Activity 3.

Assessing the Efficacy of Philippine Environmental Laws through

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

PD 1586 – Environmental Impact Statement System 1978

The Philippine environment has been significantly impacted by PD 1586, which was
passed in 1978. It created the Environmental Impact Statement System (EIS), which mandates
that developers draft an EIS before to moving forward. This has enhanced project planning,
raised environmental awareness, and encouraged proactive environmental concerns. Negative
effects include its narrow reach, lax enforcement, and corruption susceptibilities. The EIA
process mainly considers the immediate effects on the environment at the project site, ignoring
long-term effects on ecosystems and more general environmental issues like climate change.
Social inequities, corruption, and environmental damage are the results of weak enforcement
systems. PD 1586 has to be improved by broadening its application and bolstering enforcement
in order to fully accomplish its stated goal of striking a balance between environmental
preservation and development. In order to exploit its history for future growth that is more
sustainable, the Philippines should address these shortcomings and continuously improve the
EIA system. This summary attempts to give a fair assessment of the possible advantages and
disadvantages of PD 1586 on the Philippine environment. The impact of the decree is still being
debated, with numerous perspectives and reasons.

RA 6969 – Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances are governed under the Toxic Substances and
Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990 (RA 6969), a major environmental law in
the Philippines. It has resulted in safer waste management practices, increased environmental
monitoring, and decreased exposure to dangerous substances. Its shortcomings include a
narrow focus, possible disregard for the unorganized sector, and difficulties in implementation.
Corruption, a lack of institutional competence, and resource limitations can make enforcement
difficult, which encourages unlawful dumping and noncompliance. Furthermore, the public's
knowledge of the dangers associated with hazardous waste is still lacking, especially in rural
regions. In order to optimize its efficacy and guarantee enduring environmental preservation, it
would be prudent to broaden the scope of RA 6969 to encompass home chemicals, agriculture,
and informal sectors. By providing funding for environmental monitoring, toughening up on the
penalties for infractions, and promoting openness in the regulatory framework, enforcement
should be improved. Community-based initiatives and educational efforts should be used to
raise public awareness. It's also important to support research on cutting-edge technology for
waste treatment and disposal as well as better substitutes for dangerous substances. RA 6969
can continue to be extremely important in protecting the environment and public health of the
Philippines by resolving these issues and enhancing its implementation.

RA 8749 – Clean Air Act of 1999

 Republic Act No. 8749, popularly known as the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, is a
noteworthy piece of environmental legislation that aims to achieve and maintain a healthy air
quality for all Filipinos. It has had favorable effects on the environment, such as lowered air
pollution levels, enhanced public health, raised knowledge of environmental issues, and
reinforced regulatory framework. Along with increasing public involvement, the act has put more
pressure on polluters to switch to cleaner practices and technology. The Philippines' fast
industrialization and urbanization, as well as the emergence of new contaminants including
ozone and volatile organic compounds, provide obstacles to RA 8749's effective
implementation. Strategies for managing air quality must constantly be improved and adjusted
in response to these difficulties. Ongoing efforts are required in a number of sectors in order to
fully achieve the potential of RA 8749 and guarantee cleaner air for all Filipinos. These include
making investments in public awareness and education, encouraging technological innovation,
bolstering enforcement, and conducting ongoing monitoring and evaluation. RA 8749 can
continue to be an effective instrument in guaranteeing a more sustainable and healthier
environment for all Filipinos by tackling these issues and consistently enhancing its
implementation.

RA 9003 – Ecological Solid Wastes Management Act of 2000

The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) in an effort to address the
problem of waste generation. There have been both favorable and unfavorable effects of the act
on the environment. As a result, there is now less trash produced, more recycling and
composting, and resource preservation. Comprehensive solid waste management plans must
be established by local government units (LGUs), which leads to safer disposal techniques,
better public health, better community sanitation, and empowered communities. The Act also
supports community-based projects, ecological solid waste management integration into school
curricula, and environmental education. Nevertheless, there are obstacles to RA 9003, including
unequal application, the unregulated trash industry, inadequate infrastructure, and financial
limitations. Inadequate enforcement capabilities, lack of awareness, and resource constraints
prevent uniform implementation throughout all LGUs, which causes differences in waste
management techniques and environmental results. The Philippines lacks the infrastructure
necessary to handle the amount of trash produced, and the country's sizable informal waste
sector frequently operates outside of the official waste management system. Several crucial
areas need to be addressed in order to maximize the benefits of RA 9003 and solve its
drawbacks. These include bolstering implementation, formalizing the informal sector, making
infrastructure investments, encouraging public-private collaborations, and maintaining ongoing
monitoring and assessment. The Philippines can continue to enhance its waste management
system and contribute to a better environment for its people by tackling these issues.

RA 9275 – Clean Water Act of 2004

Republic Act No. 9275, or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, was created to
prevent contamination of water resources. Positive effects include lower levels of water
pollution, better water quality in some rivers and lakes, more public awareness, and higher
spending on wastewater treatment plants. The act also created a thorough regulatory
framework for managing water quality, establishing national guidelines for water quality and
mandating that businesses get permits and follow particular discharge guidelines. Ongoing
difficulties, nevertheless, include unequal application, a narrow focus, insufficient oversight and
enforcement, and a lack of public involvement. A number of crucial areas need to be addressed
in order to optimize the benefits of RA 9275 and guarantee cleaner water supplies for all
Filipinos. Enhancing monitoring and enforcement, investing in research and development,
empowering communities through community-based monitoring programs, broadening the act's
application to cover diffuse sources of water pollution, and boosting implementation are some of
these. In the Philippines, RA 9275 might be extremely important in guaranteeing sustainable
management of water resources and a better environment for coming generations by tackling
these issues and improving its implementation. Achieving a future with clean and accessible
water requires teamwork as clean water is a shared responsibility.

RA 9512 – National Environment Awareness and Education Act of 2008

The National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008, or Republic Act No.
9512, seeks to raise environmental awareness in the country through educational and
awareness-raising programs. Its beneficial effects include raising public awareness of
environmental issues, encouraging more people to get involved in environmental activities, and
incorporating environmental ideas into curricula in schools. Since the act promotes
environmental stewardship, more people will support environmental laws and regulations and
there will be a rise in local environmental activities and eco-conscious corporate growth.
Restrictions on resources, inconsistent application, and a behavior change gap, among other
issues, make it difficult for RA 9512 to maximize its influence on environmental results. Raising
awareness and information is important, but it takes more work to translate that knowledge into
actual behavioral changes, such as infrastructure development, capacity training, and
incentives. It is often necessary to implement more extensive legislative interventions and
structural reforms in order to address systemic challenges like poverty, inequality, and
unsustainable economic practices. A number of crucial areas need to be addressed in order to
fully realize the benefits of RA 9512 and turn environmental awareness into action: funding
implementation, strengthening it, closing the knowledge-action gap, and pushing for more
significant legislative reforms. The act can influence environmental attitudes and actions in the
Philippines by tackling these issues.