin!H, cmNo. 49.110,

Jon. 2G, l!lH!l, Hi9 SCHA '100.
1
1> Chu11 v. Snnt.ingo, CH No. l:!10:10!),Nov. I:!~,l:!017.
..
LAW ON NATURAL HESOUHCES AND HULES

622 OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CASES
(c) The legal nnd factual i.ssucs to be tried or ~esolved.

For each factual issue, the parties shall state n~l evidence to
support their positions thereon. For each legal issue, parties
shall state the applicable law and jurisprudence supporting
their respective positions thereon;
(d) The docun1ents or exhibits to be presented,
including depositions, answers to interrogatories and
answers to written request for ad111ission by adverse party,
stating the purpose thereof;
(e) A manifestation of their having availed of discovery
procedures or their intention to avail the111selves of referral
to a commissioner or panel of experts;
(f) The number and names of the witnesses and the
substance of their affidavits;
(g) Clarificatory questions from the parties; and
(h) List of cases arising out of the same facts pending
before other courts or administrative agencies.
Failure to comply with the required contents of a pre-
trial brief may be a ground for contempt.
Failure to file the pre-trial brief shall have the same
effect as failure to appear at the pre-trial.
a. Submission of pre-trial briefs, contents

At least three (3) days before the pre-trial, the parties shall
submit pre-trial briefs containing, among others, a statement of
their willingness to enter into an amicable settle1nent indicating the
desired terms thereof, and whether they intend to sub1nit the case
to any of the alternative modes of dispute resolution. The parties
(J)
shall also state the documents or exhibits to be presented, including
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depositions, answers to interrogatories and answers to written
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a.
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request for admission by adverse party, and a manifestation of their
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having availed of discovery procedures or their intention to avnil
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themselves of referral to a commissionel' or panel of experts.
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b. Possibility of' cornpromisc
th . S~c~ion2(a) is significant in thnt it requires tho pnrt:ies to stnte

eir ~ilhngness to enter into an amicable settlement. A compromise
permits the parties to make reciprocal concessions, avoid a litigation
~
\ CHAPTER XIX - RULI~SOF PROCEDURE 623
\ \
Hule :3- Pre-trinl
or put an end to one already commenced. 02 Indeed, Section 5, Rule

3, requires that ''the judge shall exert best efforts to persuade the
parties to arrive a settlement of the dispute." This provision is
consistent with Article 2029 of the Civil Code which provides that
"the court shall endeavor to persuade the litigants in a civil case to
agree upon some fair compromise." A compromise is the settlement
of a controversy principally, and is but merely incidentally, the
settlen1ent of a claim. A compromise requires the grant of reciprocal
concessions. 0 :1
A con1pro1nise may supersede all agreements and proceedings
that had previously taken place and may constitute a final and
definite settlen1ent of the controversies by and between the parties.
A valid compromise becomes the source of the rights and obligations
of the parties thereto, the purpose of a compromise being precisely
to replace and terininate controverted claims. 6 •1
c. Consequence of failure to file a pre-trial brief

Failure to file a pre-trial brief has the same effect as failure to
appear at the pre-trial. A show-cause order may be issued seeking
an explanation why either or both parties did not appear at the
pre-trial. The purpose of the rule is to compel·the parties to appear
personally before the court to reach, if possible, a compromise. In
fact, Section 1 states that the court shall schedule the pre-trial and
set as many pre-trial conferences as may be necessary within a
period of two (2) months counted from the date of the first pre-trial
conference, the purpose being to persuade the parties to arrive at a
settle1nent of the dispute.
In a case,6 6 the Court penalized a lawyer who failed to file a pre-
trial brief and other pleadings, such as position papers, leading to the
dismissal of the case with six months suspension. In another case, 5 (i
the Court meted a one-year suspension on a lawyer for inexcusable

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negligence, the latter having failed to file a pre-trial brief lending to
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the dismissal of the case Rnd failure to prosecute in another cmw.~
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ll:LA1t. 2028, Civil Codt!.
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G:JMcCurthyv. H11rlwrSl1l11111Hhip Linmi, UH No, ~0·110, DllC, 10, lH::!ll,•16Phil.
'188.
1' 4 Landoil Reso11rc1.m
Corpornt io11 v. 'l'u11tH11111,OH No. 777~W.lhll!. ~O. Hl88, Hi8
SCRA n69.
r,f)l3ollestcros v. Apia~. i\.C. No. o7G0, Supt. ao, 2006, 471 SCHA 111.
r,osonuno
• v. Reyes, 48!) SCHJ\ :i:rn.
07 Conlu v. Arcdoni11,A.C. No. ,l!JDfi,Sopt. 12, 2011.
"""

SEC. 3. Referra.l to ,nedia.tion. - At the start of the pre-

trial conference, the court shall inquire from the parties
if they have settled the dispute; otherwise, the court shall
inunediately refer the parties or their counsel, if authorized
by their clients, to the Philippine Mediation Center (PMC)
unit for purposes of 111ediation. If not available, the court
shall refer the case to the clerk of coU:rt or legal researcher
for mediation.
Mediation must be conducted within a non-extendible
period of thirty (30) days from receipt of notice of referral to
mediation.
The mediation report must be submitted within ten (10)
days from the expiration of the 30-day period.
a. Referral of parties to mediation

At the start of the pre-trial conference, the court shall inquire
from the parties if they have settled the dispute; otherwise, the court
shall immediately refer the parties or their counsel, if authorized
by their clients, to the Philippine Mediation Center (PMC) unit for
purposes of mediation. If not available, the court shall refer the case
to the clerk of court or legal researcher for mediation.
Mediation is a collaborative process whereby an impartial
third person called a mediator facilitates communication and
negotiation between parties for the purpose of assisting them reach
a voluntary agreement regarding their dispute. The process is based
on mutual agreement and decision-making authority rests with
the parties themselves. The details of mediation are confidential
and all communications between the parties and the mediator are
privileged. Mediation is less costly than civil litigation and works
towards long-term solutions for the parties in dispute.
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b. Institutionalization of mediation through court-
a.
:E annexed mediation
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To decongest court dockets and enhance access to justice, the
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Supreme Court through A.M. No. 01-10-05-SC-PHILJA approved the
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institutionalization of mediation in the Philippines through court-
annexed mediation. AJong with this, structures and guidelines for the
implementation of court-annexed mediation were put in place. Trial
courts, therefore, cannot just indiscriminately refer for mediation any
case to just anybody. For one, there are cases which shall and shall
..ii
\ CHAP'l'l~ll XIX - H.ULl~SOF PJlOCl1:tJUlU~
FOH. l~NVIRONMl~N'l'AliCASES
lhtle :-1- Pro-1.rinl
625
not be referred to court-nnncxed 1ncdiution. For another, mediatable

cases where iunicuble settlement js possible 1nust be referred by the
trial courts to the Philippine Mediation Center (PMC) which, in turn,
shall Hssist the parties in selecting a mutually acceptable mediator
fro1u its list of duly accredited 111ediators. While courts and their
personnel are enjoined to assist in the successful irnplementation of
1nediation, A.M. No. 01-10-05-SC-PHILJA does not authorize them
to conduct the n1ediation themselves. Mediation of cases can only
be done by individuals who possess the basic qualifications for the
position, have undergone relevant trainings, seminars-workshops,
and internship prograins and were duly accredited by the court as
mediators. These are to ensure that the mediators have the ability
to discharge their responsibility of seeing to it that the parties to a
case consider and understand the terms of a settlement agreement.
Unlike therefore when the mediation is facilitated by an accredited
mediator, there is great danger that legal rights or obligations of
parties may be adversely affected by an improper settlement if
mediation is handled by an ordinary court employee. 68
c. Mediation procedure
There is no set procedure for conducting mediation meetings.
The mediator has the flexibility to adopt and implement a process
which he believes is appropriate. As a rule, the 111ediator begins
the process by calling the parties to a preliminary 1neeting. At this
meeting, the mediator ascertains whether there is an earnest and
good faith effort of the parties to arrive at a settle111ent. If so, the
mediation will move ahead; if not, the mediation will tenninate
at once. Among others, the 1nediator verifies fro1n the persons
representing the parties if they have plenary authority to agree
to the terms of a settlement. If not, the 1nediator 1nust ascertain
whether it would be a worthwhile exercise to continue with the
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mediation. If jt moves ahead, the parties may agree on the issues
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in dispute, an<l the process by which those issues nrc to be clarified
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d. Mediation strategy
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'I1hemediator's role i8 to guide tho process so t.hnt tho issues are
defined, relevant information is produced, and options for settle1nent
118
Re: Dinah Evangeline D. Banclong, A.M. No. R'l'J-17-2507, Oct. 9, 2017.
11
!)Bellosillo,Effective Pre-1'rial '1'eclmiqu.c, pp. 417-418.
are explored without loss of time and without regard to the niceties
of law and procedure. Where the mediator sees a feasible solution
which the parties have not seen, the mediator may direct th~
discussion towards this solution. The mediator should refrain from
making an assessment of the merits of any issue. It is more effective
for the mediator to question the strength and weaknesses of their
case to each party separately, at private meetings, and encourage
them to reach settlement. 60
e. The Philippine Judicial Academy: a component

unit of the Supreme Court for ADR mechanisms
The Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) plays a significant
role in advancing the cause of the environn1ent and ecology. Created
by RA No. 8557 on February 26, 1998, PHILJA is a "separate
component unit of the Supreme Court and shall operate under
its administration, supervision, and control." As the premiere
education arm of the Supreme Court, it provides an institutionalized,
integrated, progressive, professionalized, nnd continuing system of
education in the country.
In keeping with the policy declared in RA No. 8557 "to ensure
an efficient and credible Judiciary" and consistent with one of
the objectives of the Action Program for Judicial Reform (APJR),
particularly the decongestion of court dockets and the enhancement
of access to justice by encouraging resort to amicable settlement or
submission to alternative modes of dispute resolution, the Supreme
Court designated PHILJA as its component unit for court-referred,
court-related mediation cases and other forms of Alternative Dispute
Resolution (ADR) mechanisms. 61
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a system for settling
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disputes between two or more parties, which operates independently
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a. of, or, as an adjunct to the judicial litigation system, through the
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facilitate and coordinate the interaction of disputants in a settlement
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process. 62
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Bellosillo, supra, pp. 418-419.
61
A.M. No. 01-10-5-SC-PHILJA.
62
Sec. 7(a), AO No. 33-2008, dated Feb. 12, 2008.
CHJ\lYfEH XIX - HULES OF PHOCEl>UHE G27
FOH ENVIHONMEN'l'AL CASES
Hui" :1- Prc-tri11l
f. Kinds of ADR Mcchnnisnu,

At the pre-trial, the purtics nrc encouraged to submit the cusc
to any of the alternative modes of dispute resolution,;, which inc]u(1,.
the following:
Court-Annexed Mediation (CAM) - a mediation process

conducted under the auspices of the court after such court has
acqui~ed jurisdiction of the dispute. It is mandatory, being part of
pre-trial.
Appellate Court Mediation (ACM) - a mediation program in

the Court of Appeals (CA) corollary to Court-Annexed Mediation
in the lower courts. It provides a conciliatory approach in conflict
resolution. Through ACM, the CA promotes a paradigm shift in
the resolution of disputes from rights based (judicial) to an interest
based (mediation) process to amicably settle appeals.
Judicial Dispute Resolution (JDR) - a process whereby the
judge (called the JDR judge) employs conciliation, mediation or early
neutral evaluation in order to settle a case at the pre-trial stage. In
the event the JDR fails, then another judge (called the trial judge)
shall proceed to hear and decide the case.
Mobile-Court Annexed Mediation (MCAM) - a form of court-
annexed mediation whereby mediation proceedings are conducted
in a mobile court deployed in an area for a certain period.
Court-Annexed Arbitration (CAA) - a voluntary dispute
resolution conducted with the assistance of the court in which one
or more arbitrators app~inted in accordance with the Arbitration
Clause and as agreed upon by the parties, resolve a dispute by
rendering an award.
g. Establishment of PMC units
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The Philippine Mediation Center Office (PMCO) under PHILJA
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Cl • t k d t tablish PMC units throughout the country, and to
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prov1 e a sys em 101 r • the i·ecruitment trmnmg, nn nccre 1tation o
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3Cf) establishment of the PMCO strengthens the co_nst.1t.ut.10nn 1 po 1cyo
th e sta t e to "prov1'd e a simplified and inexpensive procedure for the
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spee d y d rnpos1 ·t·10n oi' ens es and disJJonsnt.10n o Just 1co. ts cren ion
s:isec. 2(u), Rule a, RPEC.

C,28 LAW ON NA'l'UHAI. HEHOUIH..!l•:H
AND llULl•~H
OF PHoc1,:nu1m FOH l•:NVIHONMEN'l'ALCM,1•:H
also gives the people mm·<' ncce14141.o;\l>H, mcehnniHmf-1whieh i~~lu<le

a broad rnngc of dispute re1-1olut.ionoptionA out.Hid~ the Lrnd1t.1onu]
n.dminist.rnt.ive, judicinl, 01· lcgi1,l11tivedc<..:iHio11-mnk1ng
procC88.
h. Court Annexed Mcdintion - procedure

On the dnte set by the court for mediation, the parties shall
proceed to select a mutually ncceptnblc medint.or from among the Jist
of accrcrlited mediators. The mediator shnll cxph.iin to the parties
the mediation process, stressing the benefits of an early settlement
of their dispute based on mutual interests rather than on the legal
positions taken by them.
The mediator sha11 have a period of not exceeding thirty (30)
days to complete the mediation process. An extension of thirty (30)
days may be granted by the court upon motion of tho mediator with
the consent of the parties where there is a likelihood that settlement
may be reached by the parties. If full settlement is reached, the
parties, assisted by counsel, shall druft the compromise agreement
to be submitted to the court for appropriate action. If no settlement
is reached, the case is returned to the referring judge (or the JDR
judge) for further proceedings.
In cnvironmenta] 1nw cases, the case is referred by the judge,
first, to the Philippine Mediation Center (PM:C) Unit for mediation.
If no PMC unit is availab]e, the court shall refer the cnsc to the clerk
of court or legal researcher for mediation.
SEC. 4. Preli,ninary conference. - If 1nedintion fails, the

court will schedule the continuance of the pre-trial. Before
the scheduled date of continuuncc, the court 1nny refer the
case to the branch clerk of court for a prelin1innry conference
for the folJowing purposes:
(a) 'J'oassist the parties in reaching n sottlo1nont;
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'fo mark the docun1cnts 01· exhibits to ho presented
(h)
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af'ter comparison with the originals;
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:, (c) To asceriuin fron1 tho pnl'tioH t:ho nndiHpntod facts
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and admissioni:, on thu g,!1111
documenti-; nuu·lccd nA ,~xhihitH;
(d) 'ro l'equirc tJu~ pu,·tieH t,o Huhn1it. thu cluµositions

taken un<lel' Rule 2H of' the RuloH of' Court., tho nnswors to
~
629
CHAPTER XIX- RULES OF PROCEDURE
FOR ENVIRONM:ENTALCASES
Rule 3 - Pre-trial
written interrogatories under Rule 25, and the answers to

request for admissions by the adverse party under Rule 26;
(e) To require the production of docu111ents or things
requested by a party under Rule 27 and the results of the
physical and mental examination of persons under Rule 28;
(f) To consider such other matters as n1ay aid in its
prompt disposition;
(g) To record the proceedings in the "Minutes of
Preliminary Conference" to be signed by both parties or
their counsels;
(h) To mark the affidavits of witnesses which shall be
in question and answer forn1 and shall constitute the direct
examination of the witnesses; and
(i) To attach the 1ninutes together with the 1narkcd
exhibits before the pre-trial proper.
The parties or their counsel inust su bin it to the branch
clerk of court the names, addresses nnd contact nu111bers of
the affiants.
During the preliminary conference, the branch clerk of
court shall also require the parties to sub1nit the depositions
taken under Rule 23 of the Rules of Court, the answers to
written interrogatories under Rule 25 and the answers to
request for admissions by the adverse party under Rule 26.
The branch clerk of court 111ayalso require the production
of documents or things requested by a party under Rule 27
and the results of the physical and 1nental examination of
persons under Rule 28.
SEC. 5. Pre-trial conference; consent decree. -The judge
shall put the parties and their counsels under oath, and they
shall remain under oath in all pre-trial conferences.
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The judge shall exert best efforts to persuade the parties
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to arrive at a settlement of the dispute. The judge may issue
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a consent decree approving the agreement between the
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parties in accordance with law, morals, public order and
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public policy to protect the right of the people to a balanced
and healthful ecology.
Evidence not presented during the pre-trial, except
newly-discovered evidence, shall be deemed waived.
,
630 LAW ON N/\'l'UHJ\L HESOUllCES AND HULES
OF PHOCEDUllE FOil ENVlltONMENTAL CASES
a. Prc-t:rinl conference he fore hrnnch clork of court

'l'he presirling judge mny, before t.hc stnrt of the pre-trial
conference, refer t.he case to t:hcbranch clerk of court for a preliminary
conference to assist the purt.ies in reaching u settlement, to mark
documents or exhibits to be presented by the parties an<l copies
thereof to be attached to the records nfter comparison and to consider
such other matters as may aid in the prompt disposition of the case.
The rules require the presence of the parties or their counsel.11< 1
b. Consent decree
Pursuant to Section 5, the judge shall exert best efforts to
persuade the parties to arrive at a settlement of the dispute. The
judge may issue a consent decree approving the agreement between
the parties in accordance with law, morals, public order, and public
policy to protect the right of the people to a balanced and healthful
ecology. Evidence not presented during the pre-trial, except newly-
discovered evidence, shall be deemed waived.
A consent decree refers to a judicially-approved settlement
between concerned parties based on public interest and public policy
to protect and preserve the environment. Section 5 encourages the
parties to reach an agreement through a consent decree, sometimes
called consent judgment, which gives emphasis to the public interest
aspect in the assertion of the right to a balanced and healthful
ecology. A consent decree derives its contractual nature from the
fact of their being entered into by the parties themselves whereas its
judicial feature is acquired by its approval by the court.
In Cosalan v. Domogan, 6r,the Court of Appeals issued a consent
decree granting the petition for a writ of halihasan and continuing
mandamus for the permanent closure of the Irisan open dumpsite
in Baguio City, the continued operation of which has threatened the
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right of petitioners to a balanced and healthful ecology. The consent
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decree contained the following terms and conditions:
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(1) Respondents City of' Baguio, et al. shall immodintely
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implement their announced plnn to convort nnd estnblish tho
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area of the lrisnn dumpAito ns nn onvi,·onmont-friondly Eco-
:,
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◄omce of lhu Court AdminiAt l'Ullll' v. Ch11voz,A.M. No. lt'I\J. to-22 l!), Mnl'Ch
7, 2017.
6
n CA-GR No. 0000(i, Aug. 10, ~01~-
CHAPTER XIX - HULES OF PROCEDURE 631
Rulo :J - Pre-trin~
(2) Respondents shnll establish a waste disposal system

at a remote location nnd, in tho interim, a<lopt al1 measures
that shall ensure a clean, sanitary and safe environment for
the residents of the area affected and its environs; and
(3) Respondents shall submit periodic reports of compli-
ance with the consent decree, with the DENR as the monitor-
ing agency, in the nature of continuing mandamus.
c. Advantages of a consent decree

The distinct advantages of a consent decree are:
(a) it encourages the parties to come up with compre-
hensive, mutually-acceptable solutions to the environ1nent
problem, and since the agreement was arrived at voluntarily,
there is a greater possibility of actual compliance;
(b) it is open to public scrutiny;
(c) it allows the parties to address issues other than
those presented to the court; and
(d) it is still subject to judicial approval and can be
enforced through a court order. 66
d. Consent decree generally not appealable

It is usually not possible to appeal a consent decree unless one
side of the suit can prove that they have been forced into consent
through fraud, mistake or duress in which event an appeal may be
taken from the order denying the motion. 67 Usually, the only other
instance where a consent decree may be appealed is if both parties
agree they misunderstood the terms of the agreement as defined by
the consent decree.
A compromise in which there is a mistake, fraud, violence,
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intimidation, undue influence, or falsity of documents, is subject to
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C. the provisions of Article 1330 of the Civil Code.
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Rationalc, HPEC, citin1: J. Ynares-Snnt.i11go,"l•'rn111ework
/<>r Str1•11gthC'11ing
Environmental Ad}wlicutio11 in tl,e /'l,i/ip1,i11es."
67
Pi1rnov. Cuynnong, CH No. 1,-1HHOB,Foh. ~8. I nm1.
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632
SEC. 6. Fail1tre to settle. - If there is no full settlement,

the judge shall:
(a) Adopt the ininutes of the prelirninary conferen~e as
part of the pre-trial proceedings and confirm the markings
of exhibits or substituted photocopies and admissions on the
genuineness and due execution of docu1nents;
(b) Determine if there are cases arisin~ out oft~e sa~e
facts pending before other courts and order its consolidation
if warranted;
(c) Determine if the pleadings are in order and if not,
order the amendments if necessary;
(d) Determine if interlocutory issues are involved and
resolve the same; •
(e) Consider the adding or dropping of parties;
(f) Scrutinize every single allegation of the complaint,
answer and other pleadings and attachments thereto, and
the contents of documents and all other evidence identified
and pre-marked during pre-trial in determining further
admissions;
(g) Obtain admissions based on the affidavits of wit-
nesses and evidence attached to the pleadings or submitted
during pre-trial; •
(h) Define and simplify the factual and legal issues
arising from the pleadings and evidence. Uncontroverted
issues and frivolous claims or defenses should be eliminated;
(i) Discuss the propriety of rendering a sumn1ary
judgment or a judgment based on the pleadings evidence
and admissions made during pre-trial; '
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. . ~) Observe the Most Important Witness Rule in
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limiting the number of witnesses, determining the facts to be
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proved by each witness and fixing the approxhnate nu1nber
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of hours per witness;
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(~) .Encourage referral of the case to a trial by
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comm1ss1oner unde R I 32 O f'
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m d• t . r u e • the Rules of Court or to n
e ia or or arbitrator unde ~ O
f' h ,
dispute resol t· I any t e alternative 1nodes of
ion governed by ti s . ..
Alternative n·uispu t R
e esolution·
. ie pec1al Rules of Court on
'
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FOR ENVIRONMENT.A.L CASES
Rule 3- Pre-trial
(1) Determine the necessity of engaging the services

of a qualified expert as a friend of the court ( aniicus curiae);
and
(m) Ask parties to agree on the specific trial dates for

continuous trial, comply with the one-day exan1inatio11 of
witness rule, adhere to the case flow chart detennined by
the court which shall contain the different stages of the
proceedings up to the promulgation of the decision and use
the time frame for each stage in setting the trial dates.
SEC. 7. Effect of failure to appear at pre-trial. -The court
shall not dismiss the complaint, except upon repeated and
unjustified failure of the plaintiff to appear. The disrnissal
shall be without prejudice, and the court n1ay proceed with
the counterclaim.
If the defendant fails to appear at the pre-trial, the court
shall receive evidence ex pa,rtc.
a. Effect of failure to appear

If the plaintiff fails to appear without valid cause, the action
may be dismissed. But unlike under Section 5, Rule 18 of the Rules
of Court, the dismissal shall be without prejudice, and the court
may proceed with the counterclaim, unless the counterclaim is
determined to be a strategic lawsuit against public participation
(SLAPP) suit. 68 If the defendant fails to appear, the plaintiff may
present his evidence ex parte.
SEC. 8. Minutes of pre-trial. - The minutes of each pre-

trial conference shall contain matters taken up therein,
more particularly adn1issions of facts and exhibits, and shall
w be signed by the parties and their counsel.
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SEC 9. Pre-trial order. - Within ten (10) days after the
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termination of the pre-trial, the court shall issue a pre-trial
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order setting forth the actions taken during the pre-trial
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conference, the facts stipulated, the admissions made, the
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evidence marked, the number of witnesses to be presented
and the schedule of trial. Said order shall bind the parties,
limit the trial to matters not disposed of and control the
course of action during the trial.
68 Sec. l, Rule 6, RPEC.

634
SEC. 10. Efforts to settle. - The court sha~I endeavor to

make the parties agree to con1pro1nise or settle 111 acco_r?ance
with law at any stage of the proceedings before rendition of
judgment.
a. ADR n1odes of dispute resolution a tool to expedite

disposition of environn1en.tal cases
It is the State's policy to promote party autono1ny in the mode
of resolving disputes. Arbitration and other alternative dispute
resolution methods like mediation, negotiation, and conciliation are
favored over court action. Under the Rules, the court shall exert its
best efforts in encouraging the parties to enter into a c01npr01nise
settlement at any stage before judgment. The importance of a
compromise settlement is that it offers the parties the following
unique benefits: it takes less time and money, the parties themselves
exercise party autonomy, and they can preserve their relationship.
RULE4
TRIAL
SECTION 1. Continuous Trial. -The judge shall conduct

continuous trial which shall not exceed two (2) months from
the date of the issuance of the pre-trial order.
Before the expiration of the two-month period, the
judge may ask the Supreme Court for the extension of the
trial period for justifiable cause.
a. Continuous trial
One of the key features of the Rules is the abbreviated timeline

available and permitted to the courts in resolving environmental
cases. This appears prmninently in the provisions on trial, which
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traditionally occupies the greater amount of time in litigation.
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a. But while this section provides for continuous trial it does not
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g: nec~ssarily mean that the trial should be conducted on ' a day-to-day
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basis. Emphasis is simply made on the period within which the trial
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:::, must be concluded, i.e., "not to exceed two n1onths from the issuance
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of the pre-trial order. "cm
69
Annotntion, RPEC.
Rule 4 -Trial
SEC. 2. Affidavits in lieu of direct examination. - In lieu

of direct examination, affidavits marked during the pre-trial
shall be presented as direct examination of affiants subject
to cross-examination by the adverse party.
a. Use of affidavits
. To m!ni~ze the time required for completing testimonies of
witnes~es ~n h~1gated cases, the Rules provide for the use of judicial
affidaVIts 1n lieu of witnesses' direct testimonies. Affidavits are
e?1ployed t~ ob~ate delays in procedure which often goes with
direc~ ex~m1nation. The use of affidavits narrows the scope of the
examination as well as focuses the inquiry on the very merits of the
controversy. This section presupposes that the admissibility of the
affidavits had already been considered at the pre-trial. 70
SEC. 3. One-day exam.ination of witness rule. -The court

shall strictly adhere to the rule that a witness has to be fully
examined in one (I) day, subject to the court's discretion of
extending the examination for justifiable reason. After the
presentation of the last witness, only oral offer of evidence
shall be allowed, and the opposing party shall iinmediately
interpose his objections. The judge shall forthwith rule on
the offer of evidence in open court.
a. One-day examination of a witness

Another interesting feature of the Rules is the one-day
examination of the witness rule, meaning that a witness must
conclude oral testimony in one (1) day, but subject to extension for
justifiable cause in the court's discretion. After the presentatio~ of
the last witness, only oral offer of evidence shall be ~llowed wh1.ch
again is intended to save time consistent with the policy to expedite
the resolution of environmental cases.
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SEC. 4. Submission of case for decisio7:; filing of
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a. _ After the last party has rested its case, the
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memoran d a. d •5 •
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court shall issue an order submitting the case for eci ion.
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Ql The court may require the parties to submit !he_ir
if possible in electronic form, wi t bin
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~ respective memoranda,
70 Annotation, RPEC.
636 LAWON NATURALRESOUHCESAND RULES~
OF PROCEDUREFOil ENVIRONMEN'l'ALCASES
a non-extendible period of thirty (30) days frmn the date the

case is submitted for decision.
The court shall have a period of sixty (60) days to decide
the case from the date the case is sub111itted for decision.
SEC. 5. Period to try and decide. - The court sl~ull have
a period of one (1) year frmn the filing of the co1npla1nt to try
and decide the case. Before the expiration of the one-year
period, the court 1nuy petition the Supren1e Court for the
extension of the period for justifiable cause.
The court shall prioritize the adjudicntion of environ-
mental cases.
a. Filing of 1nen1ornnda; period for the rendition of

judg1uent
'l'he parties are required to submit their memoranda in
electronic form. This is in response to developments in information
technology, and the use of computer. nnd other sophisticated means
of communication. The court is given n period of one (1) yenr from tho
filing of the complaint to henr nnd <lcciclet.h, case, nnd n disposition
period of sixty (60) days from the dnt , the cn.-e is submitted for
decision. Before the expiration of the on -yenr period, the court
may petition the Supreme Court for the extension of the period for
justifiable cause.
RULE 5
JUDGMENT AND EXECUTION
SECTION 1. Reliefs in a citizen suit. - If warranted, the

court may grant to the plaintiff proper reliefs which shall
include the protection, preservation or rehabilitation of the
environment and the pay1nent of attorney's fees costs of
s~it and other l~tigation expenses. It n1ay also re~uire the
violator to submit a program of rehabilitation or restoration
of th~ environment, the costs of which shall be borne by
the vmlator, or to contribute to a special trust fund for that
purpose subject to the control of the court.
a. Reliefs in a citizen suit

't T!,e hRules provide for a number of broad reliefs in a citizen
su1 w ic are not confined to monetary awards. These include the

637
Rule 5 -Judgment and Execution
protection, preservation, or rehabilitation of the environ~e!-'1t 3:nd

the payment of attorney's fees, costs of suit and other ~itigabon
expenses. The broad range of reliefs, like requiring the ':olator to
submit a program of rehabilitation or restoration of the enV1ronment
with the costs to be borne by him is in line with the rule of the ~ourt
in Metro Manila Development Authority v. Concerned Residents
of Manila Bay 11 where the Manila Bay Advisory Committee was
created to receive and evaluate the quarterly progressive reports on
the activities undertaken by the agencies concerned in accordance
with the Court's decision and to monitor the execution phase thereof.
A rehabilitation or restoration program to be implemented at
the cost of the violator is also a major relief that may be obtained
under a judgment rendered in a citizens' suit under the Rules.
In Arigo v. Swift, 12 the Court deferred to the Executive Branch
on the matter of compensation and rehabilitation measures brought
about by the damage to the Tubbataha National Marine Park by
the grounded US military ship USS Guardian, through diplomatic
channels. Exploring avenues for settlement of environ1nental
cases is not proscribed by the Rules. Mediation and settlement are
available for the consideration of the parties as a mode of dispute
resolution, and are in fact encouraged by the Court.
b. No damages in a citizen suit

No damages can be awarded in a citizen suit. This measure
is in line with the policy that a citizen suit is filed in the public
interest, and, in effect, it is the environment which is vindicated
in the action. The only recourse of a party or person who wishes to
recover damages for injury suffered is to file separate action under
Section 4, Rule 2.73 It bears noting that Sec. 15(e), Rule 7 of the Rules
expressly prohibits the grant of damages to petitioners in a petition
for the issuance of a writ of halikasan. 74
SEC. 2. Judgment not stayed by appeal. - Any judgment

directing the performance of acts for the protection,
preservation or rehabilitation of the environment shall be
executory pending appeal unless restrained by the appellate
court.
71
GR No. 171947, Dec. 18, 2008, 574 SCRA 661.
72
GR No. 206510, Sept. 16, 2014.
73
Annotation, RPEC.
14Jbid.

a. Judg111ent inunediately executory

A judgment rendered pursuant to the Rules is immediately
executory. It may not be stayed by the posting of a bond under Rule
39 of the Rules of Court and the sole remedy lies with the appellate
court. The appellate court can issue a TRO to 1:estrain the execution
of the judgment and should the court act with grave abuse of
discretion in refusing to issue to act on the application for a TRO,
a petition for certiorari under Rule 65 can be brought before the
Supreme Court. 75
SEC. 3. Permanent EPO; writ of continuing mandamus.

- In the judgment, the court may convert the TEPO to a
permanent EPO or issue a writ of continuing mandamus
directing the performance of acts which. shall be effective
until the judgment is fully satisfied.
The court may, by itself or through the· appropriate
government agency, monitor the execution of the judgment
and require the party concerned to submit written reports on
a quarterly basis or sooner as may be necessary, detailing the
progress of the execution and satisfaction of the judgment.
The other party may, at its option, submit its comments or
observations on the execution of the judgment.
a. Conversion of a TEPO to a permanent EPO

This provision authorizes the court to convert the TEPO to
a permanent EPO or to issue a writ of continuing mandamus for
the performance of acts which shall be effective until the judgment
is satisfied. As a remedy, a continuing mandamus is decidedly an
attractive relief. Nevertheless, the monitoring function attached to
the writ is decidedly taxing upon the court, and so the court may
monitor the execution of the judgment through the appropriate
government agency.
As provided in the subsequent section, the court may motu
proprio, or upon motion of the prevailing party, order that the
enforcement of the judgment or order be referred to a commissioner
to be appointed by the court. The commissioner shall file with the
court written progress reports on a quarterly basis or more frequently
75
1bid.

639
CHAPTER XIX - RULES OF PROCEDURE
Rule 6 - Strategic Lawsuit against Public Participation
when necessary. The procedure is akin to a writ of continuing

mandamus where the court continues to monitor the progress of the
execution phase until the judgment is fully satisfied.
SEC. 4. Monitoring of co,npliance with judg11ient a.nd

orders of the court by a com,nissioner. - The court 1nny ,notu
proprio, or upon motion of the prevailing party, order that
the enforcement of the judgment or order be referred to a
conunissioner to be appointed by the court. The conunissioner
shall file with the court written progress reports on a
quarterly basis or more frequently when necessary.
SEC. 5. Return of writ of execution. - The process of
execution shall terminate upon a sufficient showing that the
decision or order has been in1plen1ented to the satisfaction
of the court in accordance with Section 1'1, Rule 39 of the
Rules of Court.
RULE6
STRATEGIC LAWSUIT AGAINST PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION
SECTION 1. Strategic lawsuit against public parti-

cipation (SLAPP). - A legal action filed to harass, vex, exert
undue pressure or stifle any legal recourse that any person,
institution or the government has taken or may take in
the enforcement of environmental laws, protection of the
environment or assertion of environmental rights shall be
treated as a SLAPP and shall be governed by these Rules.
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a. SLAPP as a suit to stifle enforcement of
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A SLAPP refers to:
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"an action whether civil, criminal or administrative, brought

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against any person, institution or any government agency or
local government unit or its officials and employees, with the
intent to harass, vex, exert undue pressure or stifle any legal
recourse that such person, institution or government agency
has taken or may take in the enforcement of environmental
6'10 LAWON NATURAL IlESOUHCESAND RULl~S
OF PHOCEDUREFOR ENVIRONMENTALCASES
laws, protection of the cnviron1nent or assertion of

environmental rights." 70
In application, the allegation of SLAPP is set up as a defense

in those cases claimed to have been filed merely as a harassment
suit against environmental actions. 77 It is n lawsuit that is intended
to intimidate and silence nny person, institution or the government
that has taken or may take in the enforcement of environmental laws.
The Rules recognize thnt formidable chn11enges mny be mounted
against those who seek to enforce environmental laws, or to assert
environmental rights. These legal chn]]enges mny be preemptive in
character and may be done in order to "chill" the latter.
The constitutional rights to freedom of speech, expression and
assembly (and in certain cases, the right to petition the government
for redress of grievances) in relation to the l'ight to n bnlanced and
healthful ecology are affected by n SL/\PP. 711
As held in Mercado v. Lopcna, 711 Section l, Rule 6 identifies
the legal action that constitutes n SLAPP, more specifically, "the
enforcement of environmental Jaws, protection of the environment
or assertion of environmental rights." SLAPP, as a defense, is a
mere privilege borne out of procedurnl rules; accordingly, it may
only be exercised in the manner and within the scope prescribed by
the Court as a rule-making body. It is improper to invoke SLAPP as
a defense in an original action before a separate forum considering
that the Rules clearly mandate that such a defense can only be
invoked in the same action and consequently, before the same court.
Thus, the Court stated that RA No. 9262, or the "Anti-Violence
Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004," which involves
cases of violence against women and their children, is not among
those laws included under the scope of the Rules.
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a. SEC. 2. SLAPP as a defense; how alleged. - In a
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of environmental laws, protection of the environn1ent, or
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assertion of environmental rights, the defendant may file an
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answer interposing as a defense that the case is a SLAPP
7
1lA.M.No. 09-6-8-SC, Ruic 1, Sec. '1(g).
77
Mcrcndo v. Lopcn11, OH No. 230] 70, June 6, 2018.
711
Annotnt.ion, RPEC.
10
Supra.
and shall be supported by documents, affidavits, papers

and other evidence; and, by way of counterclaim, pray for
damages, attorney's fees and costs of suit.
The court shall direct the plaintiff or adverse party to
file an opposition showing the suit is not a SLAPP, attaching
evidence in support thereof, within a non-extendible period
of five (5) days from receipt of notice that an answer has
been filed.
The defense of a SLAPP shall be set for hearing by the

court after issuance of the order to file an opposition within
fifteen (15) days from filing of the comment or the lapse of
the period.
a. Countering a SLAPP suit

A SLAPP. SUI ·t 1~
• in_
• every sense a harassment suit and the
affro~t agamst constitut10nal rights is the very reason wh
pending legal_ action is required to counter a SLAPP suit. Ir; t~~
-context
. of environmental
. rights protecti011, a SLAPP su1·t may occur
1n the following scenarios, among others:
. 1. X files~ complaint in an environmental case against
A (violator of environmental laws) and A retaliates by filing a
complaint for damages against X.
2. X is a witness in a pending environmental case
against A and the latter retaliates by filing a complaint for
damages or libel against X; or
3. Xis an environmental advocate who rallies for the
protection of environmental rights and a complaint for damages
is filed against A.
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Since a motion to dismiss is a prohibited pleading, SLAPP as an
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affirmative defense should be raised in the answer along with other
80
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defenses that may be raised in the case alleged to be a SLAPP.
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(/) SEC. 3. Summary hearing. - The hearing on the defense
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~
submit all available evidence in support of their respective
positions. The party seeking the dismissal of the case
8ClAnnotation RPEC.
...
642 LAW ON NATUR.\L RESOURCES .-u"1DRULES

OF PROCEDURE FOR EN.VIROi\~IEi\TTAL CASES
mu_st prove by substantial evidence that his acts for the

enforcement of environn1ental law is a legitin1ate action
for the protection, preservation and rehabilitation of the
environment. The party filing the action assailed as a SLAPP
shall prove by preponderance of evidence that the action is
not a SLAPP and is a valid claim.
a. Sumn1ary hearing
The hearing for the defense of a SLAPP is summary to expedite
the proceedings. The party seeking the dismissal of the case alleged
to be a SL.APP may easily assert this defense and prove it only
with substantial evidence. If the court finds a SLAPP defense valid,
the plaintiff is required to prove, by preponderance of evidence,
the following: (1) that the case is not a SLAPP; and (2) the case is
meritorious. ~1
Substantial evidence means thnt amount of relevant evidence
which a reasonable mind might accept ns ndequate to justify a
conclusion. 82 Preponderance of evidence is evidence which is more
convincing to the court as worthy of belief than that which is offered
in opposition thereto. 83
SEC. 4. Resolution of the defense of a SLAPP. - The

affirmative defense of a SLAPP shall be resolved within thirty
(30) days after the summary hearing. If the court dismisses
the action, the court may award damages, attorney's fees
and costs of suit under a counterclaim if such has been filed.
The dismissal shall be with prejudice.
a. Priority given the resolution of a SLAPP defense

While a SLAPP defense is raised in an answer along with
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a.
resolution of a SLAPP defense. The prioritization in hearing a
§.
;;. SLAPP defense is another mode of expediting the proceedings. If the
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court rejects the defense of a SLAPP, the evidence adduced during
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the summary hearing shall be treated as evidence of the parties on
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81
Annotation RPEC. N
82
Sec. 5, Rule 133, Rules of Court; Quillopa v. Quality Guards ServiceS,
• GR 0•
213814, Dec, 2, 2015.
83
Chiok v. People, GR No. 179814, Dec. 7, 2015.
j
the merits of the case. The action shall proceed in accordance with
the Rules of Court.
b. Effect of the court's resolution

The dismissal of a SLAPP suit constitutes res judicata. On
the other hand, the denial of a SLAPP defense allows the action to
proceed in accordance with the Rules of Court. Since the evidence
adduced in the hearing of SLAPP defense remains on record, the
plaintiff is not required to offer again the evidence already adduced. 11•1
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PART Ill
SPECIAL CIVIL ACTIONS
RULE7
WRIT OF KALIKASAN
SECTION 1. Nature of the writ. - The writ is a remedy

available to a natural or juridical person, entity authorized by
law, people's organization, non-governmental organization,
or any public interest group accredited by or registered
with any government agency, on behalf of persons whose
constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology
is violated, or threatened with violation by an unlawful
act or omission of a public official or employee, or private
individual •or entity, involving environmental damage of
such magnitude as to prejudice the life, health or property
of inhabitants in two or more cities or provinces.
a. Nature of the writ of kalikasan

The writ of halikasan is an extraordinary remedy which
may be issued depending on the magnitude of the environmental
damage. The environmental damage must be of such magnitude as
to prejudice the life, health or property of inhabitants in two or more
cities or provinces, or that which transcends political and territorial
boundaries. The writ seeks to address the potentially exponential
(/)
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nature oflarge-scale ecological threats. Similar to the writs of habeas
:::,
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a. corpus, am,paro, and habeas data, the writ of kalikasan was recast
:a:
s: as a different and unique legal device drawing as n1odels available
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3 writs in the country and practices in other jurisdictions. 1

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As distinguished from other available reinedies in the ordinary
rules of court, the writ of ha lihasan is designerl for a narrow but
special purpose: to accor<l a stronger protection for environmental
1
Rationale, RPEC.
644
645
CHAPTER XIX- RUJ,ES OF PROCEDURE
FOR ENVIRONMl~N'l'ALCASES
Rulo 7 - Writ. of I<nlik11H11n
rights, annmg, nmong others, t,o provide u speedy and _effe~tive

resolution of u case involving the violation of one's const1tut~o_nal
right to a healthful and balanced ecology that transcends political
and territorial boundaries; to provide a stronger defense for
environmental rights through judicial efforts where institutional
arrangements of enforcement, implementation and legislation have
fallen short; and to address the potentially exponential nature of
large-scale ecological threats.
The writ is categorized as a special civil action and was,
thus, conceptualized as an extraordinary remedy, which aims
to provide judicial relief from threatened or actual violation/s of
the constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology of
a magnitude or degree of damage that transcends political and
territorial boundaries. It is intended "to provide a stronger defense
for environmental rights through judicial efforts where institutional
arrangements of enforcement, implementation and legislation have
fallen short" and seeks "to address the potentially exponential
nature of large-scale ecological threats." 2
Expectedly, the Rules do not define the exact nature or degree
of environmental damage but only that it must be sufficiently grave,
in terms of the territorial scope of such damage, so as to call for the
grant of this extraordinary remedy. The gravity of environmental
damage sufficient to grant the writ is, thus, to be decided on a case-
to-case basis. 3
b. Requisites
Under Section 1 of Rule 7, the following requisites must be
present to avail of this extraordinary remedy: (1) there is an actual
or threatened violation of the constitutional right to a balanced
and healthful ecology; (2) the actual or threatened violation arises
from an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee.
or private individual or entity; and (3) the actual or threatened
violation involves or will lead to an environmental damage of such
magnitude as to prejudice the life, health or property of inhabitants
in two or more cities or provinces.
2
Paje v. Casino, GR No. 207267, l~oh. a, 201fi; Osmei\n v. Gnrgnnern, GR No.
2231164, March 20, 2018.
old.

If the petitioner successfully proves the foregoing requisites

the court shall render judgment granting the privilege of the writ of'
kalikasan. Otherwise, the petition shall be denied. If the petition is
granted, the court may grant the reliefs provided for under Section
15 of Rule 7.•
It is required that a party claiming the privilege for the issuance
of a writ of kalikasan has to show that a law, rule or regulation was
violated or would be violated.
c. Who may file the petition

The petition may be filed by n natural or juridical person,
entity authorized by law, people's orgunizntion, non-governmental
organization, or any public interest group accredited by or
registered with any government agency, on behalf of persons whose
constitutional right to a balanced und healthful ccolo6'Yis violated,
or threatened with violation by an unln wful net or omission of a
public official or employee, or private individunl or entity, involving
environmental damage of such magnitude ns to prejudice the life,
health or property of inhabitants in two or more cities or provinces. 6
Those who may file for this remedy must represent the inhabitants
prejudiced by the environmental damage subject of the writ. The
requirement of accreditation of a group or organization is for the
purpose of verifying its existence. The accreditation is a mechanism
to prevent "fly by night" groups from abusing the writ.
d. How commenced
The application for the issuance of a writ of kalikasan is
commenced by filing a verified petition, stating the personal
circumstances of petitioner and respondent, the environmental laws
violated, the acts or omissions complained of, and the environmental
damage "as to prejudice the life, health or property of inhabitants in
two or more cities or provinces." The petition must be supported by
relevant evidence such as affidavits or documents. A petition for the
issuance of a writ of lialikasan may include a prayer for the issuance
of a temporary environmental protection order (TEPO).
◄/d.
6
Sec. 1, Rule 7, RPEC.

G-17
FOR ENV1RONMENTAL CASES
Rule 7 - Writ of Knliknsan
e. Petitioner need not be directly affected by nn

environmental disaster
The Court, in West, Tower Condominium Corp. v. First
Philippine Industrial Corp.,C.stated thnt "the filing of n petition
for the issuance of a writ of lwlilw.san under Sec. l, Rule 7 of the
Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases docs not require
that a petitioner be directly affected by an cnviron1ncntul
disaster. The rule clearly allows juridical per ons to file the petition
on behalf of persons whose constitutionnl right to a hnlnncecl nnd
healthful ecology is violated, or thrcntcnccl with violation. Thus, ns
parties to the case, they arc entitled to be furnished copies of all the
submissions to the Court, including the p •rioclicreports of FPlC nntl
the results of the evaluations ancl t •sts concluct(•d on the WOPL."
(Emphasis supplied)
f. Differences between n Rule Gfi certiorari. petition

and Rule 7 llalihasan petition:
1. Subject ,natter. Since its subject malt •r is any "unlawful
act or omission," a Rule 7 lwlilmscrn pet it ion is broad enough to
correct any act taken without or in exc:css of jurisdiction or with
grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of juriscliction
which is the subject mutter of a Rule 65 ccrtz'.orari petition. i\ny
form of abuse of discretion as long as it constitutes un unlawful act
or omission involving the environment can be subject of n Rule 7
kalikasan petition. A Rule 65 petition, on the other hand, requires
the abuse of discretion to be "grave." Ergo, a subject matter which
ordinarily cannot properly be subject of a certiorari petition can be
the subject of a halihasan petition.
2. Who ,nay file. Rule 7 has liberalized the rule on locus
standi, such that availment of the writ of halihasan is open to a
broad range of suitors, to include even an entity authorized by law,
people's organization, or any public interest group accredited by or
registered with any government agency, on behalf of persons whose
right to a balanced and healthful ecology is violated or threatened
to be violated. Rule 65 allows only the aggrieved person to be the
petitioner. -
3. Respondent. The respondent in a Rule 65 petition is only
the government or its officers, unlike in a halihasan petition where
the respondent may be a private individual or entity.
6
GR No. 194239, June 16, 2016.

~
648 LAW ON NA'l'UllAL HESOUHCES /\ND HULES

OF PROCEDUl{E FOR GNVIH.ONMl~N'l'J\L C/\Rl~8
4. Exe111ption fro111 doc/iet fees. The lzalihasan petition

is exempt from docket fees, unlike in a Rule 65 petition. Rule 7 of
RPEC has pared down the usunlJy burdensome ljt-igation expenses.
5. Venue. The certforari petition can be filed with: (a) the
RTC exercising jurisdiction over the territory where the act was
committed; (b) the Court of' Appeals; and (c) the Supreme Court.
Given the magnitude of' the damage, the halihasan petition can be
filed directly with the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court. The
direct filing of a hall:hasan petition will prune case delay.
6. Exhaustion of ad,ninistrative re,nedies. This doctrine
generally applies to a certioran: petitioi1, unlike in a halikasan
petition.
7. Period to file. An aggrieved party has 60 days from
notice of judgment or denial of a motion for reconsideration to file a
certiorari petition, while a halihasan petition is not subject tO'such
limiting timelines.
8. Discovery measures. In a certiorari petition, discovery
measures are not available unlike in a halihasan petition. Resort to
these measures will abbreviate proceedings. 7
SEC. 2. Contents of the petition. - The verified petition

shall contain the following:
(a) The personal circumstances of the petitioner;
(b) The name and personal circu1nstances of the
respondent or if the name and personal circun1stances are
unknown and uncertain, tho respondent 1nay be described
by an assumed appellation;
(/)
()
(c) 'rhe environmental law, rule or regulation violated
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or threatened to be violated, the uct or on1ission co1nplnined
a.
~ of, and tho environn1entuJ dan1ugc of such 111ugnitudc ns to
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prejudice the life, health or property of' inhnhitnnts in two or
3(/)
n more citieR or provinces.
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(d) All relevant und 1nntcl'inl evidence consisting· of
the affidavits of witncsAcA, docu1nentn1·y ovidcnco, scion title
or other expert studies, und if possible, object evidence;
7
Ji'eb. a, 201 f>.
Pujo v. CuHii1o,GR No. :CW721>7,
C,,19
Rule 7 - Writ of Kaliknsnn
(e) The certification of petitioner under oath that: (1)

petitioner has not commenced any action or filed any clnini
involving the same issues in any court, tribunal or quasi-
judicial agency, and no such other action or claitn is pending
therein; (2) if there is such other pending action or clnin1.
a complete state111ent of its present status; (3) if petitioner
should learn that the same or similar action or clai1n hns
been filed or is pending, petitioner shall report to the court
that fact within five (5) days therefrmn; and
(f) The reliefs prayed for which n1ny include a prayer
for the issuance of a TEPO.
a. Verification
The petition must be verified which mcnn~ t.hnt I.he nf'finnt
must attest that he has rend the pleading nncl Lhnt. lhe nllegnliomi
are true of his/her knowledge 11,; 11roviclcclfol' in Sect.ion 11, Rule 7,
Rules of Court. Rule 7 nlso 1·cquircHthnt the pet it.inn Rhoulcl conlnin
a certification on non-forum shoppinl,!.
b. Respondent
Under Section 2(b), the petition mny be filed even where the
name and personal circumstances of respondent arc unknown
and uncertain provided that he may be described by an assumed
appellation.
c. Factual allegations
Under Section 2(c), the petitioner must specify the particular
environmental law, rule or regulation that is being violated or
threatened to be violated. This is necessary in order that the
court may immediately determine whether the petition is an
(/)
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environmental case that should be given priority.
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0. There is no requirement in Section 2(c) that the cities or
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provinces must be contiguous to one another. It is only necessary that
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3 the inhabitants of the cities or provinces suffer or are threatened to

(/)
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suffer damage from the same cause. And this magnitude standard is
:::,
~ the reason why the filing of the petition for this kind of writ may be
filed only with the Supreme Court because its territorial jurisdiction
is national in scope, or with any of the appropriate stations of the
Court of Appeals in Manila, Cebu, or Cagayan de Oro.
650 LAWON NATURALRESOURCES AND HULES
OF PHOCEDUHE FOR ENVJHONMENTALCASES
Unlike in ordinary civil actions where only the ultimnte fncts

are required to be alleged in the compfaint, Section 2(d) requires
that all relevant and material evidence, such ns the nffidavit of
witnesses, documentary evidence, scientific or expert studies and,
if possible, object evidence must not only be ulleged but attached
to the petition. The purpose of this requirement is to convince the
court to issue, within three (3) days from dnte of filing, the writ of
halihasan and require respondent to file a verified return.
Notably, in lieu of direct testimony in court, the parties are
required to submit the judicial affidavits of their witnesses, which
help abbreviate court proceedings, ensure prompt disposition of
cases, and decongest court dockets. In case petitioner also prays
for the issuance of a temporary environmentnl protection order
(TEPO), compliance with Section 2(d) is likewise necessary to show
that the matter is of extreme urgency nnd the petitioner or the
affected inhabitants are suffering or v,1 i1l suffer grnve injustice and
irreparable injury.
SEC. 3. Where to file. - The petition shall be filed with

the Supreme Court or with any of the stations of the Court
of Appeals.
a. Venue
The magnitude of the environmental damage is the reason
for limiting where the writ may be filed - to the Supreme Court
or the Court of Appeals whose jurisdiction is national in scope.
Given that the RPEC allows direct resort to the Supreme Court, it
is ultimately within the Court's discretion whether or not to accept
petitions brought directly before it.
Justice Velasco, who was privy to the preparation of the Rules,
wrote his own opinion in Segouia v. Climate Change Commission/
a ~ase decided en bane, as to the application of the above section, to
wzt:
"It is clear that Section 3 uses the word 'or' which

is a disjunctive article indicating an alternati~e not
su~ce~~ive, character of the right or duty given. 'fh; use
of or in the RPEC indicates that the petitioner/s are
KQRNo. 211010, March 7, 2017.

Rule 7 - Writ of Kalikasan
given 'the choice of either, which means that the various

members of the enumeration are to be taken separately,
with the term signifying disassociation and independence
of one thing from each of the other things enumerated.'
1:1us, under Section 3 of the RPEC, the petitioner/s are
given the right to freely choose between this Court
and the different stations of the appellate court in
filing their petitions. Claiming otherwise based on the
nebulous procedural principle of the hierarchy of courts
is a deviation from the basic text of the adverted section.
Such departure from the ordinary meaning of the text
deprives ordinary citizens of the fair expectation that the
procedural rules issued by this Court mean what they say
and say what they mean.
Further, the absence of nny mention of the first level
courts - the municipal trinl courts, metropolitan trial
courts, and the regional trinl courts - is indicative of the
exceptional nature of n writ of l.alilwsan nnd the non-
application of the principle to petitions for its issuance.
This palpable absence mnrks th difference from the
other special civil action nvnilnbl under the other rules
where this Court is given concurrent jurisdiction not only
with the Court of Appeals (CA) but also with the trial
courts." xx x The omission of the trial courts with limited
jurisdiction in Section 3, Rule 7, Part III of the RPEC
was not by mere oversight. Rather, the limitation of the
venues to this Court and the CA, whose jurisdiction is
national in scope, is the intended solution to controversies
involving environmental damage of such magnitude as to
affect the 'inhabitants in [at least] two or more cities or
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provinces. '
Surely, the scale of impact of the ecological problems
sought to be addressed by a writ of kalikasan sets it apart
from the other special civil actions under the other rules
issued by this Court. Thus, to insist on the applicati~n
of the technical principle on hierarchy of courts will
only negate the emphasis given to this difference and
the acknowledgement that environmental challenges
deserve the immediate attention by the highest court of
the land, even at the first instance. At the very least, the
magnitude of the ecological problems contemplated under

652 LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES Ai'-"DRULES
OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIROw.fE.N'TAL CASES
the RPEC satisfies at least one of the exceptions tD the

rule on hierarchy of courts, i.e., direct resort to this court
is allowed where it is 'dictated by the public welfare.' "
In the later case of Gios-Samar, Inc. v. Department of

Transportation and Communications, 9 the Court en bane~ through
Justice Jardeleza, explained that pursuant to its constitutional
rule-making power, the Court promulgated a new set of rules
which effectively increased its original and concurrent jurisdiction
with the RTCs and the CA. One such rule is A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC
or the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases. Under said
Rules, litigants are allowed to seek direct relief from the Court
regardless of the presence of questions which are heavily factual
in nature. In practice, however, petitions for writ of halilwsan
which were originally filed before the Court invariably found their
way to the CA for hearing and decision, with the appellate court's
decision to be later on brought before the high Court on appeal. The
consistent practice of the Court in rcfc1-ring uch petition to the
CA for the reception of evidence and deci ion - n .. for instance, in
the case of International Service for the Acqui itio11 of Agri-Biotcch
Applications, Inc. v. Greenpeace Sou thea.·t A:ia (Ph ilippincs), 10 - is
a tacit recognition by the Court itself that it i not equipped to be a
trier of facts. Notably, the Court's referral of the case to the CA is
indeed in consonance with Section 2, Rule 3 of the Court's Internal
Rules which states that if the Court, in the exercise of its discretion,
decides to receive evidence, it may delegate the same to one of the
appellate courts for report and recommendation.
SEC. 4. No dochet fees. -The petitioner shall be exempt

from the payment of docket fees.
a. Petitioner exempt from payment of docket fee to

encourage public participation in the suit
The petitioner does not need to pay docket fees, which
~nc?u:ages public participation in availing of the remedy. While this
1s similar to the rule on filing fees for civil and criminal cases under
the rules, the exemption from payment of docket fees is a necessary
9
GR No. 217158, March 12, 2019.
10
GR No. 209271, July 26, 2016.

CllAPTEH XlX - HULES OF J>HOCEDUHE (ili3
1"0H EN\llHONMENTJ\L CASES
Huie 7 - Writ of l(nlilrnAnn
~on~~qu nee of the fnct that no nwal'd of dnmugcs to pdvntc

1ndn·1duals
. . cnn bn.~ llllld. e un d er t}• 1e wnt.
• I n comparison
• • ·1 or
to c1v1
cnnu_nal cases under the Rules, the filing fees need not be paid at
th e tune of filing but the same shall be imputed from the award of
d amages that mauJ be giv en t o tl 1e comp 1a1nant • • the Judgment.
1n •
SEC. 5. I~suance of the wdt. -Within three (3) days from

;he date of fihng of the petition, if the petition is sufficient in
orm a1:1dsubstance, the court shall give an order: (a) issuing
the writ· , and (b) i·e qun• .•1ng tl 1e respondent to file a verified
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return as provided in Section 8 of this Rule. The clerk of
court shall forthwith issue the writ under the seal of the
court including the issuance of a cease and desist order and
other temporary reliefs effective until further order.
a. Issuance of the writ

If the petition is sufficient in form and substance the court
shall issue an order within three (3) days from the filing of the
petition: (a) issuing the writ; and (b) requiring the respondent to file
a verified return. It may also include such temporary reliefs that the
court may deem sufficient like a cease and desist order and other
temporary reliefs.
It bears noting that there is a difference between a petition
for the issuance of a writ of halihasan, wherein it is sufficient that
the person filing represents the inhabitants prejudiced by the
environmental damage subject of the writ; and a petition for the
issuance of a writ of continuing rnandamus, which is only available
to one who is personally aggrieved by the unlawful act or omission. 11
SEC. 6. How the writ is served. - The writ shnll be

served upon the respondent by a court officer or nny person
deputized by the court, who shall retain a copy on which to
make a return of service. In case the writ cunnot be served
personally, the rule on substituted service shall npply.
SEC. 7. Penalty for refusing to issue 01· sc,·ve the _writ.
- A clerk of court who unduly dolays or rofnsos to tssue
Ghe writ after its allowance or n court ofilcer or dopntizod
person who unduly delays or refuses to servo tho snn10 shnll

664 LAW ON NNl'URAL 1n:souncgs AND llULJ~S
OF P.llOCEDUH.EFOll l~NVlllONMEN'J'AL CASES
be punished by the court fol' conte1npt wHhout prejudice t 0

other civil, crhninnl or nd1ninistrutivc actions.
a. Service of the writ

The writ shall be served on the respondent personally, or
through substituted service if the foriner cannot apply. If a clerk of
court unduly delays or refuses to issue the writ of halihasan, or a
court officer or deputized person unduly delays or refuses to serve the
same, the court shall punish the offending persons with contempt.
This is without prejudice to civil, criminal, or administrative actions
that may be taken against them.
Contempt of court involves the doing of an act, or the failure
to do an act, in such a manner as to create an affront to the court
and the sovereign dignity with which it is clothed. It is defined as
"disobedience to the court by acting in opposition to its authority,
justice and dignity." The power to punish contempt is inherent in all
courts, because it is essential to the preservation of order in judicial
proceedings, and to the enforcement of judgments, orders and
mandates of the courts; and, consequently, to the due administration
of justice. 12
SEC. 8. Return of respondent; contents. - Within a

non-extendible period of ten (IO) days after service of
the writ, the respondent shall file a verified return which
shall contain all defenses to s.how that respondent did not
violate or threaten to violate, or allow the violation of any
environmental law, rule or regulation or commit any act
resulting to environmental damage of such n1agnitude as to
prejudice the life, health or property of inhabitants in two or
more cities or provinces.
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All defenses not raised in the return shall be dee1ned
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waived.
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mentary evidence, scientific or other expert; studies, nnd if
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possible, object evidence, in support of the defense of the
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respondent.
A general denial of ullegutionA in tho pot:ition shall be
considered as an admission thereof'. •
12M
ontcnegro v. Montenegro, an No. 1fi(i82!J, Juno 8, 2004.
fi(lfl
CHAPTER XIX- RULES OF PROCEDUHE
FOR ENVIHONMEN'l'/\L CASES
Rule 7 - Writ. of Knlilrnsnn
a. Filing of return
'I'he respondent's verified return must be filed within a non-
extendible period of ten (10) days from the service of the writ. (t
shall contain the following:
(1) All defenses which shows that the respondent did
not violate, or threaten to violate, or allow the violation of
any environmental law, rule or regulation or commit any act
resulting to environmental damage of such magnitude that
transcends political and territorial boundaries, otherwise,
defenses not raised in the return are deemed waived.
(2) Affidavits of witnesses, documentary evidence,
scientific or other expert studies, and if possible, object evidence
supporting the respondent's defense.
Respondent's failure to include a specific denial of the
allegations in the petition shall be considered as an admission
thereof. Moreover, and consistent with the primordial objective of
the Rule for a speedy disposition of the case, the respondent's failure
to file a verified return will not result in his being declared in default,
nor bar the court from proceeding to hear the petition ex parte.
SEC. 9. Prohibited pleadings and 1notion.s. - The

following pleadings and motions are prohibited:
(a) Motion to dis1niss;
(b) Motion for extension of thne to file return;
(c) Motion for postponen1ent;
(d) Motion for a bill of particulars;
(e) Counterclaim or cross-clahn;
(f) Third-party complaint;
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(g) Reply; und
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a. Prohibited plendinf..(A
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~ The enumerntod plou<lin~s nnc\ mot.ions nro prohibito~l to
expedite the rmmlution of cusoBund to diAA\UHlo c1·nft.ylit.i~nnt.8 from
availing of these pluadings just to dolny t.hodisposition of the c?so ~r
prevent the final entry of jurlgment:. /\ ,notion for inter~ontion 19
not a prohibited pleading since the magnitude oft.he envn·onmentnl
GGG LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND RULES
OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVlRONMENTAL CASES
damage entails a large number of parties that may avail of the writ
of kalihasan.
SEC. 10. Effect of failure to file return. - In case the

respondent fails to file a return, the court shall proceed to
hear the petition ex parte.
SEC. 11. Hearing. - Upon receipt of the return of the
respondent, the court n1ay call a preli111inary conference to
simplify the issues, determine the possibility of obtaining
stipulations or admissions fr01n the parties, and set the
petition for hearing.
The hearing including the prelin1inary conference shall
not extend beyond sixty (60) days and shall be given the same
priority as petitions for the writs of habeas corpus, aniparo
and habeas data.
a. Prelin1inary conference and hearing

The environmental damngc subject of the writ may involve
issues that are of a· complex character, hence, the hearing is not
summary. The abbreviated time required, however, insures thnt the
proceedings are expedited.
The preliminary conference lakes the pince of trial. Its objective
is to simplify the issues, determine lhe possibility of obtaining
stipulations or submissions from the parties, all of which is designed
to expedite the proceedings. The Rules limit the period of hearing,
including the preliminary conference, to sixty (60) days and mandate
that the same should be given the same priority as petitions for the
writs of habeas corpus, amparo and habeas data.
From the date of the filing of the petition and within the 60-day
period, the court is allowed to entertain verified motions for ocular
inspection and for the production or inspection of documents or
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things. The Rules allow any of the parties to avail of these discovery
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measures to establish the magnitude of the violation or threat
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thereto, or to show the absence or exact degree of magnitude of the
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SEC. 12. Discovery measures. -A party may file a verified
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motion for the following reliefs:
(a) Ocular inspection; order - The motion must show
that an ocular inspection order is necessary to establish the
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657
CHAPTER XIX - RULES OF PROCEDURE
magnitude of the violation or the threat as to prejudice the

life, health or property of inhabitants in two or more cities
or provinces. It shall state in detail the place or places to
be inspected. It shall be supported by affidavits of witnesses
having personal knowledge of the violation or threatened
violation of environmental law.
After hearing, the court may order any person in
possession or control of a designated land or other property to
permit entry for the purpose of inspecting or photographing
the property or any relevant object or operation thereon.
The order shall specify the person or persons authorized
to make the inspection and the date, ti111e,place and 1nanner
of making the inspection and may prescribe other conditions
to protect the constitutional rights of all parties.
(b) Production or inspection of docurnents or things;
order - The motion must show that a production order is
necessary to establish the n1agnitudc of the violation or
the threat as to prejudice the life, health or property of
inhabitants in two or more cities or provinces.
After hearing, the court 111ay order any person in
possession, custody or control of any designated docun1ents,
papers, books, accounts, letters, photographs, objects or
tangible things, or objects in digitized or electronic form,
which constitute or contain evidence relevant to the petition
or the return, to produce and permit their inspection,
copying or photographing by or on behalf of the movant.
The production order shall specify the person or persons
authorized to make the production and the date, time, place,
and manner of making the inspection or production and
may prescribe other conditions to protect the constitutional
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rights of all parties.
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a. Discovery measures
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C') Discovery measures are available to the parties. Considering
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:, that these measures are invasive, the court may prescribe conditions
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in its order granting such measures to safeguard constitutional
rights.
A party may file a verified motion for the following reliefs: (a)
ocular inspection, and (b) production or inspection of documents or
things. •
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668 LAW ON NATURAL RESOUllCES AND RULES
OF PROCEDURI~ FOil ENVIRONMEN'l'AL CASES
The motion for ocular inspection must state that the snme is
necessary to establish the magnitude of the violation or the threat
thereof, as well as the place 01· places to be inspected, duly supported
by affidavits of witnesses having persona] knowledge of the facts.
If the motion is substantiated, the court mny order any person in
possession or control of a designated ]and or other property to permit
entry for the purpose of inspecting or photographing the property or
any relevant object or operation thereon.
Section 12(b) does not require the movnnt: to specify in detnil
the documents or things to be produced. But the motion must show
that a production order is necessary to cstnblish the magnitude
of the violation or threats to prejudice the life, health or property
of inhabitants in two or more cities or provinces. The production
order must specify the person authorized to mnke the production ns
well as the date, time, p]nce nnd manner of making the irrnpcction
or production. It may prescribe such other conditions us may he
necessary to safeguard nnd protect the constitutionnl rights of the
parties.
b. Rules provide courts with 111eiu1s and methods to

obtain sufficient infonnntion to protect right to
health and balanced ecology
As explicated by the Court, through Justice Del Castillo, in
Paje v. Casiiio, ia the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases
liberally provide the courts with means and methods to obtain
sufficient information in order to adequately protect or safeguur<l
the right to a healthful and balanced ecology. In Section 6(1) of
Rule 3 (Pre-Trial), when there is a failure to settle, the judge shall,
among others, determine the necessity of engaging the services of
a qualified expert as a friend of the court (amicus curiae). While,
in Section 12 of Rule 7 (Writ of J(alihasan), u party muy uvuil of
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discovery measures: (1) ocular inspection; and (2) production or
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inspection of documents or things. The liberality of the Rules in
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a, to the writ of lzalillasan, is explained in this wise:
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"[T]he writ of halihasan was refashioned as a tool to
bridge the gap between allegation and proof by providing
a remedy for would-be environmental litigants to compel
1
:san, No. 207257, Foh. 3, 1016.
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CHAPTER XIX - RULES OF PROCEDURE {i60
Rulo 7 - Writ of Knliknsnn
th e production of information within the custody of the
government. 'rhe writ would effectively serve as a remedy
for !he enforcement of the right to information about the
envrroni~ent. The scope of the fact-finding power could be:
(1) an_y~hing related to the issuance, grant of a government
permi~ issued o~ information controlled by the government
or private entity, and (2) [i]nformation contained in
documents such as environmental compliance certificate
(EC?) and other government records. In addition, the
~w]rit m~y also be employed to compel the production of
information, subject to constitutional limitations. This
fun<:tion is analogous to a discovery measure, and may be
availed of upon application for the writ."H
Clearly, in environmental cases, the power to appoint friends

of the court in order to shed light on matters requiring special
technical expertise as well as the power to order ocular inspections
and production of documents or things evince the main thrust
of, and the spirit behind, the Rules to allow the court sufficient
leeway in acquiring the necessary information to rule on the issues
presented for its resolution, to the end that the right to a healthful
and balanced ecology may be adequately protected. 16
SEC. 13. Contempt. - The court may after hearing

punish the respondent who refuses or unduly delays the
filing of a return, or who makes a false return, or any person
ho disobeys or resists a lawful process or order of the court
7or indirect contempt under Rule 71 of the Rules of Court.
a. Contempt proceedings
This section states that any person who refuses or unduly
dela s the filing of a return, or makes a false return, or any person
~- b resists a lawful process or order of the court may be
w h o iso eys or . t under Rule 71 of the Rules of Court.
Pu~ited {or i~:~;~t ~~::::ondent is given an opportunity to file a
1n in irec con h ' d to be heard by himself or counsel.
comment on the c arge an . .
. • are commonly treated as cnmmal
Contempt proceedings lained of are incidents of civil
in nature even when the acts comp
14Paje v. Casino, supra.

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660 LAW ON NATURAL RESOUHCES AND RULES
OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIHONMENTAL CASES
actions. For this reason, the mode of procedure nnd rules of evidence
in contempt proceedings are assimilnted AS for as prncticable to
those adapted to criminal prosecutions. rn
SEC. 14. Submission of case fo,· decision; filing of

r1ie1nora11da. - After hearing, the court shall issue nn order
submitting the cnse for decision. The court 111nyrequire the
filing of 111e111oranda and if possible, in its electronic forin,
within a non-extendible period of thirty (30) days from the
date the petition is sub111itted for decision.
a. Sub111ission of 111en1orandn in electronic forin

The cnse shall be submitted for decision after hcnring. The
court may require the filing of me111ora11cl11within n non-extendible
period of thirty (30) days from the dnt e the JH'tit ion i:--submitted for
decision. The memoranda may be fik·d in cl(•ct ronic form in order to
hasten the resolution of the petition.
SEC. 15. Judgment. - Vlithin sixty (GO) days from the

tin1e the petition is sub1nitted for decision, the court shall
render judgn1ent granting or denying the privilege of the
writ of halihasa11.
The reliefs that n1ay be granted under the writ are the
following:
(a) Directing respondent to permanently cease and
desist frmn conunitting acts or neglecting the performance
of a duty in violation of environmental laws resulting in
environn1ental destruction or damage;
(b) • Directing the respondent public official, govern-

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111ent agency, private person or entity to protect, preserve,
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rehabilitate or restore the environment;
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~ (c) Directing the respondent public official, govern-
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pliance with the decision and orders of the court;
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rnl.,ee Yick Hon v. Collector of Customs, GR No. 16779, March 30, 1921, 41
Phil. fi48.
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FOR ENVlllONM EN'l'AL CASES
Rulo 7 ~Writ.of' l<11lik11A11n
(d) Directing the respondent public official, govern-

111ent agency, or private person or entity to make periodic
reports on the execution of the final judgment; and
(e) Such other reliefs which relate to the right of
the people to a balanced and healthful ecology or to the
protection, preservation, rehabilitation or restoration of
the environ111ent, except the award of damages to individual
petitioners.
a. Period to render judgment

The court has a period sixty (60) days from the date the petition
is submitted for decision to render judgment, with or without
memoranda. If the parties opt, or if the court requires them to file
memoranda, the court has only the remaining days from the date of
the filing of the last memorandum or last day of filing the same, but
not to exceed 60 days counted from the submission of the case for
decision, within which to render judgment.
b. Reliefs
The reliefs that may be granted under the writ are broad,
comprehensive and non-exclusive. The reliefs regarding monitoring
and periodic reports ensure enforcement of the judgment of the
court.
If the court finds the petition meritorious, it shall grant the
privilege of the writ of halihasan. The court may also issue an order
granting the other reliefs prayed for in the petition. In addition,
the court may direct the respondent public official, government
agency, private person or entity to monitor strict compliance with
its decision or orders. It may also direct said respondents to make
periodic reports on the execution of the final judgment, and also to
issue other reliefs as may be necessary to protec.:t the right of the
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people to a balanced and healthful ecology ot· for the protection,
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preservation, rehabilitntion or restoration of the environment.
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n Due to the grent number ofinhnhitnnts thnt may be involved in
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the petition for the writ ol' lwlilmsm,., Section 15 prohibits t.he nwnr<l
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which wou]d delay Lho immediuto resolution of t.ho pot.ition. ThiR
is the reason why Sedion 17 nllowH n potitionor to tilt) n :--epnrnte
civil, criminal or ndminiHtrntivo action ngnim,t tho rospomlont. for n
number of c;auseA, including clnim for dnmugo:4.
662
c. Writ of kalikasan may issue where environmental

damage is substantiated
A writ of kalikasan, with a temporary environmental protecti_on
order (TEPO) was issued by the Supreme Court, through Justice
Velasco on Jdne 16 2015 in West Tower Condominium (on behalf of
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its unit 'owners) v. First Philippine Industrial Corporation (F_PIC).
The Court ordered FPIC to (a) cease and desist from operating the
(leaking) pipeline until further orders from the Co~rt; (b) ch~ck ~he
structural integrity of the whole span of the 117-kilometer p1pehne
while implementing sufficient measures to prevent and avert any
untoward incidents that may result from any leak of the pipeline;
and (c) make a report thereon within sixty (60) days from receipt
thereof. The TEPO was based upon a petition filed by the residents
of West Tower Condominium and Barangay Bangkal in Makati City
who claimed to have suffered health and environmental hazards
from the leaking FPIC's oil pipeline that runs from Batangas to the
Pandacan oil depot in Manila. The leak was traced to FPIC's pipeline
around 100 meters southeast of West Tower. Seven kilometers of
FPIC's 117-kilometer pipeline is located in Makati.
Petitioners alleged that the continuous use of the pipeline
would not only be a hazard or a threat to the lives, health and
property of those who live in areas where the pipeline is laid, but
would "also affect the rights of the generations yet unborn to live in
a balanced and healthy ecology." To allow the continuous operation
of the pipeline and its imminent environmental damage would be a
violation of the Clean Water Act of 2004, the Clean Air Act of 1999,
and PD No. 1152 or the Philippine Environmental Code. Petitioners
thus asked the Court to "prohibit (the Lopez-owned firm) from
opening the pipeline and allowing the use thereof until the same
has been thoroughly checked and replaced."
In Osmeiia v. Garganera, the Court, through Justice Tijam,
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affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeals in a writ of kalikasan
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petition ordering the Cebu City Mayor and/or his representatives to
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perm~nently cease and desist from dumping or disposing of garbage
;: or sohd waste at the Inayawan landfill and to continue to rehabilitate
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the same. The Court noted that the dumping operation at the
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lnay~~an l~ndfill has violated the criteria specified under DENR
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Administrative Order No. 34-01 specifically as to the proper leachate
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GR No. 194239, June 16, 2015.
....1111111
colle~tio~ and treatment at the landfill and the regular water quality
monitoring of surface and ground waters and effluent as well as
gas emissions thereat. The magnitude of the environme~tal damage
could be gleaned from the fact that the air pollution has affected
r~sidents 1:ot just from Cebu City but also from the neighboring
cit! of ~ahsay. The _f~ul odor from the landfill already reached
neighbo_ring communities which have disrupted activities causing
economic lo~~ and o~her activities for improvement. Further, most
of the condit10ns stipulated in the ECC were not complied with.
The Cou~t ordered petitioner, in his capacity as City Mayor of Cebu
and/o~ his re~rese~tatives, to permanently cease and desist from
dumping or disposing of garbage or solid waste at the Inayawan
landfill and to continue to rehabilitate the same.
d. Reliefs deemed not covered or justified by a writ of

kalikasan
It may be noted that the above-enumerated reliefs under a writ
of kalikasan are non-exhaustive. The reliefs that may be granted
are broad, comprehensive, and non-exclusive. But the scope of the
writ is not limitless.
In Arigo v. Swift, 18 the petitioners sought a directive from the
Court for the institution of civil, administrative and criminal suits
for acts committed in violation of environmental laws and regula-
tions in connection with the grounding of the USS Guardian on the
south shoal of the Tubbataha Reefs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
and one of the Philippines' oldest ecosystems containing excellent
examples of pristine reefs and a high diversity of marine life. The
Court declared that since the US respondents were sued in their of-
ficial capacity as commanding officers of the US Navy and the satis-
faction of a judgment would require the appropriation of funds by the
US government, the principle of State immunity bars the exercise of
jurisdiction by the Court over the persons of said respondents. The
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Court stressed that while the Rules allows the recovery of damages,
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including the collection of administrative fines under RA No. 10067,
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the action should be filed, not in a writ of kalihasan petition, but in a
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charging the same violation of an environmental law.
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On another point, the Court underscored that a ruling on the
application or non-application of the criminal jurisdiction provisions
18 GR No. 206150, Sept. 16, 2014.

..... ,
of the VFA to US personnel who may be found re~ponsible fo~ ~he

grounding of the USS Guardian, is beyond the province of a petition
for a writ of halihasan. And on the issue of whether or not the
Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) is a valid and binding agreement,
the Court explained that the writ of halihasan under the Rules is
not the proper remedy to assail the constitutionality of its provisions.
In Braga v. Abaya, 19 the petition for a writ of haliliasan
and/or continuing mandanius was also denied by the Court for
prematurity. The case involved the Department of Transportation
and Communications (DOTC) and the Philippine Ports Authority's
(PPA) modernization project of the Davao Sasa Wharf, a 30-year
concession to develop, operate, and manage the port under the
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme. It is alleged that the
project is being carried out without the neccssnry Environmental
Compliance Certificate (ECC) or Environmcntnl Impact Statements
(EIS), and without prior local consultntion nnd sanggunian approval
as required by the LGC. The Court en bane, through Justice Brion,
denied the petition on the follov-,
1 ing grounds:
First, the petition failed to identify the particular threats from

the project itself. All it does is cite the negative impacts of operating
a port inside a city based on the synthesis report. However, these
impacts already exist because the Port of Davao has been operating
since 1900. The allegations in support of the application for the writ
of halihasan are, at best, hazy and speculative.
Second, the joint publication is titled Managing Impacts
of Development in the Coastal Zone for a reason; it identifies the
potential environmental impacts and proposes mitigation measures
to protect the environment. The petition is misleading because it
only identified the risks but neglected to mention the existence and
availability of mitigating measures.
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Moreover, the Court does not have the technical competence
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to assess the project, identify the environmental threats, and weigh
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the sufficiency or insufficiency of any proposed mitigation measures.
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This specialized competence is lodged in the DENR, who acts
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through_ the EMB in the EIA process. The application of the EIS
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System 1s thus premature until a proponent is selected.
Further, there is no environmental risk that threatens to
prejudice the inhabitants of two or more cities or municipalities
rnGR No. 223076, Sept. 13, 2016.

CHAPTERXlX- RULES OF PROCEDURE GG6
Rule 7 - Writ of l(nliknsnn
unless the Court restrains the conduct of the bidding process. But
the bidding process is not equivalent to the implementation of the
project.
Finally, it is premature to conclude that the respondents

violated the conditions of Resolution No. 118 issued by the Regional
Development Council of Region XI. Notably, the Resolution requires
compliance before the implementation of the project. However, the
project has not yet reached the implementation stage.
e. Writ will not lie where alleged environ1nental

da111age is not substantiated
In Paje v. Casilio,20 the Court denied the petition for n writ of
lialikasan on the ground that respondents (the Cnsifio Group) failed
to substantiate their claims that the construction and operation of
the coal-fired thermal power plant in Subic Uny to supply reliable
and affordable power to Subic Bay lndustrinl Park (SHU?)will cause
environmental damage of the magnitude contemplated under the
writ of halihasan. In their petition, the Casino Group claimed, among
others, that the construction nnd operation of the power plant will
result in (1) thermal pollution of coastal waters, (2) air pollution due
to dust and combustion gases, (3) waler pollution from toxic coal
combustion waste, and (4) acid deposition in aquatic and terrestrial
ecosystems, which will adversely affect the residents of the Provinces
of Bataan and Zambales, particularly the ·Municipalities of Subic,
Morang, and Hermosa, and the City of Olongapo.
The Court was unconvinced. It held that the Casino Group
failed to carry the onus of proving the alleged significant negative
environmental impacts of the project. The witnesses presented
by the Casi110 Group are not experts on the CFB technology or on
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environmental matters and they even admitted on cross-examination
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that they are not competent to testify on the environmental impact
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knowledge of the project design/implementation or some other
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aspects of the project. On the other hand, the Court noted that RP
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Energy controverted in detail the allegations of the Casino Group on
the four areas of environmental damage that would allegedly occur
upon the construction and operation of the power plant.
20 GR No. 207257, Feb. :1, 2016.

~

SEC. 16. Appeal. - Within fifteen (15) days from the

date of notice of the adverse judgment or denial of motion
for reconsideration, any party may appeal to the Supreme
Court under Rule 45 of the Rules of Court. The appeal may
raise questions off act.
a. Appeal
The appeal is by means of a petition for review on certiorari
under Rule 45 of the Rules of Court. The petition may include an
application for a writ of preliminary injunction or other provisional
remedies.
Given the extraordinary nature of the circumstances
surrounding the issuance of the writ, this section allows an appeal to
raise questions of fact - by way of exception to Rule 45 of the Rules
of Court-precisely because of the inherent nature of environmental
cases wherein questions of fact would incvitnbly arise.
SEC. 17. Institution of separate actions. - The filing

of a petition for tfte issuance of the writ of kalikasan
shall not preclude the filing of separate civil, criminal, or
administrative actions.
a. Rule does not preclude filing of separate actions

In Arigo v. Swift, 21 petitioners sought the award of damages,
and a directive from the Supreme Court for the institution of civil,
administrative and criminal suits for acts committed in violation of
environmental laws and regulations resulting from the grounding,
salvaging and post-salvaging operations of the USS Guardian
caused and continue to cause environmental damage to a wide
swath of the Tubbataha Reef National Park (TRNP) reef system
- a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Petitioners also sought a
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directive from the Court for the institution of civil, administrative,
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a. and criminal suits for acts committed in violation of environmental
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However, the Court noted that the US respondents were sued in
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their official capacity as commanding officers of the US Navy who
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!!1 had control and supervision over the USS Guardian and its crew.
Accordingly, the principle of State immunity bars the exercise of
jurisdiction by the Court over the persons of respondents Swift, Rice
21
GR No. 206510, Sept. 16, 2014.
and Rohling. In any event, adverting to Section 17, Rule 7 of RPEC

to the effect that writ of halihasan petition shall not preclude the
filing of separate civil, criminal, or administrative actions, the Court
declared:
"In any case, it is our considered view that a ruling on

the application or non-application of criminal jurisdiction
provisions of the VFA to US personnel who may be found
responsible for the grounding of the USS Guardian,
would be premature and beyond the province of a petition
for a writ of Kaliha.san. We also find it unnecessary at
this point to determine whether such waiver of State
immunity is indeed absolute. In the sa1ne vein, we
cannot grant damages which have resulted from the
violation of enviro11111ental laws. The Rules allows
the recovery of damages, including the collection
of administrative fines under R.A. No. 10067, in a
separate civil suit or that dcen1ed instituted with
the criminal action charging the snn1c violation of
an environ111ental law.xx x
We agree with respondents (Philippine officials)
in asserting that this petition hns become moot in the
sense that the salvage operation sought to be enjoined
or restrained had already been accomplished when
petitioners sought recourse from this Court. But insofar
as the directives to Philippine respondents to
protect and rehabilitate the coral reef structure and
marine habitat adversely affected by the grounding
incident are concerned, petitioners are entitled to
these reliefs notwithstanding the completion of the
removal of the USS Guardian from the coral reef.
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However, we are mindful of the fact that the US
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a. and Philippine governments both expressed readiness
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to negotiate and discuss the matter of compensation
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for the damage caused by the USS Guardian. The US
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Embassy has also declared it is closely coordinating with
~ local scientists and experts in assessing the extent of the
damage and appropriate methods of rehabilitation.
Exploring avenues for settlement of environ-
mental cases is not proscribed by the Rules. As
can be gleaned from the following provisions,
~
668 LAW ON NA'l'UHJ\L HJt:SOUHCl•:S

AND HULES
OF PHOCEDUHE FOH fo:NVIHONMft:N'l'J\L CJ\Sft:S
1ncdintion nnrl scttlmncnt nrc avuilabJe for the

consirlcrntion of the pnrtics, and which dispute al
resolution 1ncthods arc encouraged by the court." C:
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(Emphasis supplied) E
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Propitiously. through successful diplonrntic negotiations, the -a
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United Stntes irnid the Philippines monetary consideration for the "'
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damages which the American ship USS Gnardia.n had inflicted

on 'l'ubbataha Reef, recognized ns one of the Philippines' oldest
ecosystems containing excellent examples of pristine reefs and a
high diversity of marine lifeY
RULES
WRIT OF CONTINUING MANDAMUS
SECTION 1. Petition. for continuing 1nanda1nus. -When

any agency or instrun1entality of the govenunent or officer
thereof unlawfully neglects the perfonnance of an act which
the law specifically enjoins as a duty resulting from an
office, trust or station in connection with the enforcement
or violation of an environn1ental law rule or regulation or a
right therein, or unlawfully excludes another from the use or
enjoy1nent of such right and there is no other plain, speedy
and adequate reinedy in the ordinary course oflaw, the person
aggrieved thereby 1nay file a verified petition in the proper
court, alleging the facts with certainty, attaching thereto
supporting evidence, specifying that the petition concerns
an environ1nental law, rule or regulation, and praying that
judgment be rendered conunanding the respondent to do an
act or series of acts until the judg1nent is fully satisfied, and
to pay dan1ages sustained by the petitioner by reason of the
malicious neglect to perfonn the duties of the respondent,
under the law, ru)es or regulations. The petition shall also
contain a sworn certification of 11011-f'onuushopping.
a. Function of 1na1ula1111u;
Generally, manda1n118 is ernployod to compol t.ho porfo1·mnnce,
when refused, of n ministerial duty, this being its chiof use nnd not,
2
:.! http://www,I'llpplur.com/nn tio11/8'12G
1-us-pnys-d11lllng-o-tubh11
I11h11
•reef
Rule 8 - Writ of Continuing Mandamus
a discretionary duty. As distinguished from an injunction which is <ii

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essentially a preventive remedy, the function of mandamus is to set "'
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in motion and to compel action. Mandamus lies to command the E

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doing of what ought to be done, and not to undo what has been done. -f=
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b. Writ of continuing mandam,us "'
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The writ of continuing mandamus commands the respondent

to do an act or series of acts until the judgment is fully satisfied.
The purpose of the writ is to compel the respondent to perform
his duties under the law. This remedy is available when any
government agency, instrumentality, or officer unlawfully neglects
a specific legal duty in connection with the enforcement or violation
of an environmental law, rule, or regulation, or a right therein, or
unlawfully excludes another from the use or enjoyment of such right
and there is no other pDain, speedy and adequate remedy in the
ordinary course of law. A petition for its issuance may be filed with
the Regional Trial Court exercising jurisdiction over the territory
where the actionable neglect or omission occurred or with the Court
of Appeals or the Supreme Court.z:i
The writ cannot be resorted to when the respondent is not the
person obliged to perform the duty under the law (as is the case
under the EIS System) or when the period for the respondent to
perform its legal duty has not yet expired (as is the case with the
consultation requirements of the LGC).i-,
As a special civil action, the writ of continuing mandamus may
be availed of to compel the performance of an act specifi-cally enjoined
by law. It permits the court to retain jurisdiction after judgment
in order to ensure the successful implementation of the reliefs
mandated under the court's decision. For this purpose, the court may
compel the submission of compliance reports from the respondent
government agencies as well as avail of other means lo monitor
compliance with its decision. Its availability as u special civil action
likewise complements its role as a final relief in environmental civil
cases and in the writ of halihasan, where continuing mandamus
may likewise be issued should the facts merit such u relieU~
2:isecs.
1 and 2, Rule 8.
24Braga v. Abayn, GR No. 223076, Sept. 13, 2016.
25
Annotation, RPEC.
,
LAWON NA'l'UH.AL,
RESOURCES AND RULES
670 OF PHOCEDURI~FOR ENVIRONMENTALCASES
. . D t Paie :ln summarizes the concept of

Justice Reyes, 1n o 1o, v. ,., ,
continuing mandamu.s us follows: cii
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"The concept of contmmng • • man dar,ius

, , was first
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introduced in Metropolitan Manila Development A~thority -5
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v. Concerned Residents o 1YJania ay. "C
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under Rule 8 of the Rules, the writ of continuing r~~nda~nus "'
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enjoys a distinct procedure than that of ordinary civil acti~ns

for the enforcement/violation of environmental laws, wluch
are covered by Part II (Civil Procedure). Similar to the
procedure under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court for special
civil actions for certiorari, prohibition and mandamus,
Section 4, Rule 8 of the Rules requires that the petition filed
should be sufficient in form and substance before a court
may take further action; otherwise, the court may dismiss
the petition outright. Courts must be cautioned, however,
that the determination to give due course to the petition
or dismiss it outright is 1111 exercise of discretion that must
be applied in a rcasonnblc manner in consonance with the
spirit of the law and always with the view in mind of seeing
to it that justice is served. xx x.
Under the Rules, after the court has rendered a
judgment in conformity with Rule 8, Section 7 and such
judgment has become final, the issuing court still retains
jurisdiction over the case to ensure that the government
agency concerned is performing its tasks as mandated by
law and to monitor the effective performance of said tasks.
It is only upon full satisfaction of the final judgment order
or decision that a final return of the writ shall be mad~ to the
~ourt and if the court finds that the judgment has been fully
~mplemented, the satisfaction of judgment shall be entered
1n the court docket. A writ of continuing mandamus is in
~ssence, a command of continuing compliance with a fi'nal
~udgment ~sit 'permits the court to retain jurisdiction after
Judgmen~ in order to ensure the successful implementation
of the reliefs mandated under the court's decision.',,
26
GR No. 199299, Aug. 27, 2013.
27
GR No. 171947, Dec. 18, 2008.
To the same effect is Boracay Foundation, Inc. v. Province of Q)

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Alzlan 28 which held that the writ of continuing mandamus "permits C
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the court to retain jurisdiction after judgment in order to ensure E
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the successful implementation of the reliefs mandated under the -;;
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court's decision" and, in order to do this, "the court may compel the "O
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submission of compliance reports from the respondent government C
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agencies as well as avail of other means to monitor compliance with
its decision."
SEC. 2. Where to file the petition. - The petition shall be

filed with the Regional Trial Court exercising jurisdiction
over the territory where the actionable neglect or on1ission
occurred or with the Court of Appeals or the Supren1c Court.
SEC. 3. No dochet fees. - The petitioner shall be exe111pt
from the payment of docket fees.
SEC. 4. Order to comm.en/ .. - If the petition is sufficient
in form and substance, the court shall issue the writ and
require the respondent to c01n1ncnt on the petition within
ten (10) days from receipt of a copy thereof. Such order shall
be served on the respondents in such n1anner as the court
may direct, together with a copy of the petition and any
annexes thereto.
SEC. 5. Expediting proceedings; TEPO. - The court
in which the petition is filed may issue such orders to
expedite the proceedings, and it may also grant a TEPO for
the preservation of the rights of the parties pending such
proceedings.
SEC. 6. Proceedings after com,nent is filed. - After the
comment is filed or the time for the filing thereof has expired,
the court may hear the case which shall be summary in nature
or require the parties to sub1nit memoranda. The petition
shall be resolved without delay within sixty (60) days from
the date of the submission of the petition for resolution.
SEC. 7. Judg1nent. - If warranted, the court shall
grant the privilege of the writ of continuing 111andam.us
requiring respondent to perform an act or series of acts
until the judgment is fully satisfied and to grant such other
8
:.t GR No. 196870, June 26, 2012.
~
reliefs as 111aybe warranted resulting from the wrongful or ffi

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illegal acts of the respondent. The court shall require the C:

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respondent to submit periodic reports detailing the progress E

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and execution of the judgment, and the court may, by itself £
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or through a commissioner or the appropriate government "Cl
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agency, evaluate and monitor compliance. The petitioner C:
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may submit its comments or observations on the execution
of the judgn1ent.
a. Rendition of judgment
In its judgment, the court, if warranted, shall grant the privilege
of the writ of continuing mandamus requiring the respondent to
perform an act or series of acts until the judgment is fully satisfied.
It may also grant such other reliefs as may be warranted resulting
from the wrongful or illegal acts of the respondent. The court shall
require the respondent to submit periodic reports detailing the
progress and execution of the judgment, and the court may, by itself
or through a commissioner or the appropriate government agency,
evaluate and monitor ~ompliance. The petitioner may submit its
comments or observations on the execution of the judgment.
b. Illustrative cases
In the landmark case of Metro Manila Development Authority
v. Concerned Residents of Manila Bay, 29 the Court en bane, through
Justice Velasco, starts off with this profound prologue:
'The need to address environmental pollution, as a

cause of climate change, has oflate gained the attention of
the international community. Media have finally trained
their sights on the ill effects of pollution, the destruction
of forests and other critical habitats, oil spills, and the
unabated improper disposal of garbage. And rightly so.
for the magnitude of environmental destruction is now
on a scale few ever foresaw and the wound no lon(Yer b
simply heals by itself. But amidst hard evidence and clear
signs of a climate crisis that need bold action, the voice
of cynicism, naysayers, and procrastinators can still be
heard."
i!iGR No. 171947, Doc. 18, 2008, 574 SCHA £361.
_......ii
Cl IAP'l'EH XlX - llULI•:s OF PllOCEDUtrn (j7:l
FOH l•:NVIHONMl•:NTJ\LCJ\Sft:8
Huie 8 - Wl'it. of Co11t.i1111i11i-: M11111l1111111H
A group of concerned citizcnR filed a complaint, with the RTC i;;

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against several government agencies (rcspotHlenU:i), among them "'
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the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), for the cleanup, "'
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rehabilitation, and protection of the Manila Duy, 'l'hey alleged -;;

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that the water quality of the ivlanila Bay had fallen way below the Q)
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allowable standards set by law, and thal the continued neglect of "'
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respondent government offices in abating the pollution of the Manila

Bay constitutes a violation of their constitutional right lo a balanced
and healthful ecology. 'J'hc R1'C, ns did the Court of Appeals, ruled in
favor of petitioners. On appeal lo the Supreme Court, respondents,
as petitioners, contended that MMDA's duty to lake measures and
maintain adequate solid waste an<l liquid disposal systems involves
policy evaluation and the exercise of judgment on the part of the
agency concerned. They nrguecl that the MMDL\, in carrying out
its mandate, has to make decisions, including choosing where a
landfill should be located by undertaking feasibility studies and cost
estimates, all of which entail the exercise of discretion.
. 11:denying the petition, the Court ruled that petitioners'
obhgat10n to perform their duties as defined by law, on one hand, and
how they are to carry out such duties, on the other, arc two different
concepts. While the implementation of the MM.DA's mandated tasks
may entail a decision-making process, the enforcement of the law or
the very act of doing whut the law exacts to be done is ministerial in
nature and may be compelled by ,na.nda,nus. Petitioners' respective
charters or like enabling statutes and pertinent laws would yield
this conclusion: these govenuncnl agencies arc enjoined, as a
matter of statutor:y obligation, lo perform certain functions relating
directly· or indirectly lo the cleanup, rehabilitation, protection, cincl
preservation of the Manila llay. They arc precluded from choosing
noi to perform these duties. Jndeecl, even in the absence of' a specific
pollution incident, us Jong ns water qunlily ''has clelerioratccl to
a degree where its sinle wi1l adversely affed it.s host usage," PD
No. 1152 (Philippine Environment Cude) comma1Hls tho concot·m)cl
government agencies ''lo t.uku Huch munHuros HH mny ho nocossnry to
meet the prm;crihed water qu11lity 81.andarcls." 'l'hus, whoro pollution
is caused by pollutur·H who J'uil Locloan up tho 1110HH I.hoy loft.hohind,
the concerned govornmunt 11go11cioH Hhnll unclort.nlw tlw clol\l\\lp
work for the polluterH' 111:co1111L. /\ccorclingly, tho Coul'l orclorml
MMDA an<l other govcirnnw11t. ngonciuH, jointly 1111d~mliclnrily, to
clean up an<l rehuhilit11t.o M1111il11Buy 1111clrmitoro it:-i wntot'H to SB
classification to make it fit. for Hwin11lli1q.,:-,
Hkin-divin~ nnd othor
forms of' contncl rccrention, mm·o p11rt.icul11rly:
' ·soUHCFS AND HULES
J.t\W ON NNl'UHAL hit, MEN'l'AL CASES
67•1 OF J>HOCEDUHEFOH. ENVIHON "
FNR to fu11y implement its Operational Plan

( 1) t ]1e D .J {' I 1 b']. . •
for the li1anila ]Jay Coastal Strategy ~r t 10 re_1a •1 1tat~on,
restoration, nn<l conscrv:-ition of the Manila Bay at the eurhest
possible time;
(2) the DILG to inspect all factories, commercial
establishments, ::ind private homes along the bunks of the
major river systems in their respective areas of jurisdiction;
(3) the MWSS to provide, install, operate, and maintain
the necessary adequate waste water treat111ent facilities in
Metro Manila, Rizal, and Cavite where needed at the earliest
possible time;
(4) the LWUA to provide, install, operate, and maintain
sewerage and sanitation facilities and the efficient and safe
collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage in the provinces
of Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Bataan where
needed at the earliest possible time;
(5) the BFAR to improve and restor~ the marine ~ife
of the Manila Bay and to assist the LGUs 1n Metro Manila,
Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Bataan in
developing, using recognized methods, the fisheries and aquatic
resources in the Manila Bay;
(6) the PCG to apprehend violators of PD No. 979, RA
No. 8550, and other existing laws and regulations designed to
prevent marine pollution in the Manila Bay;
(7) the PPA to adopt such measures to prevent the
discharge and dumping of solid and liquid wastes and other
ship-generated wastes into the Manila Bay waters from vessels
docked at ports and appi·ehend the violators;
(8)the MMDA, as the lead agency and implementor of
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a. am a, to 1smant]e nnd remove n
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:::,:- • • ' ons, anu ot 1er oncronchments ostnbhshc
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3 and t •t·. hl" h o. 7279, and ot:hm· npplicnblo laws
o es n 1s oper·tte • 1
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N0 ' ' unu _ma_intmn n snn1tnry lnndftl , ns
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finality of th YC .. , • 90 ?~,
within n period of one yonr from
e ou1 t A dec1H1on•
'
(9) the DOH to cl t . . .. <l
sludge compa • 1 e eunino
mes 1ave the p1·0
d
nil lieonsod septic nu
l' ·1· . t
per nc1 1tws few tho trea tmen
CHAPTI.m XIX - HUU-:s OF PHOCEDUHE G75
FOH ENVIHONMENTAL CASES
Hull' R- Writ of Co11ti1111i111,t
l\lnndnmu.r.
and diRJ)osnl of 1rec•<>l
' ..
sl ucIgc nn d sewage coming
· f rom septic·
tanks;
. (lO) the DepEd to integrate lessons on pollution preven-

tion_, wa st e management, environmental protection and like
sub
. Jeet s in•
t Ile school
. '
curricula of all levels to inculcate the
~mportance of maintaining a balanced and healthful ecosystem
in the Manila Bay and the entire Philippine archipelago;
(11~ the DBM to consider incorporating an adequate
budget . in the General Appropriations Act of 2010 and
succeedi_ng years to cover the expenses relating to the cleanup,
resto~ati?n, a~d preservation of the water quality of the tvlanila
Bay, 1n _hne with the country's development objective to attain
economic _growth in a manner consistent with the protection,
preservation, and revival of our marine waters· and
'
. (12) the heads of petitioner-agencies, in line with the
principle of "continuing mandamus," to each submit to the
Court a quarterly progressive report of the activities under-
taken in accordance with the decision.
The decision became final in January 2009. iv1eantime, the Court

created the Manila Bay Advisory Committee to receive and evaluate
the quarterly progressive reports on the activities undertaken by
the agencies in accordance with said decision and to iuonitor the
execution phase of its decision. Against objections to the Court's
subsequent resolutions ordering the submission of progressive
reports on the actions undertaken for the implementation of its
decision, which allegedly amounts to an arrogation by the Court
of executive powers, the Court explained, in its resolution dated
February 15, 2011, that its orders are in the nature of continuing
mandamus which is an integral part of the Court's adjudicative
functions. While additional activities are required of the agencies
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like submission of plnns of action, dntu or stat.us reports, these
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C. directives are but part and parcel of the execution stage of n final
::;
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decision under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court. The writ of continnin~
0,
3
(/)
mandamus issued by the Court menns thnt until t lrn rom·t-n·1w<l
0
0,
::::,
::::,
government agencieH hnve shown full complianco with its ordur~.
!'.g
the Court exercises continuing jurh,diction ovut· thon1 unttl
full execution of the judg1nont. Moronvtw, tho submission of
periodic reports is sunctionecl hy Soetio1rn 7 nnd 8, Huh) 8 of thu
Rules of Procedure for gnvironmontnl CnAoH.
.....
676 L.\W ON NATUR.\L RESOURCES AND RULES

The Court, in employing the judicial discipline described as

"continuing mandamus," adverted to the Indian cases of Vineet
Narain v. Union of India 30 and M.C. Mehta v. Union of India.!11
The first case (Vineet Narain) involved a petition against the
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBD of India and other concerned
government agencies which allegedly did not fulfill their public duty
to investigate the offenses of highly positioned public officials in
relation to receiving monetary sources from a terrorist group. The
petitioners prayed for a writ of mandamus in order to compel the
CBI and the rest of the respondents to investigate these offenses.
The Supreme Court of India thus issued a writ of continuing
mandamus in order to monitor CBI's compliance with its order to
investigate the said offenses, and to ensure that the investigation
is done with impartiality and objectivity. On the other hnnd, the
second case (M.C. Mehta) sought the closure of tnnncries to prevent
the pollution of the Ganges River.:r
A related case is T.N. Godcwa.rmari v. U11in11of f,zdia & Ors:i:,
where the Supreme Court. of India i..~t-11,·d th,· u•rit o/ contirwin{!
mandamus in order to monitor compli:rnct• with t lw order to prci:iervc
and rehabilitate an Indian forcst.=14
The case of Braga v. Abaya,:1~ in\'olvL"sn petition for a writ of
continuing mandamus and/or writ of )mliJ,·a.rn11with a prayer for
the issuance of a temporary environmental protection order (TEPO).
The petition was directed against the Department of Transportation
and Communications (DOTC) and the Philippine Ports Authority's
(PPA) modernization project: the Davao Sasa Wharf (the project), a
30-year concession to develop, operate, and manage the port under
the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme. The project was
allegedly being carried out without the necessary Environmental
Compliance Certificate (ECC) or Environmental Impact Statements
(EIS) required under PD No. 1586 and Philippine Environmental
(J)
(')
Policy under PD No. 1151. The project also allegedly failed to
conduct local consultation and to secure prior sanggunian approval
Q)
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(1)
a.
::,; as required by the Local Government Code.
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30
1 sec 226 (1998).
:,
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~
31
4 sec 463 (1987).
32
Rationale, RPEC, p. 77, citing M.C. Mehta v. Union of India.
33
Annotation, RPEC, p. 103, citing T.N. Godavarman v. Union of India, 2 SCC
267 (1997).
34
Annotation, RPEC, citing T.N. Godavarman v. Union of India, supra.
35
GR No.223076, Sept. 13, 2016.
CHAPTEH XIX - RULES OF PHOCEDUHE G77
FOH ENVIHONMENTAL CASES
Rule 8 - Writ of Continuin~ Mnnd11mw-1
Petitioners specifically nllcgecl: (1) that the DOTC issued the

notice of public bidding despite noncompliance with Resolution No.
118; (2) that the DOTC did not conduct prior consultntion nn<l public
hearings nor secure the approval of the sanggunian concerned ns
required under Sections 2G and 27 of the LGC; (a) that lhe Dnvno
City sanggwiian hud passed u resolution objecting to the project for
its noncompliance with the LGC: nncl ('1) thnt the DOTC hns not
yet obtained nn Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) ns
required under PD No. 1586. 'l'hus, petitioners sought to restrain
the implementation of the project- including its bidding nnd uwnr<l
- until the respondents secure nn ECC nncl comply with the LGC.
In response, respondents invoked the prematurity of the petition,
arguing that the project wns still in the bidding process; thus, there
was still no proponent to implement it.
In denying the petition, the Court en ha11c, through Justice
Brion, ruled:
"The lRR of the EIS System simply designntes

the responsible party as the proponent. Ordinarily,
the proponent is easy to identify - it is the nntut'l1l or
juridical person intcndini; to implement the project.
But who are the proponents in PPP Projects which arc
a collaborntive effort between the government and the
private sector? RA No. 6957, as nmended by RA No.
7718, commonly known ns the Uuilcl-Operatc-'L'rnnsfcr
(BOT) Law, identifies the proponent in u PPP project ns
'the private sector entity which shull have contractual
responsibility for the project.' Accordingly, there is yet
no project proponent responsible for the EIS und the ECC
until the bidding process hns concluded and the contract
has been awarded. Considering thut the Project is still in
the bidding stage, the petition for continuing mandamus
to compel the respondents to submit un EIS and secure an
Cf)
ECC is premature. It is ulso misplaced because the public
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respondents DO NOT huve the duty to submit the EIS or
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:, secure an ECC."
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In Segovia v. Climate Change Commission,:,o petitioners
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claimed that they urc entitled to the issuance of the extrnor<linnry
~
:ioan No. 211010, Murch 7, 2017.

..
writs of lialikasan and continuing mandamus due to the alleged

failure and refusal of respondents to perform an act mandated
by environmental laws, citing the following: (a) the government's
violation of"atmospheric trust" as provided under Article XI, Section
1 of the Constitution; (b) DOTC and DPWH's failure to implement
the Road Sharing Principle under EO 774; (c) DA's failure to devote
public open spaces along sidewalks, roads and parking lots to
sustainable urban farming as mandated by Section 12(b) of EO 774;
(d) DILG's failure to coordinate with LGUs to guide them on the
Road Sharing Principle under Section 9(g) of EO 77 4; (e) DENR's
failure to reduce air pollutant emissions; and lastly (f) DBM's failure
to make available Road Users' Tax for _purposes stated in Section
9(e) 13 of EO 774.
In dismissing the petition, the Court, through Justice Caguioa,
held: First, the petitioners failed to prove direct or personal injury
arising from acts attributable to the respondents to be entitled to
the writ. While the requirements of standing had been liberalized
in environmental cases, the general rule of real party-in-interest
applies to a petition for continuing mandamus. Second, the_ Road
Sharing Principle is precisely as it is denominated - a principle. It
cannot be considered an absolute imposition to encroach upon the
province of public respondents to determine the manner by which
this principle is applied or considered in their policy decisions.
Mandamus lies to compel the performance of duties that are purely
ministerial in nature, not those that are discretionary.
The Court further noted that petitioners' preferred specific
course of action - the bifurcation of roads to implement the Road
Sharing Principle - found no textual basis in law to be considered
an act to be enjoined as a duty. Hence, the general rule applies that
discretion cannot be checked via a petition for continuing mandamus.
SEC. 8. Return of the writ. - The periodic reports

submitted by the respondent detailing compliance with the
judgment shall be contained in partial returns of' the writ.
Upon full satisfaction of the judgment, a final return of
the writ shall be made to the court by the respondent. If the
court finds that the judgment has been fully in1plen1ented,
the satisfaction of judgment shall be entered in the court
docket.

CH \PTEH XIX - H LFS OF PHOCEDUHE
G79
FOH EN\ IHONME TAL Ci\ ...'E.
Ruh, t- - Writ ,,f C'o11ti11ui111~
~11111<11111111~
a. Subrnission of ftnnl return

Upon full satisfaction oft he judgment. n finnl return of the wriL
$hall be ~ubmit ted tot he l'Ottrt by the respond ,nt. It is only nfter the
court finds that the judgment hns been fully implemented shnll the
satisfaction of judgment be entered in the court docket.
In Hetropolitan 1Ha11ilaDevelopmc11t Authority v. Concerned
Residents of Manila Bay, 3• the Court in it" resolution dated Fcbrunry
15. 2011 explained that. the l'vlnniln 13ny i\rh i ory Committee wns
created to receive and eYalunte the qunrtcrly prog-rcssivc reports
on the acth·ities undertaken by the agencies in nccordancc with the
Court's main decision and to monitor the execution phnsc thereof.
The Court stressed that t.his does not amount to nn encronchmcnt
on the powers and functions of the executive branch of government.
The issuance of subsequent resolutions by the Court is imply an
exercise of judicial power under Art. VIII of the Constitution since the
execution of its decision is an integral part of the Court's ndjudicntive
functions. While additional activities nre required of the concerned
agencies like submission of plans of action, data or status reports,
these directives are but part and parcel of the execution stage of a
final decision under Section 37, Rule 39 of the Rules of Court. The
final judgment includes not only what appenrs upon its face to have
been so adjudged but also those matters "actually and necessarily
included therein or necessary thereto." Moreover, the submission
of periodic reports is sanctioned by Sections 7 and 8, Rule S of the
Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases.
b. Differences between the writ of continuing

manda,nus and the writ of llalihasan.
1) Subject ,natter
A writ of continuing 1na11da11111s is direct.eel ngninst: (n)
the unlawful neglect in the perf'o1·111nncoof nn net which t lw
law specifically enjoins as n duty rosulting from nn ot'fkt'. trm;t
or station in connect.ion with the enf'oreoment. 01·violntion of nn
environmental luw rule or rogulntion or n 1·it~ht.t.ht roin: ot· (h)
the unlawful exchrnion of n11ot,lrn1·from I.ho UH<or onjoynwnt
of such right und, in hot.Ii i1rnt.11nc:1
H, t.horo iH no ot lH r plnin,
speedy und ndequntu rnnwdy int.ho ordin11r~ cout'Htl of lnw. 1
37
Gll No. 17 HM7, Het1.d11t,01l Foti. I Ci,.!OI I.

A writ of halilwsan is available against an unlawful act or

omission of a public official or employee, or private individual
or entity, involving environmental damage of such magnitude
as to prejudice the life, health or property of inhabitants
in two or more cities or provinces. The magnitude of the
environmental damage is a condition sine qua non in a petition
for the issuance of a writ of lwlilwsan and must be specified in
the verified petition.
2) Who niay file

A writ of continuing mandamus is available only to one
who is personally aggrieved by the unlawful act or omission.
A petition for the issuance of a writ of halihasan is
available to a broad range of persons such as natural or juridical
person, entity authorized by law, people's organization, non-
governmental organization, or any public interest group
accredited or registered with any government agency, on behalf
of persons whose right to a balanced and healthful ecology is
violated or threatened to be violntcd.
3) Resporident
The respondent in a petition for continuing m,andamzts is
only the government or its officers.
In a petition for a writ of halihasan, the respondent may
be a private individual or entity.
4) Exemption frorn dochet fees

The application for either petition is exempted from the
payment of docket fees.
5) Venue
A petition for the issuance a writ of continuing ,nandamus
may be filed in the following: (a) Regional Trial Court exercising
jurisdiction over the territory where the actionable neglect or
omission occurred; (b) the Court of Appeals; or (c) the Supreme
Court.
A petition for the issuance of a writ of halikasan can only
be filed in the Supreme Court or any of the stations of the Court
of Appeals in Manila, Cebu, or Cagayan de Oro City.

6) Discovery measures
The Rule on the writ of continuing mandamus does not
contain any provision for discovery measures.
The Rule on the writ of halihasan incorporates the
procedural environmental right of access to information
through the use of discovery measures such as ocular inspection
order and production order.
7) Damages for personal injury

The writ of continuing mandamus allows the payment of
damages for the malicious neglect of the performance of the
legal duty of the respondent.
The writ_ of kalikasan does not allow the payment of
damages consistent with the public-interest character of the
petition. A party who avails of this petition may file another
suit for the recovery of damages since the Rule on the writ of
halikasan allows for the institution of separate actions. 38
38Annotation, RPEC.

PART IV
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
RULE9
PROSECUTION OF OFFENSES
SECTION 1. Who may file. -Any offended party, peace

officer or any public officer charged with the enforcement of
an environmental law n1ay file a complaint before the proper
officer in accordance with the Rules of Court.
a. Prosecution of offenses
Pursuant to Section 1, Rule 9, any offended party, peace
officer or any public officer charged with the enforcement of an
environmental law may file a complaint before the proper officer
in accordance with the Rules of Court. The prosecution of offenses
is generally addressed to the sound discretion of the investigating
prosecutor. But the dismissal of a criminal case against an accused
can only be appealed by the Solicitor General, acting on behalf of
the State.
b. Offenses under the Revised Forestry Code (PD No.

705)
The Revised Forestry Code (PD No. 705), as amended by PD
No. 1559 and by EO No. 277, provides for criminal offenses and
penalties therefor as well as the custody and disposition of seized
items. Section 68, as amended, provides as follows:
"SEC. 68. Cutting, Gathering and/ or Collectino·

Timber or Other Products Without License. _ An;
person _who shall cut, gather, collect, remove timber or
other forest
f.rom a 1rnna
. . from any forest lac: n d , 01 . t·,un b ei •
bl products
• c . e pu b1.1c 1an d , or from
_e or d1spos·ilJ} . .
private
land, without any autho1··1t·y, m. possess tim · b er or other
(i82

CHAJYI'ERXIX - RULES OF PROCEDURE 683
Rule 9 - Prosecution of Offenses
forest pro~u~ts without the legal documents as required

und~r exis~mg forest laws and regulations, shall be
punished with the penalties imposed under Articles 309
and 310 of the Revised Penal Code: Provided, That in the
case of partnerships, associations, or corporations, the
officers _who ordered the cutting, gathering, collection or
possession shall be liable, and if such officers are aliens,
they shall, in addition to the penalty, be deported without
further proceedings on the part of the Commission on
Immigration and Deportation.
"The court shall further order the confiscation
in favor of the government of the timber or any forest
products cut, gathered, collected, removed, or possessed,
as well as the machinery, equipment, implements and
tools illegally used in the nren where the timber or forest
products are found."
"SEC. 68-A. Administrative Authority of the
Department Head or His Duly Authorized Representative
to Order Confiscation. - In nil cnses of violutions of this
Code or other forest laws, rules nnd regulations, the
Department Head or his duly authorized representative,
may order the confiscation of uny forest products illegally
cut, gathered, removed, or possessed or abandoned, and
all conveyances used either by land, water or air in the
commission of the offense and to dispose of the same in
accordance with pertinent laws, regulations or policies on
the matter.
"SEC. 68-B. Rewards to Informants. - Any
person who shall provide any information leading to
the apprehension and conviction of any offender for any
violation of this Code or other forest laws, rules and
regulations, or confiscation of forest products shall be
given a reward in the amount of twenty per centum (20%)
of the proceeds of the confiscated forest products."
In People v. Que, 1 it was held that _there are two (2) distinct ~nd
separate offenses punished under Section 68 of PD No. 705, to wit:
(1) Cutting, gathering, collecting and removi?g of
timber or other forest products from any forest land, or timber
1GR No. 120366, Dec. 17, 1996.

684 OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CASES
from alienable or disposable public land, or from private land

without any authority; and
(2) Possession of timber. or othe: f?r~ st products
without the legal documents required under eXISt mg laws and
regulations.
In the first offense, one can raise as a def~nse ~he legality of
the acts of cutting, gathering, collecting or remoVJng timber or other
forest products by presenting the authorization issued by the DENR.
In the second offense, however, it is immaterial whether the
cutting, gathering, collecting and removal of the forest products is
legal or not. Mere possession of forest products without the proper
documents consummates the crime. Whether or not the lumber
comes from a legal source is immaterial because EO No. 277 considers
the mere possession of timber or other forest products without the
proper legal documents as malum prohibitu,n.
DENR AO No. 59, series of 1993, specifies the documents
required for the transport of timber and other forest products.
Section 3 thereof materially requires that the transport of lumber
be accompanied by a certificate of lumber origin duly issued by the
DENR-CENRO.
J) PD No. 705 is a special penal statute that

punishes acts essentially malum prohibitum
In prosecutions under the second offense, claims of good
faith are by no means reliable as defenses because the offense is
complete and criminal liability attaches once the prohibited acts
are committed. It would therefore make no difference at all whether
it was petitioner himself or another person who owned the subject
pieces oflumber. Possession, under the law, includes not only actual
possession, but also constructive possession.
In Villarin v. People,2 it was held that in offenses considered as
mala prohibita or when the doing of an act is prohibited by a special
law, such as that committed under PD No. 705 the commission of
th e prohi~ited act is the crime itself. As such, criminal intent is not
an essential element · H owever, t h e prosecut10n • must prove tha t
~;cused ~ad the intent to possess (animus possidendi) the timber.
ossesswn, u nd er the law, includes not only actual possession,
2
GR No. 175289, Aug. 3l, 201 1.

j
b ,t al~o constructive possession. Actual possession exists when

the [obJect of the crime] is in the immediate physical control of the
accuse~. On the other hand, constructive possession exists when
the [obJect of the crime] is under the dominion and control of the
accused or when he has the right to exercise dominion and control
over the place where it is found." It is sufficient that the offender has
the i?t:nt to perpetrate the act prohibited by the special law, and
that It IS done knowingly and consciously. In the second offense, it is
immaterial whether the cutting, gathering, collecting and removal
of the forest products are legal or not.
In Crescencio v. People, 3 the magsihagon lumber were
admittedly owned by the petitioner but no permit evidencing
authority to possess said lumber was duly presented. Thus, the
Information correctly charged the petitioner with the second offense
which is consummated by the mere possession of forest products
without the proper documents. Whether or not the lumber comes
from a legal source is immaterial because the I•ores try Code is a •
special law which considers mere possession of timber or other forest
products without the proper documentation ns malum prohibiturn.
In Aquino v. People,-1 forest rangers received information
that pine trees were being cut at Teachers' Camp without proper
authority. They found Ernesto Aquino (petitioner), a forest ranger
from CENRO, supervising the cutting of the trees. The forest
rangers found 23 tree stumps, out of which only 12 were covered by
the permit. Charged with a violation of Section 68 of PD No. 705,
as amended, petitioner and four (4) others were found guilty by the
trial court, ruling that the trees cut exceeded the allowed number of
the trees authorized to be cut. The appellate court affirmed, holding
that as a forest ranger, petitioner had the duty to supervise the
cutting of trees and to ensure that the sawyers complied with the
terms of the permit which only he possessed.
In acquitting petitioner of the charge, the Court said that
Section 68 of PD No. 705 punishes anyone who shall cut, gather,
collect or remove timber or other forest products from any forest
land, or timber from alienable or disposable public land, or from
private land, without any authority. In this case, petitioner was
charged by the CENRO simply to supervise the implementation
3GR No. 205015, Nov. 19, 2014.

4 GR No. 165it48, ,July 27, 2009.

~
l.AW ON NA'l'UHAL HESOUHCES AND HULES

686
OF PHOCEDURE FOH ENVlltONMEN'l'AL CASES
of the permit. He was not the one who cut, guthered, collected or
removed the pine trees. Nor wns he in possession of the cut trees
because the lumber was used by the Teachers' Camp for repairs.
Petitioner may have been remiss in his duties when he failed to
restrain the sawyers from cutting trees more than what was
covered by the permit. But, if at all, this could only make petitioner
administratively liable for his nets. Neither could petitioner be held
liable under the last paragraph of Section 68 of PD 705 as he is not
an officer of a partnership, association, or corporation who ordered
the cutting, gathering, or collection, or is in possession of the pine
trees.
2) Violation of Section 68 of PD No. 705 is punished

as qualified theft
A violation of Section 68 of PD No. 705, as amended, is punished
as qualified theft, as held in Taopa v. People. 6 The law treats cutting,
gathering, collecting and possessing timber or other forest products
without license as an offense as grave as and equivalent to the
felony of qualified theft. Section 68 refers to Articles 309 and 310
of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) for the penalties to be imposed on
violators.
c. Offenses under the Mining Act (RA No. 7942)

Under the Philippine Mining Act (RA No. 7942), illegally-
sourced minerals/mineral products are those which are mined,
extracted, removed and/or disposed of without authority or permit
under existing mining laws, rules and regulation.n rrhe transport
of all minerals/mineral products and by-products, including gold
bullions without the corresponding permit documents, e.g., ore
transport permits (OrrP), shall be considered pri,na facie evidence
of illegal mining and as basis for the filing of a complaint for theft
7
of minerals. The Regional Office concerned, permittee, contractor,
(/)
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permit holder and/or other duly deputized personnel shall file the
::,
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complaint with the proper court for violation of Scclion 100 of the
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Act ('rheft of Minerals). 11
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~ IIGR No. 18'10B8,Nov. 26, 2008, o7 SCHA !ilO,
uscc. 116, DAO No. 21-10.
7Sec. 118, ibid.
8Sec. 122, ibid.
~
CHAPTER XIX - HULES OF PROCEDURE 687
FOH ENVJHONMENTAL CASES
Huie H- Prosecution of Offenses
In People v. Abad, 11 private respondents were charged with the

crime of "Theft of Minerals" defined and penalized under Section 78
of PD No. 463, as amended. The elements of the offense are that:
(1) the accused extracted, removed and/or disposed of minerals; (2)
these minerals belong to the government or have been taken from
n mining claim or claims leased, held or owned by other persons;
and (3) the accused <lid not possess a mining lease or nny permit
to mine granted by the Secretary or the Director under existing
mining decrees, laws and regulations. Despite the fact that the
corresponding Information included nll these elements, the trial
court nevertheless dismissed the case. The judge considered three (3)
tax receipts issued by the Municipal 'l'rensurer of Banawe, lfugao,
as equivalent to the required permit to extract minerals from the
quarry site. 'rhe Supreme Court reversed, stating that said receipts
merely show proof of payment of taxes which is not equivalent to
the authority to extract, remove, and/or dispose of minerals from the
quarry us required by PD No. 463. The judge's rationalization that
the taking away of sand nnd gravel wns without malice, because it
was done with the knowledge and participation of the government
since private respondents had paid taxes on the sand nnd gravel
extracted, is incorrect. In crimes punishcci by special lnws, the act
alone, irrespective of its motives, constitutes the offense.
d. Prohibitions under the Fisheries Code (RA No.

8550)
Chapter VI of the Code provides for prohibitions committed
under the law and the penalties thereof. The prohibitions include:
poaching in Philippine waters, fishing through explosives, noxious
or poisonous substances and/or electricity, use of fine mesh net, use
of active gear in municipal waters and other fishery management
areas, ban coral exploitation and exportation, conversion of
mangroves, fishing in overfished areas during closed season, fishing
in fishery reserves, refuge and sanctuaries, and others.
[ Under Section 124 of the Fisheries Code (RA No. 8550), the
[ following are authorized to enforce the Code and other fishery laws,
!
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rules and regulations, to wit:
Ql
3
~
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"SEC. 124. Persons and Deputies Authorized to
~
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En/ orce this Code and Other Fishery Laws, Rules and
0
GR No. 55132, J\ug.30, 1988.
~
LAW ON NATURALRESOURCES AND RULES
688
Regulations. - The law enforcement officers of the

Department, the Philippine Navy, Philippine Const
Guard, Philippine National Police (PNP), PNP-l\1aritime
Command, law enforcement officers of the LGUs and other
government enforcement agencies, are hereby authorized
to enforce this Code and other fishery laws, rules and
regulations. Other competent government officials and
employees, pu11011g barangays and officers and members
of fisherfolk associations who have undergone training
on law enforcement mny be designated in writing by the
Department as deputy fish wardens in the enforcement of
this Code and other fishery laws, rules and regulations.''
In Leynes v. Peop/e, 10 petitioner was charged with the offense of

conversion of mangroves into fishponds or other purposes. Petitioner
claims thut he cannot be convicted of the offense bccnusc his act of
introducing improvements and rehabilit :1ting the mangrove forest
ureu do not amount to conversion. ;\li--o, when he improved nnd
rehabilitated the same, it was alre:1dy 11 fii-;hpond. The Court wns
unconvinced. It held that what. th<' lnw prohibits iH not only the
conversion of the mangrove forest. into fishponds. hut its conversion
into any other purpose. Indeed. evL•n if pet it imn·r may not have
caused the conversion of the mun~roVl' forl'st into II fishpond, his nets
of cutting mnngrove trees, constructing n dikL·, instnllin~ an outlet
(prinsa), and e:xcavntin~ in tlw mangTo,·e forest altered the natural
structure and form of the mangrove forest - an net punishable by
Section 94 of RA No. 8550.
e. Offenses under the Water Code (PD No. 1067)

Chapter VIII of the Water Code of the Philippines (PD No.
1067) enumerates the acts punishable thereunder which include:
the appropriation of subterranean or ground water for domestic
use by an overlying landowner without registration required by the
Cf)
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Council, failure to comply with any of the terms or conditions in a
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water permit or n water rights grant, unauthorized use of water for
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a purpose other than that for which a right or permit was granted,
(")
Q} failure to provide adequate facilities to prevent or control diseases
3
Cf)
(")
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when required by the Council in the construction of any work for the
::,
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storage, diversion, distribution and utilization of water, drilling of
10GR No. 224804, Sept.. 21, 2016.

CHAPI'ER XIX - RULES OF PROCEDURE 689
FOR ENVIRO!\~IEN"T..\L CASES
a well without permission of the Council, illegal taking or diversion

of water in an open canal, aqueduct or reserYoir. appropriation
of water without a water permit, unauthorized obstruction of an
irrigation canal, unauthorized obstruction of a riYer or waterway,
establishment of a cemetery or a waste disposal area near a source
of water supply or reservoir for domestic municipal use without
permission, dumping mine tailings and sediments into rivers or
waterways without permission. and others.
f. Prosecution for 111ultiple violations

Under Section 3(e), Rule 117 of the 1985 Rules of Criminal
Procedure, duplicity of offenses in n single information is a crround
to quash the Information. The Rules prohibit the filin<T;f such
Information to avoid confusing the accused in preparing hi; defense.
The case of Loney v. Peop/c 11 illu~tr:1tcs :1 cn~c where the
prosecution validly charged each pct it ioncr with four offenses. with
each Information charging only one offenst'. Tlw Court. ruled thnt
petitioners erroneously invoked duplicit>' of charge~ :i~ n ground
to quash the information. The Court. explni11L'dthat a compn1·ntivc
analysis of PD No. 1067, PD No. 98-1. H:\ No. 7!),l:Z. and Article 365
of the RPC shows that in each of these laws, therl.! i:-,one essential
element not required of the others, thus:
In PD No. 1067 (Philippines \\Tnter Code). lhe additional
element to be established is the dumping of mine tailings into the
Makulnpnit River and the entire Bone River S>stem without prior
1
permit from the authorities concerned. The grnvnmen of lhe offense

is the absence of the proper permit to dump snid mine tailings.
This element is not indispensable in the prosecution for violation of
PD No. 984 (Anti-Pollution Law). RA No. 7942 (Philippine l\tlining
Act) and Article 365 of the Revised Penni Code. One can be validly
prosecuted for violating the \Vnter Code even in the absence of
actuul pollution, or even if he hns complied with the terms of its
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Environmental Compliance Certificn tc. or further, even if he took
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the necessary precautions to prevent dnmage to property.
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In PD No. 984 (Anti-Pollution Law). the mlrlitionnl fact that
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must be proved is the existence of nctunl pollution. 'l'hc gravamen
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:,
is the pollution itself. In the nbsence of any pollution, the accused
~ must be exonerated under this law nlthough there was unauthorized
11GR No. 1626'111, Feb. 10, 2006. -182SClli\ lD·I.

690 LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES Ai.'\TDRULES
OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIRON?\IENT:\L CASES
dumping of mine tailings or lack of precaution on its part to prevent

damage to property.
In RA No. 7942 (Philippine Mining Act), the additional fact
that must be established is the willful violation and gross neglect
on the part of the accused to abide by the terms and conditions
of the Environmental Compliance Certificate, particularly that
the Marcopper should ensure the containment of run-off and silt
materials from reaching the Mogpog and Boac Rivers. If there was
no violation or neglect, and that the accused satisfactorily proved
[sic} that Marcopper had done everything to ensure containment of
the run-off and silt materials, they will not be liable. It does not
follow, however, that they cannot be prosecuted under the Water
Code, Anti-Pollution Law and the Revised Penal Code because
violation of the Environmental Compliance Certificnte is not an
essential element of these laws.
On the other hand, the ad<litionnl clement that must be
established in Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code is the
lack of necessary or adequate precaution, negligence, recklessness
and imprudence on the part of the accused to prevent damage to
property. This element is not required under the previous laws.
Unquestionably, it is different from clumping of mine tailings without
permit, or causing pollution to the Boac river system, much more
from violation or neglect to abide by the terms of the Environmental
Compliance Certificate. Moreover, the offenses punished by special
law are mala prohibita in contrast with those punished by the
Revised Penal Code which are mala in se.
SEC. 2. Filing
of the inforn1ation. - An information,
charging a person with a violation of an environmental law
and subscribed by the prosecutor, shall be filed with the
court.
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a. Filing of information initiates the criminal action
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a.
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g:
The filing of an information charging a person with violation
0
Q)
of an environmental law and subscribed by the prosecutor, initiates
3
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Q)
the criminal action. The preliminary investigation conducted by the
::,
::, fiscal for the purpose of determining whether a prima facie case
~
exists warranting the prosecution of the accused is terminated upon
the filing of the i?form~tion in the proper court. The filing of said
information sets in motion the criminal action against the accused
in court. Once an information is filed in court, any disposition of the
~
CHAPTER XIX-RULES OF PROCEDURE 691
case as its dismissal or the conviction or acquittal of the accused

rests in the sound discretion of the court. 12
SEC. 3. Special prosecutor. - In criminal cases, where

there is no private offended party, a counsel whose services
are offered by any person or organization may be allowed
by the ~ourt as special prosecutor, with the consent of
and subJect to the control and supervision of the public
prosecutor.
a. Intervention of a special prosecutor

Section 3 aims to encourage public participation in criminal
litigation by permitting the appearance of a special prosecutor.
Unlike the general rule obtaining under the Rules of Criminal
Procedure, this provision recognizes the possibility of intervention
from a special prosecutor even in the absence of a private offended
party. The special prosecutor complements the public prosecutor in
advancing public interest in environmental cases.
The provision thus applies to those instances of "victimless
offenses" where there is no private offended party who has a
direct or material interest to prosecute a criminal action. Most
environmental cases involve violations of environmental law (i.e.,
dynamite fishing in marine sanctuaries, illegal logging in forests,
etc.). These situations are likened to public interest _en~ironmental
litigation prevalent in foreign jurisdictions where 1t 1s ~su~lly a
concerned people's organization, non-governme~t~l organ_1za~!onor
citizen's ground that pushes and pursues the crimmal action.
RULE 10
PROSECUTION OF CML ACTIONS
SECTION I. Institution of Criminal and Civil Actions. -

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When a criminal action is instituted, the civil action for the
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0.
recovery of civil liability arising from the offense charged,
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shall be deemed instituted with the criminal action unless
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0) the complainant waives the civil action, reserves the right to
3
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institute it separately or institutes the civil action prior to
:,
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~ the criminal action.
12 Crespo v. Mogul, GR No. 53373, J1.me 30, 1987, 151 SCRA 462.
13Annotation, RPEC.
~
(if):l
LAW ON NJ\'l'UHAL RESOURCES AND RULES
OF PROCEDUHE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CASES
Unless the civil action has been instituted prior to the

criininal action, the r·cservation of the right to institute
separately the civil action shall be nu1dc during arraignment,
In case civil liability is i1nposed or da1nagcs are awarded
the filing and other legal fees shall be ilnposed on said award '
in accordance with Rule 1'11 of the Rules of Court, and the
fees shall constitute n first lien on the judgment award.
The duinages awarded in cases where there is no private
offended party, less the filing fees, shall accrue to the funds
of the agency charged with the iinplcn1cntntion of tho
environn1cntnl lnw violated. The awnrcl shall be used for the
restoration and rehabilitation of the environment adversely
affected.
a. Institution of actions
'l'his provision clcpnrts from the tl'nditionnl rule on institution
of civil actions under Rule 111 of'the Rules on Criminal Procedure in
tlrnt it. provides for nn npplicnble l'ule on the disposition of <lumuges
whcl'e thel'c is no private offended party. The provision likewise
codifies the essence of restorative justice when it requires that the
award shall be given to the concerned government agency. '!'his is
restorative justice transposed into the context of' environmental
law. 1•1
b. Generally, the civil action is deemed instituted

with the criininal action
'l'hc rule is that when a criminal action is instituted, the civil
action for the recovery of civil liability arising from the offense
chnrgc<l shall be deemed instituted with the criminal action unless
the complainant waives the civil action, reserves the right to institute
it separately 01· institutes the civil action prior to the criminal action.
Unless the civil action has been instituted prior to the criminal
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action, the reservation of' the right to institute separately the civil
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action shall be made during arraignment.
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3 c. Rule on the awnrd of dnmages
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In cusc civil liability is imposed or damages are awarded,
the filing and other legal fees shnll be imposed on said award in
11
Annot11tion, HPEC.
J
CIIAPTl,:U. XIX - HULES OF J>HOCEDUHE 69:J
FOH ENVIHONMENTAL CASF:S
Huh• 11 - ArrtHt.
m!cordnncu with ltule 1'11 of' the Rules of Court, nnd the fees shall
constitute n firHt lien on the judgment award. The damages nwnrded
whore thero is no private offcncle<l party, less the filing fees, shall
nccrue to the funds of the ngency charged with the implementntion
of the environmental law violnted. The awnrd shall be used for the
restoration un<l rehabilitation of the environment adversely nffected.
RULE 11
ARREST
SECTION 1. Arrest without. wa.1·1·a11t; when lawful. -
A peace officer or an individunl deputized hy the proper
governn1ent agency 1nay, without u warrant, arrest n person:
(a) When, in his presence, the person to he iurcstcd
has conunitted, is actually con1111ittinr! or is attempting to
conunit an offense; or
(b) When an offense hns just been commit tecl, nnd he
has probable cause to believe based on pcr1--onnl knowledge
of facts or circumstances that the person to he arTcstcd has
cormnitted it.
Individuals deputized by the proper govcrnn1cnt
agency who are enforcing environrnental laws shall enjoy
the presumption of regularity under Section a(111),Ruic 131
of the Rules of Court when effecting arrests for violations of
environmental laws.
a. Arrest, how 1nade

Arrest is the taking of a person into custody in order that
he may be bound to answer for the commission of an offense. 11i An
arrest is made by an actual restraint of a person to be arrested,
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or by submission to the custody of the person mnki~g the arrest.
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a.
The arrest must be done immediately after the commission of the
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~ offense.
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3(/) Section l(a) and (b) on warrantless arrest is a verbatim copy of
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Section 5, Rule 113 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure. It is required
~ that the person arrested without a warrant shall be delivered to the
nearest police station or jail without unnecessary delay.
16 Scc. 1, Rule 113, Rules of Court.

~
L\W ON NATURALRESOURCES AND RULES

69~
OF PROCEDUHEFOR ENVIRONMENTALCASES
Deputized indiYiduals. effecting citizen's arrest, enjoy the

presumption of regularity traditionally given to public officers
under this proYision. The process of deputation shall continue to be
go,·erned by the respective laws and regulations pron1ulgated by the
appropriate government agency tasked to enforce environmental
laws.
b. Arrests and institution of crin1inal actions under

the Revised Forestry Code
Under the Revised Forestry Code (PD No. 705), Section 89 on
arrest and institution of criminal action provides as follows:
"SEC. 89. Arrest, Institution of Criminal Actions. -

A forest officer or employee of the Bureau or any personnel
of the Philippine Constabulary/Philippine National
Police shall arrest even ,vithout warrant any person who
has committed or is comn1itting in his presence any of
the offenses defined in this Chapter. He shall also seize
and confiscate, in favor of the government, the tools and
equipment used in committing the offense, and the forest
products cut, gathered or taken by the of offender in the
process of committing the offense. The arresting forest
officer or employee shall thereafter deliver within six
hours from the time of arrest and seizure, the offender and
the confiscated forest products, tools and equip1nent to,
and file the proper complaint with, the appropriate official
designated by law to conduct preliminary investigation
and file information in Court.
If the arrest and seizure are made in the forest,
far from the authorities designated by law to conduct
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preliminary investigations, the delivery to, nnd filing
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(1)
of the complaint with, the latter shall be <lone within
c..
:e a reasonable time sufficient to the pince of deliver\'.
s:
(") 'fh~ seize~] prod~cts, mnterinls nnd equipment shi~ll
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3
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()
be •~~edrn~ely disposed of in nccordnnco with forestry
0)
::,
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admm1strntive onlers promulgnlod by t.ho Doµnrtment
~ Head.
The Deparln~unl Hond mny deputize any agency
ba.rangay or ban·10 official, or any qnulifled person t~
protect
•
the
c
forest
•
nnd exercise the power O 1• au tl1011··t y
1
proVIded .1or1n t 1e preceding puragruph.
ClJAP'l'l~llXIX- HULl~SOF PROCEDUnI~ 6!)5
FOil l~NVIHONMl~N'l'AL CASf,;S
Rulo l 1 - At'l'oHt.
Reports and complaints regarding the cornmiBsion of

nny of the offenses defined in this Chapter not committed
in the presence of nny forest officer or employee, or any
personnel of the Philippine Constabulary/Philippine
National Police or any of the deputized officers or officials,
shall immediately be investigated by the forest officer
assigned in the area or any personnel of the Philippine
Constabulary/Philippine National Police where the
offense was allegedly committed, who shall thereupon
receive the evidence supporting the report or complaint.
If there is prima facie evidence to support the
complaint or report, the investigating forest officer and/
or members of the Philippine Constabulary/Philippine
National Police shall file the necessary complaint with
the appropriate official authorized by law to conduct a
preliminary investigation of criminal cases and file an
information in Court. [As amended by PD No. 1775]"
As held in People v. Court of First Instance of Quezon and

Arrozal, 1 the above-cited provision covers two (2) specific instances
(1
when a forest officer may commence a prosecution for the violation

of the Revised Forestry Code. The first authorizes a forest officer
or employee of the Bureau of Forestry to arrest without u warrant,
any person who has committed or is committing, in his presence,
any of the offenses described in the decree. 'I'he second covers a
situation when an offense described in the decree is not committed
in the presence of the forest officer or employee but the commission
is brought to his attention by a report or complaint. In both cases,
the forest officer or employee shall investigate the offender nncl file a
complaint with the appropriate officiul authorized by law to conduct
a preliminary investigation and to file tho necessary information in
court.
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The Court further clarified that Section 89 of PD No. 705
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does not grant forest officers tho l'ight. to conduct. pn)liminnrv
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investigations. After 11forest office!' hud mndo tho n1Test.(fen·offense~
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Q)
committed in his presence), or nftor conduct.in~ nn invo~t.ig·ntion of
3
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reports or complaints fc)I'violnt.ions of' tho docrno (fol' violntio1rn not
committed in his presonco), ho should filo I.ho prnpol' complnint. with
Q)
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the uppropriuto of'f1cinldesignnt.od by l11wt.o conduct pl'oliminnry
10
GH No. L-'1077:.!,Jt'oh. t :1, 1Ulli; 800 11l110 Crut11·111wio v. Peoplll, (lH No. :WfiOUi,
Nov. I!), 201'1.
G96 LAW ON N/\'l'UHAL HESOUHCES A~? RUL~~
OF PHOCEDUHE FOH ENVlltONMEN I AL CJ\SbS
inve tigntion . aids ction should not be int_erpret_edt?vest exclusive

authority upon forest officers to conduct_ 1nvestigat10ns regarding
offen es described in t.he decree; rather, 1t should be construed as
granting forest officers and emplo~ees special authorit~ to arrest
and investigate offenses described 1n PD No .. 7?5, to reinforce the
exercise of such authority by those upon whom 1t 1s vested by general
law.
In Ta lab is v. People, 17 none of the two situations contemplated
under Section 80 of PD 705 were present as to warrant the application
of its provisions relative to the institution of criminal prosecution by
a forest officer. ] n this case, it was not a forest officer who reported
the tree-cutting activities of petitioner but a private individual who
had a land dispute with another over the land covering the cutting
site. Hence, Section 80, particularly the second category thereof,
would not apply.
c. Arrests and confiscation under the Philippine
Mining Act
Under Section 118 of the Philippine Mining Act (RA No. 7942),
the absence of relevant documents for the transport of all minerals/
mineral products and by-products, including gold bullions, by
permit holders, contractors, nccredited traders, retailers, processors
and other mining rights holders shall be considered prima facie
evidence of illegal mining and shall cause the confiscation/seizure
of the minerals/mineral products and the tools and equipment
including conveyance used in the commission of the offense in favor
?f the_ go~ernm~1~t ~ur~uant to PD No. 1281, subject to further
m:cst1gatwn. If it _1s found that the minerals/mineral products
seized ha~e been mrne~, ~xtracted or removed without any permit
~r autho~Jty ~ndcr exrnt1ng mining Jaws, rules and regulations,
f~nal c_o_nfJH<_:u~,Jon ~.:an_ lw_el'f'eded lo he f'ol1owerlby the filing of the
compL1Jnt for Llwft of mrnern]s The B . , J'f-', , l • ·l • ludc
th Jl • 1 )) • • lll oa u o 1co1s w nc 1 me
e Or.{H_rna Jredor 11
nd nt.her Buro11u porsonnol duly nuthoriiod
hy the Director DFNH, I '
• . ' ' IWJ'Ho11no duly 11uthori:1.odby t,ho Socrotnry,
perm1tt.lie, conL1·1H.:l.or J>.. ·1, I10 1 • · l
1 1 11 ' u lllJ dot· and ot.hm· duly cloputizo(
pe!·son_1)1lu fi)l)H
1lllVU 1111L1101·iLy to lll'l'Ot!L 01Tuncl01·H nncl ('otlfh;cnt.o/
seize 1 e1{11 Y·H<>ur1·1•dn 1111 • / . •• ,
• 4 • _1 , • 01·n 1H m11101·nl prnchwtA nnd tho tools,
eqmpmen1.i unu eonvpy 111w 1 . . •
•• • ' 11HO<1 Ill t 1w com lll lHH Ion of' offoirno.111

l'H \lvr 'l, .XtX- lnlL -~ l)l' l'1' ll'l\P\ Im
l-\11, 'N\'tHPNM1'1 T\ld'.·\~l:~
l,\1k l l - An,·$t
d. \Yarrantl(,~~ ~l'lH'l'h nnd ~t'i1.urt' of' n~hinJ.! ,•psst,Js

In Ro 01: v. A, .1. tlh' C'nnrt l'f First lnsl:llH't' pf l'nl:iw11n
01-d.e.1'\:"d tht:' ~l'i •.lll'\:' of hn> \'t.'~Sl'l~ 0f l'L'spondt'n I l'tl m p:rn.,· in
connec-tion with ill gal fishing-with dynnmitt' nlmmitll'rl within th<'
territorial w~ters of Pnlnwnn. ResponrlPnt eompnny fih,rl n com pin int.
with application for a writ ofpreliminnrv mnnrlntotT injunction with
the then Court of First Instnncc> of l\lnniln for t l;l' 1:eknsL' of t lw
,·essels. which the ourt granted.. On n p tition for certiorari :rnd
prohibition, the Supreme Court ren:-r~erl. It IH'ld t hnt. ~int:L~th ' t.,, o
vessels ·were already in custodia lc!!'is under the sole ·ont.rnl of t.h'
Palawan Court of First Instance. th~ l\foniln Court of Fir. t fnstnnc
cannot interfere with the order of t11eformer for the ei,rnr, of th
vessels. The Court further stated:
• Search and seizure without search wannnt of

vessels and air crafts for violations of the customs laws
have been the traditional exception to the constitutional
requirement of a search warrant, because the vessel
can be quickly moved out of the locality or jurisdiction
in which the search warrant must be sought before such
warrant could be secured; hence it is not practicable to
require a search warrant before such search or seizure
can be constitutionally effected (Papa vs. Mago, L-27360,
Feb. 28, 1968, 22 SCRA 857, 871-74; Magoncia vs. Palacio,
80 Phil. 770, 774; Carroll vs. U.S. 267, pp. 132, 149, 158;
Justice Fernando, The Bill of Rights, 1972 Ed., p. 225;
Gonzales, Philippine Constitutional Law, 1966 Ed., p.
300).
The same exception should apply to seizures of
fishing vessels breaching our fishery laws. 'l'hey nre
usually equipped with powerful motors that enable them
to elude pursuing ships of the Philippine Navy ot· Const
Guard."
SEC. 2. Warrant of arrest. -AIi warrants of nrrost issued

by the court shall be acco1npanied hy a certified tnw copy of
the information filed with the issuing court:.
19GR No. L-25434, ,July 25, 1IJ7fi, fifi SCH/\ :1:Hi.

698 LAW ON NA'l'URAL RESOURCES AND RULES
a. Arrest warrant n1ust be accompanied by a certified

copy of the information
A certified true copy of the information filed with the court
issuing the warrant of arrest must be attached to the warrant 80
that he is properly apprised of the charges wherever and whenever
the accused is arrested and who files an application for bail with a
court other than the court issuing the warrant.
Section 1, Rule 1420 provides that if the accused is arrested in a
province, city or municipality other than where the case is pending,
bail may also be filed with any regional trial court of said place, or
if no judge thereof is available, with any metropolitan trial judge,
municipal trial judge or municipal circuit trial judge therein. But
before granting the application· for bail, the judge must read the
information in a language known to and understood by the accused
and require the accused to sign a written undertaking under the
terms of Section 2, Rule 14, on Bail, which provides:
"SEC. 2. Duties of the court. - Before granting the

application for bail, the judge must read the infonnation
in a language known to and understood by the accused
and require the accused to sign a written undertaking, as
follows:
(a) To appear before the court that issued the
warrant of arrest for arraignment purposes on the dnte
scheduled, and if the accused fails to appear without
justification on the date of arraignment, nccu::,cd waives
the reading of the information and autho,•jzus the court to
enter a plea of not guilty on behalf of tho nccusod an<l to
set the case for tri aJ;
(b) 'l'o appear
whenever roquil'ed hy I.he court.
where the case 1s pending; and
(c) . To wa.ive tho right of tho 1iccu1-wd (,o ho pl'l son!.
a~ the t~rnJ,_t.mcJ.upon f'Hiluru of' tho 11cc111-1od Lo npp< n1·
without ~ustifJcatrnn uncl doHpil.o d 110 1101.ic:o, I.he t.1·i11 I lllllY
proceed 1.n abuentiu." •
ZDJnfra.

CHAPTER XJ.X- RULES OF PROCEDUHE 699
Rule 12 - Custody nnd Disposition of Seized Items. Equipment,
. Pnrnphcnllllin, Conveyances, nnd Instruments
b. Written undertaking e1npowers the court to enter a
plea of not guilty for the accused
The written undertaking of the accused nuthorizes the court
to e~ter a plea of not guilty in the event he fails to appear at the
arraignment, and also to proceed to conduct trial in absentia. This
addresses a fundamental concern in the prosecution of criminal cases
where the accused jumps bail and the court is unable to proceed
with the disposition of the case because of the absence of the accused
and the failure to arraign him. 21
RULE 12
CUSTODY AND DISPOSITION OF SEIZED ITEMS,
EQUIPMENT, PARAPHERNALIA, CONVEYANCES,
AND INSTRUMENTS
SECTION 1. Cu,stody and disposition items. of seized
- The custody and disposition of seized iteins shall be in
accordance with the applicable laws or rules pron1ulgated
by the concerned governn1ent agency.
a. Procedure in the custody and disposition of seized

property under the rules proinulgated by the
concerned agency
Section 1 provides that the custody und disposition of seized
items shall be in accordance with the upplicnble laws or rules
promulgated by the concerned government agency.
J) Under the Revised Forest,:>' Code
Only the DENR Secretury or his representative cnn dispose of
confiscated lumber in accordance with forestT~' laws nnd regulations,
pursuant to Section 68-A of PD No. 705, ns amended by EO No. 277,
which provides:
"SEC. 68-A. Administrative Authority of the
Department Head or I/is Duly Authorized Representative
to Order Confiscation. - l11 nil cnses of violnt.ions of
this Code or other forest InwHl,I rulos nnd rog-ulnt imrn,
the Dcpurtn1cnt Hend 01· his duly nuthorb.t rl
rcprcsentntivc, n1 ny ordm· t.he confisont.ion of nny
21
1\nnolution, HPEC.

forest products illegally cut, gathered, removed, or

possessed or abandoned, and all conveyances used
either by land, water[,] or air in the commission of
the offense and to dispose of the same in accordance
with pertinent laws, regulations or policies on the
matter." 22 (Emphasis supplied)
In Momongan v. Omipon, 23 the Court explained that confiscation

proceedings under AO No. 59 is different from the confiscation under
the Revised Penal Code, which is an additional penalty imposed in
the event of conviction, thus:
"The release of the truck did not render nugatory

the administrative authority of the DENR Secretary. The
confiscation proceedings under Ad1n. Order No. 59
is different from the confiscation under the Revised
Penal Code, which is an additional pcnnlty imposed
in the event of conviction. Despite the order of
release, the truck can be seized ugnin either by filing
a motion for reinvestigation and motion to include the
truck owner/driver, as co-accused, which complainant has
done as manifested before the lower court or by enforcing
Adm. Order No. 59. Section 12 thereof categorically
states that '[t]he confiscation of the conveyance
under these regulations shall be without prejudice
to any criminal action which shall be filed against
the owner thereof or any person who used the
conveyance in the commission of the offense.' "
(Emphasis supplied)
2) Under the Mining Act

DENR Administrative Order No. 21-110, dated June 28, 20lO,
provides:
. "SECT~ON 121. ·Custody of the Confiscated/Seized

Minerals/Mineral Products, Tools, Equipment and
Conve!ance. - This shall be made in accordance with the
followmg procedures:
z2a d'
ua mes v. Sandiganbayan, GR No. 164891 June 6 9011
1
23AM N o. MTJ -93-874, March 14, 1995, 312 Phil. 395. ~
' '

CIIAPTBHxix - uu1,1r.8
oF 11noc1muw,: 101
H I11 ,,
II 1., r l•Olt l•:NVIIWNMl•;N'J'AI,
C11,ilody1111cl
Ol11po111Ho11
nr11phur11111111,
Co11vuy11
CASES
of Soii',l'" 11.ultlH, Eq11ipmu11t,
tlCl'H, 1111clI1111tru 111u11LH
11
, • ln CI\HO of npp1·oho1rnionby tho Buro11u fieJd
officor, tho rninorul products, tooJH, equipment 11nd
convoynnco usoci shnll bo <lupositud with the H.ogionnl
Offlco concornod or whorovor it is most convonicnt for
snfoke_oping. !f tho tmnsfor oft.ho sciwd products t; the
nforoc1tocl off1cos is not immcdintcly fonHible, the snmc
sJ~itlJho plncud undor tho custody of nny licensed
nuno oporntor or tho nonrost locnJ puhJic officinJ
such ns tho Bnrnngny Cnptnin, MunicipnJ/City
Mnyor, Provincinl Govcl'nor or the PhiJippinc
Nnt,ionn_l Police (PNP), at the di8cretion of the
conhscntmg officer ~nking into nccount the snfcty of the
confiscntccl items. '!'he npprehcnding officer is authorized
to seek nssistnnce from licensed mine operators to
provide trunsportntion facilities for the trnnsfcr of the
confiscated items from the place of apprehension to the
plnce of custody. In nny event, the custody shall be duly
acknowledged nnd received by the official tnking custody
thereof: Provided, That in the case of seizure/confiscation
by the Bureau the case shall be referred to the Regional
Office concerned for further investigation and disposition;
b. In case of apprehension by the PNP, Economic
Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (Ell B), Coast
Guard and other Government Jaw enforcement agencies,
the apprehending agency shaJl notify the Regional Office
concerned and turn over the seized items thereto for
proper investigation and disposition; and
c. For confiscated gold and/or other precious
metal(s), the Regional Office concerned shall first
determine if they conform with the Bangko Sentral
ng Pilipinas (BSP) specifications or requirements for
acceptance. If the confiscated gold and/or other precious
metal(s) satisfy(ies) the minimum weight requirements
but it does not conform with the physical requirements,
the said metal(s) shall be delivered by the accountable
officer escorted by security officers to the Bureau/
Regional Office Metallurgy Laboratory concerned for
processing. In cases where the weight requirement
is not satisfied, the Chief Cashier/Accountant
of the Regional Office concerned shall store the
confiscated metal(s) in a safety deposit box of

the nearest reputable banking institution duly

accredited by the Department Regional Office.
Once the inventory of metal(s) reaches the minimum
BSP weight specifications, the Chief Cashier/Accountant
shall turn over the confiscated metal(s) to the Metallurgy
Office. The latter shall turn over immediately after
processing into saleable form the metal(s) to the Chief
Cashier/Accountant. In each turnover, accountability is
transferred through a Memorandum Receipt." (Emphasis
supplied)
3) Under the Fisheries Code

Sections 86, 103, and 124 of RA No. 8550, or the Fisheries
Code, provide:
"SECTION 86. Unauthorized Fishing or Engaging

in Other Unauthorized Fisheries Activities. - No person
shall exploit, occupy, produce, breed, culture, capture
or gather fish, fry or fingerlings of any fishery species
or fishery products, or engage in any fishery activity in
Philippine waters without a license, lease or permit.
Discovery of any person in an area where he has no
permit or registration papers for a fishing vessel shall
constitute aprimafacie presumption that the person and/
or vessel is engaged in unauthorized fishing: Provided,
That fishing for daily food sustenance or for leisure which
is not for commercial, occupation or livelihood purposes
may be allowed.
It shall be unlawful for any commercial fishing vessel
to fish in bays and in such other fishery management areas
which may hereinafter be declared as over-exploited.
Any commercial fishing boat captain or the three (3)
highest officers of the boat who commit any of the above
prohibited acts upon conviction shall be punished by a fine
equivalent to th~ value o~ catch or Ten thousand pesos
(Pl?,000.00) whichever 1s higher, and imprisonment
of six (6) months, co~fiscation of catch and fishing
gears, and automatic revocation of license.

R u ]e 12 - Custody
Para ai:id o·1spos1t10n
. . of Se1zed
. Items, Equipment,
It 8 h II b phernaha, Conveyances, and Instruments
a . e_unlawful for any person not listed in the registry
of mumc1pal
. . r fiolk t o engage m
. . fishe . any commercrnl .
fishing activity in mumcipa
fl ..
• • 1 waters. Any mumc1pal
sherfolk w?o commits such violation shall be punished
by confis,~at10n of c~tch and a fine of Five hundred pesos
(500.00). (Emphasis supplied)
':SECTION 103. Other Violations. - The following
fish e~ies ac t·1vities
• • shall also be considered as a violation
of this Code: x x x
. Subj:ct to the provision of subparagraph (b) of this
sect10n, v10lation of the above-enumerated prohibited
acts shall subject the offender to a fine ranging from
Two thousand pesos (P2,000.00) to Ten thousand pesos
(Pl0,000.00) or imprisonment from one (1) month and
one (1) day to six (6) months, or both such fine and
imprisonment, upon the discretion of the court: Provided,
That the Secretary is hereby empowered to impose
upon the offender an administrntive fine of not more
than Ten thousand pesos (Pl0,000.00) or to cancel his
permit or license, or to impose such fine nnd to cnncel
his permit or license, in the discretion of the Secretnry:
Provided, further, That the Secretary, or his duly
authorized representative, and law enforcement
agents are hereby empowered to impound with
the assistance of the Philippine Coast Guard, PNP-
Maritime Command: Provided, finally, That any person
who unlawfuJly obstructs or delays the inspection and/
or movement of fish and fishery/aquatic products whc~.,
such inspection and/or movement is authorized under
this Code, shall be subject to a fine of not more than Ten
thousand pesos (PI0,000.00) or imprisonment of not more
than two (2) years, or both such fine and imprisonment,
upon the discretion of the court.
Every penalty imposed for the commission
of an offense shall carry with it the forfeiture of
the proceeds of such offense and the instru1nents
or tools with which it was committed." (Emphasis
supplied)
"SECTION 124. Persons and Deputies Authorized
to En( orce this Code and Other Fishery Laws, Rules
and Regulations. - The law enforcement officers of the

~
70.S
L.-\W OK X..\TUR.-\L RESOURCES AND RULES
OF PROCEDURE FOR El,T\~rnoNMEr-.1TALCASES
Department, the Philippine Nauy. Philippine Con:--t.

Guard. Philippine National Police (PNP). PNP-1\rlnrit.ime
Command. law enforcement officers oft.he LGUs nnd ot.hrr
government enforcement agencies. are hereby nut.horizcrl
to enforce this Code and other fishery lnws, rule~ nn<l
regulations. Other competent go\'crnment officinlR nnrl
employees. punong barangays nnd officers nnd mcmbors
of fisherfolk associations who have undergone t.rnining
on law enforcement muy be designated in writing- by t.he
Department as deputy fish wardens in the cnforcl'llH'nl. of
this Code nnd other fishery lnws. rule~ nnd regulnt ion~."
In Sea Lion. Fishing Corp. v. Pc:nplc.1 • some 17 Chino~o fiHhor-

men were charged with violation of Sect ion 87 of J>I) No. 8000
(Poaching in Philippine \,Vntcrs) and Sect ion 97 of t Ill' HHtno lnw
(Fishing or Taking of Rare, 'l'hrcnte1wd or Enclangl'rt•d Specic:-1).
However, they changed their plea of "110!. ,~uilty" for 1-111id offonsoH t.o
"guilty" for the lesser offensc of violation of Sect ion 88, :-1u
h• pm·ng1·nph
(3) of RA No. 8550 (Fishing Through Explosives, Noxiou:-1or PoiHonous
Substance, and/or Electricity). They were thus sentenced lo suffor
imprisonment of five (5) years to six (G) ycnr.s, six (G) months nnd
seven (7) days. The fishing vessel F/V Sen Lion us well /IHt.ho fiHhing
paraphernalia nnd equipment used by the accused in committing
the crime were ordered confiscated in favor of' the government.
Thereafter, petitioner Sea Lion Fishing Corporation filed n motion
for the release of the vessel which wns denied. Before tho Suprnmo
Court, petitioner reiterated its plen for the release of' the vessel,
alleging that it is the registered owno1· thereof' nnd, nwroovor, hor
captain and crew members were not among those ehurged in court.
Ruling against petitioner, the Court held:
(/)
()
"(I)t hns been established beyond reusonublc doubt
OJ
:,
:,
(1)
that the l~N Sea Lion wns used by the J 7 Ch inosc
C.
f fishermen m the commission oft.ho crimes. On the other
~
(")
OJ
~1and, .petitioner presented no evidence ut all to Hupport
3
(/)
() its cl~im of ownership of F/V Son Lion. 'l'hcrcf'orc, t:lw
OJ
:,
:, forfeiture ofF/V sea L.ion 1n • ('nvor o f'•the government
~
was proper." (Emphasis suppliocl)
2
~GR No. l 72H78, Murch 23, 2011.
Rule 12 - Custody and Disposition of Seized Items, Equipment,
Paraphernalia, Conveyances, and Instruments
In Senson v. Pangilinan, 25 several persons were apprehended
for violation of the Fisheries Code. Items alleged to have been used
in the illegal fishing activity were seized by the police and were
turned over to the special prosecutor. Subsequently, a criminal case
was filed against them. On motion of the co-owners of the seized
fishing paraphernalia, the respondent judge ordered the release of
the seized items, over the objection of the prosecutor. Is the judge's
order valid? The Court ruled in the negative. The seized items
ordered released by the judge have not yet been offered
in evidence, hence, the prosecution, not the court, could
still be deemed to be in the legal custody and to have the
responsibility over such items.
4) Under the Clean Air Act

Section 46 of RA No. 8749, or the Clean Air Act, provides:
"SECTION 46. Violation of Standards for Motor

Vehicles. - No motor vehicle shnll be registered with the
DOTC unless it meets the emission stnndards set by the
Department as provided in Section 21 hereof.
Any vehicle suspected of violation of emission
standards through visual signs, such as, but not limited
to smoke-belching, shall be subjected to an emission
test by a duly authorized emission testing center. For
this purpose, the DOTC or its authorized testing center
shall establish a roadside inspection system. Should it be
shown that there was no violation of emission standards,
the vehicle shall be immediately released. Otherwise,
a testing result indicating an exceedance of the
emission standards would warrant the continuing
custody of the impounded vehicle unless the
appropriate penalties are fully paid, and the
en
C)
Q)
::,
license plate is surrendered to the DOTC pending
::,
(I)
a. the fulfillment of the undertaking by the owner/operator
~
~ of the motor vehicle to make the necessary repairs so as to
(")
Q)
3 comply with the standards. A pass shall herein be issued

en
C)
Q)
::,
by the DOTC to authorize the use of the motor vehicle
::,
!!? within a specified period that shall not exceed seven (7)
25
AM No. MTJ-02-1430, Sept. 8, 2003, 410 SCRA 394.
~
LAWON Ni\'l'Ull/\L RESOUHCl~SAND HULES

706 OF PROCEOUllEFOil ENVlllONMl~N'l'ALCASES
dnys for the sole purpose of mnking the ncccssnry repairs

on the said vehicle. rl'he owner/operator of the vehicle
shall be required to correct its defects and show proof
of compliance to the appropriate pollution control office
before the vehicle can be allowed to be driven on any
public or subdivision roads." (Emphasis supplied)
SEC. 2. Proccdru·c. - In the absence of applicable laws

or rules pro1nulgatcd by the concerned government agency,
the following procedure shall be observed:
(a) The apprehending officer having initial custody
and control of the seized items, equip1nent, paraphernalia,
conveyances and instruments shall physically inventory and
whenever practicable, photograph the sa1ne in the presence
of the person from whom such items were seized.
(b) Thereafter, the apprehending officer shall submit
to the issuing court the return of the search warrant within
five (5) days from date of seizure or in case of warrantless
arrest, submit within five (5) days from date of seizure,
the inventory report, compliance report, photographs,
representative samples and other pertinent documents to
the public prosecutor for appropriate action.
(c) Upon motion by any interested party, the court
may direct the auction sale of seized ite1ns, equipment,
paraphernalia, tools or instruinents of the crin1e. The court
shall, after hearing, fix the miniinum bid price based on the
recommendation of the concerned governn1ent agency. The
sheriff shall conduct the auction.
(d) The auction sale shall be with notice to the accused,
(/)
the person from whmn the itmns were seized, or the owner
("')
"'
::,
::,
thereof and the concerned governinent ngoncy.
(I)
C.
::E (e) The notice of auction shall be posted in three
s:
() conspicuous places in the city or 1nunicipnlity whore the
"'
3
(/)
("')
items, equipment, puraphernnliu, tools or instnnnonts of the
"'
::,
::, crime were seized.
~
(f) 'l'he procccdR shnll be held in trust nnd deposited

with the government; <lcposit;ory bnnk fo1· disposition
according to the ju<lgmont.
....
Rule 13 - Provisionnl Remedies
a. Physical inventory
The apprehending officer having initial custody and control of
the seized items shall conduct a physical inventory and if practicable,
photograph the items in the presence of the persons from whom such
items were seized. In cases of searches conducted without a warrant,
the apprehending officer shall submit to the court the return of the
search warrant within five (5) days from the date of the seizure. In
cases of warrantless arrests, the apprehending officer shall deliver
to the public prosecutor the following: (1) inventory report, (2)
compliance report, (3) photographs, (4) representative samples, and
(5) other pertinent documents.
b. Auction sale
The disposition of the seized items may be made upon motion
by any interested party. The court may direct the sheriff to conduct
an auction sale of the seized items. The court shall notify the person
from whom the items were seized and the concerned government
agency. It shall fix the minimum amount of the bid price after
conducting a hearing thereon and upon recommendation by the
concerned government agency. A notice of auction shall be posted in
three conspicuous places in the city or municipality where the items
were seized.
c. Disposition of the proceeds

The proceeds shall be held in trust and deposited with the
government depository bank for disposition according to the
judgment.
RULE 13
PROVISIONAL REMEDIES
(/)
() SECTION 1. Attachment in environmental cases. - The
"'
::,
::,
a,
a.
provisional remedy of attachment under Rule 127 of the
~
;::;:
:::T
Rules of Court may be availed of in environmental cases.
()
"'
3
(/)
() a. Attachment
"'
::,
::,
~
Section 2, Rule 127 of the Rules of Court provides that when the
civil action is properly instituted in the criminal action as provided
in Rule 111, the offended party may have the property of the accused
LAWONNATURALRESOURCESANDRULES
708 OF PROCEDURE
FORENVIRONMENTAL
CASES
attached as security for the satisfaction of_any judgment that may

be recovered from the accused in the following cases:
(a) When the accused is about to abscond from the
Philippines;
(b) When the criminal action is based on a claim for
money or property embezzled or fraudulently misapplied or
converted to the use of the accused who is a public officer
officerof a corporation, attorney, factor, broker, agent or clerk'
in the course of his employment as such, or by any other perso~
in a fiduciary capacity, or for a willful violation of duty;
. (c) When the accused has concealed, removed, or
disposed of his property, or is about to do so; and
(d) When the accused resides outside the Philippines.
SEC. 2. Environmental protection order (EPO ); temporary

environmental protection order (TEPO) in criniinal cases. -
The procedure for and issuance of EPO and TEPO shall be
governed by Rule 2 of these Rules.
a. Issuance of a TEPO
The Rules provide for the applicability of a temporary
environmental protection order (TEPO) in appropriate situations in
a criminal prosecution. This is in recognition of the fact that criminal
cases, although principally for the prosecution of individuals for
criminal liability, may have considerable impact on the environment,
thus necessitating judicial intervention. 2s
RULE 14
BAIL
(J)
(")
Ol
:::,
:::,
SECTION 1. Bail, where filed. - Bail in the amount fix~d
Cl)
C.
~
may be filed with the court where the case is pending, or in
;:
0
Ol
the absence or unavailability of the judge thereof, with a~Y
3
(J)
(")
regional trial judge, metropolitan trial judge, municipal trial
Ol
:::,
:::, judge or municipal circuit trial judge in the province, city or
~
municipality. If the accused is arrested in a province, city or
municipality other than where the case is pending, bail may
26
Annotation, RPEC
01\,,\P'l'lrnXIX,_ IHlt.1~~( )I,' l'll()(lli:IH IH Ii: '/011
l~)H l~NVlHON~lrnN'l'/\L <)M,IC~1
lhth• I·I ~ 111111
also bo fllod wiU, nnJ· HoJ.(ionnl 'l'l'lnl Co111·t of' ,-mid pl11ce1, or·
if no judge tJwroot' is nvnilnhlo, wit.h nny 111otropollt11n triul
judge, n1unicipnl trinl jndg'o or nmnicipnl circuil. tl'iul Judl{e
tl1erein. If the court grnnt.s bnil, tho cou 1·t 11111.v i1-1H1W II hold-
departure order in npproprinto cnsos.
a. Bail, concept
Bail is the security given for t:he l'olonsc of II person in
custody of the law. furnished by him or n bondsmnn, to guarantee
his appearance before any court. Buil may be given in the form of
corporate surety, property bond, cash deposit, or recognizanccY
Bail, by its clear definition, requires that a person must first be
arrested or deprived of his liberty because the purpose of bail is to
release an accused or respondent from imprisonment or detention
until his conviction and yet secure his appearance at the trial. It
would be incongruous to grant bail to one who is free. 211
An application for or admission to bail shall not bar the
accused from challenging the validity of his arrest or the legality
of the warrant issued therefor, or from assailing the regularity or
questioning the absence of a preliminary investigation of the charge
against him, provided that he raises them before entering his plea.
The court shall resolve the matter as early as practicable but not
later than the start of the trial of the case. 29
b. Conditions of the bail

Section 2, Rule 114 of the Rules of Court provides as follows:
"Sec. 2. Conditions of the bail; requirements. - All

kinds of bail are subject to the following conditions:
(a) The undertaking shall be effective upon
approval, and unless cancelled, shall remain in form at
(/)
C)
a,
:,
all stages of the case until promulgation of the judgment
:,
ro
Q. irrespective of whether the case was originally filed in or
:;
g: appealed to it;
0
a,
3
(/)
C)
(b) The accused shall appear before the proper
a,
:,
:, court wh~never required by the court or by the Rules;
~
27Sec. 1, Rule 113, Rules of Court.

28Adapon v. Domagtoy, AM No. MTJ-96-1112, Dec. 27, 1996, 265 SCRA 824.
29 Sec. 26, Rule 114, Rules of Court.
~
710 LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES A.1® RULES

OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIRONMENT •..\L CASES
(c) The failure of the accuse_d to appe~ at the

trial without justification and despite due notice shall
be deemed a waiver of his right to be present thereat. In
such case, the trial may proceed in absentia;
(d) The bondsman shall surrender the accused to
the court for execution of the final execution."
Under the Rules of Court, notice and hearing is required
whether bail is a matter of right or discretion. 30
c. Bail application may also be filed with the court of

the place where accused is arrested
Under Section 1 of Rule 14, bail in the amount fixed may be
filed with the court where the case is pending, or in the absence or
unavailability of the judge thereof, with any regional trial judge,
metropolitan trial judge, municipal trial judge or municipal circuit
trial judge in the province, city or municipnlity. If the accused is
arrested in a province, city or municipnlity other than where the
case is pending, bail may also be filed with any Regional Trial
Court of said place, or if no judge thereof is available, with any
metropolitan trial judge, municipal trial judge or municipal circuit
trial judge therein. If the court grants bail, the court may issue a
hold-departure order in appropriate cases.
The provision in Section 2, Rule 11 that all warrants of arrest
issued by the court shall be accompanied by a "certified true copy
of the information" becomes significant when juxtaposed with the
requirement in Section 1, Rule 14, that if the accused is arrested
in a province, city or municipality other than where the case is
pending, bail may also be filed with the regional trial court of said
place, or if unavailable, with any metropolitan trial judge, municipal
(f)
0
trial judge or municipal circuit trial judge therein. However, before
O>
::,
::,
ct>
granting bail, the judge must read the information (accompanying
a.
:;
;:;:
the warrant) to the accused and require him to sign the written
:::T
(")
O>
undertaking mentioned in Section 2 of said Rule, i.e., to "appear
3
(f)
0
before the co~t that issued the warrant of arrest for arraignment,"
O>
::,
::,
~
and to authorize the court to conduct trial in absentia upon failure
of the accused to appear without justification.
SOVillanueva v. Buaya, AM No. RTJ-08-2131, Nov. 22, 2010, 635 SCRA 472.
CHAPTERXIX- RULES OF PROCEDURE 7ll
Rule 14 - Bail
d. Trial in absentia, requirements

Section 14(1), Article III of the Constitution provides that
"after arraignment, trial may proceed notwithstanding the absence
of the accused provided that he has been duly notified and his failure
to appear is unjustifiable." The purpose of this rule is to speed up
the disposition of criminal cases trial of which could in the past
be indefinitely deferred, and many ' times completely abandoned,
because of the defendant's escape. The requisites of trial in absentia
are: (a) the accused has already been arraigned; (b) he has been duly
notified of the trial; and (c) his failure to appear is unjustified. 31
e. Judge may be held administratively liable for

failure to approve bail bond
In Cabatingan v. Arcueno, 32 respondent MCTC judge was found
administratively liable for his refusal to approve the bail bond posted
by the accused in a complaint for illegal fishing filed in his court for
preliminary investigation. In this case, the accused was arrested in
Cataingan, Masbate after a preliminary investigation conducted by
respondent judge. The latter, therefore, had the authority to grant
bail and to order the release of the accused. Even if the records of the
case had been transmitted for review to the Office of the Provincial
Prosecutor, respondent could have approved the bail bond posted by
the accused. Such action cannot be validly attacked on jurisdictional
grounds.
SEC. 2. Duties of the court. ~

Before granting the
application for bail, the judge must read the information
in a language known to and understood by the accused and
require the accused to sign a written undertaking, as follows:
(a) To appear before the court that issued the warrant
(/)
(')
of arrest for arraignment purposes on the date scheduled,
"'
:::,
:::, and if the accused fails to appear without justification on
C1)
a.
~ the date of arraignment, accused waives the reading of the
~
()
information and authorizes the court to enter a plea of not
"'
3
(/)
(')
Q)
guilty on behalf of the accused and to set the case for trial;
:::,
:::,
~ (b) To appear whenever required by the court where
the case is pending; and
31 People v. Salas, GR No. L-66469, July 29, 1986, 143 SCRA 163.
32 AM No. MTJ-00-1323, Aug. 22, 2002, 387 SCRA532.
LAWON NATURALRESOURCESAND RULES
• th e ri ·ght of the accused to be p.resent

(c) T o waive •
at
the trial and upon failure of the accused ~o appear wi o~t th
justifica~ion and despite due notice, the trial inay proceed in
absentia.
RULE 15
ARRAIGNMENT AND PLEA
SECTION 1. Arraignment. - The court shall set the
arraignment of the accused within fifteen (15) day~ from ~he
time it acquires jurisdiction over the accused, with notice
to the public prosecutor and offended party or concerned
government agency that it will entertain plea-bargaining on
the date of the arraignment.
a. Arraignment, notice to concerned government

agency
A key innovation adopted by the Rules is empowering the
judge to enter a plea of not guilty on behalf of the accused who was
granted bail but did not appear during the arrnignment.:i:i Notice to
the concerned government agency is given to permit its intervention
in plea-bargaining consistent with public interest.
SEC. 2. Plea-bargaining. - On the scheduled date

of arraignment, the court shall consider plea-bargaining
arrangements. Where the prosecution and offended party or
concerned government agency agree to the plea offered by
the accused, the court shall:
. (a) Issue an order which contains the plea-bargaining
arrived at;
(b) ~roceed to receive evidence on the civil as ect of
the case, 1f any; and P
. 1 (de~ Rtehnd~r'lal~db!>romulgate judgment of conviction,

inc u 1ng e c1v1 1a 11ity for damag es.
a. Plea bargaining
Plea-bargaining is a process in . .
accused and the prosecution w;rk crimma 1 cases, whe~·eby the
out a mutually satisfactory
33
Sec. 2(a), Rule 14, Rules of Procedure for E .
nvironrnentnl Coses.

Rule 16- Pre-Trial
disposition of the case subject to court approval. It usually involves

the defendant's pleading guilty to a lesser offense or to only one or
some of the counts of a multi-count indictment in return for a lighter
sentence than that for the graver charge.34
The purpose of the Rules in allowing plea-bargaining during
arraignment is to avoid the situation where the initial plea is
changed during the trial itself. The provision requires the consent of
the prosecutor, the offended party or concerned government agency
in order to successfully arrive at a valid plea-bargaining agreement.
Section 2, Rule 116 of the Rules of Court provides that after
arraignment but before trial, the accused may still be allowed to
plead guilty to lesser offense after withdrawing his plea of no guilty.
RULE 16
PRE-TRIAL
SECTION 1. Setting of prc-fria/ confcrcn.cc. - After the
arraignment, the court shall set the pre-trial conference
within thirty (30) days. It may refer the case to the branch
clerk of court, if warranted, for a preliminary conference to
be set at least three (3) days prior to the pre-trial.
a. Pre-trial conference
Pre-trial is a devise to limit the issues and avoid unnecessary
delays and surprises. Hence, the mandatory provisions of Section 1
for a pre-trial conference within thirty (30) days after arraignment
for the simplification of issues and the consideration of all matters
which may aid in the prompt disposition of an action.
Much importance is given to pre-trial because of the priority
assigned to environmental cases. Every possible means for
expediting the case must be resorted to prior to trial in order to
shorten the period for the resolution of the controversy. 35
During the preliminary conference, the affidavits of witnesses
which shall be in question and answer form, shall be marked, and
shall constitute the direct examination of the witnesses. The affiant
34Amante-Descallar v. Ramas, AM No. RTJ-08-2142, March 20, 2009, 582

SCRA 22.
35
Annotation, RPEC.

shall be subject to cross-examination and to the right to object to

inadmissible parts of the affidavit.
SEC. 2. Prelirn.inary con{ ere nee. - The preli1ninnry

conference shall be for the following purposes:
(a) To assist the parties in reaching a settlmnent of the
civil aspect of the case;
(b) To 1nark the docu1nents to be presented as exhibits;
(c) To attach copies thereof to the records nfter
comparison with the originals;
(d) To ascertain from the parties the undisputed facts
and admissions on the genuineness nnd due execution of
documents n1arked as exhibits;
(e) To consider such other mutters ns mny aid in the
prompt disposition of the case;
(f) To record the proceedin~s durin,:r the preliminary
conference in the Minutes of Prcliminnry Conference to be
signed by the parties and counsel;
(g) To mark the affidnvits of witnesses which shall be
in question and answer form and shall constitute the direct
examination of the witnesses; and
(h) To attach the Minutes and marked exhibits to the
case record before the pre-trial proper.
The parties or their counsel must submit to the brunch
clerk of court the names, addresses and contact numbers of
the affiants.
SEC. 3. Pre-trial duty of the judge. - During the pre-
trial, the court shall:
(a) Place the parties and their counsels under oath;
(b) Adopt the minutes of the prelin1inary conference
as part of the pre-trial proceedings, confirm 1narkings of
exhibits or substituted photocopies and admissions on the
genuineness and due execution of documents, and list object
and testimonial evidence;
(c) Scrutinize the information and the statements in
the affidavits and other documents which form part of the
record of the preliminary investigation together with other

CHAPrERXIX- RULES OF PROCEDURE 715
FORENVIRONMENTAL CASES
Rule 16-Pre-Trial
documents identified and marked as exhibits to determine

further admissions of facts as to: •
i. The court's territorial jurisdiction relative to
the offense(s) charged;
ii. Qualification of expert witnesses; and
iii. Amount of damages;
(d) Define factual and legal issues;
(e) Ask parties to agree on the specific trial dates and
adhere to the flow chart determined by the court which
shall contain the time frames for the different stages of the
proceeding up to promulgation of decision;
(f) Require the parties to submit to the branch clerk of
court the names, addresses and contact numbers of witnesses
that need to be summoned by subpoena; and
(g) Consider modification of order of trial if the
accused admits the charge but interposes a lawful defense.
a. Importance of pre-trial
Pre-trial is given importance in the resolution of cases in order
to facilitate the organization of trial and to simplify the issues to be
resolved. Ultimately, the Rules adopt all means of expediting the
case prior to trial in consonance with its objective for the speedy
disposition of cases. Similar to civil cases, the parties and their
counsels shall be placed under oath and shall remain as such in
all pre-trial conferences. This is to avoid false and misleading
statements during the trial. 36
SEC. 4. Manner of Questioning. - All questions or

statements must be directed to the court.
(/)
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SEC. 5. Agreements or Admissions. - All agreements or
(D
a. admissions made or entered during the pre-trial conference
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shall be reduced in writing and signed by the accused and
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counsel; otherwise, they cannot be used against the accused.
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The agreements covering the matters referred to in Section
~ 1, Rule 118 of the Rules of Court shall be approved by the
court.
36
A Sourcebook on Environmental Rights and Legal Remedies (SERLR), p. 146.
...,

a. Appearance of parties
Iii
The pre-trial constitutes part and parcel of the_ proceedings, C
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and hence, matters dealt with therein may not be disregarded in (/)
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the process of decision-making. Under the rules of civil procedure, "'
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the parties are required to appear with their counsel to facilitate ·~
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the prompt disposition of cases. If the parties are unable to attend C
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personally, their non-appearance will only be excused by the (/)
appearance of a representative who is fully authorized in writing to

act in their behalf.
The appearance of a party himself or his representative is
necessary for a possible settlement of the civil aspect of the case or
entering into stipulations or admissions of facts and documents.~ 7
SEC. 6. Record of proceedings. - All proceedings during

the pre-trial shall be recorded, the trnnsci-ipts prepared and
the 111inutes signed by the parties or their counsels.
SEC. 7. Pre-trial order. - The court shull issue a pre-
trial order within ten (10) days after the tcrinination of the
pre-trial, setting forth the actions taken during the pre-
trial conference, the facts stipulated, the adn1issions made,
evidence n1arked, the nu1nber of witnesses to be presented
and the schedule of trial. The order shall bind the parties
and control the course of action during the trial.
a. Pre-trial in criminal procedure

The rule on pre-trial has been detailed in Rule 16 in order
to guide the courts in conducting the same. Pre-trial receives
ample attention to facilitate the organization of the trial and the
early identification and simplification of the issues which shall be
resolved at the trial. The pre-trial proceedings shall be recorded,
the transcripts prepared and the minutes signed by the parties and
their counsel.
RULE 17
TRIAL
SECTION 1. Continuous trial.-The court shall endeavor
to conduct continuous trial which shall not exceed three (3)
months from the date of the issuance of the pre-trial order.
:11Jbicl.
~
CHAPTER XIX- HULES OF PHOCEDUHE 717
FOR ENVlRONMENTALCASES
Rulo 17 - Tri11l
a. Requirement of continuous trinl

a;
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The provision requires continuous lrinl for n period not C
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exceeding three (3) months from the clnte of the iA1rn1111ccof the pr<.!· (J)
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trial order consistent with the objective of the RulcH for u AJwedy £
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resolution of environmental cases. Section '1, infra, require1:1 Uv• uQ)
court to dispose of the case within n period of ten (l 0) monthH from C
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the date of arraignment. (J)
SEC. 2. Affidavit in lieu of dfrect exarnination. -AfficJu vit

in lieu of direct cxmnination shall be used, subject to croHR-
examinati~n and the right to object to innd1nissih)e portions
of the affidavit.
a. Use of affidavit in lieu of direct examination

To address the delay posed by the traditional method for
eliciting testimonial evidence, the RuleH have adopted the UHe of
affidavit in lieu of direct examination which is time-consuming. 'J1he
affiant is of course subject to cross-exnminntion but only to muUcrH
covered by the affidavit, thus narrowing the scope of inquiry only lo
the most pertinent issues.:iH
SEC. 3. Subrnission of memoranc/a. - The court may

require the parties to subn1it their respective memoranda
and if possible, in electronic form, within a non-extendible
period of thirty (30) days from the date the case is submitted
for decision.
With or without any memoranda filed, the court shall
have a period of sixty (60) days to decide the case counted
from the last day of the 30-day period to file the memoranda.
a. Submission of memoranda
Section 3 specifies two (2) periods to be observed prior to
the final adjudication of the case: (a) the parties are required to
submit their respective memoranda, in electronic form if possible,
within a non-extendible period of thirty (30) days from the date the
case is submitted for decision; and (b) the court, with or without
memoranda, shall decide the case within sixty (60) clays from the
last day of the 30-day period to submit memoranda.
38
Annotation, RPEC.
LAWON NA1'URALHESOUHCES AND RULES
718 OF PROCEDURE FOil ENVIHONMENT.AL CASES
SEC. 4. Disposition period. - The court shall dispose

@
the case within a period of ten (10) months from the date of C
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arraignn1ent. Cf)
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SEC. 5. Pro bono lawyers. - If the accused cannot .s
.j;
afford the services of counsel or there is no available public "a,
C
attorney, the court shall require the Integrated Bar of the C

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(J
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Philippines to provide pro bono lawyers for the accused.
a. Pro bono lawyers

The Rules require the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)
to provide pro bono lawyers for an indigent accused. In including this
provision, the Rules take into account and address the possibility
of having an accused who may not have the financial capacity to
defend himself. As a means of addressing the common issue of lack
of funds in access to justice, the Rules allow the deferment of filing
fees.a 9
RULE 18
SUBSIDIARY LIABILITY
SECTION 1. Subsidiary liability. - In case of conviction
of the accused and subsidiary liability is allowed by law,
the court may, by motion of the person entitled to recover
under judgment, enforce such subsidiary liability against a
person or corporation subsidiarily liable under Article 102
and Article 103 of the Revised Penal Code.
a. Subsidiary liability of accused in case of conviction

This provision applies the ratio decidendi in Philippine Rabbit
Bus Lines v. Court of Appeals 40 to environmental cases to facilitate
recovery of damages and other relief from persons subsi<liarily liable
in case of insolvency of the accused.
In said case, accused, driver-employee of petitioner, figured
in a vehicle mishap and was convicled for tho crime of recklo~~
imprudence resulting lo triple homicide, mult.iplo phyHicnl injuries
and damage to property. He wns ordered hy t.ho t rinl court to pny
a!JJbicl.
• 0 GR No. 147703, April 14, 2004, ,1i7 HCHA ,Ifill.
CHAPTERXIX- RULESOF PROCEDURE 719
Rule 19 - Strategic Lawsuit against Public Participation in Criminal Cases
damages to his victims; otherwise, petitioner-employer shall be liable cu

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therefor. Thereafter, accused jumped bail and remained at large. ()
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May the petitioner-employer appeal the judgment independently of u
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the accused? The Court ruled in the negative. Petitioner's appeal, if -0
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allowed, would violate the right of accused-employee against double C:

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jeopardy since the judgment against him could become subject to
modification without his consent. By jumping bail, accused impliedly
waived his right to appeal, making the assailed judgment, final and
executory. The decision convicting an employee in a criminal case
is binding and conclusive upon the employer not only with regard
to the farmer's civil liability but also to its amount. The liability
of an employer cannot be separated from that of the employee.
The subsidiary liability of petitioner employer is incidental to and
dependent on the pecuniary civil liability of nccusccl-cmploycc.
RULE lU
STRATEGIC LAVvSUIT AGAINST PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION IN CRIMINAL CASES
SECTION 1. Motion to dismiss. - Upon the filing of an

information in court and before arraignment, the accused
1nay file a motion to dis1niss on the ground that the criminal
action is a SLAPP.
a. Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation

(SLAPP)
A SLAPP refers to any action whether civil, criminal, or
administrative, brought against any person, institution or any
government agency or local government unit or its officials and
employees, with the intent to harass, vex, exert undue pressure or
stifle any legal recourse that such person, institution or government
agency has taken or may take in the enforcement of environmental
laws, protection of the environment or assertion of environmental
rights. A SLAPP suit may come in a variety of forms either as a legal
action or a claim , counterdaim or cross-claim.
SLAPP can be used as a defense in an environmental case when
a person, institution or government agency has taken or may take
any legal recourse for the: (a) enforcement of environmental laws;
(b) protection of the environment; or (c) assertion of environmental
rights.
CES AND RULES
720 LAW ON NAT~R~ L.,REEJ$/f6NMENTAL CASES
OF PROCEDURh f O1" '
b. SLAPP provisions prior the RPEC

, • n of the Rules of Procedure for
Prior to t h e promu Iga1,10 ' · l • .
. C , laws had been pussed wit 1 prov1s1ons
Envll'onmentR 1 uses, 1,WO'· ' .. . A".
against SLAPP cases. The first is the PhihppJne Clean 11_Act (RA
No. 8749) which was passed into law on June 23, 1999 • Sectwn 43 of
said law provides:
"SEC. 43. Suits and Strategic Legal Actions Against

Public Participation and the Enforcement of Th£s Act. -
Where a suit is brought against a person who filed an
action as provided in Section 41 of this Act, or against any
person, institution or government agency that implements
this Act, it shall be the ciuty of the investiga Ling prosecutor
or the court, ns the case may be, to immediately mnke a
determination not cxccccling 30 days v,licthcr snid lcgn]
1
action has been filed to harass, vex, exert undue pressure

or stifle such legal recourses of the person complaining of
or enforcing the provisions of this Act. U pan cl termination
thereof, evidence warranting the same, the court shall
dismiss the case and award attorney's fees und double
damages.
This provision shall also apply and benefit public
officers who arc sued for acts committed in their official
capac_ity, there being no grave abuse of authority, and
done m the course of enforcing this Act."
The other is Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA No. 9003),
enacted on January 26, 2001, which provides as follows:
_"SEC. ~3: S1~its and Strategic Legal Action Against

Pu_blic Participation (SLAPP) and the En/ orcement of
this Act • - Where
. a SUI·•t is
• b rought against a person who
filed. an act10n as provided in S"ec,t·rnn 59.., o f' th.is Act or
agamst. any perso n, ms • t·1tutwn • or government . ' .
that
.
implements
. .
this Act , it sl1,1. 11 b"e tl1e d uty. .1g_ency
of the
mv_est1gat_mgprosecutor or the Court, as the case ma b -
to unmediately ~ake u determination not exceediny 3~
days whether Haid legal action has been filed t O } g
vex, exer t un d ue pressure or stifle such Jegal ..,, 1arass '
of t·he person complammg
. . . . of. or enforcing the p.l ccourses
10 1
• .
•
of tl 11s A t
c • U pon cletcrminntion thereof , • s1ons
v
' evidence

CHAPTER XIX -RULES OF PROCEDURE 721
Rule 19 - Strategic Lawsuit against Public Participation in Criminal Cases
warranting the same, the Court shall dismiss the case

and award the attorney's fees and double damages.
This provision shall also apply and benefit public
officers who are sued for acts committed in their official
capacity, there being no grave abuse of authority, and
done in the course of enforcing this Act."
The remedy against a SLAPP in a criminal case is to file a

motion to dismiss rather than a motion to quash. A motion to dismiss
allows the suit to be challenged as a SLAPP while a motion to quash
is directed at the information. The grant or'a motion to dismiss bars
the refilling of a SLAPP. In contrast, the grant of a motion to quash
is not a bar to the filing of a subsequent information.
c. Difference between SLAPP in civil cases and in

criminal cases
There is a slight difference in the procedure of using the special
remedy of SLAPP in criminal cases vis-a-vis in civil cases. The
determining factor on what procedure lo use depends on whether
the SLAPP is a criminal or civil action.
The accused in a SLAPP must file a motion to dismiss based on
the ground that the criminal action is a SLAPP after the information
has been filed, but prior to his arraignment. Afterwards, a summary
hearing shall be set by the court to resolve the motion to dismiss. The
required degree of evidence shall be the same as that in a summary
hearing for the defense of SLAPP in a civil case.
The court shall resolve the motion to dismiss by either granting
such motion, or denying it. The motion to dismiss shall be granted if
the court finds that the criminal case is a SLAPP, i.e., it has been filed
with intent to harass, vex, exert undue pressure or stifle any legal
recourse that is taken, or is to be taken to enforce environmental
laws, protect the environment, or to assert environmental rights.
If the court finds otherwise, the court shall proceed with the
arraignment of the accused. 41
d. No prohibited pleadings under criminal procedure

There is no provision on prohibited pleadings in a c~·iminal_
procedure involving environmental cases. As such, the defense of
HA Sourcebook on Environmental Rights and Le~al Remedies, PP· 154-155.

722
'dly be raised in a motion to disn1iss. In a civil

a SLAPP can va l 1 .• 1 d• h
procedure, a motion to dismiss is a p_rohib1ted P ea ing, ence,
the defense of a SLAPP can only be raised through an ans~er. A
su~mary hearing is required to facilitate the speedy resolution of
the case assailed as SLAPP. 42
SEC. 2. Su,nmary hearing. - The hearing on the

defense of a SLAPP shall be summary in nature. The parties
must submit all the available evidence in support of their
respective positions. The party seeking the dismissal of the
case must prove by substantial evidence that his acts for
the enforcement of enviro1unental law is a legitimate action
for the protection, preservation nncl rehabilitation of the
environment. The party filing the action assailed as a SLAPP
shall prove by preponderance of evidence that the action is
not a SLAPP.
SEC. 3. Resolution. - The court shall grant the motion
if the accused establishes in the summary hearing that
the criminal case has been filed with intent to harass, vex,
exert undue pressure or stifle any legal recourse that any
person, institution or the government has taken or may take
in the enforcement of environmental laws, protection of the
environment or assertion of environmental rights.
If the court denies the motion, the court shall imme-
diately proceed with the arraignment of the accused.

PARTV
EVIDENCE
RULE 20
PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
SECTION 1. Applicability. - When there is n lack of full

scientific certainty in establishing a causal link between
human activity and environmental effect, the court shall
apply the precautionary principle in resolving the case
before it.
The constitutional right of the people to a balanced and
healthful ecology shall be given the henefit of the doubt.
a. Precautionary principle, fonnulation

The common-sense adage that it is better to be safe than be
sorry has been legally translated via the precautionary principle.
At the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, the following principle
evolved:
"In order to protect the environment, the

precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States
according to their capabilities. Where there are threats
of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific
certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing
cost effective measures to prevent environmental
degradation." (Principle 15)
Another version is found in the Wingspread Consensus

Statement on the Precautionary Principle which reads:
"When an activity raises threats of harm to human

health or the environment, precautionary measures should
723

~
LAWON NJ\'l'UllALRESOURCESANDRULES
724 OF PROCEDUREFOil ENVIRONMENTAL CASES
be taken even if some cause-and-effect relationships are

not fully established scientifically. In this context the
proponent of an activity, rather than the public, should
bear the burden of proof."
The precautionary principle evokes interesting questions:

"ls /,heactivity complained of absolutely necessary?"
. "Up to what level of adivity that raises threats of serious
or i1Tcvcrsiblcenvironmental degradation is acceptable?"
"Howsafe is safe?"
b. Precautionary principle under the Rules

1.'he above formulation now trnnslntes to what is known as
the precautionary principle adopted as Rule 20 of the Rules of
Procedure for Environmental Cases. Under Rule 20, when there
is a lack of full scientific certninty in establishing a causal link
between human activity and environmental effect, the court shall
apply the precautionary principle in resolving the case before it. The
constitutional right of the people ton balanced and healthful ecology
shall be given the benefit of the doubt.
The Rules acknowledge the peculiar circumstances surround-
ing environmental cases in that "scientific evidence is usually in-
sufficient, inconclusive or uncertain and preliminary scientific
evaluation indicates that there are reasonable grounds for concern."
For this reason, the principle requires those who have the means,
knowledge, power, and resources to take action to prevent or miti-
gate the harm to the environment or to act when conclusively ascer-
tained understanding by science is not yet available. In effect, the
(/)
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quantum of evidence to prove potentially hazardous effects on the
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environment is relaxed and the burden is shifted to proponents of an
a.
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activity that may cause damage to the environment. 1
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c. Application
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'l~heprec~utio~ary principle applies when it can be shown that
there is plausible risk, and its causes cannot be determined with
scientific certainty. It is not available simply on the basis of imagined
1
Rntionnlo nnd J\nnotnlion, RPEC.
CHi\P'I'Ell XIX- l!lJl,l•:ROF l'l!OCIWUIO<; 7'J.f'i
F'OH l•:NVIHONMEN'l't\l, C/\f·ll':f-l
Hulo 20 - l'rce1111t.io1111ry
l'rinciplo
fears or imagined causcR. Otherwise, it, will he 11lmurd.f{nth<!r th:in 11

reactive approach to fear, the precautionary principle iH evolving HR
a proactive approach in protecting the environmenL. Furthermore,
being only a principle, it does not trump the requirements for proper
invocation of remedies or act to repeal existing laws.~
d. Roi~ of scientific detern1i11ation of facts 1n

environmental protection
r t The
. Rules
. recognize, tl 1e 1.o1e of sewn • tif• 1c
• de term inn
• t10n
• of
1ac .sin
. . environmental
. J)r·otect··10n. 'l'Imy require,
• for • example, that a
.
petition for the issuance of a w11.-t of 1w l i'lwsan and the respondent's
verified. return. contai·n no t on Iy ti 1e usual affidavits, • documentary,
and obJ~c_tevidence, but also scientific and expert studies to support
th~ p_etitI?n and the verified return. Applying the precautionary
principle 1n resolving the case is also dependent on the existence
of a level of scientific certainty that there is a causal link between
human activity and environmental effect. For these reasons, courts
must often avail themselves of the assistance of experts.
However, courts cannot take all expert findings as truth. Even
expert findings may be wrong or contradictory. The courts have
little competence on technical matters to determine which expert
finding should be given weight. In environmental cases, courts
defer to administrative agencies' technical knowledge. Given their
specialization on matters within their jurisdiction, administrntive
agencies have the competence to sift through the findings, determine
which variables and scientific principles are relevant, make germane
observations, and arrive at intelligent assessments and conclusions.
Their conclusions and opinions on these matters deserve respect.
As in their actions on administrative matters; the courts shall
respect the findings of administrative agencies ns long ns these are
(/)
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supported by substantial evidence.
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Parties that wish to avail themselves of the remedies nndcr
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the Rules, however, go directly to the court. Unlike in qunsi-jnclicinl
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proceedings, determination of facts is not solely the province of t.lw
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administrative agencies. Adrninistrntive agencies mn)' not. yet-hnve
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the relevant facts at the ti rne enviroruncnlnl ronwdics n ro ,tvnilccl.
Courts get access to the facts only when t.lw cnso is brou~ht. lo t.hom
Social ,Justice Society Officul'H v. Lim, (ill No. 1878:·Hi, Nov. 2fi, 201'1, per
2
Leonen, J., concurring.

~
on appeal. Courts and administrative agencies may get access to th

facts at the same time. e
For these reasons, the courts' leeway to examine the s b
stantiality of evidence in environmental, t .is greater. The court
.i-cases u •
may take a closer look at experts mani1es ations and reports nd
determine whether the findings of administrative agencies a
·
consistent · h t h e experts , conelusions.
wit • s are
e. Factors to consider in applying the precautionary

principle
In applying the precautionary principle, the following factors,
among others, may be considered:
(1) threats to human life or health;
(2) inequity to present or future generations; or
(3) prejudice to the environment without legal consider-
ation of the environmental rights of those affected.
The precautionary principle bridges the gap in cases where
scientific certainty in factual findings cannot be achieved. By
applying the precautionary principle, the court may construe a set
of facts as warranting either judicial action or inaction, with the
goal of preserving and protecting the environment. In effect, the
precautionary principle shifts the burden of evidence of harm away
from those likely to suffer harm and onto those desiring to change
the status quo. The principle should be treated as a principle of last
resort, where application of the regular rules of evidence would cause
in an inequitable result for the environment plaintiff- (a) settings
in which the risks of harm are uncertain; (b) settings in which
harm might be irreversible and what is lost is irreplaceable; and (c)
settings in which the harm that might result would be serious. With
(f)
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these features - uncertainty, the possibility of irreversible
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a. harm, and the possibility of serious harm - coincide the cause
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for the precautionary principle is strongest. When in doubt, cases
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(f)
must be resolved in favor the constitutional right to a balanced and
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healthful ecology.4
~
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3
Per Lconen, J. dissenting, in West Tower Condominium Corporation v. Fir 9t
Philippine Industrial Corporation, GR No. 194239, June 16, 2015.
4Sec. 2(f), supra.
CHAPTERxrx- RULl~SOF PROCEDURE 7'27
FOR ENVIRONMEN'l'ALCASES
Rulo :lO - Proc1111f,io1111ry
Principle
f. Illustrative cases
1. Leatch v. Director-General of National Parhs

and Wildlife Service, 81 LGERA 270 (J.993)
This was a "merits" appeul uguinst the granting of a license to
Shoalhaven City Council to "take and kill" cnclnngcred faunn from
an area where a road was proposed to be constructed. The third party
objector claimed that the precautionary principle should be applied
to refuse the license because of scientific uncertainty surrounding
the effects on endangered fauna folJowing the road construction,
particularly on the giant burrowing frog and the ycJlow bellied
glider.
~he NSW Court of Appeal upheld the appeal, holding that while
there 1s no express provision in the National Parks and Wildlife
Act, under which the Director-General of the National Parks and
Wildlife Service granted the license, requiring consideration of the
"precautionary principle," consideration of the state of knowledge
or uncertainty regarding a species, the potential for serious or
irreversible harm to an endangered fauna nn<l the adoption of a
cautious approach in protection of endangered faun.a is clearly
consistent with the subject matter, scope and purpose of the Act.
Application of the precautionary principle appears to be most apt
in a situation where there is a scarcity of scientific knowledge of
species population, habitat, and impacts.
2. Greenpeace Australia Ltd. v. Redbank Power

Co. Pty. Ltd. and Singleton Council, 86 LGERA
143 (1994)
In March 1994, Singleton Council granted development
consent to Redbank Power Company for the construction of a power
station at Warkworth in the Hunter Valley. Greenpeace Australia
(f)
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objected, arguing the impact of air emissions from the power station
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(1)
would unacceptably exacerbate the greenhouse effect in the earth's
a,
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atmosphere, and that the court should apply the precautionary
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principle of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA)
3
(f)
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and refuse development consent for the project.
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~ The Land and Environment Court of New South Wales,
however, held that the development project should be allowed to
proceed. The application of the precautionary principle mandates
a cautious approach in evaluating the various factors to determine
..,...
~
1

whether a development consent should be granted. This princi 1

does not require, however, that the greenhouse effect_issue be gi!~
precedence over al1 others. The Framework Convent10n on Climate
Change, the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment
and the National Greenhouse Response Strategy outlined polic;
objectives to address the problem of greenhouse gases, but they do
not expressly prohibit any energy development which would emit
such gases.
The court explained that the power plant, a fluidised-bed
combustion power plant, will produce energy for 100,000 homes.
It will use tailing as fuel, and thereby avoid the detrimental
environmental effects of tailing disposal in dams. It will also produce
lower emissions of sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide in comparison
with the coal-fired power stations it is meant to displace. lt will also
reduce the amount of ]and sterilized by tailing dams, and convert a
waste product into a usable one. The court therefore ruled that the
development application should be approved.
3. Mosqueda v. Pilipino Banana Growers &

Exporters Association, Inc., GR No. 189185,
Aug. 16, 2016
To eliminate the method of aerial spraying as an agricultural
practice in all agricultural activities by all entities within Davao
City, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao City enacted Ordinance
No. 0309, Series of 2007, to impose a ban against aerial spraying
as an agricultural practice by all agricultural entities within Davao
City. The Filipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association, Inc.
(PBGEA) and two of its members, namely: Davao Fruits Corporation
and Lapanday Agricultural and Development Corporation
(PBGEA, et al.), filed a petition challenging the constitutionality
(/)
of the ordinance. They alleged that the ordinance exemplified an
(")
"'
:,
:,
unreasonable exercise of police power; violated the equal protection
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clause; amounted to the confiscation of property without due process
~
(') of law; and lacked publication pursuant to the Local Government
"'
3
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Code. The RTC sustained the validity of the ordinance. On appeal,
"'
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:, the CA reversed and declared Section 5 of Ordinance No. 0309-07 as
~
unconstitutional for being unreasonable and oppressive and violative
of the equal protection clause. The case reached the Supreme Court.
The Court en bane, through now Chief Justice Bersamin,
affirmed. The Court noted that the imposition of the ban is too
broad because the ordinance applies irrespective of the substance
Rule 20 - Precautionary Principle
to be aerially applied and irrespective of the agricultural activity to

be conducted. The respondents admit that they aerially treat their
plantations not only with pesticides but also vitamins and other
substances. The imposition of the ban against aerial spraying of
substances other than fungicides and regardless of the agricultural
activity being performed becomes unreasonable inasmuch as
it patently bears no relation to the purported inconvenience,
discomfort, health risk and environmental danger which the
ordinance seeks to address. The ordinance also discriminates against
large farmholdings that are the only ideal venues for the investment
of machineries and equipment capable of aerial spraying, and is,
therefore, oppressive and unreasonable.
The Court denied petitioners' plea that the Court look at the
merits of the ordinance based on the precautionary principle, thus:
"I~1 tl~is jurisdiction, the principle of precaution

appearing m the Rules of Procedure for Environmental
Cases (A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC) involves matters of evidence
in cases where there is lack of full scientific certainty in
establishing a causal link between human activity and
environmental effect. 1n such an event, the courts may
construe a set of facts as warranting either judicial action
or inaction with the goal of preserving and protecting the
environment.
It is notable, therefore, that the precautionary
principle shall only be relevant if there is concurrence
of three elements, namely: uncertainty, threat of
environniental daniage and serious or irreversible harm.
In situations where the threat is relatively certain, or
that the causal link between an action and environmental
damage can be established, or the probability of occurrence
(/)
()
can be calculated, only preventive, not precautionary
"'
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::, measures, may be taken. Neither will the precautionary
"'
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principle apply if there is no indication of a threat of
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environmental harm, or if the threatened harm is trivial
"'
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or easily reversible.
"'
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!ll Scientific analysis is still a necessary basis for
effective policy choices under the precautionary principle.
The only study conducted to validate the effects of aerial
spraying appears to be the Summary Report on the
Assessment and Fact-Finding Activities on the Issue of
""'111111111

Aerial Spraying in Banana Plantations. Yet, the fact-

finding team that generated the report was not a scientific
study that could justify the resort to the precautionary
principle. It is dangerous to quickly presume that the
effects of aerial spraying would be adverse even in the
absence of evidence. Accordingly, for lack of scientific
data supporting a ban on aerial spraying, Ordinance No.
0309-07 should be struck down for being unreasonable."
4. International Service for the Acquisition of

Agri-Biotech Applications, Inc. v. Greenpeace
Southeast Asia (Philippines), GR No. 209271,
July 26, 2016
This case involves consolidated petitions seeking the reversal
of the decision of the Court of Appeals dated May 17, 2013, as well
as its resolution dated September 20, 2013, in CA-G.R. SP No.
00013 which permanently enjoined the conduct of field trials for
the genetically modified eggplant, commonly known as "Bt Talong,"
on concerns for biosafety. The Bt Talong is a type of eggplant bio-
engineered to develop resistance to lepidopteran larvae, through the
incorporation of crystal toxin genes from the soil bacterium bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt) which triggers the production of the protein Cry 1
Ac which is toxic to the said target insect pests.
In their petition for writ of kalikasan and writ of continuing
mandamus with prayer for the issuance of a temporary environmental
protection order (TEPO), petitioners alleged that the Bt Talong field
trials violated their constitutional right to a healthful and balanced
ecolo'gyconsidering, among others, that the required environmental
compliance certificate under PD No. 1151 was not secured prior to
the project implementation, and as a regulated article under DAO
8-2002; that Bt Talong is presumed harmful to human health and
the environment, and there is no independent, peer-reviewed study
(/)
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on its safety for human consumption and on the environment;
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and that field test project did not comply with the required public
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consultation under Sections 26 and 27 of the Local Government
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Code.
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. Re~pondents, on the other hand, asserted that the Bt Talong
~ proJect 1s not covered by the Philippine Environmental Impact
~tat~ment System (PEISS); that Bt Talong field trials will neither
s1gmficantly affect the quality of the environment nor pose a hazard
to human health; that the NBF (National Biosafety Framework)
FOR E?\1VIRONMENTALCASES
amply safeguards the_ environment policies and goals promoted by

the PEISS; that there 1s a "plethora of scientific works and literature
peer-reviewed, on the_safety of Bt Talong for human consumption";
and that the precautionary principle is not applicable considering
that the field testing is only a part of a continuing study being done
to ~nsure that the field trials have no significant impact on the
environment.
. The parties presented their respective expert witnesses who

testified on the allegations raised in the petition concerning damage
or threat of damage to human health and the environment resulting
from the conduct of Bt talong field trials in the Philippines. The CA
conducted "hot tubbing," the colloquial term for concurrent expert
evidence, where the judge can hear all the experts discussing the
same issue at the same time with a view to swifter identification of
the critical areas of disagreement between them.
In denying the petition, the Supreme Court, through Justice
Villarama, ruled that the hot tub hearing hns not yielded any
consensus on the points of contention between the expert witnesses,
i.e., the safety of Bt talong to humnns and the environment. The
opinions are based on contrasting findings in hundreds of scientific
studies conducted from the time Bt technology was deployed in
crop farming. These divergent views of local scientists reflect the
continuing international debate on GMOs (genetically modified
organisms) and the varying degrees of acceptance of GM technology
by states especially the developed countries (USA, EU, Japan,
China, Australia, etc.). While proponents of GM biotechnology insist
that GM foods are safe to humans and the environment based on
scientific studies, over the years, however, accumulated evidence of
the dangers of GMOs, as well as unrealized socio-economic benefits,
has been increasingly recognized by the scientific community.
In sum, the Court held, current scientific research indicates
that the biotech industry has not sufficiently addressed the
(/)
()
uncertainties over the safety of GM foods and crops.
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::,
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Concluding, the Court held that the three features of
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;:;: uncertainty, the possibility of irreversible harm, and the
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0l possibility of serious harm all coincide which justifies the
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application of the precautionary principle, thus:
::,
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"Assessing the evidence on record, as well as the
current state of GMO research worldwide, the Court finds
all the three conditions present in this case - uncertainty,
...._
LAW ON NA'J'UHAL RESOURCES AND RULES
~
732
OF PllOCEDURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CASES
the possibility of irreversible harm and the possibility of

serious harm.
Eggplants (talong) are a staple vegetable in the
country and grown by small-scale farmers, majority
of whom are poor and marginalized. While the goal of
increasing crop yields to raise farm incomes is laudable,
independent scientific studies revealed uncertainties due
to unfulfilled economic benefits from Bt crops and plants,
adverse effects on the environment associated with use of
GE technology in agriculture, and serious health hazards
from consumption of GM foods. For a biodiversity rich
country like the Philippines, the natural and unforeseen
consequences of contamination and genetic pollution
would be disastrous and irreversible.
Alongside the aforesaid uncertainties, the non-
implementation of the NBF in the crucial stages of
risk assessment and public consultation, including the
determination of the applicability of the EIS requirements
to GMO field testing, are compelling reasons for the
application of the precautionary principle. There exists
a preponderance of evidence that the release of
GMOs into the environ1nent threatens to darnage
our ecosysten1s and not just the field trial sites,
and eventually the health of our people once the
Bt eggplants are consumed as food. Adopting the
precautionary approach, the Court rules that the
principles of the NBF need to be operationalized
• first by the coordinated actions of the concerned
departments and agencies before allowing the
release into the environment of genetically
modified eggplant. The 111ore prudent course is to
iinmediately enjoin the Bt talong field trials and
approval for its propagation or con1111ercialization
(J)
until the said government offices shall have
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performed their respective mandates to implement
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::: the NBF." (Emphasis supplied)
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In his concurrence, Justice Velasco submits that the petition
:,
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could be sufficiently settled on purely legal grounds and without a
heavy, if not complete, reliance on the scientific aspect of the case.
He states that the omission by the project proponents of securing an
~
EGC or CNC, whichever is proper for its project, prior to the conduct Qi
of the field testing, and the DENR-EMB 's failure to evaluate GMO C:
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field trials within the purview of the PEISS, warrant the issuance (/)
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of a permanent environmental protection order directing: (a) the u"'
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project proponents to cease and desist from continuing any pending -a
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Bt Talong field trials without first complying with other applicable C:

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environmental laws, including the PEISS; and (b) the DENR-EMB (/)
to apply the PEISS to GMO field trials.

(Author's Note: On July 26, 2016, the SC, on motions for
re.consideration, set aside its decision that stopped the field testing
of the controversial genetically modified eggplants on the ground of
mootness.)
5. West Tower Condominium Corporation v. First

Philippine Industrial Corporation, GR No.
194239, June16, 2015
I~ this case, an interesting issue was raised by the dissent,'·
espousing that the petition should be denied and the TEPO
immediately lifted in light of the DOE's issuance of a certification
attesting to the safety of the WOPL for continued commercial
operations, thereby rendering the petition moot and academic.
According to the dissent, the writ of llalikasan issued by the Court
has, already served its functions and, therefore, has become f unctus
officio. Moreover, directing the DOE and FPIC to repeat their previous
procedures is tantamount to doubting the agency's performance of
its statutorily-mandated tasks, over which they have the necessary
expertise, and implies that said-DOE certification is improper, a
breach, allegedly, of the principle ,df.separation of powers. •
However, the majority, cited the following reasons in reply to
the dissent:
l. The precautionary principle is not applicable to the
instant case;
2. The DOE certification is not an absolute attestation
as to the WOPL's structural integrity and in fact imposes
several conditions for FPIC's compliance;
61,eonen, J. (dissenting) in West Tower Condominium Corporation v. First

:''Philippine
Industrial Corporation, GR No. 194239, June 16, 2015.
8Ve}asco, J., ponente.
,,
734
3. The DOE itself, in consultation wit? -~PIC and

the other concerned agencies, pro~osed the a_ct1v_1ties to be Iii
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conducted preparatory to the reopening of the pipeline; and C:
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4. There are no conclusive findings yet on the WOPL's u"'
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structural integrity. "O
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The precautionary principle only applies when the link between 8

(/)
the cause, that is the human activity sought to be inhibited, and the
effect, that is the damage to the environment, cannot be established
with full scientific certainty. Here, however, such absence of a link
is not an issue. Detecting the existence of a leak or the presence of
defects in the WOPL which is the issue in the case at bar, is different
'
from determining whether the spillage of hazardous materials into
the surroundings will cause environmental damage or will harm
human health or that of other organisms. As a matter of fact, the
petroleum leak and the harm that it caused to the environment and
to the residents of the affected areas is not even questioned by FPIC.
What is in issue in the instant petition is the WOPL's
compliance with pipeline structure standards so as to make it fit
for its purpose, a question of fact that is to be determined on the
basis of the evidence presented by the parties on the WOPL's actual
state. Hence, the Court's consideration of the numerous findings
and recommendations of the CA, the DOE, and the amici curiae on
the WOPL's present structure, and not the cited pipeline incidents
as the dissent propounds.
The fact is that it is the _DOE itself that imposed several
conditions upon FPIC for the resumption of the operations of the
WOPL. This, coupled with the submission by the DOE of its proposed
activities and timetable, is a clear and unequivocal message coming
from the DOE that the WOPL's soundness for resumption of and
continued commercial operations is not yet fully determined. And
it is only after an extensive determination by the DOE of the
pipeline's actual physical state through its proposed activities, and
not merely through a short-form integrity audit, that the factual
issue on the WOPL's viability can be settled. The issue therefore,
on the pipeline's structural integrity has not yet been rendered moot
and remains.to be subject to the Court's resolution. Consequently; it
cannot be said that the DOE's issuance of the certification adverted
to equates to the writ of kalikasan being functus officio at that
point.
CHAPTERXIX- RULES OF PROCEDURE
FOR ENVIHONMEN'l'ALCASES 735
Huie 20- Prcc11utio1111ry
Principle
g.
Case study: Hernandez
tion, v. National Power Corpora-
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How would the PhiliJ • C:
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precautionary principl . 1 pme. Supreme Court have applied the ()

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b roug h tbeforeitonf. t . . ' nvnonmentn 1case chrectly u"'
Power Corporation ?1ac s sim1.lar to the cuse of 1-lernanclez v. National .s
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Sometime in 1996 NAPOCO 1 "'

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decagon-shaped steel • . ~ bc~nn the. construction of 29
1
to support overhead } ~~ e~ o1 _towms w1~ha height of 53.4 meters
Kil ovo lt S ucat-AranetaughB tenswn cnb]es rn connection with its 230
· 1111
• t 1 p
Said t • . . . • u Bwn ( ower Transmission Project.
Hi hw:ansn11ss10n hne passes through t.he Sergio Osmefin, Sr.
~ D Y (So~_th Su~erhighway), the perimeter of Fort Bonifacio,
an ·t· asmarinas
'h V11luge proximate to 'l'n , .•incI Ronu,
' m,11 .1
wl·iere
pe t I 10ners omes are.
Alarme~ by the sight of the towering steel towers, petitioners
scoured the Internet on the possible adverse effects that such a
structure could cause to their heulth and wcJl-being. Petitioners
got hold of published articles and studies ]inking the incidence of
a fecund of illnesses to exposure to electromagnetic fields. 'l'hese
illnesses range from cancer to leukemia.
On March 9, 2000, petitioners, harping on the ha:r,anJouseffects
of exposure to electromagnetic radiation to the health and safety to
themselves and their families, filed a complaint for damages with
prayer for the issuance of u temporary restraining order and/or a writ
of preliminary injunction against NAPOCOR, and for the relocation
of the transmission lines to Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio. •
(11/Wi, . . ..
On March 13, 2000, Judge Francisco B.)bay i~sucd an or~ler in
Civil Case No. 00-352, which temporarily restrained the respondent
from energizing and transmitting high voltage electric current
through the said project.
. By a decision dated May 3, 2000, the Court of Appeals-reversed
the trial court's order. Petitioners went to the Supreme:r Court and
sought the issuance of a preliminary injunction· on· the ground
that the NAPOCOR Project. impinged on their right to 'health. as
enshrined in Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution,· which
provides: •• ,, •, :,•:
I •
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,
7GR No. 145328, Mnrch 28, 2006, '185 SCRA 166.

LA VI ON :;A TUPJ~L REE
WfJ
P f'HOCEDURE FOR e-:.
"SE!c. 15. 'fhe State sha1J pr n ., "n.c.

right to health of the pE!oplc and instill n=
among them."
<ii
Petitioners adduced in evidence copies of st~dif:5 linking er._: C:
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incidence of illnesses such as cancer and le_u.kE:ffilato EXp{.)su.r·E: • (/)
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electromagnetic fields. They submitted a ~A.POC?R b_rc;chur=tr.: ()"'
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the effect that because of the danger concom1tant vn:h hign •,·oJ~:: "O
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power, Philippine laws mandate that the power lines should ~ C:

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located within safe distances from residence5 . (/)
The Court, through Justice Chico-Nazario, granted the rtrit

of preliminary injunction prayed for, holding that '"there is ampl~
indicia to suggest to the mind of the court that the health conecrn.E
of the petitioners are, at the very ]east. far from imaginary.-
"True, the issue of whether or not the transmission

lines are safe is essentially evidentiary in nature, and
pertains to the very merits of the action belo\Y. x x x
(B)ut despite the parties' conflicting results of studies
made on the issue, the possibility that the exposure
to electromagnetic radiation causes cancer and other
disorders is still, indeed, within the realm of scientific
scale of probability. xx x
Moreover, the Local Government Code, requires
conference with the affected communities of a go\·ernment
project. NAPOCOR, palpably, made a shortcut to this
requirement. In fact, there appears a lack of exhausti\·e
feasibility studies on NAPOCOR's part before n1akina a
go with
. . the project on hand; otherwise ' it should h:ve
ant1c1pated the legal labyrinth it is now caught in.
These are facts, which the trial court could not
ignore, and form as sufficient basis to engender the cloud of
doub~ that the NAPOCOR project could, indeed, endanger
t_he li:'es _of t_he petitioners. A preliminary injunction is
!1kewise Justified prior to a final determination of the
ISsues of •whether or not NAPOCOR igno1·ed. sa1etv r an <l
• consultatwn requirements in the questioned : · t
Pl OJeC ..
I n d ee d , th e court could nay should cn•a11t t} 1e \\11"}· t Q f
• • • • I b• I C
preliminary InJunction if the purpose of the O t}

•
1s to sh1e
• Id a wrongdoing. A ruling to the c t. 1er party
011 1 ary would
amount to an erosion of judicial discretion.
~
CHAPTER XIX 737
FOR ENVIRtNMULES
OF PROCEDURE
Rul ENTALCASES
e 20- Precautionary Principle
. After all, for a writ of

ISsued, the Rule d
r . ..
pre iminary inJunction to be lii
. 8 o not requ • th C
of b e in violation of the .· ire at the act complained C

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what the Rules . . i~ghts of the applicant. Indeed E
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be probably in :eiu':e is that the act complained of -;::
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Under the Rules of~10n of the rights of the applicant. "'O
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for injunction t _o ourt, probability is enough basis C

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. different
1s . fro o .issue
. as
. a p1ovis10nal
• •• remedy, which
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m inJunct10n as • •
needs to establ' h b 1 a main action where one
is a so ute cert • t •
and permanent in· t· ain Y as basis for a final
JUnC 10n. X X X
In hindsight if ft • • •
health-related fe;rs 'tha e1 t:·1~1,it turns out that the
adequate confir·mat· _atfpetit10ners cleave on to have
1011111act and • I } •
project of NAPOCOR l m aw, t 1e quest10ned
t 1e11 suffers from a paucit of
purpose, no _matter how noble the purpose may be YFor
what use will modernization serve if it })roves to .be
scourge
h on an in • a·iv1·aual ,s fundamcntnl right not justa
~o ea!th and ~afety,_but, ostensibly, to life pr~servation
itself, in all of its desired quality?"
1:f
e_rnandez was decided in 2006, or four years before the
effectiVIty of the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases in
2010. Yet, the case clearly expresses an implicit ethical and social
responsibility to protect the public from exposure to harm even if
the act complained of (exposure to electromagnetic radiation causes
cancer and other disorders), is still to be proved, but is nevertheless
within the realm of scientific probability. The decision of
the Court inclines closely to the precautionary principle which
stipulates that "if an action or pO!icyhas a suspected risk of causing
harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific
consensus that the action or policy is harmful, the burden of proof
that it is not harmful falls on those taking the action." Interestingly,
the Court expostulated that, whether or not the transmission lines
are safe is essentially evidentiary in nature, the health concerns of
the petitioners are, at the very least, "far from imaginary."
SEC. 2. Standards for application. - In applying the

precautionary principle, the following factors, among
others, may be considered: (1) threats to human life or
health; (2) inequity to present or future generations; or (3)
prejudice to the environment without legal consideration of
the environmental rights of those affected.
~
LAW ON NA1'URALRESOURCES AND HULES
738 OF PROCEDURE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CASJ,;8
a. Precautionary principle as applied to throntR t()

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human life or health C
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In Imbong v. Ochoa/' the policy of th~ centrality of wornun'n E

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human rights in the matter of reproductive health cnro iA ti .s
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central theme of the concurrin_g_opmwn_ 0 t ustice: Jntor Chiof "'CJ
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Justice, Leonardo De-Castro. Citing Sect10n 15, Article JI of tho l1J
(.)
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Constitution which reads: "The State shall protect nnd prornot

the right to health of the people and insti1l health consciousnoA:
among them," she maintains that the right to health is n necossnry
element of the right to life. More importantly, the right to health
is, in itself, a fundamental human right. Thus, the right to health
is greater than and subsumes reproductive health. The gist of tho
principle of prudence, therefore, is that, in questions relating to
life, one should err on the side of life. Should there be the slightest
iota of doubt, life should be affirmed. On the other hnnd, in cases
involving the environment, there is a precautionnry principle which
states that "when human activities may lend to threats of serious
and irreversible damage to the environment that is scientifically
plausible but uncertain, actions shall be tnken to avoid or diminish
that threat." Articulating:
"The precautionary principle seeks to protect the

rights of the present generation as well as to enforce
intergenerational responsibility, that is, the present
generation should promote sustainable development
and act as stewards or caretakers of the environment for
the ben~fit of ge~er?tions Y'f. pnborn. In _its essenc~, t~e
precaut10nary pr1nc1ple cal]? for the exercise of caut10n 1n
the face of risk and uncert~inty. x xx
The right to health, which is an indispensable
element of the right to life, deserves the same or even
• higher degree of protection. 'I'hus, if it is scientifically
plausible but uncertain that any foreign substance or
material ingested or implanted in the woman's body may
lead to threats of seriou~ and irreversible damage to her
or her unborn child's right life or health, care should. be
taken ,to ·avoid or diminish that threat. The. principle of
prudence requires that such a rule be adopted in matters
•, •I I I
t .. ' : i!I , I; : ' ' l 'I· 1I J•

GR No. 204819, April 8, 2014. '
I •
8
Rule 21-Documentary Evidence
concerning the right to life and health. In the face of the

conflicting claims and findings presented by the parties, :;;
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and considering that the right to health is inextricably C:

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intertwined with the right to life, it is proper to refer to E
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the principle of prudence, which is the principle relied -.5
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on by the framers of the 1987 Constitution on matters -0
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affecting the right to life. Thus, any uncertainty on the C:
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adverse effects of making contraceptives universally
accessible on the life and health of the people, especially
of women, should be resolved in a way that will promote
life and health."
RULE 21
DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE
SECTION 1. Photographic, video and similar evidence.

- Photographs, videos and similar evidence of events acts
t ransactions• '
of wildlife, wildlife by-products or derivatives, '
forest products or mineral resources subject of a case shall
be admissible when authenticated by the person who took
the same, by some other person present when said evidence
was taken, or by any other person competent to testify on
the accuracy thereof.
a. Photographic, video and similar evidence

The Rules supplement the Rules on Evidence which remain
fully applicable to environment~( ~ases. The Rules aim to address
the current problems in the gathering and preservation of evidence
by allowing in evidence photographs, videos and similar evidence
of events, acts, transactions of wildlife, wildlife by-products or
derivatives, forest products or mineral resources subject of a case.
The presentation of the evidence shall be admitted provided that it
is ·authenticated by the following persons:
1. the person who took the photograph, video or similar

evidence; or
2. any person who was present when the photograph,
video or similar evidence was taken; or
3. any person competent to testify on the accuracy of
the photograph, video or similar evidence.
Ill ~
740
SEC. 2. Entries in official records. -:- Entries in official <ii

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records made in the performance of his duty by a PUbl' "'

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officer of the Philippines, or by a person in performance 0 /c u"'
duty specially enjoined by law, are prima facie evidence 0~

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the facts therein stated. C

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RULE 22
FINAL PROVISIONS
SECTION I. Effectivity. - These Rules shall take effect

within fifteen (15) days following publication once in a
newspaper of general circulation.
SEC. 2. Application of the Rules of Court. - The Rules
of Court shall apply in a suppletory manner, except as
otherwise provided herein.
Effectivity date: April 29, 2010.
"'.
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7

AND RULES OF PROCEDURE

JUSTICE OSWALDO D. AGCAOILI

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FOREWORDTO THE 2021 EDITION

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'F'RO'M 'T'')--{~ C'H'A'M'B~'RS OT-:

FOREWORD TO THE 2016 EDITION

Since 2007 when the first edition of .Justice Osv•.-aldo D.

inn<Jvntiorm und b<:111. 111I h,, U11/c's1'1,I''' • i:.·,·

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PRESBITERO J. VELASCO, JR.

Thi~ n edit.ion reflect~ t.he n~c1!11I.

JUSTICE OSWALDO D. AGCAOILI

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T~ my ever-loving wife, Consuelo, this book

"LAW ON NATURAL RESOURCES

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01. Introduction ·················· ..·······.............................................. .1

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C- of forest,lnnds ·:···..•r~rcstJund, hence

D. Utilization and Management

J. Criminal Offenses and Penalties

~~~~e 1~!5 Constituti~nwere vested ~ights

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L Safety and Environmental Protection

c. Section 76 constitutes componsnhle 211

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0. Grounds for Cancellation, Revocation,

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P. Organizational and Institutional

04. Types of agreement under the Philippine Mining 235

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B. Award and Condition of Contracts

B. Coal Operating Contract

b. Visitorial powers ................. ··......•...••....••.....•••••...••• 262

D. Energy Regulatory Board

E. Electric Power Industry Reforrn Act

G. Downstream Oil Industry

06. Kinds of concessions .. ·..••.. ••

07. Obligatory concessions ........................ ..

C. Water Rights and Permits

0 i:-,t '° .i;en1enlHr l . . 371

F. The National Water Resources Board

a. Authority to enter upon·private lands-..·---·----·-· .... 381

\H. 1,l lnw~..... · t·

(1 f 1'l t·er· is .... .................. .

o5. Water qunlit,

C. Water Poll u t·ion p ernuts

E. Institutional Mechanism 418

3 is the agency generally charged with t?e

D. Pollution from Moto,- Vehicles

G. lnstit 11t •011

I. Fines and Penalties

13. Reqmrementsf01. Wast.es ...,.................... 474

23. Mandatory public hearings·············· .................... ·.·.·_-_-_-_-.·_-.·_-_-.·_-_-_-_-

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' pnrl1fr1pnt.111ll (!i·1'1\1'1')1111(', ...... • ........................

rder with respect to-~:~• tease and desist

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t cliinate change ..............

. Definitionof terms ...............:... .