Philippine Environment Laws
as enlisted and summarized by your
preferred environmental consultancy &
engineering firm in the Philippines
GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS &
POLICIES
Philippine Environmental Policy
Presidential Decree No. 1151 (06 June
1977): In the pursuit of advancing both the
productive and harmonious relationship of
nature and the Filipino people of today and
the future, the Philippine Environmental
Policy mandates an intensive and integrated
national environmental protection program
mainly by requiring environmental impact
assessments and statements.
Philippine Environmental Impact
Statement System
Presidential Decree No. 1586 (11 June
1978): This policy established the Philippine
Environmental Impact Statement System
(PEISS) as the framework for all
environmental impact assessment activities
nationwide. In consonance with the Philippine
Environmental Policy (PD 1151), the PEISS
includes the classification of every
development project as either
environmentally critical or environmentally
non-critical. All projects that can potentially
cause any form of significant impact to the
environment are regarded as environmentally
critical and are therefore required to secure
an Environmental Compliance Certificate
(ECC).
Strategic Environmental Plan for Palawan
Act of 1992
Republic Act No. 7611: The Strategic
Environmental Plan (SEP) is “a
comprehensive framework for the sustainable
development of Palawan.” All projects of
government agencies, from planning to
implementation, in the province should be
coordinated and aligned to this framework.
The main strategy here is to establish an
“Environmentally Critical Areas Network” or
ECAN which is a graded system of protective
control over all terrestrial and marine natural
resources, as well as the tribal ancestral
lands in Palawan. The Palawan Council for
Sustainable Development (PCSD) was
created pursuant to this policy.
Climate Change Act of 2009
Republic Act No. 9729: In light of the climate
vulnerability of the Philippines and its people,
the Climate Change Act of 2009 integrates
climate change adaptation and mitigation
strategies into policy formulation and
development activities of all government
agencies. It also created the Climate Change
Commission, chaired by the President of the
Republic of the Philippines, as the central
entity for all climate change-related plans and
programs in the country.
Writ of Kalikasan
Rules of Procedure for Environmental
Cases (A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC, 29 April 2010):
The Writ of Kalikasan (A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC
Rule 7) is one of the two (2) special civil
actions that any person or entity can avail of
whenever their constitutional right to a
balanced and healthy environment is violated
or threatened. The other civil action that can
be availed of is the Writ for Continuing
Mandamus (A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC Rule 8)
which applies when a government agency or
officer violates an environmental policy.
Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Act of 2010
Republic Act No. 10121: Making the then
National Disaster Coordinating Council
(NDCC) into what we know today as
the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council (NDRRMC) to serve as
the lead agency for disaster-related programs
in the Philippines such as but not limited to
the development of the comprehensive
guides for DRR efforts nationwide (referred to
as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Framework [NDRRMF] and
National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Plan [NDRRMP]).
Here is the NDRRMP for 2011 to 2028.
Pursuant to this Act, regional, provincial, city,
and municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management (DRRM) councils and barangay
DRRM committees were also created. Among
other provisions, RA 10121 also mandated
DRRM Education in secondary and tertiary
education as well as in the Sangguniang
Kabataan along with the Mandatory DRRM
training for public sector employees (Section
14).
ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND POLICIES
ON WASTE & POLLUTION
Philippine Sanitation Code
Presidential Decree No. 856 (23 December
1975): The Philippine Sanitation Code sets
sanitary standards for drinking water, food
and other business establishments, industrial
hygiene, schools, health services, markets,
slaughterhouses, transport vehicles,
terminals and other service stations, and
lodging areas and infrastructures among
many others. It regulates nuisances (anything
that injures health, endangers life, offends
senses, or produces discomfort to the
community), and activities concerning dead
persons, their funeral, and remains.
Importantly, it regulates other forms of
pollution not covered in the above-mentioned
places like that caused by certain
substances, radiation, noise, and biological
pollutants among others. It also sets the
requirements for the collection of sewage,
operation of sewerage works and sewage
treatment plants, construction of septic tanks,
and disposal of septic tank effluents (Chapter
XVII).
GreenDev has worked on a Sewage
Treatment Plant project with Boracay
Water and on the proposed Septage
Management System in Tagum River, Iloilo
City.
If you are looking for professionals to work
with on similar projects, we’ll be glad to
collaborate!
Schedule an Online Meeting
Marine Pollution Decree of 1976
Presidential Decree No. 979 (18 August
1976): Pursuant to this policy, dumping of
wastes and other hazardous matter into the
ocean and inland waters of the Philippines is
considered unlawful unless due to
unavoidable accidents or otherwise
prescribed by the National Pollution Control
Commission or the Philippine Coast Guard.
Water Code of the Philippines
Presidential Decree No. 1067 (31 December
1976): The Water Code of the Philippines
governs the ownership, allocation, utilization,
control, conservation, and the overall
administration of all waters and water
resources in the country through the National
Water Resources Board. Filipinos of legal
age and entities, including government
agencies, must acquire a water permit (the
written evidence of having a water right) in
order to be able to appropriate and use water.
Any activities affecting water resources shall
likewise acquire a permit first.
The water permit specifies among others the
(1) maximum amount and rate as well as the
schedule of water diversion or withdrawal,
(2) location of wells,
(3) place of use, and
(4) purpose/s of water use
The streambank easement zones of three (3)
meters for urban areas, twenty (20) meters
for agricultural areas, and forty (40) meters
for forest areas along the entire length of the
rivers and streams are also mandated under
Article 51 of this Code.
Toxic Substances and Hazardous and
Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990
Republic Act No. 6969: Importation,
manufacturing, processing, sale, distribution,
use, and disposal of substances that pose an
unreasonable risk and/or injury to the health
of the people and the environment are
prohibited under this Act. All chemicals being
presently imported, manufactured, or used in
the country are listed in an inventory with full
details and any new substances must
undergo pre-manufacturing or pre-importation
regulations. To get to know more about
hazardous waste management in the
Philippines, check out our definitive guide on
this topic here.
Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999
Republic Act No. 8749: One of the salient
features of this Act is the establishment of a
multi-sectoral Integrated Air Quality
Improvement Framework and Air Quality
Control Action Plan which will serve as the
primary guide for air pollution management
and control in the country. Adopting a multi-
sectoral or participatory approach (also called
“partnership approach to healthy air” or
“people-driven approach”) means that ideas
and comments should be gathered from all
stakeholders, and information is largely are likewise required to clean-up any pollution
disclosed to the public. Alongside many other they have caused at their own expense.
regulatory measures, all sources of air
pollutant emissions are also mandated by this
Act to secure a permit to operate apart from
the Environmental Compliance Certificate
(ECC). Importantly, this Act sets the emission
limits for various types of pollutants both
stationary and mobile, including smoking, fuel
and fuel additives, ozone-depleting
substances, greenhouse gases, and organic
pollutants among many others.
Ecological Solid Waste Management Act
of 2000
Republic Act No. 9003: Aimed at establishing
a nationwide ecological solid waste
management program, this Act provides for
the furtherance of proper segregation,
collection and transport, recycling, and
composting of wastes in the Philippines.
Article 6 of RA 9003 promulgates the
guidelines for a comprehensive waste
management strategy including but not
limited to: Prohibition of open dumps,
requiring a permit for solid waste
management facility construction and
expansion, Guidelines for controlled dumps,
and Criteria for siting, establishment, and
operations of sanitary landfills in the country.

We wrote about solid waste management

planning, requirements for solid waste
management operations and the different
guidelines for waste management facilities as
mandated by this Act in this complete guide.
Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004
Republic Act No. 9275: The Philippine Clean
Water Act of 2004 is the comprehensive
strategy for the protection and conservation
of the country’s water resources, both
freshwater and marine. This Act requires the
acquisition of water pollution permits through
the “Wastewater Charge System” which
ensures that there are no unauthorized,
undocumented, and unregulated discharges
in any water body in the Philippines. Project
and program proponents are also required to
establish an environmental guarantee fund
(EGF) in order to finance the preservation
and/or rehabilitation of the health of the
affected ecosystems, especially that of the
watersheds and aquifers among others. All
persons or organizations that cause pollution