EFFECT OF ENHANCED COMMUNITY QUARANTINE IN THE ENVIRONMENT

AND NATURAL RESOURCES

I. INTRODUCTION

Over the last few decades, it is an irrefutable point that the environment is exposed to

many dangers. These dangers tremendously progressed over the years due to advanced processes

which caused numerous issues. There is no denying that our mother earth is in danger and this is

something that each one of us knows.

In light of these environmental concerns, efforts from international and national

organizations as well as from private organizations and individuals flourished. However, due to

the problem’s nature and complexity, a call for unified action is strengthened and encouraged. As

a matter of fact, the International Environmental Law (IEL), which started in the 1900s is still

respected and honored by most countries. It is a treaty that is concerned with the attempt to

control pollution and the depletion of natural resources within a framework of sustainable

development. It is a branch of public international law - a body of law created by states for states

to govern problems that arise between states.

IEL covers topics such as population, biodiversity, climate change, ozone depletion, toxic

and hazardous substances, air, land, sea and transboundary water pollution, conservation of

marine resources, desertification, and nuclear damage. Additionally, there are hundreds of

bilateral and multilateral environmental treaties creating states' rights and obligations. The UN

Environment Program (UNEP) and the UN Commission on Sustainable Development have

negotiated many of these treaties.

 In the same manner, the Philippines has been a forerunner in passing environment and

natural resources (ENR) policies and legislation. Through the years, the government has issued a

number of laws and created institutions to manage, protect, and preserve the country’s

environment and natural resources.

The direction of ENR management in the country has been set by the 1987 Philippine

Constitution, which expressly recognized the right of people “to a balanced and healthful

ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature” (Article II, section 16). It was to be

responsible for environmental protection, economic development and poverty alleviation, and the

promotion of social justice and equity.

As early as the 1970s, and even before the concept became internationally recognized,

sustainable development was already institutionalized in the Philippines as a policy. This can be

gathered from the Presidential Decree No. 1151 (1977), otherwise known as the Philippine

Environmental Policy (PEP), which encouraged the widest exploitation of natural resources,

subject to the condition that it shall not degrade the same or endanger human life, health, and

safety and shall not create conditions adverse to agriculture, commerce, and industry.

The following figure presents the history and summary of all the laws and legal bases of the

environmental protection.
 Major Legal Instruments in the ENR Sector
Natural Resources Laws
• Revised Forestry Code (Presidential Decree 705)
• Exploration, Exploitation, Utilization and Conservation of Corals (Presidential Decree
1219)
Figure 1: Laws
• Water Code and Policies forDecree
(Presidential Environment
1067) in the Philippines
• People’s Small-Scale Mining Act (Republic Act 7076)
• National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS)
has beenActplacing
(Republic Act importance
7586)
Evidently, the Philippine government great to the
• Philippine Mining Act (Republic Act 7942)
• Agriculture
environment. ButandasFisheries Modernization
the population Act (Republic
grew rapidly, Act 8345)
however, followed by urbanization and
• Philippine Fisheries Code (Republic Act 8550)
• Wildlife Resources
industrialization, it put Conservation and on
serious pressure Protection Act (Republic
the country’s natural Act 9147) and gave rise to
resources
• Management and Protection of Caves and Cave Resources (Republic Act 9072)
Environmental
pollution problems Laws
and its attendant woes (such as environmental health concerns), it became
• Code on Sanitation of the Philippines (Presidential Decree 856)
• Marine
obvious that Pollution
there wasDecree
a need(Presidential Decree
to address the 979) In response, the government came up a
problem.
• Philippine Environmental Code (Presidential Decree 1152)
• Philippine
succession Environmental
of laws Impact
that have been Statement
hailed Systemlegislation,
as landmark (Presidential Decree 1586)
including the Clean Air Act
• Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act (Republic Act 6969)
• Clean
(1999), the Air Act (Republic
Ecological Act 8749)
Solid Waste Management Act (2000), and the Clean Water Act (2004).
• Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (Republic Act 9003)
• Clean Water Act (Republic Act 9275)
These policies are managed nationally and locally as the Philippine government has two

levels of governance. The higher level is the national government (NG), operating through more

than 20 executive departments and specialized agencies. The other level is the local government,

which has been empowered to implement devolved functions provided for under the Local

Government Code (LGC) of 1991 or Republic Act 7160 (World Bank and ADB 2007). But for

most of the responsibilities, the country’s lead environment agency is the Department of

Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), created in 1987 by Executive Order (EO) No. 192,

which consolidated several government agencies performing ENR functions.

According to the Philippine government mandate, the DENR is primarily responsible for

the conservation, management, development, and proper use of the country’s environment and

natural resources, specifically forest and grazing lands, mineral resources, and lands of the public

domain, as well as the licensing and regulation of all-natural resources. Its powers and functions

are prescribed by EO 192 and basically revolve around the following major final outputs:

development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of ENR policies and plans;

development, protection, conservation, and enhancement of ecosystems and natural resources

and rehabilitation of degraded ones; and development, implementation, monitoring, and

enforcement of ENR standards and regulations (World Bank and ADB 2007).

Other than these agencies, there has been a number of private organizations, non-

government organizations and individuals who spearheaded advocacies and programs in relation

to environmental protection, reservation and restoration.

However, despite the myriad of laws in the Philippines, the Asian Development Bank

(ADB) in their study in 2008 found out that the ENR and the policies implemented has failed and

was seen to be ineffective. Accordingly, the reasons cited for ineffective environmental

management in the last decade are: the lack of explicit environmental objectives/programs,

inadequate leadership, and weak enforcement of policies and laws; inadequate financial and

human capital, unclear distinction between responsibilities, and conflicts of interest among ENR

agencies and local governments; the absence of land use planning and zoning and unclear

property rights; and the lack of routine environmental monitoring and poor use and

dissemination of environmental information (World Bank 2004).

The following figure presents the findings and results of the study conducted in the

Philippines. It shows the problems faced by the Philippines as well as the causes. And while the

study was conducted in the early 2000s, experts believe that it has worsened over the years, with

more animals getting extinct, with more rivers polluted, and population ballooning to over a 100

million.
 The foremost reason that poses the serious threat to our environment is the harmful gases

present in the air. In the past decade, the uncontrolled use of automobiles has increased multifold

which in turn emits harmful gases like Carbon monoxide. The electronic appliances of our daily

use like air conditioners and refrigerators also contaminate air by the discharge of harmful

substances. The diverse effect of these gases leads to air pollution and global warming.

Furthermore, modernization, urbanization, and industrialization remain the cause of the

rise in the overall temperature on the earth’s surface. Industries and vehicles emit a lot of

harmful gases which leads to the pollution of air as well as increases the heat. Burning fossil
fuels is the primary reason for global warming. Coal and gas are used to generate electricity

which results in the emission of carbon dioxide in the air. 

Deforestation is another major cause. The human population is increasing at a fast rate

and to meet their daily consumption forests and trees are being cut down. Be it for home or fuel,

the man is causing great loss to the environment. Other known causes are the depletion of natural

resources like water, fuel, and food. The over-consumption of resources by the humans and

improper waste disposal have resulted in increasing volumes of solid and hazardous wastes that

pose major threats to the environments.

The human pressure on forests has significantly increased in recent decades. The need for

agricultural land, increased demand for fuel and commercial wood, more and more dam

construction, large-scale ranching and mining along with growing industrialization and

urbanization have ruthlessly exploited the forests and have in turn created chaotic conditions and

severe environmental imbalances.

Another environmental concern today is the extinction of several species or loss of

biodiversity. It is a much-debated issue among the environmentalists at international level. Many

species are disappearing rapidly. According to an estimate, 20 to 75 species are becoming extinct

each day because of deforestation. This loss of biodiversity is mainly due to the degeneration of

life support system. Other causes of loss of biological diversity are habitat loss, overexploitation

and use of chemicals.

Moreover, many species of animals and plants are disappearing rapidly because of their

high consumption or destruction. All the species are the integral part of ecosystem and
extinctions of some species threatens the balance of ecosystem, and also diminishes the well-

being of the remaining species, including human beings.

Finally, industrial wastes, pesticides and herbicides use over the years have been

uncontrolled to a point that many rivers, water repositories and water sources have either been

overexploited, polluted or contaminated. It was no secret that our waste disposal has been a total

failure and most just ended in the rivers, seas and oceans affecting not only our water but also

our animals.

However, with the corona-virus pandemic hitting many countries worldwide and with

lockdown measures implemented by such countries, numerous reports on improved air quality,

reduced carbon dioxide in the ozone layer, clearer atmosphere, etc. This phenomenon proves that

human activities are the greatest source of pollutants.

In a banner story “Beyond Lockdown: can the Philippines sustain low air-pollution

levels?’, the writer enumerated the positive effects brought by the community lockdown.

However, the atmospheric physicist, Mr. Bagtasa said that people should not rejoice because of

the temporary lowering of air pollution around the world. He added that we essentially did

nothing to reduce the pollution and it’s just an unintended consequence of a totally different

problem [COVID-19].

He also reminded the people that when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions, once

emitted it stays there for a century. “In the grand scheme of things, these few months of reduced

emission, it still won’t have any contribution on the mitigation of climate change”. Other

environmental experts are hopeful that this condition will help people realize the importance of
air quality in the Philippines and remember that the state of air quality will go back to after the

lockdown is lifted unless changes are made at the national and local levels.

Additionally, these experts believe that it is still possible to turn the situation around over

the long-term, but it will require a lot of investment on the part of the government. Moreover,

they are encouraging local governments to take this chance to rally people to change their ways,

and be more mindful of their actions in relation to environmental causes.

In summary, all environmental problems actually trace its roots mainly due to human

activities which caused the planet to reach unsustainable levels. Having said that, it is also right

to say that the duty and responsibility to lower the loss that has been already done to nature is

also the responsibility of the humans and that every individual could actually play a significant

role to combat such problem in their own simple ways.

For example, an individual can cut his use of plastic by using eco-friendly substitutes

such as papers and clothes. Or it can be as simple as switching off lights and electrical appliances

when not in use, using solar energy to heat water, switching to electric cars, growing plants, and

many others more.

On a larger scale, the government of every country should implement strict laws for

industries that inhibit the release of the toxic wastes and proper waste management. The

awareness programs should be organized to encouraging citizens to use more of public transport

and plant trees in their neighborhood. The less use of private vehicles will substantially reduce

the emission of fossil fuels thereby playing a vital role in addressing this issue.
II. OBJECTIVES

This case study aims to discuss the environmental problems and concerns faced in

barangay _______. Specifically, it seeks to:

a) Identify the environmental problems present in the community

b) Recommend mitigating measures to the identified problem.

III. DISCUSSIONS/ FINDINGS

To be fair, the community has been covid-free since the beginning. It can also be said that the

normal life in the community has been the same and was not greatly affected at all. People are

still gathering at harvests, planting, and agricultural activities. While it’s true that they are

confined in the community, the normal daily routines are still on-going. Mass gathering like

fiesta, and church masses were temporarily suspended for a short time, but the community

decided that they are totally safe as long as no one gets in and out of the barangay, especially

people from infected areas. Returning locals were strictly monitored and quarantined before

entering the place and since it is a remote place with just one passage, it was easy to manage.

Having said that there were no drastic changes, life went on like normal and people went on

with their normal activities and lives. The following outlines the observed environmental

concerns at _________________ amidst the pandemic.

1. Loss of natural habitat (wild animals) and land degradation

It is a common phrase to hear from returnees that “ang daming nagbago” “wala ng

masyadong wild animals”. In previous years, the community was known to have wild

animals like wild pigs (makawa), wild deer (ulha), wild chickens (), wild monkeys
 (amunin) and many others. The community once boasted for her virgin forest, abundant

and clean water source, thriving flora and fauna and many others. However, as the

community started growing, the people’s need for shelter, food and other necessities led

to conversion of forests (muyung) to agricultural and commercial purposes.

Consequently, this growing population led to destructive resource exploitation, which

accumulated and worsened to more environmental concerns.

2. Virgin Forest / Natural Spaces Exploitation

Some locals, especially the elders, believe that the unnecessary need for tourism

promotion led to the discovery and exploitation of hidden waterfalls,

development/destruction of natural habitat of birds, wild animals, trees and flowers. Even

the construction of cemented pathways to the “hidden spots” have disturbed the natural

condition of the place. True enough, while the community welcomed visitors, garbages

started to accumulate and trails have started to get wider. Trees were cut to improve/build

roads, mountains were terraced to give way to the construction and more people were

attracted to settle on the place. Such consequently depleted the meager resource of the

community.

3. Illegal Logging

As mentioned above, certain incidences led to another then another. It was the same case

with the deforestation and illegal logging issue. In older years, the mountains stood tall

and proud with dazzling and sturdy trees. Back then, the locals had an unwritten

agreement that trees can only be cut down for purposes of building a house, woodcarving

and firewood consumption. However, as the generation changed, the agreement was

forgotten and forsaken. The anti-illegal logging didn’t even stop them. A local also
 commented that perhaps it helped worsen that the responsibility of taking care of the

forest was shifted to the national government instead of the locals being empowered to

take care of their own.

IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

In summary, the Philippines has very comprehensive laws and policies but suffers from

weak implementation because of inadequate capacity, poor planning and financial constraints

both at the national and local levels, poor prioritization, low accountability, and corruption and a

business-as-usual attitude despite shifting priorities and pressing environmental problems. A

shift in strategy toward more resource mobilization and transfer, better prioritization, and

retooling of human resources is urgently needed.

This pandemic has shown people that having clean air, clean environment and less

pollution are possible. Reports of the ozone layer improving has made people happy and hopeful

but experts warn that drastic changes and mitigating measures should be done to finally make it

happen.

While it is true that the national government are shifting to urbanization and

modernization for economic and trend purposes, environmental measures should be carefully

planned so as not to salvage the environment and natural resources. In addition, indigenous

conservation practices must be recognized at the national level for indigenous groups. The best

guardian if there is, will always be the locals when empowered to own and take care of their

community.
V. RECOMMENDATIONS

In light of the findings, the following are recommended:

1. Careful planning, priority setting and alignment

We are all very aware that the local government, especially at the barangay level has a

very limited budget. It is therefore suggested that the local officials carefully plan and

align their priorities and financial needs. In case of barangay ________, the local

officials should improve and carefully draft a sustainable tourism plan, to manage

economic growth while protecting its forests, rivers and other natural resources.

2. Capacity building, retooling and skills training for local officials

In attempt to provide better and quality service, the local officials should undergo

capacity building and skills training to bridge gaps of inefficiency and ineffectivity due to

lack of knowledge (Abuyuan 2008).

3. Improving Access to Information

Locals are the best partners for any environmental campaigns and programs. Involving,

informing and working with them will definitely empower them to participate in

whatever program there is.

4. Outsourcing

With limited resources, the barangay can reach out to outside partners, non-

government organizations, private individuals and forge partnerships to the private sectors.

Other activities where the participation of the business sector can either be tapped or
 expanded include ecotourism development, sustainable agriculture, sustainable forestry, and

the development of renewable energy.

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