Philippine Environmental

Impact Statement System

03 September 2018

9/3/2018 1
What is EIA(Environmental Impact Assessment)?
A systematic process that examines the environmental consequences of an
activity to:

- Bio-physical environment &

- socio-economic environment

and designing appropriate environmental management measures to

mitigate negative consequences & enhance the positive ones

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 PHILIPPINE EIA SYSTEM FRAMEWORK
PD 1151 Philippine Environmental Policy (6 June 1977)

PD 1586 Establishment of the Philippine EIS System & the ECC Requirement
(11 June 1978)

Presidential Proclamation 2146 (1981) Presidential Administrative Order 42

Presidential Proclamation 803 (1996) (Generic Rationalizing the Phil. EIS System
Description of Projects & Areas covered by Implementation (2 November 2002)
the Philippine EIS System)

DENR ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER (DAO) 2003-30 Implementing

Rules and Regulations for PD 1586 (30 June 2003)

Procedural Manual for DAO 2003-30 (Jan 2004 August 2007)

o MC 2010-14 – Standardization of requirements & enhancement of Public Participation in the
Streamlined Implementation of the PEISS (June 29, 2010)
o MC 2011-05 Incorporating Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation
(CCA) concerns in the Philippine EIS System (Nov.11, 2012)
Procedural Manual for
DAO 2003-30 (August 2007)
• Details the requirements and
procedures in the implementation
of the Philippine EIS System
• Detailed guidance document for
project proponents, EIA
Consultants, EMB and other
stakeholders
 PHILIPPINE EIA SYSTEM FRAMEWORK
o MC 2013-003 Establishment Of Registry System for Environmental Impact Assessment Practitioners ( 22 May 2013)

o MC 2014-005 Guidelines for Coverage Screening and Standardized Requirements under PEISS amending relevant
portion of MC 2007-002 (07 July 2014)

o DAO No. 2015-02 Guidelines on Public Participation under the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
System ( 10 March 2015)

o MC 2015-003 Implementation of Online Processing of CNC applications for Category D Projects under the PEISS ( 20
January 2015)

o MC 2015-008 Implementation of Online Processing of ECC Applications for Category B Projects requiring IEE
Checklist Report Forms under the PEISS (09 June 2015)

o MC 2016-001 Requiring Online Submission of CMR under PEISS ( 18 January 2016)

o DAO No. 2017-14 Online Transmission of Data from Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) and Closed
Circuit Television (CCTV) of Major Industries(02 May 2017)

o DAO No. 2017-15 Guidelines on Public Participation under the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
System (02 May 2017)
PD 1151 PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
(SECTION 4)

All agencies and instrumentalities of the national government, including government owned or controlled
corporations, as well as private corporations, firms and entities shall prepare, file and include in every action,
project or undertaking which significantly affects the quality of the environment in a detailed statement on:
• the environmental impact of the proposed action, project or undertaking;
• any adverse environmental effect which cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented;
• alternative to the proposed action;
• a determination that the short-term uses of the resources of the environment are consistent with the
maintenance and enhancement of the long-term productivity of the same; and
• whenever a proposal involves the use of depletable or non-renewable resources, a finding must be made
that such use and commitment are warranted.
PD 1586 Establishment of the Philippine EIS System & the ECC
Requirement (SECTION 4)

“No person, partnership or corporation shall undertake or operate any such

declared environmentally critical project or area without first securing an
Environmental Compliance Certificate”
THE ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT ASSESSMENT

MEDIA AND
STRESSORS
(emission, PATHWAYS RECEPTORS
effluent, etc.) (wind direction,
etc.)

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 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IDENTIFICATION
CONSIDERATIONS

DIRECT IMPACTS

INDIRECT IMPACTS

CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
(caused by past, present & future
activities…overtime direct & indirect
human activities combine to collectively
impact the environment )

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ANALYSIS : Significance of Impacts

• size of potential effects

• sensitivity/importance of affected environments

• potential for inducing direct/cumulative effects

• importance /controversy ;local regional/global

• magnitude of adverse /beneficial impacts ; direct and

indirect impacts

• reversible /irreversible impacts ; local /strategic impacts

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SIGNIFICANCE WITH RESPECT TO
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS :

 SCALE OF DEVELOPMENT

 SENSITIVITY OF THE LOCATION

 NATURE OF THE ADVERSE EFFECTS

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Impacts to Environment at different implementation
phases
Site Preparation : large scale and short term changes occur in the environment

Project Operation: continuous and long term environmental impacts

Project Termination : recovery and remedial measures for the rehabilitation of

the environment

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DOCUMENTATION OF THE
EIA Study, Analysis & EIA Report
Recommendation

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Major Contents of an EIA Report
• Relevant Project/Program Information
• Baseline Environmental Conditions
• Environmental Impact Prediction &
Analysis
• Environmental Mitigation /
Management Plan
• Environmental Monitoring Plan

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KEY OPERATING PRINCIPLES
Effective regulatory review of the EIA Reports depends largely on
timely, full, and accurate disclosure of relevant information by
project Proponents and other stakeholders in the EIA process
The timelines prescribed within which a decision must be issued
apply only to processes and actions within the Environmental
Management Bureau’s (EMB) control and do not include actions or
activities that are the responsibility of the Proponent
New MC Processing Timeframes:
• ECC-40 (ECP) and 20 (Non-ECP) working Days
• CNC-7 working Days (online application)
 Use of EIA in relation to
Project/Program Planning &
Implementation

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KEY ACTORS IN THE EIA PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

DEVELOPERS AFFECTED PARTIES

-Public Sector Developers -Immediate communities
-Private sector Developers -Non-governmental organization
-People’s organization

REGULATORS FACILITATORS
-National Government Agencies -Consultants
-Local Government Agencies -Advisers, advocates

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 EIA in relation to Project Planning & Decision-Making
Process
Detailed EIA, Envt’l Mgmt
Planning, inputs to Cost
Findings and recommendations Benefit Analysis
of EIA considered in various
permits and licenses needed
P
Feasibility r Pre-feasibility Site selection,
environmental
o screening, initial
assessment, scoping
Detailed design of j
mitigation measures
e
Project
Detailed Engineering & c
Conceptualization/
Design t
Improvement
C
y
Monitoring and
Implementation Project Construction c Operation & evaluation of
of mitigation & Development l Maintenance environmental
measures
performance
e
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 PROJECT SCREENING

LEGEND: EIA Required No EIA

Proponent
Driven
EIA STUDY SCOPING
DENR-EMB
Driven

Proponent EIA Study / Report preparation by Project

Options Proponent as a requirement for ECC application P
U
Not Part of Change B
EIA Process Project L
plan / REVIEW & EVALUATION of EIA as
I
Public
Relocate C
Involvement facilitated by DENR-EMB
Project
I
N
DENY ISSUE ECC w/ recommendations to other V
ECC entities w/ mandate on the project O
L
V
Secure permits / clearances from other DENR Units & E
M
Other GAs / LGUs E
N
Expansion / Project
T
modifications Implementation

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT MONITORING &

EVALUATION / AUDIT
 EIA Requirements of the
Philippine Government

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Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC)

- Application decision document issued to the proponent after

thorough review of the EIA Report

- It outlines the commitments of the proponent which are necessary

for the project to comply with existing environmental regulations or
to operate within the best environmental practice that are not
currently covered by existing laws
 SCOPE OF THE PHILIPPINE EIS SYSTEM

 Environmentally Critical Projects (ECPs)

 Projects in Environmentally Critical Areas (ECAs)

(defined under a 1981 Presidential Proclamation)

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Integrated Coverage Screening for ECC
Requirement
(Philippines)

Project Type &

Type of Proposed
Threshold Project
Screening (1st)

Not an ECP; not

1st Screening ECP
Within Project
type threshold of
w/in the project
Result non-coverage
type threshold of
non-coverage

Further screening
Required to
Requirement secure ECC
Not Required an
ECC
for location w/in
ECA
Integrated Coverage Screening for ECC
Requirement
(Philippines)

Further screening Proposed location

for location w/in - Coordinates
- Location map
ECA - TCT technical Description

Within Actual Within indicative Not in actual or

Screening Result Maps maps indicative maps

For further For further

Require to validation by validation by
Action Required secure ECC EMB RO based EMB RO based
local data local data
 Further Screening and EIA
Report Preparation (Philippines)
EIA Study requirement dependent on
classification of undertaking
 Decision on ECC Applications

 Based on striking balance between socio-

economic growth & environmental protection
 Use environmental and socio-economic
criteria
 Primacy of jurisdiction of other gov’t
agencies respected & supported
 Contents of the ECC

Scope of project or undertaking

Conditions conformed by the proponent to
implement mitigating measures for potentially
negative impacts and enhancement measures
for potentially positive impacts
Recommendations to concerned permitting,
deciding and monitoring entities
Validity of the ECC…
 Once project is implemented, ECC remains valid and active
for the lifetime of the project (unless otherwise specified);
 The continued validity of the ECC sustains the active
commitments of the Proponent to comply with ECC
conditions and with environmental regulations
Expiry of ECC
Not implemented w/in 5 years from ECC issuance
ECC has not been requested to be extended w/in 3 months
from the expiration of the 5-years

New ECC is necessary if baseline characteristics have

significantly changed to the extent that the impact
assessment w/c was the basis of the EMP is no longer
appropriate
Upon ECC issuance Project Implementation?
… not necessarily

findings and recommendations of the EIA shall be

transmitted to relevant government agencies for them to
integrate in their decision making prior to the issuance of
clearances, permits and licenses under their mandates