Environmental Laws and Policies in the Philippines

If you are seeking to build an energy or commercial infrastructure in the Philippines that affects the local environment, it'll be best for you to check your compliance with these laws and regulations:

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]).

To access the rest of this list, visit:

#EnvironmentalLaws #EnvironmentalConsultants #EnvironmentalEngineers #SustainabilityConsultants #Compliance #SustainabilityMatters #SDGs