Basic Principles of Ecology & Philippine Environmental Laws

Definition of Terms

● Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their physical and
biotic environment

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● Population is a group of organisms belonging to the same species that live in the

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same area and interact with one another.
● Community includes all the populations of the area. The community and the abiotic

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factors make up the ecosystem. An organism lives in its habitat within a community
● CARBON CYCLE - series of processes by which carbon compounds are

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interconverted in the environment, involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into

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living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the

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decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.
● Drift-net fishing - technique used for collecting bottom-dwelling marine organisms

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(e.g., shellfish) or harvesting coral, often causing significant destruction of reef and

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ocean-floor ecosystems.
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● Pollution the contamination of a healthy environment by man-made waste.
● Soil Erosion is the removal of the most fertile top layer of soil through water, wind and
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tillage.
● Poaching - illegal killing of animals or fish, a great concern with respect to endangered
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or threatened species.
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● Abiotic component is a non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment. In

a terrestrial ecosystem, examples might include temperature, light, and water. In a
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marine ecosystem, abiotic factors would include salinity and ocean currents.
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● Biotic components are all the living things in an ecosystem. They are the animals, the
plants and the microorganisms. Biotic components also include the waste from living
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things and dead organisms

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● Transpiration - process wherein plants release water from their leaves, which then
evaporates; involves loss of water vapour through the stomata of plants. The loss of
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water vapour from the plant cools the plant down when the weather is very hot, and
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water from the stem and roots moves upwards or is 'pulled' into the leaves.
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● Soil erosion - removal of soil by the action of water or wind, compounded by poor
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agricultural practices, deforestation, overgrazing, and desertification

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● Soil degradation is the physical, chemical and biological decline in soil quality. It can
be the loss of organic matter.
PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

● The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, RA 8749

● The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, RA 9003
● The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, RA 9275

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The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, RA 8749

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Most problematic of the three sources of pollution :

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● Water

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● Air

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● Solid Waste

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SEC. 5. Definitions.- As used in this Act:

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“Air pollutant” means any matter found in the atmosphere other than oxygen, nitrogen,
water vapor, carbon dioxide, and the inert gases in their natural or normal concentrations, that
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is detrimental to health or the environment, which includes, but not limited to
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● smoke,
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● dust,
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● soot,
● cinders,
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● fly ash,
● solid particles of any kind,
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● gases, fumes, chemical mists, steam and radioactive substances;

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“Air pollution” means any alteration of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the
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atmospheric air, or any discharge thereto of any liquid, gaseous or solid substances that will
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or is likely to create or to render the air resources of the country harmful, detrimental, or
injurious to public health, safety or welfare or which will adversely affect their utilization for
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domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or other legitimate purposes;

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“Ambient air quality” means the general amount of pollution present in a broad area; and
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refers to the atmosphere’s average purity as distinguished from discharge measurements

taken at the source of pollution;
“Certificate of Conformity” means a certificate issued by the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources to a vehicle manufacturer / assembler or importer certifying that a
particular new vehicle or vehicle type meets the requirements provided under this Act and its
rules and regulations;

“Eco-profile” means the geographic-based instrument for planners and decision makers

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which present an evaluation of the environment quality and carrying capacity of an area. It is

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the result of the integration of primary data and information on natural resources and
antropogenic activities on the land which were evaluated by various environmental risk

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assessment and forecasting methodologies that enable the Department to anticipate the type
of development control necessary in the planning area.

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“Emission” means any air contaminant, pollutant, gas stream or unwanted sound from a
known source which is passed into the atmosphere;

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“Greenhouse gases” means those gases that can potentially or can reasonably be expected

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to induce global warming, which include carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen,
chloroflourocarbons, and the like; &
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“Hazardous substances” means those substances which present either:
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(1) short-term acute hazards such as acute toxicity by ingestion, inhalation, or skin
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absorption, corrosivity or other skin or eye contact hazard or the risk of fire explosion; or
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(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
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biodegradation, the potential to pollute underground or surface waters;

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“Infectious waste” means that portion of medical waste that could transmit an infectious
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disease;
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“Medical waste” means the materials generated as a result of patient diagnosis, treatment,
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or immunization of human beings or animals;

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SEC. 20. Ban on Incineration.- Incineration, hereby defined as the burning of municipal,
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biomedical and hazardous waste, which process emits poisonous and toxic fumes is hereby
prohibited; Provided, however, That the prohibition shall not apply to traditional small-scale
method of community/neighborhood sanitation
“siga”,
traditional,
agricultural,
cultural,
health, and food preparation and
crematoria;

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Provided, further, That existing incinerators dealing with a biomedical wastes shall be out
within three (3) years after the effectivity of this Act; Provided, finally, that in the interim, such

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units shall be limited to the burning of pathological and infectious wastes, and subject to close
monitoring by the Department. Local government units are hereby mandated to promote,

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encourage and implement in their respective jurisdiction a comprehensive ecological waste

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management that includes

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1. waste segregation,

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2. recycling and

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3. composting.
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With due concern on the effects of climate change, the Department shall promote the use of
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state-of the-art, environmentally-sound and safe non-burn technologies for the handling,
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treatment, thermal destruction, utilization, and disposal of sorted, unrecycled, uncomposted,

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biomedical and hazardous wastes. [ Although the small-scale method of

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community/neighborhood sanitation “siga” is exempted, it is counter to the provisions of the

Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, Sec. 48(3) RA 9003, which prohibits the
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open burning of solid waste.]

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The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, RA 9003

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Hierarchy of Values in Solid Waste Management

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1. Solid waste avoidance and volume reduction

a. Composting
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b. Recycling
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c. Re-use
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d. Recovery
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2. Collection
3. Treatment
4. Disposal
DEFINITION OF TERMS

Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - For the purposes of this Act:

a) Agricultural waste shall refer to waste generated from planting or harvesting of crops,
trimming or pruning of plants and wastes or run-off materials from farms or fields;

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b) Bulky waste shall refer to waste materials which cannot be appropriately placed in
separate containers because of either its bulky size, shape or other physical attributes. These

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include large worn-out or broken household, commercial, and industrial items such as
furniture, lamps, bookcases, filing cabinets, and other similar items;

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c) Composting shall refer to the controlled decomposition of organic matter by
microorganisms, mainly bacteria and fungi, into a humus-like product

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d) Controlled dump shall refer to a disposal site at which solid waste is deposited in

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accordance with the minimum prescribed standards of site operation;
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e) Ecological solid waste management shall refer to the systematic administration of
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activities which provide for segregation at source, segregated transportation, storage,
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transfer, processing, treatment, and disposal of solid waste and all other waste management
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activities which do not harm the environment;

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f) Leachate shall refer to the liquid produced when waste undergo decomposition, and
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when water percolate through solid waste undergoing decomposition. It is contaminated liquid
that contains dissolved and suspended materials;
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g) Materials recovery facility - includes a solid waste transfer station or sorting station,
drop-off center, a composting facility, and a recycling facility;
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h) Recyclable material shall refer to any waste material retrieved from the waste stream and
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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
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scrap metal, used oil, corrugated cardboard, aluminum, glass, office paper, tin cans and other
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materials as may be determined by the Commission;

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i) Recycling shall refer to the treating of used or waste materials through a process of making
them suitable for beneficial use and for other purposes, and includes any process by which
solid waste materials are transformed into new products in such a manner that the original
product may lose their identity, and which maybe used as raw materials for the production of
other goods or services: Provided, That the collection, segregation and re-use of previously
used packaging material shall be deemed recycling
j) Sanitary landfill shall refer to a waste disposal site designed, constructed, operated and
maintained in a manner that exerts engineering control over significant potential environment
impacts arising from the development and operation of the facility;

k) Segregation shall refer to a solid waste management practice of separating different

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materials found in solid waste in order to promote recycling and re-use of resources and to

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reduce the volume of waste for collection and disposal;

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l) 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

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re-use of resources and to reduce the volume of waste for collection and disposal;

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m) Solid waste shall refer to all

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• discarded household,

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• commercial waste,
• non-hazardous institutional and industrial waste,&
• street sweepings,
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• construction debris,
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• agricultural waste, and

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• other non-hazardous/non-toxic solid waste

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Unless specifically noted otherwise, the term “solid waste” as used in this Act shall
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not include:
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(1) Waste identified or listed as hazardous waste of a solid, liquid, contained gaseous or
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semisolid form which may cause or contribute to an increase in mortality or in serious or

incapacitating reversible illness, or acute/chronic effect on the health of persons and other
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organisms;
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(2) Infectious waste from hospitals such as equipment, instruments, utensils, and fomites of
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a disposable nature from patients who are suspected to have or have been diagnosed as
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having communicable diseases and must therefore be isolated as required by public health
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agencies, laboratory wastes such as pathological specimens (i.e. all tissues, specimens of
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blood elements, excreta, and secretions obtained from patients or laboratory animals) and
disposable fomites that may harbor or transmit pathogenic organisms, and surgical operating
room pathologic materials from outpatient areas and emergency rooms; and

(3) Waste resulting from mining activities, including contaminated soil and debris.
n. Solid waste management 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, economics,
engineering, conservation, aesthetics, and other environmental considerations, and that is
also responsive to public attitudes;

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Solid waste management facility shall refer to any resource recovery system or component

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thereof; any system, program, or facility for resource conservation; any facility for the
collection, source separation, storage, transportation, transfer, processing, treatment, or

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disposal of solid waste;

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Transfer stations shall refer to those facilities utilized to receive solid wastes, temporarily

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store, separate, convert, or otherwise process the materials in the solid wastes, or to transfer
the solid wastes directly from smaller to larger vehicles for transport. This term does not

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include any of the following:

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● a facility whose principal function is to receive, store, separate, convert or otherwise
process in accordance with national minimum standards, manure;
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● a facility, whose principal function is to receive, store, convert, or otherwise process
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wastes which have already been separated for re-use and are intended for disposals,
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and
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● the operations premises of a duly licensed solid waste handling operator who is
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receives, stores, transfers, or otherwise processes wastes as an activity incidental to

the conduct of a refuse collection and disposal business.
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Yard waste shall refer to wood, small or chipped branches, leaves, grass clippings, garden
debris, vegetable residue that is recognized as part of a plant or vegetable and other
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materials identified by the Commission.

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SEGREGATION OF WASTE
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Sec. 22. Requirements for the Segregation and Storage of Solid Waste. - The following
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shall be the minimum standards and requirements for segregation and storage of solid waste
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pending collection:

a) There shall be a separate container for each type of waste from all sources: Provided, That
in the case of bulky waste, it will suffice that the same be collected and placed in a separate
designated area; and
b) The solid waste container depending on its use shall be properly marked or identified for
on-site collection as

● “compostable”,
● “non-recyclable”,

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● “recyclable” or

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● “special waste”, or
● any other classification as may be determined by the Commission.

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Color Coding Scheme for Garbage Containers

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COLOR TYPE OF WASTE

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Black Non-biodegradable general waste

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Green Biodegradable general waste

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Red Hazardous waste
Yellow Pathological waste &
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Sec. 37. Prohibition Against the Use of Open Dumps for Solid Waste. – No open dumps
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shall be established and operated, nor any practice or disposal of solid waste by any person,
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including LGUs, which constitutes the use of open dumps for solid wastes, be allowed after
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the effectivity of this Acts: Provided, That within three (3) years after the effectivity of this Act,
every LGU shall convert its open dumps into controlled dumps, in accordance with the
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guidelines set in Sec. 41 of this Act: Provided, further, That no controlled dumps shall be
allowed five (5) years following the effectivity of this Act.
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Serious environmental hazards of open and controlled dump sites

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• Leakage
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• Contamination
• Release of harmful substances
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Sec. 40. Criteria for Siting a Sanitary Landfill. – The following shall be the minimum criteria
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for the siting of sanitary landfills:

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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 (5) years during which people must internalize the value of environmentally sound and
sustainable solid waste disposal;

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g) The site chosen should facilitate developing a landfill that will satisfy budgetary constraints,

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including site development, operation for many years, closure, post-closure care and possible
remediation costs;

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h) Operating plans must include provisions for coordinating with recycling and resource
recovery projects; and

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i) Designation of a separate containment area for household hazardous wastes.

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Sec. 48. Prohibited Acts. - The following acts are prohibited:

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• Littering, throwing, dumping of waste matters in public places, such as roads, sidewalks,

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canals, esteros or parks, and establishment, or causing or permitting the same;
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• Undertaking activities or operating, collecting or transporting equipment in violation of
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sanitation operation and other requirements or permits set forth in established pursuant;
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• The open burning of solid waste;

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The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, RA 9275

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Major river basins : 18

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Principal rivers : 421

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Natural lakes : 79
Coastline : 17,460 kilometers
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Source : National Water Quality Status Report 2011-2005

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Major sources of water pollution

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• Domestic wastes:33%
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• Livestock :29%
• Industrial sources :27%
• Non-point sources :11%
DEFINITION OF TERMS

SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:

a) Aquifer - means a layer of water-bearing rock located underground that transmits water in
sufficient quantity to supply pumping wells or natural springs.

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b) Aquatic life - means all organisms living in freshwater, brackish and marine environment.

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Contamination - means the production of substances not found in the natural composition of
water that make the water less desirable or unfit desirable or unfit for intended use.

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Discharge includes, but is not limited to, the act of spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring,
emitting, emptying, releasing or dumping of any material into a water body or onto land from

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which it might flow or drain into said water.

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Drinking water- means water intended for human consumption or for use in food preparation.
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Effluent - means discharge from known sources which is passed into a body of water or land,
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or wastewater flowing out of a manufacturing plant, industrial plant including domestic,
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commercial and recreational facilities.

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Freshwater - means water containing less than 500 ppm dissolved common salt, sodium
chloride, such as that in groundwater, rivers, ponds and lakes.
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Groundwater - means a subsurface water that occurs beneath a water table in soils and
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rocks, or in geological formations.

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Hazardous waste - means any waste or combination of wastes of solid liquid, contained
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gaseous, or semi-solid form which cause, of contribute to, an increase in mortality or an

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increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible illness, taking into account toxicity
of such waste, its persistence and degradability in nature, its potential for accumulation or
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concentration in tissue, and other factors that may otherwise cause or contribute to adverse
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acute or chronic effects on the health of persons or organism.

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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 receiving water body to affect or tend to affect
adversely any beneficial use thereof;’

ii. is hazardous or potential hazardous to health;

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iii. imparts objectionable odor, temperature change, or physical, chemical or biological change

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to any segment of the water body; or

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iv. is in excess of the allowable limits, concentrations, or quality standards specified, or in
contravention of the condition, limitation or restriction prescribed in this Act.

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Septage - means the sludge produced on individual onsite wastewater disposal systems,
principally septic tanks and cesspools.

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g) Sewage - means water-borne human or animal wastes, excluding oil or oil wastes,

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removed from residences, building, institutions, industrial and commercial establishments
together with such groundwater, surface water and storm water as maybe present including
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such waste from vessels, offshore structures, other receptacles intended to receive or retain
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waste or other places or the combination thereof.
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Sludge - means any

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• solid,
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• semi-solid or
• liquid waste or
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• residue generated from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or water
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control pollution facility, or any other such waste having similar characteristics and effects.
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Surface water - means all water, which is open to the atmosphere and subject to surface
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runoff.
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Wastewater - means waste in liquid state containing pollutants.

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Treatment - means any method, technique, or process designed to alter the physical,
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chemical or biological and radiological character or composition of any waste or wastewater

to reduce or prevent pollution.

Toxic amount - means the lowest amount of concentration of toxic pollutants, which may
cause chronic or long term acute or lethal conditions or effects to the aquatic life, or health of
persons or which may adversely affect designated water uses.
Waste - means any material either solid, liquid, semisolid, contained gas or other forms
resulting industrial, commercial, mining or agricultural operations, or from community and
household activities that is devoid of usage and discarded.

Wastewater - means waste in liquid state containing pollutants.

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Water body - means both natural and man-made bodies of fresh, brackish, and saline
waters, and includes, but is not limited to, aquifers, groundwater, springs, creeks, streams,

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rivers, ponds, lagoons, water reservoirs, lakes, bays, estuarine, coastal and marine waters.
Water bodies do not refer to those constructed, developed and used purposely as water

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treatment facilities and / or water storage for recycling and re-use which are integral to

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process industry or manufacturing.

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Water Pollution - means any alteration of the physical, chemical, biological, or radiological

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properties of a water body resulting in the impairment of its purity or quality.

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Water Quality - means the characteristics of water, which define its use in characteristics by
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terms of physical, chemical, biological, bacteriological or radiological characteristics by which
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the acceptability of water is evaluated.
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