Environmental Destruction, Effects of

Climate Change to Worsen in

Philippines
 Anne Marxze Umil  January 6, 2011  5 Comments  2010 yearender

By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL

Bulatlat.com

MANILA – The year 2010 should have been an opportunity for the new administration to implement
fundamental reforms to protect the environment and national patrimony, especially since during the
former administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the state of the environment of the country has
gone from bad to worse.

Environmental groups called on President Benigno S. Aquino III to repeal all the environmentally
destructive laws, policies, and acts that were passed and implemented during the Arroyo
administration such as the Mining Act of 1995, and the approved contracts and environment
compliance certificate (ECC) of controversial projects such as the Rapu-rapu polymetallic mining
project. It also urged the new administration to investigate and prosecute the environmental
crimes committed by the previous administration.
But none of the said challenges were taken into consideration by the current administration. The
Aquino government is even enticing foreign investors to build more coal-fired power plants in the
country. Coal is identified as the single major source of carbon emission and air pollution in the world.
Its effects would greatly affect the health of people living within the perimeter of the coal-fired power
plant.
The policy of the Aquino government on mining remains the same, according to Kalikasan People’s
Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE). The group criticized Aquino for appointing Ramon
Paje, who they branded a mining bureaucrat, as secretary of the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR). Paje is a former executive director of the Mining Development Council
(MDC) and presidential adviser on mining. These positions made him one of the top architects of the
liberalization of the mining industry under the previous Arroyo administration.

The mining liberalization continues to worsen the landlessness of poor and indigenous peoples in the
country. Data from Kalikasan-PNE show that in the first half of 2010, the total area covered by mining
concession is more than a million hectares, covering three percent of the total land area of the
country. Kalikasan-PNE finds it alarming that there are thousands of mining applications that are
being processed by the government, with 2,827 applications as of the third quarter of 2010.

Climate Change
While the Aquino administration seems determined to pursue the policy of attracting more foreign
investments in extractive industries such as mining, it pays lip service to mitigating the effects of
climate change.

The effects of climate change manifest not only in the environment’s degradation. Global warming
also affects energy, agriculture, health, water and marine resources, said Dr. Teresita R. Perez,
director of the Ateneo De Manila University’s Department of Environmental Sciences.

Perez said, in a conference on climate change, the downstream effects of climate change would make
an already bad situation worse. Extreme changes in the weather and the rise of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere would reduce the harvests of farmers, cause habitat degradation and species loss,
epidemics and diseases, kill corals, and disrupt carbonate chemistry making shell and bone formation
difficult.

These effects are aggravated by the environmental crisis brought about by large scale plunder of the
environment. In an interview with bulatlat.com, Dr. Giovanni Tapang, chairman of Agham (Science
and Technology for the People, not the party list group) said the large scale plunder of the
environment benefits only a small segment of society while generating large scale effects on society.
“The rapid destruction of the environment is a direct result of the rapid, unchecked appropriation of the
world’s resources for the benefit of a few.”

Tapang added that climate change also aggravates environmental hazards. “In the Philippines,
disasters, whether climate-induced or not, add up to the already impoverished situation of the majority
of Filipino families who are living below the poverty line. The harmful effects of climate change and the
disasters it induces bear heavily on the most vulnerable or marginalized segments of the Philippine
population, especially the poor peasants.”

Rosario Bella Guzman, executive editor of Ibon Foundation blamed the anarchic system of production
–meaning production planning not based on people’s needs –and unsustainable balance of
consumption as mainly responsible for global warming.

Industrial countries like the United States are the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters. The
current greenhouse gas or carbon dioxide emission in the atmosphere is 388.59 parts per million
(ppm) according to the CO2Now.org (http://co2now.org/). This should be reduced to 350 ppm, the
safe limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to prevent global warming.
Twisted Policies
The law that was passed supposedly to protect the country from the effects climate change, the
Climate Change Act of 2009 (CCA), has gaps and limitations and is based on a “flawed context and
framework,” said Finesa Cosico, an agriculturist and member of Agham.

The CCA mirrors the over-all twisted policy direction of the government, falling short of essential
elements in adaptation and mitigation strategies, and ineffective in building a climate resilient nation,
Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC) said.

While the CCA aims to address the vulnerability of poor communities to climate change, it, however
contradicts the government’s existing laws, policies, and development projects. “It has been totally
unacceptable and even unimaginable how the government intends to put a stop to deforestation and
the destruction of ecosystems on one side, and then promote large-scale mining on the other,” said
Cheamson Boongaling of CEC citing RA 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

Former senator and environmentalist Ana Maria Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal said,“You cannot talk
about addressing climate change and, at the same time, push for policies such as the Japan-
Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).You cannot talk about mitigating the impact of
climate change while upholding 100 percent foreign ownership of our mines and natural resources.
You cannot talk about climate change, if our environment is being destroyed and our riches are not
benefitting the people because of mining. Our minerals are being shipped in airplanes, without
monitoring, to countries such as Japan and we would buy back the processed goods.”

Tapang said in confronting the climate crisis, the government has to first satisfy basic human needs,
economic and social development, adequate energy and infrastructure.

Government policies such as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, Biofuels Act, oil deregulation
law, Mining Act of 1995, Forestry Code, neo-liberal globalization, corruption, bureaucrat capitalism
aggravate our climate vulnerability despite the signing of the CCA,” said Tapang.

He cited factors that adversely affect the ability of the community to respond, to cope with or recover
easily from disaster events results to vulnerability. “These are high poverty incidence, high inflation
rates, low wages despite the increasing daily cost of living, high unemployment and underemployment
rate, landlessness/inequitable distribution of country’s resources,” Tapang said.

While the CCA’s National Framework and Strategy acknowledges the decline in agriculture and food
security, the law does not mention land reform as a crucial adaptation measure to climate change.
According to Cosico, farmers have traditional knowledge on what crops to plant that can adapt to
climate change. They also have farming practices that could adapt to the effects of climate change
such as a crop diversification system and seasonal climate forecast.
“Unfortunately, a large part of agricultural land are privately owned and used for commercial or
industrial farming or corporate agriculture. The agriculture industry as well as the people’s food
security, are vulnerable to the effects of global warming,” she said.

Boongaling also said that studies have shown that if the ownership and control of farmers over their
land are stable, it allows them to be more flexible in the face of a rapidly changing climate. They could
decide what plants to cultivate in what season and what technology to use that will give them the
maximum yield with the least impact on the environment.

Market-based Solutions
Ironically, International Financing Institutions (IFIs) have made a business out of the issue of climate
change.

Boongaling cited provisions in the CCA that give the authority to the Climate Change Commission to
recommend “key development investments” in climate sensitive areas. Its National Framework
Strategy also identifies the development of a “competitive energy investment climate” as part of its
mitigation strategy.

Because the government relies on IFIs to finance climate change mitigation programs of the
government, the latter uses this as leverage to push for policies that would enable multinational
corporations to earn more profits. The World Bank, for example, has its Climate Investment Funds.
“The problem with these sources of funding is the existence of conditionalities,” Boongaling said.
Hence, the state of the country’s economy would also be vulnerable to the increasing debt-burden,
privatization of key industries and social sectors, speculation and financial instability, corruption, to
name a few.

Even the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) uses the market-
based approach in identifying responses to climate change. The Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) mechanism is a mitigation option, a kind of international
payment for ecosystem services. Through this mechanism, developed countries could pay developing
countries like the Philippines for conserving its forests so that the world would turn a blind eye to the
environmentally-destructive practices of the former. The REDD+ was passed in the Conference of the
Parties (Cop) 15 negotiations in December 2009. The passage of REDD+ came about when the Cop
failed to arrive at a binding agreement for countries under the United Nations. Cop is the governing
body of the UNFCCC.

There are already existing REDD+ projects in the country and one is in Mindoro according to
Boongaling. Issues like land grabbing also arise in the implementation of REDD+. Many indigenous
peoples who live in the forest are prone to displacement because REDD+ project areas are restricted.
The definition of forests under REDD+ is flawed. A plantation is considered as a forest. Landlords who
own plantations, therefore, would have an opportunity to ask for funds to further monopolize the land.

“Governments from around the globe have repeatedly failed to come up with a lasting remedy and a
truly pro-people response to the reality of climate change,” said the Philippine Watch Alliance, an
alliance compromised of representatives of grassroots organizations, non-government organizations,
community organizations, the scientific community and environmental groups that seeks to address
and discuss the issue of climate change in the Philippines.

According to environmental groups, for as long as solutions to climate change are dictated by
developing countries –the major culprits of climate change –these would surely fail. Take for example
the Kyoto Protocol of 1998, a landmark international agreement that was signed by different countries
to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impact of climate change. It
miserably failed not only because it was not able to force developed countries to abide by the treaty,
but it has also adapted market-based mechanisms to combat climate change.

The PCWA noted, “The Kyoto Protocol failed to achieve its mandate due to low targets, flawed
mechanisms, lack of political will by nations – particularly the United States, which did not ratify the
Kyoto Protocol – to cut down emissions, and the accommodation of market-based mechanisms which
maintained the unsustainable global order of overproduction by developed countries and transnational
corporations.”
As for the Philippines, the issue of climate change is an issue closely linked to social justice and
national development. The country needs to come up with a solution based on the people’s welfare
and interests. Boongaling said that to effectively confront climate change, the Philippine government
needs to “initiate a radical shift in its overall framework to one that has a basic appreciation of the root
of the current crisis, that would identify who are responsible and thus must be held accountable and
that deals with climate change not simply as an environmental crisis.”? 

Source: https://www.bulatlat.com/2011/01/06/environmental-destruction-effects-of-climate-
change-to-worsen-further/2/
MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES
A. Environmental Problems The Philippines are prone to natural disasters, particularly
typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis, lying as it does
astride the typhoon belt, in the active volcanic region known as the “Pacific Ring of Fire,”
and in the geologically unstable region between the Pacific and Eurasian tectonic plates. The
Philippines also suffers major human-caused environmental degradation aggravated by a
high annual population growth rate, including loss of agricultural lands, deforestation, soil
erosion, air and water pollution, improper disposal of solid and toxic wastes, loss of coral
reefs, mismanagement and abuse of coastal resources, and overfishing. Climate Change and
the Philippines Recent scientific studies reveal that human activities have contributed
significantly to the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that causes climate
change. The Philippines is a hotspot for climate change disasters particularly the risk for
agriculture and food security due to extreme El Nino and severe tropical cyclones. The
spread of infectious diseases are influenced by fluctuations in climate variables,
temperature, relative humidity and rainfall. Sever super typhoons like Reming that
pummeled the Bicol region in 2006 destroyed at least $90- million worth of agricultural
products and infrastructure. Diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, cholera have increased
throughout the years. Climate change impacts on coastal zones and marine ecosystems
caused massive coral bleaching especially in 1998 due to elevated sea temperature and fish
kills and red tides like the one that occurred in 1992 which was an El Nino period. Scientists
warned the Philippines could experience famine by 2020, as the adverse impact of global
warming takes its toll on natural resources. Thousands will be displaced from their homes
especially in low-lying coastal communities. COUNTRY REPORT ON CLIMATE CHANGE
POLICIES, GREEN JOBS AND DECENT WORK IN THE PHILIPPINES
B. Decline of Natural Resources and Biodiversity The Philippines is suffering from degradation
of the natural environment. It has fifty major rivers now polluted due to abuse and neglect.
Approximately two-thirds of the country's original mangroves have been lost. A hundred
years ago, the Philippines had close to 22 million hectares of old growth forest. At the start
of 2000, we had less than 600,000 hectares of old-growth forest left. In one century, we had
cut down close to 97 percent of our original forest. A study by the Environmental Scientists
for Social Change (ESSC) reveals that we have systematically cut this forest down and that
we have not stopped its destruction and that of its core biodiversity. The International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) estimates that it takes over 4,000 liters of water to produce one kilo
of rice. Because of the loss of forests, we have less water since most of our freshwater
comes from watersheds found in forests. Therefore, loss of forests means loss of food. More
than 400 plant and animal species found in the Philippines are currently threatened with
extinction, including the Philippine eagle, the tamaraw, and the dugong. In 2001, 49 of the
nation's mammal species, 86 bird species, and 320 plant species were threatened with
extinction. Endangered species in the Philippines include the monkey-eating eagle,
Philippine tarsier, tamaraw, four species of turtle (green sea, hawksbill, olive ridley, and
leatherback), Philippines crocodile, sinarapan, and two species of butterflies. The Cebu warty
pig, Panay flying fox, and Chapman's fruit bat have become extinct. Alarming Waste Problem
in the Philippines The Philippines is looming with garbage problems despite the passage of
the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or the Republic Act (RA) 9003. 2007 first quarter
data from the National Solid Waste Management Commission shows that there are 677
open dumpsites, 343 controlled dumps, and 21 landfills in the country. An additional 307
dump sites are subject for closure or rehabilitation plans but without definite schedules for
enforcement. About 215 additional landfills are being proposed to be set up nationwide. P a
g e | 3 About 1,000 open and controlled dump sites exist in the country. Prominent dumps
all over the country can be found in Antipolo and Montalban in Rizal; Baguio City; Calapan,
Mindoro Oriental; Carmen, Cagayan de Oro; Mandurriao, Iloilo City; Obando, Bulacan; and
San Pedro, Laguna. Environmentalists stress that Republic Act 9003 calls for the adoption of
the best environmental practices in ecological waste management and explicitly excludes
waste incineration as an ecological option. These polluting disposal facilities are major
sources of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere which adds to global warming.
Landfills and open dumps, according to studies, account for 34 percent of humanrelated
methane emissions to the atmosphere, a global warming gas that has 23 times more heat-
trapping power than carbon dioxide. These landfills and open dumps are illegal under RA
9003. Incinerators, on the other hand, have significantly higher levels of greenhouse gas
emissions (per kilowatt) than a coal-fired power plant when all of the carbon coming out of
an incinerator stacks is measured. Such emissions are banned by the country’s Clean Air Act.
Inaction on garbage contributes to the death of at least two persons every minute due to
complications from environmental problems, which could be prevented if the country only
developed a more efficient environmental management program. Mismanagement of waste
has serious environmental consequences: ground and surface water contamination, local
flooding, air pollution, exposure to toxins, and spread of disease. Many of the disposal sites
contain infectious material, thus threatening sanitation workers and waste-pickers. Annual
waste generation in the Philippines is expected to grow 40 percent by 2010. Improvements
in recycling, collection, and disposal will become even more critical as garbage production
continues to increase with population growth and economic development. Past efforts to
promote waste segregation at source have minimal impact despite the presence of Republic
Act 9003. Most of these were barangay, city, and municipal ordinances providing for
sanctions and penalties for non-compliance. Campaigns, seminars, trainings and other
different community activities were implemented with the help of various private groups or
NGO’s to pursue the objective of solving the garbage problem. RA 9003 further calls for the
establishment of materials recovery facilities, or ecology centers, in every barangay or
cluster of a barangay. To date, only 1,923 ecology centers exist, serving 2,133 barangays of a
total 41,975 nationwide. In Quezon City alone, only 52 barangays have established Materials
Recovery Facilities out of a total of 142. P a g e | 4 People’s Behavior towards Waste
Behavior is a key cultural aspect that is embedded in people’s way of life. Studying a
community’s behavior and introducing new ones requires intensive, longterm, and creative
social marketing. This can be done by studying the demographic and cultural fiber of the
community through immersions and capacity building activities. The Resources,
Environment and Economics Center for Studies, Inc.’s (REECS) 2002 study on household
waste management systems and the attitudes and behavior showed that: 1. Waste
management is still perceived by many as the responsibility of government. 2. Public
participation in waste management, especially in segregation at source, remains limited. 3.
More extensive awareness- raising activities and training on ecological waste management
are needed, together with stricter enforcement of the Law and local ordinances must be
observed. 4. There is lack of community empowerment and political will to resolve the
problem. Recognizing the importance of the environment’s immediate recovery and effects
of improper waste management to the Philippines, there is a need for understanding and
reformation of attitudes and concern towards the protection of environment. The
impending garbage crisis can be prevented if we only practice waste segregation at source,
recycling, and composting as what the law requires.
 An intensive social marketing program has to be established on a long-term scale within a
barangay – the smallest unit of the local government.

C. Economic Problems • high population growth • unequal distribution of wealth • poor

performance of the agriculture sector of the economy. C. Social Problems • Corruption •
Poverty • Overpopulation • Child labor (a form of child abuse) • Lack of adequate health
care services • Terrorism • Prostitution • Unemployment P a g e | 5 SUGGESTED ACTIONS
TO BE UNDERTAKEN 1. Participatory Communication for Development • Social Capital/
Community Empowerment • Developing Community Leaders • Engaging multi-sectoral
participation (youth, schools, businesses, church, etc.) in community design and planning 2.
Community Immersion • Immersion and Research on Community’s sociographic and
psychographic profile • Community Interaction with women, youth, and local community
officials • Environmental Education Workshops and Demos • Environmental Education
lessons to be familiar with a variety of ways in understanding the environment and the
ecological crisis • Exploration of local Biodiversity • Evaluation of Stakeholders’ Available
Skills and Resources • Evaluation of community’s existing level of environmental awareness
3. Community IEC Campaigns • Development of local environmental campaigns •
Distribution and Exhibit of created IEC materials • Flyers and Posters 4. Environmental
Management Capacity Building Workshops for Community • Hands-on Household Ecological
Solid Waste Management Trainings • Training on Creating Ordinances for local community
officials • Establishment of Materials Recovery Facilities in Local Schools and Community
Center/s • Appointment of stakeholder representatives – women sector, youth sector, etc.
5. Environmental Management Capacity Building Workshops for local School •
Environmental Education Facilitator’s Training for Teachers – Project Learning Tree, Water
Education for Teachers, Watershed Box and Ecological Solid Waste Management •
Developing Creative and Environmentally relevant modules and classroom activities The
Philippines’ Response to the Problem of Climate Change As a manifestation of the country’s
commitment to engage in multilateral efforts aiming to address the global problem of
climate change and achieve sustainable P a g e | 6 development, the Philippines has
participated in the discussions and negotiations leading to the ratification of various
international agreements. These international agreements are geared towards the
mitigation of the effects of climate change and the strategic adaptation to the conditions.
The most important outcomes of these negotiations include the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ratified on August 2, 1994 and the Kyoto Protocol,
which was ratified on November 20, 2003. At the national level, the Medium Term Philippine
Development Plan of 2004-2010 (MTDP) underscored the need to manage the environment
more effectively in order for the country to address the problem of poverty particularly in
the rural areas. As one of the first countries to sign the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change in 1992, the Philippines expressed adherence to the
principles of sustainable development and environmental preservation based on the notion
of equity and the unique capabilities of the participating countries. More specifically, Article
3 of the UNFCC states that countries who have aligned themselves with the mandates set
forth by the Convention “should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and
future generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their
common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.” Under the Kyoto
Protocol, developing countries such as the Philippines are called to pass and implement
national measures that shall advance the international community’s agenda pertaining to
environmental preservation through the reduction of greenhouse emissions (GHGs) in the
atmosphere. Pursuant to the provisions in this treaty, the Philippines passed national
legislations to uphold the agreements embedded in the Kyoto Protocol. The Clean Air Act of
1999, otherwise known as Republic Act 8749, was enacted in order to arrive at an effective
air quality management program that will mitigate the worsening problem of air pollution in
the country. Reinforcing the country’s drive towards a healthier environment was the
enactment of the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003) that aimed at providing a
comprehensive solution to the country’s garbage problem. At the institutional level, the
Philippines was one of the earliest countries to recognize the importance of a systematic
institutional response to the problem of climate change. Prior to the signing and ratification
of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the creation of the Inter-Agency
Committee on Climate Change (IACC) in May 8, 1991 under the Environmental Management
Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was a concrete
manifestation of the Philippines’ attempt to promptly address the issue of climate change.
Composed of representatives from government agencies as well as NGO representatives,
IACC was created by virtue of Presidential Order No. 220 with the secretary of the DENR
sitting as chair and the secretary of the DOST as co-chair. The ultimate aim of the committee
is to harness and synergize the various activities being undertaken by the national
government and civil society in response to the crisis posed by growing problem on climate
change. The essential mandate of the IACC is to perform various coordinative, development
and monitoring functions with respect to activities related to climate change in the county.
As an organization that is at the forefront in advancing the government’s climate change
agenda, the IACC likewise formulates policy actions and recommendations while at the same
time assumes a very significant role in terms of shaping the Philippines’ national positions in
the various international negotiations that aim to mitigate the effects of global climate
change and prevent the worse possible consequences of this. The IACC therefore ensures
the Philippines’ faithful compliance to the mandates and principles contained in the UNFCCC
and the Kyoto Protocol and sees to it that adequate public awareness campaign and
initiatives are held to bring the issue to all the sectors of the country. PHILIPPINE CLIMATE
CHANGE ACT OF 2007 This bill seeks to create a National Framework Program on Climate
Change Mitigation, Adaptation and Communication and establish mechanisms to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from energy, power, transport and manufacturing sectors to
usher in a low-carbon revolution in the Philippines and institutionalize the country's
commitments to international efforts to address the problem on climate change The
Philippines’ Upland Development Program: cushioning the impacts of global financial crisis
and climate change through green jobs Jose L. Atienza, Jr Secretary of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources Government of the Philippines, Quezon City, the
Philippines. The program will create thousands of jobs in restoring forests and watersheds,
helping to mitigate hunger and poverty. The Department of Environment and Natural
Resources in the Philippines has created the Upland Development Program in support of the
government’s Economic Resiliency Plan, launched in February 2009 to cushion the impact of
the global financial crisis on the Filipino people. The program aims to improve incomes in
upland areas and mitigate hunger, while also enhancing the country’s capacity to adapt to
climate change. Forestry has a major place in meeting both challenges, since upland
populations are highly dependent on forest resources for subsistence and livelihood, and
forests serve as a natural carbon sink. An interesting feature of the program is its strong
support to the government’s hunger mitigation and poverty alleviation programs – for
example, by helping to meet the raw material requirements of industries involved in the
Trade and Industry Department’s “One Town One Product” scheme, which encourages
towns to specialize in a single product according to local comparative advantage in resources
and skills. P a g e | 8 The scheme’s intent is to ramp up production while promoting
entrepreneurship and creating income opportunities, especially for micro, small and
medium-sized enterprises. The Upland Development Program’s linkage to this scheme
ensures ready markets for the products generated under the programme, further enhancing
livelihoods of people’s organization members. Two (2) ILO green jobs programs are currently
being implemented in the Philippines: (a) Greener Business Asia (GBA) with support from the
Japan Government, and (b) Green Jobs Promotion with support from the Australian
Government. The GBA Project aims to develop and promote enterprise-level approaches
that improve productivity and contribute to “greening” the economy. This is done by
enhancing worker-management relations to include environmental performance as among
the key objectives for the enterprise, and jointly work on activities that best demonstrates
this. The GBA aims to encourage social partnerships and dialogue to promote environment
friendly activities of enterprises. At the sector level, these enterprises will be supported to
collaborate on common environmental performance indicators, fostering the move to
become a more sustainable production chain. Implementation of the GBA and Green Jobs
projects include the participation of the tripartite constituents. Trade Union’s
Recommendations in Promoting Environmentally Sustainable Development • Workers can
be an asset for environmental protection. They can undergo training on environmental
legislation, the environmental commitments of the company, and general environmental
standards. • Workers should be recognized in future environmental impact assessments as
stakeholders. • Workers should bargain for the right to stop work on the basis of unsound
environmental conditions. • Workers can set up a structure such as .safety circles, where
workers can speak freely on the environmental impacts of mining operations. • Workers
should bargain for an .economic displacement fund. or .environmental guarantee fund to be
provided for in case of a similar event in the future. • Workers should be aware of
environmental management tools and work for their adoption. These tools include multi-
partite monitoring teams and environmental audits, among others. Trade unions are
engaged in environment policy discussions, particularly and mostly with the Department of
Labor and Employment (DOLE). The TUCP is member of the Philippine Council on Sustainable
Development (PCSD), a government council that development and monitors sustainable
development programs. Environment policy is a tripartite issue. The Tripartite Industrial
Peace Council (TIPC) discusses issues and policies related to green jobs and sustainable
development programs at the workplace. Some TUCP unions have signified interest in
negotiating for green provisions in their collective bargaining agreements. Trade unions are
engaged in discussions and preparations of the ILO's Decent Work Country Program.
However, union programs and priorities are stymied by lack of P a g e | 9 dedicated funds
for union activities. Trade union priorities do not fit-in in approved projects. Capacity-
building programs for trade unions are wanting. The TUCP has a policy titled: "Towards
Decent Work, Green Jobs and Sustainable Development." It highlights TUCP's resolve to take
actions that promote green jobs, build trade union leadership, commitment to make
enterprises greener, and monitor progress/developments. The TUCP has implemented
several green jobs and decent work capacity-building initiatives, including national and
regional workshops. Furthermore, the TUCP has an action checklist titled: "Action Checklist
on Decent Work, Green Jobs and Sustainable Workplaces." It is a tool that trade unions can
use to assess current conditions and a way to identify low-cost, easy-to-implement, and high
impact improves to make jobs in enterprises decent, greener and sustainable (safe and
healthy).

Prepared by: EROSS S. OCAMPO Representative, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines
Education and Project Officer, Philippine Government Employees Association Coordinator
for South East Asia, PSI-Asia Pacific Youth Network

Source: file:///C:/Users/Dante/Downloads/TUCP%20-%20Ocampo.pdf
Zamboanga City Reaps Gains of Better
Business Environment
January 12, 2011
By Maria Belen Bonoan

Zamboanga City is one of the oldest cities in the Philippines, with a rich history
and distinct culture. It is the third largest city in the country in terms of land
area, and sixth in terms of population. The city is also a center of economic
activities in Mindanao, with a modern seaport and airport that serve as the
gateway of goods to the region. It also serves as the tourism hub of Western
Mindanao, and is dubbed the sardine capital of the Philippines.

Until recently, Zamboanga City's local business atmosphere was stifled by enormous challenges with
business registration and the proliferation of non-registered business establishments. In 2005, A series of
dialogues brought city government officials together with businesses to find a win-win solution to this long
standing problem. Photo by Karl Grobl.
Despite its economic and cultural significance as “Asia’s Latin City,” until recently,
Zamboanga City’s local business atmosphere was stifled by enormous
challenges with business registration and the proliferation of non-registered
business establishments.
In conjunction with its annual Doing Business Report, which provides objective
measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 183 economies,
in December the International Finance Corporation (IFC) launched its second
sub-national 2011 Doing Business Report in the Philippines. The report
compares the regulatory environment for business in 25 cities, and Zamboanga
City boasted a high sixth place. This is a remarkable achievement considering
where it stood in 2005 when The Asia Foundation began a series of reforms and
dialogues through its Transparent Accountable Governance (TAG) Project,
supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The IFC report highlighted how far Zamboanga City has come since 2005, when it
took 14 days to secure business permit (compared to just 2 days in other cities).
The 14 days didn’t include the additional time spent to comply with the
regulatory requirements of national agencies such as registration with Securities
and Exchange Commission, obtaining a business name from the Department of
Trade and Industry, and registering with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social
Security System, and the Philippine Health Insurance System. For local
government requirements, the lack of coordination among the various offices
within the city government led to even more complicated and tedious
procedures and longer processing times. As a result, businesses did not have the
incentive to comply with the official process of securing business permits,
opening up opportunities for corruption and negatively affecting the city
government’s ability to collect much-needed business taxes.
When TAG first facilitated the dialogues between local governments and
businesses, the city government had clear objectives about what it wanted to
achieve. For example, Zamboanga’s Mayor Celso Lobregat declared that his
government would like to simplify its business licensing process to make it
friendlier and easier for businesses to file for business permits, and for the city
government to raise local revenue. Non-registered businesses made up at least
25 percent of the total in Zamboanga City, but because the local government
was unable to collect fees and charges from such businesses, the government
only saw a portion of potential revenue.
A series of dialogues brought city government officials together with businesses
to find a win-win solution, that both the city government and the business
community would find advantageous, to the long standing problem of business
registration. Each party identified bottlenecks in the business registration
process and came up with shared solutions to remove these bottlenecks and
speed up the process of issuing the business permit, but still fulfill legal
requirements. First, the city government streamlined the process of issuing
locational clearance – a document indicating that the location of the business
conforms to city zoning ordinances and standard land use rules and regulations.
It used to take seven days and three signatures. Now it takes just two days and
two signatures (with alternates available, if the signatories are absent). Second,
city hall now has a booth in the lobby with instructions on how to fill out the
form and a map showing city streets to simplify the process of providing
directions to inspectors. Third, the city government hired more inspectors to
handle the work load. Fourth, regulatory offices such as health, fire, and
planning coordinated inspections, instead of doing them one at a time, to speed
things up.
As a result of the combined efforts of the city government, the business sector,
and the TAG project, the city government drastically cut the time to issue a
business permit: from 14 days at the project’s beginning in 2005, down to just 
two days at project completion in 2007. Similarly, the number of steps to obtain
a permit went from 15 in 2005, to 13 in 2007. Not only that, in 2006, the city
government collected nearly 300 million pesos (nearly $7 million) in business tax
revenues, a marked increase of 300 percent from its 2005 collection, and had a
further 100 percent increase in 2007 collection. The number of registered
businesses doubled in 2007. Now, three years after TAG assistance, the city
government is able to sustain momentum and continue improvements in its
business registration process, with the help of the business sector which has
continuously monitored the city government’s efforts.
Zamboanga’s achievements aside, the Philippines overall still ranks 42nd among
the report’s lower income nations for ease of doing business. It certainly has a
lot of improvements to make before it joins some of its higher-performing
regional neighbors like Singapore and Thailand. But, cities like Zamboanga and
the 24 others that participated in the 2011 Doing Business study are making
serious progress.
Maria Belen Bonoan is The Asia Foundation’s director for Local Governance in the
Philippines. She can be reached at  bbonoan@asiafound.org.

Source: https://asiafoundation.org/2011/01/12/zamboanga-city-reaps-gains-of-better-
business-environment/?
fbclid=IwAR1EB7KOVYt506OPaOPxGXJhKFhTPn1vIJ04MKxNWbKgPM8NDY44wVp
mrq0
Cultural Survival Quarterly Magazine

THE ENVIRONMENTAL
CRISIS IN THE PHILIPPINES
September 2001

Author:Carino Joji

The current relationship in the Philippines between indigenous peoples and the state can be
characterized as a legal and institutional stalemate. In Philippine law, indigenous peoples'
ancestral domains are recognized under native title as never having been public land. At the
same time, Philippine land law is founded on the Regalian Doctrine and its premise that all
natural resources in the Philippines belong to the state and that private ownership of title must
therefore emanate from the state. All land not covered by official documentary certificates of
title is thus presumed to be owned by the Republic of the Philippines.
Under these laws, ancestral lands -- particularly those considered national forests, covering
the bulk of the area under the ancestral domain -- become subject to the jurisdiction of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Public lands are available for
mining and forest concessions, agricultural plantations, industrial zones, and other uses,
according to government development priorities. This situation provides a legal framework
for theft of land from indigenous and local communities.
The country is rich in gold, copper, chromite, silver, nickel, cobalt, and other minerals. Coal
and limestone are also abundant. According to advertisements placed in The Financial Times
in 1989: "The Philippines is more densely mineralised than Australia, the tonnages are larger
and the terrain is largely unexplored. The country is estimated to be second only to South
Africa in its average gold reserves per square kilometre."
At the turn of the 20th century, the forest still covered most of the Philippines, but the last 50
years have brought a drastic decline in forest cover. In the mid-1960s, about 45 percent of the
country's total land area was still forested. By the mid-1980s, this percentage dwindled to 24.
By the mid 1990s, barely 20 percent (6 million hectares) was forested, of which less than
three percent (800,000 hectares) was primary tropical forest. Much of what remains is high-
altitude mossy forest or designated loggable secondary forest scheduled for further
degradation by Integrated Forest Management Agreements that replace old Timber License
Agreements. Deforestation and forest concessions by plantations are big problems faced by
upland indigenous communities.
In 1995, the Philippine Mining Code was passed and was described by The Mining Journal as
"among the most favorable to mining companies anywhere." It paved the way for a stampede
of applications to explore and mine in the Philippines. One hundred and fifty-three Finance
and Technical Assistance Agreements (FTAAs) were lodged, with 85 remaining by the end
of 1997. More than 1000 Mineral Production Sharing Agreements were lodged; 104 of these
are still in operation. These claims assign corporations the right to explore 40 percent of the
country's land area, and a significant portion of the claims are in the mountainous area
containing the country's forests and ancestral lands.
In 1997, the Philippine government passed the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) "to
recognize, protect, and promote the rights of indigenous cultural communities/indigenous
peoples." The IPRA created the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, which is
mandated "to formulate and implement policies, plans, and programs for the development of
indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples and to review the applications for
ancestral land titling, the issuance of certificates of these titles, and the adjudication of
disagreements regarding land ownership." Following the passage of the IPRA, all mining
applications for indigenous lands were suspended for six months while new structures and
procedures to manage indigenous rights were put in place.
In 1998, a legal challenge to the IPRA's constitutionality was brought by Isagani Cruz, a
former Supreme Court justice, in close association with the mining industry, on the grounds
that the state, not indigenous peoples, should have sole ownership and control of mineral
wealth. The government put a freeze on all ancestral land claims until the matter could be
resolved by the Philippine Supreme Court.
On November 28, 2000, the Supreme Court upheld by a vote of seven justices the
constitutionality of the IPRA. The decision affirms Republic Act 8371, allowing the national
legal system to correct long-standing prejudices against indigenous forms of ownership. It
permits, within the context of the provisions of the IPRA, some recognition of indigenous
ownership and control. It also acknowledges the necessity of removing control of natural
resources from the elite-dominated DENR and into the hands of people who have nurtured
and depended on these ecosystems for centuries. The decision should also pave the way for
the transfer of ownership to communities of about two million hectares. The transfer,
however, will not be automatic. Recognition of indigenous peoples' rights, even if legal and
constitutional, will still have to overcome several obstacles.
The vote of the Supreme Court was very close. Seven justices voted to deny the Cruz
petition. The other seven voted to grant it. One judicial vacancy remains to be filled. The
petitioners may, within 15 days of receipt of the resolution, still file for a motion for
reconsideration. The slim vote, the vacancy that will determine the new majority, and the
large commercial (mostly mining) interests behind the petition are pressures that will bear
heavily on the end result.
Even after three years, not a single ancestral land or domain title has been issued. In the
meantime, more than 100 certifications allowing corporations and enterprises to enter
ancestral lands and domains have been issued by the Native Commission on Indigenous
Peoples (the legal body to implement the IPRA). DENR continues to approve mining and
timber contractors who are not indigenous.
De Facto Ownership and Development Aggression
Amidst this legal and institutional confusion, indigenous communities continue to occupy and
defend their ancestral domain against government and corporate incursions. Despite the
historical loss of vast areas of ancestral lands, indigenous communities still occupy
significant areas in the Cordillera region in northern Luzon, in the Caraballo and Sierra
Madre mountain ranges, and in central Luzon, Mindoro, Negros, Palawan, and Mindanao.
In these areas -- most of which overlap the Philippine National Parks and conservation zones
-- communities continue to practice indigenous land and resources management.
Unfortunately, these areas are most at risk of development aggression.
Indigenous rights and resistance have become the biggest stumbling block to the Philippine
mining rush. In line with international and Philippine standard-setting on indigenous rights,
the Philippine Mining Code requires companies to consult with -- and gain the consent of --
indigenous communities about mining plans within their territories or ancestral domain. More
than four years later, only three FTAAs have been openly granted. B'laan tribal leaders, the
Legal Rights Centre (FOE-Philippines), and civil society members have also brought a legal
challenge to the FTAA arrangement's constitutionality. Campaigns against corporate mining
have successfully led to the withdrawal of Rio Tinto and Western Mining Corporation from
their Mindanao mining applications and operations.
We find no cause to be jubilant, however. Rather, there is every reason to be vigilant. Former
President Estrada squandered whatever support he had from impoverished indigenous
peoples. We must work toward a government that will go beyond rhetoric to make true the
promise of genuine recognition of indigenous peoples' rights to their lands and futures.
Article copyright Cultural Survival, Inc.

Source: https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-
quarterly/environmental-crisis-philippines
DENR: 3 Zamboanga City public
beaches heavily polluted
BONG GARCIA

January 22, 2017

THE Environment and Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of

Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has requested the
Zamboanga City Government to address the pollution problem in local
public beaches.

EMB Regional Director Joselito Ventura said they made the request
following tests and monitoring results in at last three public beaches yield
high fecal coliform level.

Ventura said among the public beaches they tested and monitored are the
beach in the village of Bolong, Caragasan Beach in the village of Maasin
and the known “Cawa-Cawa” boulevard in village of San Jose-Cawa-Cawa.

The three public beaches are frequented by huge crowd of beachgoers on

Sundays and holydays.

Ventura said they took and analyzed two water samples from each of the
three beaches.

Ventura said the test on the first water sample taken in the beach of
Bolong registered 431.7 Most Probable Number (MPN) of fecal coliform.
The second was 413.0 MPN.

He said the test on the first water sample from the Caragasan Beach
registered 575.0 MPN of fecal coliform and 474.2 MPN in the second.

He added that the standard coliform levels on the beaches of Bolong and
Caragasan is 100 MPN.

He said the test on the first water sample taken from Cawa-Cawa
Boulevard registered 1,499.3 MPN and 953.3 MPN on the second.

He said the standard coliform level for Cawa-Cawa Boulevard is 200 MPN.

While the City Government has yet to act on their request, Ventura has
called on the residents staying near the three beaches to practice proper
waste disposal so as not to further pollute the beaches. (SunStar
Philippines)

Source: https://asiafoundation.org/2011/01/12/zamboanga-city-reaps-gains-of-better-business
environment/?
fbclid=IwAR1EB7KOVYt506OPaOPxGXJhKFhTPn1vIJ04MKxNWbKgPM8NDY44wVp
mrq0

2013 in green: Top 10

PH environmental
news
From devastated coral reefs to renewable energy, 2013 was a
rollercoaster ride for Mother Nature, to say the least

Pia Ranada
@piaranada

Published 9:00 AM, December 27, 2013

Updated 11:19 AM, January 03, 2014

MANILA, Philippines – Often a silent witness to man's folly, nature
every once in a while becomes the main player. The year 2013
proved this again.

Mother Nature was ravaged by major oil spills, continued illegal

mining, and the destruction of its protected ecosystems. The lack of
major environmental laws and the failure to implement existing
ones have caused environmental loss and deaths.

But the tables often turned. Nature unleashed its fury on the country
in the form of two major disasters: Super Typhoon Yolanda and the
Central Visayas earthquake. Outside the Philippines, other countries
went through powerful disasters, too.

This year's top 10 environmental news proves a basic environmental

principle: Everything is connected to everything else.
RUINS. The Visayas earthquake reduces Santo Niño Cathedral in Cebu to ruins.
Photo from EPA/Romaldo Mico Solon

1. The disasters

The Philippines and the rest of the world were unprepared

when Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) first made landfall on
November 8. The off-the-charts typhoon, said to be among the
strongest recorded in history, cut a path of destruction across
Eastern Visayas, devastating Eastern Visayas, northern Cebu, and
northern Panay.

It claimed more than 6,000 lives, leveled thousands of homes and

infrastructure, destroyed precious crops and crippled the fishing
industry of affected provinces. It triggered landslides, flooding and
monstrous waves.

Barely a month before that, Central Visayas was shaken by a 7.2-

magnitude earthquake that killed more than 180 people and
damaged houses, airports, roads and many iconic heritage
structures.
MONSTER WAVES. Freakishly strong winds brought by Yolanda cause storm
surges and monster waves. Photo by Agence France-Presse/Charism Sayat

2. Yolanda and climate change

Yolanda's ferocity begs the question: was the disaster caused by

climate change?

International scientists have reached an overwhelming

consensus that climate change leads to stronger and more frequent
extreme weather events like storms, droughts, melting of ice caps
and storm surges.

Released in September, the 5th United Nations report on climate

change (IPCC 5), concluded that if the earth warms by more than
two degrees Celsius, catastrophes like Yolanda will become the
new normal.

Yolanda sparked interest in what the country and the rest of the
world are doing to curb climate change and adapt to its devastating
impacts.
CLIMATE ACTION. Philippine Climate Change Commissioner opened the Warsaw
talks with an emotional speech for more drastic climate change action, especially
on the part of developed countries driving up carbon emissions. Photo from
Agence France-Presse/Janek Skarzynski

3. The Warsaw climate change talks

When Philippine Climate Change Commissioner Naderev "Yeb" Saño

made his emotional speech in front of all the Warsaw delegates, he
made a disturbing connection between climate change and Typhoon
Yolanda.

But he also reminded delegates about how the worst effects of

climate change can be attributed, at least in part, to the inaction of
developed countries.

It is the unabated greenhouse gas emissions of these countries that

drive climate change, Saño insisted. The cruel irony of it all is that
poorer countries who are the least responsible for the phenomenon
are its victims.

During the talks, Japan, Australia and Canada reneged on their

commitments to reduce carbon emissions. But the talks also
created the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage,
a mechanism that provides financial assistance to poor countries
vulnerable to climate change.
WORLD TREASURE. The Tubbataha Reefs is so rich in biodiversity that it is called
the 'Underwater Serengeti.' Photo from the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park official
website

4. Boon and bane for protected areas

The world-renowned marine sanctuary Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu

Sea sustained major damage when two ships crashed into its corals
on two separate occasions. A US Navy ship and a Chinese fishing
boat ran aground the UNESCO World Heritage Site and divers'
paradise last January and April, respectively.

The two incidents damaged more than 6,200 square meters of

protected coral reefs.

Though the owners of the vessels were made to pay millions in

fines, it will take a long time to recover the lost reefs.

Other sanctuaries suffered from man's misdeeds. Mountaineers

grieved the unabated garbage problem in legendary Mt Apo, the
highest mountain in the Philippines. Divers lamented the heaping
amount of trash in our oceans and endangered centers of
biodiversity. (READ: Isla Verde: Garbage, pollution threaten world
jewel)

But there were also victories for our protected areas.

Mt Makiling was declared an ASEAN Heritage Park, strengthening
impetus for its protection and conservation. A new law was also
passed, empowering local communities to pursue ecotourism
projects for the conservation of protected areas under their
jurisdiction.

LAND USE. Advocates say having a National Land Use Policy can help the country
withstand disasters and ensure food security. Photo by Pia Ranada/Rappler

5. Waiting for the National Land Use Act

Yolanda and the Central Visayas earthquake renewed the cry of

citizens for a National Land Use Act, a law that will categorize how
land is used based on factors like geohazards, food security, water
sufficiency and environmental stability.

Though President Benigno Aquino III certified its passing as

urgent, the proposed bill is still languishing in Congress.

The bill, when passed as law, will establish permanent agricultural

lands and ban construction of buildings in places vulnerable to
landslides, flooding and storm surges. It is said to be the most
sustainable, long-term preparation for climate change.
GREEN ENERGY. Renewable energy like wind power cause zero air pollution
unlike fossil fuel energy like coal, oil and natural gas

6. Renewable energy vs fossil fuel energy

To strengthen the Renewable Energy Act, the government released

incentives to attract more renewable energy companies to put up
shop in the country. Many companies have now been approved by
the Department of Energy ensuring that renewable energy
will make its way to the national power grid in 2014.

Despite progress in "green" energy, the government also approved

more fossil fuel power plants, to the frustration of
environmentalists. A proposed DMCI coal power plant in Palawan
was blocked by a court after fierce opposition from citizens.
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY. In two to 3 years, Golden Rice will be commercially
available in the Philippines. Photo from International Rice Research Institute

7. The rise of Golden Rice and GMOs

Scientists say they will make Golden Rice commercially

available in the Philippines in 2016. Golden Rice, a genetically-
modified (GM) food being developed in the country, is hailed by
supporters as the world's solution to malnutrition. But opponents
call it a "Trojan horse" for other GM foods, a mask for the potential
health and environmental impacts.

Field trials for another GM crop –  Bt talong (eggplant) –

were stopped by a court angering scientists who believe genetic
engineering can ensure food security and help farmers.

The Philippines is considered one of the most GMO-friendly

countries in Southeast Asia. The government has approved more
than 44 GM crops and foods.
RED SLICK. Half a million liters of oil stained Manila Bay and adversely affected
the fishing industry in Cavite towns. Photo from EPA

8. Oil spills

Last August, around 500,000 liters of oil leaked into Manila Bay

from a crack in a pipeline owned by Petron. For days, a reddish
sludge and nauseating smells took over sea waters and shorelines.

Two months before, an oil depot in Sta Ana, Manila spewed 500 to
1,000 liters of oil into the Pasig River. It was soon discovered that
the facility violated environmental, sanitary and zoning laws.

Yolanda's ferocity caused a National Power Corporation (Napocor)

power barge to slam into a coastal town in Estancia, Iloilo, resulting
in a massive oil spill. The air and water pollution from the oil spill
reached critical levels, prompting health officials to call for the
urgent relocation of locals.
LIVES AT STAKE. Black sand mining destroys coasts leaving seaside
communities exposed to the risks of sea level rise, storm surges and strong
waves. File photo by Franzes Ivy Carasi

9. Black sand mining

Black sand mining, the extraction of magnetite or black sand, has

stripped northern provinces of many of their beaches causing
coastal erosion and exposing seaside communities to floods.

Illegal because its operations happen too near the sea, black sand
mining has nonetheless proliferated because of small-scale miners
licensed by local governments.

In August, 18 Chinese nationals suspected of black sand mining

were detained in Cagayan. Three raids in the area led to the
confiscation of mining equipment and thousands of tons of
magnetite concentrate.
CLEAN SOLUTIONS. Electricity-powered vehicles hope to reduce the air pollution
in the metro. Photo courtesy of GET Philippines

10. Urban pollution

Pollution in major cities in the Philippines, notably Metro Manila,

remains a deadly problem.

The World Bank estimates that air pollution in Manila causes 5,000

premature deaths annually, the highest of any city in the
Philippines.

Steps have been taken by the private sector to address this. Hybrid

diesel-electric buses started plying Makati roads. Battery-
powered e-shuttles will soon be running in Quezon City and Pasig
this January.

Because these vehicles run partly or completely on electricity, they

will not add to the countless smoke belchers that make metro living
potentially fatal.

Lack of basic infrastructure in our cities also exacerbates

environmental and health impacts as can be seen in the case of
sewage.

More than 20 million Filipinos have no access to proper sanitation

and sewage facilities. This leads to 55 deaths daily from water-
borne and vector-borne diseases like leptospirosis, malaria, dengue,
hepatitis and Typhoid fever.
But a newly-launched government program seeks to provide the
entire country with proper sewerage and seepage systems by 2020.
More sewage pipelines and wastewater treatment facilities will be
provided for communities. – Rappler.com

Source: https://www.rappler.com/science-nature/46114-top-ten-ph-environmental-news

Filipino concern for

the environment
By: Mahar Mangahas - @inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:10 AM May 25, 2019

Learning about Filipino attitudes on many interesting topics, and

comparing ourselves to others, have been much simplified by the
annual cross-country surveys of the International Social Survey
Program (www.issp.org), which have covered Role of Government,
Social Networks, Social Inequality, Family and Changing Gender Roles,
Work Orientations, Religion, National Identity, Environment,
Citizenship, Leisure Time and Sports, and Health and Health Care.

With themes periodically replicated, there have been 35 ISSP surveys

during 1985-2019. The ISSP survey data for all countries—including the
Philippines from 1991 to the present—are available online to anyone
for free. It is a great library of first-class social survey information for
the world to use.

This column deals with Environment only to demonstrate the usefulness of the
ISSP archive, or library, of data. It’s not a substitute for reading the library books;
those studying a topic should use the library and read for themselves the books
they need.
Selected findings of the 2010 ISSP survey on Environment:
Filipinos have as much concern for the environment (+48 on a scale of -100 to
+100), as other peoples of the world (+40 for the 32 countries surveyed in 2010; I
call this “others” even though the 32 include the Philippines). The number is the
percentage of people relatively concerned minus the percentage relatively
unconcerned about the environment.
Filipinos prioritize the country’s environmental problems as follows: 1. Air
pollution, 2. Climate change, 3. Using up all our natural resources, 4. Domestic
waste disposal, 5. Water shortage, 6. Water pollution, 7. Nuclear waste, 8.
Chemicals and pesticides, and 9. Genetically modified foods. The 32 ISSP
countries rank them in a slightly different order: 1, 2, 6, 3, 8, 5, 4, 7, and 9.
Filipinos are slightly positive (+4) about knowing the solutions to environmental
problems, whereas other peoples are unsure of what to do (-17 for the
32 countries). The number is the percentage saying they know much, minus the
percentage saying they know little, about the solutions.
Filipinos are relatively confident (+39) that science will solve environmental
problems without changing their way of life, whereas others expect the solutions to
cause changes in their lives (-12). The number is the percentage that agree with the
proposition minus the percentage that disagree with it; it is a “net agreement.”
Filipinos predominantly think (+39) the environment gets too much attention
relative to economic problems, but others are divided (-1). The numbers are net
agreements.
Filipinos agree (+41) that human progress is achievable without harming the
environment, whereas others are neutral (-3) on this.
ADVERTISEMENT

Filipinos agree (+21) that economic growth always harms the environment, while
others somewhat disagree (-7) on this.
I purposely cited some instances where we Filipinos differ from others, in the
belief that knowing the differences leads to better understanding of ourselves.
The above attitudes are surely affected by the sophistication of Filipinos on
environmental matters. Whenever these issues appear inappropriate or unrealistic
to environmental experts, they pose a challenge to the scientific community to
upgrade the level of education about the environmental situation in the Philippines.
Contact mahar.mangahas@sws.org.ph. This piece was the subject of my talk at the
National Academy of Science and Technology’s forum on “Food Security,
Environment and Political Economy,”
Hotel Jen, Pasay City, 5/16/19.

Source: https://opinion.inquirer.net/121565/filipino-concern-for-the-environment
Philippine Initiatives to Address
Environmental Issues
One of the earliest notable recognition by the Philippine government of the importance of
sustainable development taking into consideration the environment was set out in the
1987 Constitution which stipulates that “The State shall protect and advance the right of
the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony
of nature.”

In 1991, the Philippines began to address the issue of climate change in its thrust to
achieve sustainable development with the formulation of the Philippine Strategy for
Sustainable Development. As a result, the country officially adopted the Philippine
Agenda 21 which serves asthe nation's blueprint for sustainable development.  During
the same year, government agencies and the Philippine Network on Climate Change
were convened to create the Inter-Agency Committee on Climate Change (IACCC) led by
the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR). The Committee aimed at harnessing and synergizing the various
activities undertaken by the national government and civil society in response to the
crisis posed by growing problem on climate change.
The Philippine commitment to address global environmental issues was further
manifested by its support to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) ratified on August 2, 1994 and the Kyoto Protocol, which was ratified
on November 20, 2003. As a signatory to the UNFCCC, the Philippines expressed
adherence to the principles of sustainable development and environmental preservation
based on the notion of equity and the unique capabilities of the participating countries.
Article 3 of the Convention states that states who have aligned themselves with the
mandates set forth “should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and
future generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their
common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.” In 2000, the
Philippines forwarded to the UNFCCC its Initial National Communication which
enumerated the accomplishments of the country in meeting the objectives of the
Convention. The report presented the gains made in the fields of greenhouse gas
abatement and inventory. Also noted were significant achievements in strengthening
institutions and processes in relation to the mitigation, prevention and adaptation
initiatives in the country. Further, in adherence to the Kyoto Protocol, the Philippines
adopted the Clean Development Mechanism.  
Also, the Philippines passed and implemented national measures that advance the
international community’s agenda pertaining to environmental preservation. Some of the
major legislations enacted were R.A. 8749 (Clean Air Act of 1999) that moves for an
effective air quality management program that will mitigate the worsening problem of air
pollution in the country,  R.A. 8435 (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of
1997) that establishes that the Department of Agriculture together with other
appropriate agencies, should into account climate change, weather disturbances and
annual productivity cycles in order to forecast and formulate appropriate agricultural and
fisheries programs, R.A. 9003 (Solid Waste Management Act of 2000) that aimed at
providing a comprehensive solution to the country’s garbage problem and R.A. 9275
(Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004) that moves for a comprehensive water quality
management scheme.

In 2007, Administrative Order 171 was issued to create a Presidential Task Force on
Climate Change (PTFCC). The task force is mandated to address and mitigate the impact
of climate change in the Philippines, paying special attention to adaptation, mitigation
and technological solutions. In particular, the task force focuses on improving
compliance to air emission standards and acts to combat deforestation and
environmental degradation.

More recently, R.A. 9729 (Climate Change Act of 2009) which aims to systematically

integrate the concept of climate change in the policy formulation and development plans
of all government agencies and units, to the end that the government will be prepared
for the impact of climate change was enacted also creating the Philippine Climate
Change Commission (PCCC).

The PCCC, an independent and autonomous body attached to the Office of the President,
shall be the sole policy making body of the government to coordinate, monitor and
evaluate the programs and action plans relating to climate change. The PCCC has
drafted the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change 2010-2022 which is
committed towards ensuring and strengthening the adaptation of our natural ecosystems
and human communities to climate change.

Source: https://www.pcw.gov.ph/focus-areas/environment/climate-change/initiatives.
Philippines central government
on solving plastic trash problem:
‘We’ve done all we can’
Claiming it has done all it can to stop plastic waste from
choking the oceans, the country’s central government
pushed the responsibility of solving the problem to local
governments and the people.

Single-use consumer product packaging comprised the bulk of the waste

collected during the garbage audit at Freedom Island in Metro Manila last
year. Image: Greenpeace.

By Bong Sarmiento, Mongabay.com

Friday 12 October 2018

Freedom Island is drowning in garbage. The last coastal frontier in

the Philippine capital provides refuge to migratory birds and a thick
mangrove forest there serves as a natural typhoon barrier for
millions of city dwellers. Yet empty plastic water and soda bottles
protrude from the sand, tattered clothes and plastic sheets hang
over mangrove branches, and heaps of shampoo, toothpaste and soy
sauce sachets litter the coastline.

The trash offers a filthy contrast to the tantalising sunsets Manila

Bay is famous for. It also illustrates strikingly the enormity of the
garbage problem facing this developing nation of more than 100
million people. An archipelago of over 7,100 islands, the Philippines
is the third worst ocean plastic polluter in the world, after China
and Indonesia, according to a 2015 study in the journal Science.
Globally, plastic pollution, especially of the ocean, is drawing
increased attention as mounting research reveals the danger it
poses to lifeforms across the food web.

The Philippines generates an estimated 43,684 tons of garbage

daily, including 4,609 tons of plastic waste, according to
government data, and proper disposal facilities are lacking for much
of it. The trash is piling up on land, clogging coastlines, spilling into
the sea, and travelling to remote corners of the globe as the country
fails to meet targets for improved waste management that it signed
into law 18 years ago.

The central government claims it’s done all it can, and that the onus
is on local governments to get their trash in order and on the
Philippine people to dispose of their garbage more responsibly. But
environmental advocates disagree, saying the government could do
more, including pressuring multinational corporations to change
their products.

Metro Manila’s trash problem

Freedom Island, a patch of mangrove forest and salt marsh
spanning 30 hectares (74 acres) in Metro Manila, forms part of the
175-hectare (432-acre) Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and
Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA). A briefer for the area describes it as
an “important resting and refueling stop” for about 41 migratory
bird species, including the Chinese egret (Egretta eulophotes),
black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus), and Siberian
rubythroat (Calliope calliope).

All the garbage swept ashore by the waves at Freedom Island

threatens not only the birds, who might mistake it for food, but also
the fish and other marine life.

During the summer monsoon, LPPCHEA employees collect a daily

average of 500 sacks of garbage from the island’s 4-kilometer (2.5-
mile) coastline, according to Ronnie Cafe, one of the garbage
collectors. Most of it is non-recyclable and non-reusable, he said,
and a lot of it is single-use sachets that once contained shampoo,
vinegar, soy sauce or other consumables.

“Most of the wastes piling up here are coming from the households
living along the riverbanks,” Cafe said. “They lacked the discipline
for wantonly dumping their garbage at the river.”

The situation, he said, is “disheartening.” Fishermen are catching

less nowadays due to the coastal filth, he added. Indeed, the island’s
air reeks of decaying fish.
For the nearly 13 million residents of Metro Manila, garbage has
become a major headache, second only to the horrendous traffic.
The metropolis generates almost 10,000 tons of garbage daily,
according to data from the Solid Waste Management Division
(SWMD), part of the national Department of Environment and
Natural Resources.

“It’s really a big daily challenge, how to manage that volume of

garbage,” said Juvinia Serafin, a senior environment specialist at
SWMD. The problem arises largely from poor segregation of
reusable, recyclable and compostable waste by households,
compounded by inefficient waste collection by the metropolis’s 17
local government units (LGUs), she said.

At the rate Metro Manila is generating trash, the city’s three

sanitary landfills will be full in 20 years, according to a study
released last year by the Metropolitan Manila Development
Authority, a policymaking and regulatory body.

Strong law, weak implementation

In fact, the Philippines has quite a strong law addressing solid

waste. Republic Act 9003, also known as RA 9003 or the Ecological
Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, mandates that all open
dumpsites must be converted into sanitary landfills by 2004, four
years after the law was passed.

But 14 years after that deadline, government figures are gloomy.

There are only 139 operational sanitary landfills servicing just 308
of the country’s 1,634 LGUs, and at least 425 illegal dumpsites still
operate across the country.

RA 9003 also mandates that every village or cluster of villages must

set up a materials recovery facility (MRF) where biodegradable
waste is converted into fertilizer, recyclable material is recycled or
sold to junk shops, and residual waste is collected for transport to
sanitary landfills. But as of last year, government data show that
only 24 percent of the country’s 42,036 villages had operational
MRFs.

“We should not wonder why we have a voluminous garbage

problem; the compliance rate for MRF facilities in the villages is
very dismal,” said Serafin.

The failure to meet those targets and comply with RA 9003 arises
from a lack of political will on the part of local leaders as well as a
lack of discipline regarding proper garbage disposal on the part of
the public, according to Eligio Ildefonso, executive director of the
National Solid Waste Management Commission Secretariat, the
government agency tasked with implementing RA 9003.

“We have a very good law in the form of RA 9003 that we can be
proud [of] to the world, but we sorely lack implementation,”
Ildefonso said.

To push erring local leaders to reform, Ildefonso said his agency has
lodged complaints over violations of RA 9003 with the national
ombudsman’s office, an agency that investigates abuses of public
officials and workers. So far it has lodged complaints against 50
LGUs involving 600 mayors, vice mayors and councilors, and is
currently preparing charges against 100 additional LGUs, this time
including village officials.

“If found guilty, these local officials can be disqualified from seeking
public office, besides the usual fines,” Ildefonso said.

The national government claims to be doing all it can to curb the

garbage menace facing the country. Serafin said that in addition to
the usual push to recycle, reuse and reduce, especially when it
comes to plastic products, the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources has trained and deployed over 300 individuals to
capacitate local environment officers across the country to enforce
RA 9003. The government, through its environment department, is
also providing financial assistance to LGUs to build sanitary
landfills to replace their open dumpsites.

But environmental groups say the government could do much more

to curb the country’s garbage problem, especially by pressuring
Western multinational companies to reduce their production of
single-serve plastic packaging that finds its way into Philippine seas
and coastlines.

Advocates particularly blame the companies for pushing the so-

called “sachet economy” in the Philippines. Shampoo, bath soap,
toothpaste, cooking oil, soy sauce, vinegar and many other low-cost
consumer products come in small, single-use plastic packages that
are affordable for the country’s bulk of poor and middle-income
families.

“These big manufacturing companies failed to give an option for

poor consumers,” said Angelica Carballo-Pago, a campaigner for
Greenpeace Southeast Asia based in the Philippines. “What they
offer are single-use plastic products.”

Source: https://www.eco-business.com/news/philippines-central-government-on-solving-
plastic-trash-problem-weve-done-all-we-can/
Philippines 3rd largest contributor
to ocean plastic
Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star)
June 15, 2018 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — An administration lawmaker yesterday revealed

that the Philippines has become the world’s third largest source of plastic
leaking into the ocean and has among the highest trash collection rates in
Southeast Asia.

“Marine pollution arising from plastic debris and other forms of garbage
choking our waterways worsen our environmental problems,” Surigao del
Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said, referring to a report on plastic
pollution by an international environmental group. 

The Philippines’ ranking in terms of plastic trash was sourced from the
2015 report on plastic pollution by Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey
Center for Business and Environment. 

Barbers urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and

other research bodies to tap other nations’ technology for turning plastics
into construction materials for the homeless. 

“I urge the DENR and other research agencies of the government to

reverse the cycle of plastic pollution by working with other countries to
lessen, if not eliminate, its toxic impact on human health and ecology,”
Barbers said.  

He said this plastic pollution has been choking waterways across the
country and worsens disaster, particularly during rainy season.

Meanwhile, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo stressed the need for
emergency powers to address the perennial problem of flooding. 

“The government should speed up the Metro Manila Flood Control

Management Project which is crucial in ending the problem of intense
flooding in Metro Manila during the wet season,” Castelo, chairman of the
House committee on Metro Manila development, said. 

“The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the World Bank already
funded this P25-billion project aimed at making Metro Manila safe from
floods,” he added.

Barbers said a recent waste and brand audit conducted on June 1 showed
that six of 10 leading plastic polluters in six major cities in the Philippines
are multinational brands.

The audit was conducted by Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives and
Mother Earth Foundation in Malabon and Quezon City as well as in
Batangas City, Nueva Vizcaya, Tacloban City and San Fernando in
Pampanga. 

It said that about 79 percent of branded plastic residual wastes came from
food packaging, followed by household and personal care products with 12
and eight percent, respectively.

“The DENR should tap technology from countries that have been
successful in reducing plastic footprint,” Barbers said.

He said Filipinos should continue with garbage segregation to make it

easier to redo, reuse and recycle plastics.

“It is only through our coordinated action that we could help lessen the
impact of plastic pollution on our people and environment,” he said.

Source: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/06/15/1824813/philippines-3rd-largest-
contributor-ocean-plastic