Philippine Environmental Legislation

Extracts and Links from Philippine Environmental Legislation Guiding FEED:

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1151 [PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY]

  • Section 3 – Right to a Healthy Environment. In furtherance of these goals and policies, the Government recognizes the right of the people to a healthy environment. It shall be the duty and responsibility of each individual to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the Philippine environment.

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1152  [PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENT CODE]  FORESTRY AND SOIL CONSERVATION

  • Section 30 – Management Policy For Forestry. The National Government, through the Department of Natural Resources shall undertake a system of rational exploitation forest resources and shall encourage citizen participation therein to keep the country’s forest resources at maximum productivity at all times.
  • Section 31 – Measures for Rational Exploitation of Forest Resources.

a.regulating the marketing of threatened forest resources;

b.reviewing all existing rules and regulations on the exploitation of forest resources with a view of formulating guidelines for the systematic and efficient enforcement thereof;

c.conserving threatened species of flora as well as increasing their rate of propagation; the banning of destructive modes of exploitation, kaingin making or shifting cultivation, indiscriminate harvesting of minor forest products, the recycling methods of waste materials;

d.carrying out a continuing effort on reforestation; timber stand improvement; forest protection; land classification; forest occupancy management; agri-silviculture; range management; agri-silvicultural/kaingin management; multiple use forest; timber management; and forest research.

  • Section 32 – Management Policy on Soil Conservation. The National Government, through the Department of Natural Resources and the Department Agriculture, shall likewise undertake a soil conservation program including therein the identification and protection of critical watershed areas, encouragement of scientific farming techniques, physical and biological means of soil conservation, and short-term and long-term researches and technology for effective soil conservation.

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 1153

REQUIRING THE PLANTING OF ONE TREE EVERY MONTH FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS BY EVERY CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES.

  • Section 2. In furtherance of said policy, every citizen of the Philippines at least ten (10) years of age, actually residing therein, unless physically disabled to do so, shall plant one tree every month for five (5) consecutive years.

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1219 (As amended by Presidential Decree No. 1698, 1980) [PROVIDING FOR THE EXPLORATION, EXPLOITATION, UTILIZATION AND CONSERVATION  OF CORAL RESOURCES]

  • Section 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to promote and regulate the exploration, exploitation, utilization and conservation of coral resources, whether existing beneath territorial waters or in the marine economic zone of the Philippines, and to ensure the protection of these resources as provided for under other existing laws.

DO 57, S. 1996 – THE REVITALIZED TREE PLANTING AND GREENING PROGRAM IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES  [DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION]

  • Scope of Coverage. The Revitalized Treeplanting and Greening program shall cover all elementary school pupils from Grade I to VI and high school students enrolled in the public and private schools nationwide, beginning School Year 1996-1997. The graduating student shall have planted ten (10) trees this year to qualify for graduation.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10068 (known as the “Organic Agriculture Act of 2010”)

ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

  • To promote, propagate, develop further and implement the practice of organic agriculture in the Philippines that will cumulatively condition and enrich the fertility of the soil, increase farm productivity, reduce pollution and destruction of the environment, prevent the depletion of natural resources, further protect the health of farmers, consumers, and the general public, and save on imported farm inputs. Towards this end, a comprehensive program for the promotion of community-based organic agriculture systems which include, among others, farmer-produced purely organic fertilizers such as compost, pesticides and other farm inputs, together with a nationwide educational and promotional campaign for their use and processing as well as adoption of organic agriculture system as a viable alternative shall be undertaken.
  • The State recognizes and supports the central role of the farmers, indigenous people and other stakeholders at the grassroots in this program.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10816 (known as the “Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016”)

ACT PROVIDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF FARM TOURISM IN THE PHILIPPINES

  • The State recognizes the importance of agriculture in making available food and other products necessary to sustain and enhance human life, and in providing livelihood to a major portion of the population.The State further recognizes that tourism, coupled with agriculture extension services, can disseminate the value of agriculture in the economic and cultural development of the country, serve as a catalyst for the development of agriculture and fishery communities, and provide additional income for farmers, farmworkers, and fisherfolk.The State shall also seek to promote environment-friendly, efficient and sustainable farm practices; provide alternative recreation facilities and farm tourism activities for families, students and other clientele; and promote health and wellness with high-quality farm-produced food.To maximize the benefits that can be derived from agriculture and tourism combined, it is therefore the declared policy of the State to provide the policy and enabling environment for the encouragement, development and promotion of farm tourism in the country.

REFERENCES:

1. PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 705, s. 1975

2. PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 953

3. PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENT LAWS

Tarp Fujitsu

Tree Planting & Environmental Awareness Program, FTSPI

(c) FEED, Inc.