Ge 1 Environmental Science

Course Code: GE Elective 2 Corse Title: Environmental Science Pre-requisite: None Credit: 3 units This course provides basic scientific knowledge and understanding of how our world works from an environmental perspective. Focusing only on the biosphere, the aim of this course is to increase students’ knowledge of the environmental challenges of today because the environment impacts our way of life in many aspects. Adverse impacts to this environment affect the well-being of humans and other living organisms. Therefore, it is essential that students understand the natural environmental systems, physical and social causes of environmental problems and strategies to mitigate or manage these issues. The course further investigates the complexity and fragility of ecosystems and the effects of human activities on them. An examination of the processes that shape the earth and knowing how life-forms interact with the environment allows students to view events from an ecological perspective. Students will study the principles of sustainability and resource management and evaluate various approaches to achieving a more sustainable relationship between the environment, society, and the economy. Finally, an understanding of biological and ecological principles and their application towards environmental challenges should give the student the confidence to be a trustworthy and active citizen, a conscientious steward of nature, and an agent of change for making a healthy, sustainable community and society. Regardless of the students' field of study, as a citizen of both local and global communities, some environmental issues will impact their lives

Module Writer Faculty Information: Name:

EnP. Moises C. Torrentira, Jr., PhD

Email:

[email protected]

Contact Number:

Qualifications:

0998-559-8189

AB Philosophy, Ateneo de Davao University BS in Public Administration, Southway Colleges of Technology Short Course in Readings in Phil. History, UP Diliman Master in Public Administration, Ateneo de Davao University Master in Business Administration, Ateneo de Davao University Master in Environmental Planning, University of Mindanao PhD in Development Administration, University of Southeastern Philippines Licensed Environmental Planner, Licensed Professional Teacher

Course Outline

USeP VMGO Understanding Environment and Environmental Science Timeframe: 1 week Learning Output: Guided Essay Requirement Due: August 14, 2020 Lesson 2 The State of Environment and Natural Resources in the Philippines Timeframe: 1 week Learning Output: Guided Essay Requirement Due: August 21, 2020 Lesson 3 Protected Areas in the Philippines Timeframe: 1 week Learning Output: Enumeration / Mind-dumping activity Requirement Due: August 28, 2020 Lesson 4 Forest Resources of the Philippines Timeframe: 2 weeks Learning Output: Case Analysis Requirement Due: September 11, 2020 Lesson 5 Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation Timeframe: 1 weeks Learning Output: Enumeration / News Clip Analysis Requirement Due: September 25, 2020 Lesson 6 Environmental Impact and Sustainability Timeframe: 2 weeks Learning Output: Case analysis Requirement Due: October 9, 2020 Lesson 7 Management of Solid Waste Timeframe: 3 weeks Learning Output: Infographics analysis Requirement Due: October 30, 2020 Lesson 8 Water Quality Management in the Philippines Timeframe: 2 weeks Learning Output: Essay / Reaction Paper Requirement Due: November 13, 2020 Lesson 9 Clean Air Management Timeframe: 2 weeks Learning Output: Enumeration / Essay / Case Analysis Requirement Due: November 27, 2020 / Dec. 11, 2020 Lesson 10 Climate Change Timeframe: 2 weeks Learning Output: Evaluative Essay Requirement Due: December 18, 2020

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Lesson 1

Torrentira, Moises Jr. C.

Lesson 1: Week 1

Course Module GE Elective: Environmental Science

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Understanding Environment and Environmental Science Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

    

Define environment; Identify environmental systems; Recall the elements of the environment; Recognize environmental science; Describe the issues in the environment.

Environment Explained Environment means the surrounding external conditions influencing development or growth of people, animal or plants; living or working conditions etc. This involves the living objects in general and man in particular and the physical attributes or the sum total of condition such as land, water, and air that support and affect the life in the biosphere.

Environment can be defined as the circumstances or conditions that surround an organism or group of organisms. Alternatively, it can be defined as the combination of social or cultural conditions that affect the individual and the community. Since humans inhabit the natural world along with technological, social and cultural world, together, these constitute important parts of our environment.

The environment is anything around us. It includes energy from the sun and all the living things and the non-living things with which we interact. Despite humankind’s many scientific and technological advances, our lives depend on sunlight and the earth for clean air and water, food, shelter, energy, fertile soil, a livable climate, and other components of planet’s life-support system.

Environmental systems The environment consists of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and the biosphere. The atmosphere implies the protective blanket of gases surrounding the earth. It sustains life on earth and saves it from the hostile environment of outer space due to the sun’s electromagnetic radiation. The atmosphere is composed of nitrogen and oxygen besides, argon, carbon dioxide, and trace gases. The hydrosphere comprises all types of

water resources such as oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, streams, reservoir, polar icecaps, glaciers, and ground water. The lithosphere is the outer mantle of the solid earth. It consists of minerals occurring in the earth’s crusts and the soil e.g. minerals, organic matter, air and water. Finally, the biosphere indicates the realm of living organisms and their interactions with environment. This is where life is found and thrive.

Elements of the Environment Environment is constituted by the interacting systems of physical, biological and cultural elements inter-related in various ways, individually as well as collectively.

Physical elements are landforms, water bodies, climate soils, rocks and minerals. They determine the variable character of the human habitat, its opportunities as well as limitations.

Biological elements such as plants, animals, microorganisms and men constitute the biosphere. Cultural elements such as economic, social and political elements are essentially man-made features, which make cultural milieu.

What is environmental science? Awareness in the field of environmental sciences is becoming a global talk. People worldwide are realizing its importance as they are able to smell a polluted tomorrow. Careful handling of todays’ environment would only serve as a legacy for tomorrows’ generation. Hence, we need to be judicious in exploiting our resources optimally. To ensure a sustainable development we need to know something about how our environment works. Environment can be defined as the set of conditions that surround an organism or the complex of socio cultural condition that affect an individual. Environmental Science is the systematic, scientific study of the environment in combination with living organisms.

Environmental science is a study of connections in the natural environment. It is an interdisciplinary study of how earth works and has survived and thrived, how humans interact with the environment, and how humans can live more sustainably.

Environmental science is concerned with changes wrought by human activities, and their immediate and long-term implications for the welfare of living organisms, including humans. Environmental science acquires political overtones and leads to controversy. If it suggests that a particular activity is harmful, then modification of that activity may require national legislation or an international treaty and, almost certainly, there will be an economic price that not everyone will have to pay or pay equally. We may all be environmental winners in the long term, but in the short term there will be financial losers and, not surprisingly, they will complain.

Environmental science exists most obviously as a body of knowledge in its own right when a team of specialists assembles to address a particular issue. The comprehensive study of an important estuary, for example, involves mapping the solid geology of the

underlying rock, identifying the overlying sediment, measuring the flow and movement of water and the sediment it carries, tracing coastal currents and tidal flows, analyzing the chemical composition of the water and monitoring changes in its distribution and temperature at different times and in different parts of the estuary, sampling and recording the species living in and adjacent to the estuary and measuring their productivity.

The science of environment studies is a multi-disciplinary science because it comprises various branches of studies like chemistry, physics, medical science, life science, agriculture, public health, sanitary engineering etc. It is the science of physical phenomena in the environment. It studies of the sources, reactions, transport, effect and fate of physical a biological species in the air, water and soil and the effect of from human activity upon these.

Issues in the Environment The following are some of the pressing issues concerning the environment today. They are issues that have local, national, and international importance.

Rapid population growth. Human populations have grown at an alarming rates in this century, from 2.5 billion in 1950 to 7.8 billion as of March 2020. Unless birth rates are balanced with the death rates, it may reach 10-11 billion by 2050 and 14 billion by 2100. Most of the growth is in developing countries where resources and services are already strained by present populations. A population of over thousands of millions is growing at 2.11 per cent every year. Over 17 million people are added each year. It puts considerable pressure on its natural resources and reduces the gains of development. Hence, the greatest challenge is to limit the population growth. Although population control does automatically lead to development, yet the development leads to a decrease in population growth rates.

Poverty. The poverty and environmental degradation have a connection between them. The vast majority of people are directly dependent on the natural resources basic needs such as food, fuel shelter and fodder. Many people are still below the poverty line. Environment degradation has adversely affected the poor who depend upon the resources of their immediate surroundings. Thus, the challenge of poverty and the challenge environment degradation are two facets of the same challenge. The population growth is essentially a function of poverty.

Food shortage and famines. These are too familiar in many places and may increase in frequency and severity if population growth, soil erosion, and nutrient depletion continue at the same rate in the future as they had in the past. Food security often is linked to poverty, democracy, and equitable distribution than it does with the amount of food available.

Agricultural Growth. People must be acquainted with the methods to sustain and increase agricultural growth without damaging the environment. High yielding varieties have caused soil salinity and damage to physical structure of soil. Unfortunately, mono-cropping type of farming has posed serious damage to the environment by converting forests into

huge plantations, polluting the water bodies surrounding them, and loss of biodiversity. Some agricultural practices such as the use of toxic and hazardous chemicals in for fertilization and pest and weed control create impacts on the quality of air and water.

Need to Ground water. It is essential of rationalizing the use of groundwater. Factors like community wastes, industrial effluents and chemical fertilizers and pesticides have polluted our surface water and affected quality of the groundwater. It is essential to restore the water quality of our rivers and other water bodies as lakes is an important challenge. It so finding our suitable strategies for consecration of water, provision of safe drinking water and keeping water bodies clean which are difficult challenges is essential.

Degradation of Land. Worldwide record of degradation of the condition of land has been noted due to excessive and conventional farming, mining and quarrying, pollution, infrastructure development, urban sprawl, and many others. Land degradation affects people and ecosystems throughout the planet and is both affected by climate change and contributes to it.

Reduction of Genetic Diversity. Proper measures to conserve genetic diversity need to be taken. At present most wild genetic stocks have been disappearing from nature. Wilding including the Asiatic Lion are facing problem of loss of genetic diversity. The protected areas network like sanctuaries, national parks, biosphere reserves are isolating populations. So, they are decreasing changes of one group breeding with another. Remedial steps are to be taken to check decreasing genetic diversity.

Consequences of Urbanization. Nearly 27 per cent Indians live in urban areas. Urbanization and industrialization has given birth to a great number of environmental problem that need urgent attention. Over 30 percent of urban Indians live in slums. Out of India’s 3,245 towns and cities, only 21 have partial or full sewerage and treatment facilities. Hence, coping with rapid urbanization is a major challenge.

Water shortage. Water deficits and contamination of existing water supplies are threatening the environment in the future for agricultural production as well as domestic and industrial uses. Many countries already have serious water shortages and more than one billion people lack access to clean water and proper sanitation. This may lead to violent conflicts over control of natural resources. Majority of our industrial plants are using outdated and population technologies and makeshift facilities devoid of any provision of treating their wastes. A great number of cities and industrial areas that have been identified as the worst in terms of air and water pollution. Acts are enforced in the country, but their implement is not so easy. The reason is their implementation needs great resources, technical expertise, political and social will. Again the people are to be made aware of these rules. Their support is indispensable to implement these rules.

Depletion of non-renewable fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are rapidly depleting due to their overutilization by the growing population along with growth in industrialization all over the world. Their use is leading to air pollution and damage to the environment. Cleaner renewable energy resources like solar, wind, thermal, and biomass together with

conservation may replace environmentally destructive energy sources if appropriate technologies are applied.

Deforestation and threat to biodiversity. Deforestation of tropical forests, coral reefs, wetlands and other biologically rich landscapes is causing an alarming loss of species and a reduction of biological variety and abundance that could severely limit our future options. Many rare and endangered species are threatened directly or indirectly by human activities like agriculture, building of dams, factories, highways, mining operations and many others.

Improper disposal of solid and hazardous wastes. Mountains of solid and hazardous wastes are becoming an overwhelming problem throughout the world. We produce millions of tons of these hazardous materials annually and much of it is disposed of in dangerous and irresponsible ways.

References: Allaby, M. (2000). Basics of environmental science. Routledge. New York, NY. Gadi, R., Rattan, S., and Mohapatra, S. (2016). Textbook of environmental studies. S.K. Kataria & Sons. New Delhi, India. Miller. G.T. and Spoolman, S. (2019). Environmental Science. 16 th Ed. Cengage. Boston, MA. Olsson, L . and Barbosa, H. (2019). Chapter 4: Land Degrdation. IPCC SRCCL. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2019/08/2e.-Chapter-4_FINAL.pdf Singh, Y.K (2006). Environmental science. New Age International, Limited Publishers. New Delhi, India.

Learning Activity:

Look around you. What issues in the environment can you find? Enumerate them. Who are responsible for these environmental issues you see? How do you think these issues should be addressed?

Lesson 2: Week 2

The State of Environment and Natural Resources in the Philippines Learning Objectives

By the end of the introduction, the student will be able to:

   

Define environmental resource; Recall the various classification of environmental resources in the Philippines; Appraise the status of each classification of environmental resources in the Philippines; Identify the threats to environmental resources.

What is the state of the Philippine environment, and what are the links between environment and development in the Philippine setting? In the report of Coxhead and Jayasuriya (2002), the environment can only be discussed meaningfully in terms of its component parts. As identified in official Philippine documents, these include natural resource stocks such as forests, minerals, water, biodiversity, and soils, as well as air and water quality in specific locations and at specific times. Since these categories are sometimes difficult to identify separately, it is convenient to group them as a set of ecosystems—forest and uplands, lowland agriculture, urban-industrial, coastal/marine, and freshwater.

Conversely, the Philippine environment and natural resource sector is generally classified as comprising five major interlinked, and sometimes overlapping, ecosystems. These are the forest and uplands ecosystem, the agricultural/cropland ecosystem, the freshwater ecosystem, the coastal and marine ecosystem and the urban ecosystem. All these are being altered by either natural or man-made forces. The Philippines is home to 5% of the world’s flora species, 6% of its birds, and 4% of its mammals while 67% of the species in the major groups of animals and plants are not found anywhere else in the world. The country’s coral reefs are second only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in terms of the diversity of coral and fish species, and it has the second highest number of seagrass species in the world. However, each of these ecosystems faces significant, often severe, problems of environmental degradation, both from the depletion of resource stocks and from the production of polluting emissions.

Forests and Uplands The forest and upland ecosystem covers around 45% of total land area, and its resources directly support about 30% of the population, including some of the poorest in the country. It is experiencing severe pressure of a variety of kinds, the most prominent of which is rapid deforestation. Deforestation reduces biodiversity through its destructive impact on plant and animal habitats, alters the hydrological properties of soils, and adversely affects watershed functions. Further, a large proportion of the uplands have steep slopes which, once cleared of their permanent cover, are prone to severe land degradation, particularly soil erosion, unless adequate conservation measures are implemented.

Estimates of actual forested area and rates of deforestation vary, reflecting different definitions as well as severe data deficiencies, but there is general agreement that continuing rapid tree cutting has greatly shrunk the area of forested land in recent decades. According to a study, between 1900 and 1950, national forest cover fell from around 70% of total land to 50%, and by the end of the 1980s had fallen further to less than 25%. With deforestation proceeding at an average annual rate of 2.9% even according to Philippine government sources, by the late 1990s forest cover was less than 19%.

The two main causes of deforestation are land clearance for agriculture and commercial exploitation of forests for logs, lumber, fuel (including charcoal), and pulp-wood. The relative importance of these two activities is a matter of dispute, but commercial logging, both legal and illegal, appears to bear primary responsibility for the depletion of old-growth dipterocarp forests containing valuable timber, with conversion to agricultural uses accounting for much of the deforestation of degraded, secondary or residual forest lands.

Deforestation and the associated conversion of upland land to agriculture degrades the hydrological functions of watersheds. Annual fluctuations in stream flow are exaggerated in watersheds where water retention capacity has been lost along with forest cover and biomass, making such systems more prone to the effects of drought and flash flooding. Deforestation and the conversion of land to agriculture exacerbates soil erosion. Shifting cultivation (kaingin) systems traditionally practiced by indigenous upland communities were environmentally sustainable in the past, but increased population pressure in uplands has reduced fallow periods, and the more intensive farming practices of new immigrants to uplands are more land degrading.

Agriculture and Croplands Agriculture remains the single largest sector and employer in the Philippine economy. Well over half the population depends either directly or indirectly on income generated through agricultural production. Although investment in irrigation and episodes of technical progress have increased the productivity of some land and the yields of some crops, Philippine agriculture has experienced relatively low overall rates of productivity growth. Cereal and root crop yields and rates of fertilizer use are among the lowest in tropical Asia.

Whereas expansion of agricultural land area was almost certainly an appropriate strategy in earlier decades when land was abundant, in the final quarter of the twentieth century the conversion of forests and upper watershed areas to agriculture became a significant source of environmental problems. Recent evidence on long-term trends in the productivity of low-lands is equally disturbing. Staple grains, mainly rice and corn, account for most agricultural land use in developing countries. Intensive monoculture of any of these crops is known to be associated with a long-term decline in land productivity, a phenomenon sometimes disguised in recent years by technological progress. Moreover, the productivity of lowland cropland is directly dependent on the quality of irrigation services. Deforestation and the degradation of watersheds and hydrological systems have clearly diminished the quality of irrigation services in many parts of the country.

Coastal and Marine Ecosystems The Philippines has 7,107 islands and a total coastline of 17,460 kilometers; its marine territorial waters cover nearly 2 million square kilometers of oceanic waters and 266,000 square kilometers of coastal waters. The coastal and marine ecosystems are clearly major components of the country’s environmental resources, performing critical ecological functions and providing important resources such as mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass beds that nurture a rich variety of fish and other aquatic life, while also providing facilities for recreation and tourism like in Siargao Island. These environmental resources are unique in many ways and, being major repositories of biodiversity, have international significance in terms of their importance in the global ecology. As with the Philippines’ other environmental resources, these too have been significantly degraded. With more than half of the population residing in coastal areas, and most of the big cities located near the coast, these areas are subject to most of the environmental pressures emanating from population growth and the full range of human activities.

The most tangible and direct economic impact of environmental degradation of marine ecosystems is reflected in the depletion of fish stocks due primarily to over-fishing, often using destructive methods such as bottom trawling, explosives, and harmful chemicals, the destruction of mangrove areas and corals, and the pollution of coastal waterways. But fish production levels have been maintained and even increased through greater fishing effort, further diminishing fish reproductive capacity. Mangrove swamps play a key role in the coastal ecosystems, forming the foundation of the coastal fisheries food chain and the breeding ground and nursery for many varieties of fish and crustaceans. They also provide timber, charcoal, and other types of wood for coastal households.

Urban Systems Rapid population growth and urbanization have contributed to urban population growth rates far in excess of the national average, and higher than in most major Asian economies, in recent decades. Industrial growth has also been highly concentrated in and around urban areas. Urban pollution thus consists both of industrial effluents (emissions into air and water, as well as solid waste) and post-consumer effluents (vehicle emissions, sewage, and solid waste). As a consequence, air and water pollution problems are most acute in urban regions and especially in Metro Manila, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao which has the largest concentration of population and industry.

Freshwater Systems The freshwater ecosystem, comprising 384 major river systems and 54 lakes and covering an area of about 569,600 hectares, faces severe problems through pollution and watershed degradation. Many of the major rivers and lakes, particularly those passing through or close to urban centers, are heavily polluted. The main river systems in Metro Manila are biologically dead (particularly the Pasig

River), and siltation and chemical residues are a serious problem for major lakes, including Laguna Lake, Lake Danao, Lake Lanao, and Lake Leonard. Urban water pollution is caused primarily by the inappropriate disposal of household waste. Much is also contributed by industrial enterprises, the majority of which do not comply with existing water pollution standards. As mentioned earlier, inadequate sewage and other failings of waste disposal systems lead to much illegal dumping; a considerable proportion of daily household waste ends up in waterways. Elsewhere, with few river or lake system management systems in place and little effective control over effluent discharges or runoff, agricultural chemical residues and, in some locations, effluents from mining operations also contribute to the build-up of pollution.

Costs of Environmental Degradation The foregoing review, though brief and necessarily somewhat cursory, vividly illustrates the scope and severity of the challenges that human interventions now pose to the integrity of Philippine ecosystems. The postwar growth of the population and economy has been associated with decades of damage, both transitory and permanent, to these ecosystems and their component parts. In many cases the losses can-not easily be aggregated or even calculated, let alone valued. Nonetheless it is undeniable that environmental degradation has imposed costs on the Philippine economy, and it is conceivable that these have been quite large in relation to total income. Reference:

Coxhead, I. & Jayasuriya, S. (2003). Development strategy, poverty and deforestation in the Philippines. Staff Paper Series—Agricultural and Applied Economics. Staff Paper No. 456

Learning Activity:

Guide Questions:

1. What are some of the causes of degradation of natural resources? 2. What do you think would be the effect of degradation of natural resources to the economy? 3. How should we address this problem?

Lesson 3: Week 3

Protected Areas in the Philippines Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

• • •

Identify the protected areas in the Philippines; Summarize the classification of protected areas in the Philippines; Discuss the existing policies to preserve the protected areas.

INTRODUCTION The Philippines has always been considered as one of the major biodiversity hotspots in the world. For while it boasts of one of the highest levels of diversity and endemicity of life forms and some of the most unique habitats in the world, it is also home to some of the planet’s critically endangered species of wildlife, such as the Philippine eagle, one of the most magnificent raptors in the world and our country’s symbol of biodiversity conservation (Senga, R. 2001). These forests, however, face serious threats from social and economic development (Aguda, R.B., 2002). In the last several decades, our forests have been in steady decline. From the original forest cover of 27 million hectares, only 7.2 million hectares remain (Manila Times, 2016). Due to this, although the country has many endemic species, some of these life forms are critically endangered such as the infamous Philippine eagle, Philippine crocodile, etc. (Owlcation, 2018).

To conserve the environment and protect the country’s biodiversity, efforts were made to ratify the constitution and to formulate new laws to prevent environmental degradation (Viña et al., 2010). In 1987, the Philippine Strategy for Sustainable Development was drafted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) with the aim of achieving sustainable development. To attain this goal, the integrated protected areas system was formulated (Philippine Government, 1989). This advocacy received funding from different international organizations and later on, a bill regarding protected areas was presented to the Congress in 1991. In 1992, this bill was signed into law by President Aquino as the NIPAS Act. Primarily, the act aims to secure for the Filipino people of present and future generations the perpetual existence of all native plants and animals through the establishment of a comprehensive system of integrated protected areas within the classification of national park as provided for in the Constitution.

What is national integrated areas system? This refers to the classification and administration of all designated protected areas to maintain essential ecological processes and life-support systems, to preserve genetic diversity, to ensure sustainable use of resources found therein, and to maintain their natural conditions to the greatest extent possible. Protected areas are categorized into strict nature reserve, natural park, natural monument, wildlife sanctuary, protected landscapes and seascapes, resource reserve, natural biotic areas, and other categories established by law, conventions or international agreements which the Philippine Government is signatory. Buffer zones are defined as outside the boundaries of and immediately adjacent to designated protected areas. These areas, managed by Protected Area Management Bureau (PAMB), serve as a social fence and source of income for local communities near the protected areas (PA) in order to minimize or prevent harm to the PAs.

Strict nature reserve is an area possessing some outstanding ecosystem, features and/or species of flora and fauna of national scientific importance maintained to protect nature and maintain processes in an undisturbed state in order to have ecologically representative examples of the natural environment available for scientific study, environmental monitoring, education, and for the maintenance of genetic resources in a dynamic and evolutionary state.

National park refers to a forest reservation essentially of natural wilderness character which has been withdrawn from settlement, occupancy or any form of exploitation except in conformity with approved management plan and set aside as such exclusively to conserve the area or preserve the scenery, the natural and historic objects, wild animals and plants therein and to provide enjoyment of these features in such areas;

Natural monument is a relatively small area focused on protection of small features to protect or preserve nationally significant natural features on account of their special interest or unique characteristics;

Wildlife sanctuary comprises an area which assures the natural conditions necessary to protect nationally significant species, groups of species, biotic communities or physical features of the environment where these may require specific human manipulations for their perpetuation.

Protected landscapes/seascapes are areas of national significance which are characterized by the harmonious interaction of man and land while providing opportunities for public enjoyment through the recreation and tourism within the normal lifestyle and economic activity of these areas;

Resource reserve is an extensive and relatively isolated and uninhabited area normally with difficult access designated as such to protect natural resources of the area for future use and prevent or contain development activities that could affect the resource pending the establishment of objectives which are based upon appropriate knowledge and planning.

Natural biotic area is an area set aside to allow the way of life of societies living in harmony with the environment to adapt to modern technology at their pace.

Other categories established by law, conventions or international agreements which the Philippine Government is a signatory.

Prohibited Acts within Protected Areas Except as may be allowed by the nature of their categories and pursuant to rules and regulations governing the same, the following acts are prohibited within protected areas:

a. Hunting, destroying, disturbing, or mere possession of any plants or animals or products derived therefrom without a permit from the Management Board; b. Dumping of any waste products detrimental to the protected area, or to the plants and animals or inhabitants therein; c.

Use of any motorized equipment without a permit from the Management Board;

d.

Mutilating, defacing or destroying objects of natural beauty, or objects of interest to cultural communities (of scenic value);

e.

Damaging and leaving roads and trails in a damaged condition;

f.

Squatting, mineral locating, or otherwise occupying any land;

g. Constructing or maintaining any kind of structure, fence or enclosures, conducting any business enterprise without a permit; h.

Leaving in exposed or unsanitary conditions refuse or debris, or depositing in ground or in bodies of water; and

i.

Altering, removing destroying or defacing boundary marks or signs.

Penalties Whoever violates this Act or any rules and regulations issued by the Department pursuant to this Act or whoever is found guilty by a competent court of justice of any of the offenses in the preceding section shall be fined in the amount of not less than Five thousand pesos (P5,000) nor more than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000), exclusive of the value of the thing damaged or imprisonment for not less than one (1) year but not more than six (6) years, or both, as determined by the court: Provided, that, if the area requires rehabilitation or restoration as determined by the court, the offender shall be required to restore or compensate for the restoration to the damages: Provided,

further, that court shall order the eviction of the offender from the land and the forfeiture in favor of the Government

of all minerals, timber or any species collected or removed including all equipment, devices and firearms used in connection therewith, and any construction or improvement made thereon by the offender. If the offender is an association or corporation, the president or manager shall be directly responsible for the act of his employees and laborers: Provided, finally, that the DENR may impose administrative fines and penalties consistent with this Act.

PROTECTED AREAS IN THE PHILIPPINES Based on DENR report, as of January 31, 2012, there are two hundred forty (240) protected areas in the Philippines including the initial components of NIPAS. Of the 240, one hundred thirteen 113 protected areas formally proclaimed by the President under the System covering 3.57 million hectares. Seventy (71) out of the 113 are initial components with an area of 2.00 million hectares and forty-two (42) additional areas with an area of 1.57 million hectares. Of the 113 proclaimed protected areas, 29 are marine protected areas with a total area of 1.37 million hectares while 84 are terrestrial protected areas covering an area of 2.20 million hectares. Recently President Rodrigo Duterte signed a Republic Act 11038, The E-NIPAS Act of 2018, into law, which adopts strong amendatory measure to NIPAS Act to strengthens protection and adds more 100 legislated protected areas in the Philippine, including the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve.

CONCLUSION The NIPAS Act serves as a legal basis to conserve biodiversity in the country in pursuit of sustainable development through managing selected protected areas (Aquino, A. 2014) and with the advent of ENIPAS may it enhance the conservation efforts undertaken of our unique but vastly threatened biodiversity and ecosystems including marine habitats. As the ‘center of the center’ of marine biodiversity in the world, its high time that our biologically significant protected areas be given the highest priority and protection they deserved, to ensure our national treasures continue to sustain the current and future generations of Filipinos (Oceana, 2018).

References: Aguda, R.B. (2002). Conservation, utilization and management of forest genetic resources in the Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/ac648e09.htm#bm9 Aquino, A. (2014). RA 7586: Protected Areas System in the Philippines. Retrieved from http://ap.fftc.agnet.org/ap_db.php?id=285&print=1#_ftn2 DENR (2012). Establishment and management of National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS).Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20120417205824/ http://www.pawb.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=120%3 Aestablishing-and-managing-protected-areas&catid=58%3Aprotected-area- management

DENR (2015). Guidebook to Protected Areas of the Philippines. Retrieved from http://host.javanielsen.dk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/PA-Guidebook-Final.pdf Owlcation (2018). Top critically endangered Animals in the Philippines. Retrieved from https://owlcation.com/stem/The-Top-Ten-Critically-Endangered-Animals-in-the- Philippines Republic Act No. 11038 (2018). An act declaring protected areas and providing for their management, amending for this purpose Republic Act No. 7586, Otherwise known as the “National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) of 1992’’ and for other purposes. Retrieved from https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2018/06jun/20180622-RA-11038- RRD.pdf Republic Act No.7586: An Act Providing for the establishment and management of National Integrated Protected Areas System, Defining its scope and coverage, and for other purposes. Retrieved from https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1992/06/01/republic-act- no-7586/ Senga, R. (2001). Establishing Protected Areas in the Philippines: emerging trends, challenges and prospects. Protected Areas in East Asia. 18(2). Retrieved from http://www.georgewright.org/182senga.pdf The

Manila

Times (2016). The essense of NIPAS Act. Retrieved from https://www.manilatimes.net/2016/02/01/lifestyle-entertainment/lifetimes/the- essence-of-nipas-act/242531/

What is the NIPAS Act? Inside Filipino Eden: Highlighting Philippines Major Environmental Laws and Biodiversity. Retrieved from https://www.insidefilipinoeden.com/nipasact

Learning Activity:

Instruction: Provide as many examples or names of protected areas that you know or you have searched using the template below:

Protected Area Strict nature reserve National park Natural monument Wildlife sanctuary Protected landscapes/seascapes Resource reserve Natural biotic area

Example

Lesson 4: Week 4-5

Forest Resources of the Philippines Learning Objectives:

By the end of this lesson, he student will be able to:

  

Familiarize the forestry resources available in the Philippines; Appraise some of the initiatives to protect the forest resources; Evaluate the importance of forestland protection.

Quick facts about the current state of Philippine Forests As of December 2015, about one-fourth of the Philippines’ 30,000,000-hectare territory is forested 7,014,154 hectares;

In December 1990, forest lands comprised about 15.9 Million hectares or 53% of the total land area of the country. In a span of 25 years we wiped out our forest cover by 56% or roughly 9 million hectares or 355,433.84 hectares per year);

Region 2 (Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, Quirino) has the largest cover in the country covering 1, 050, 963 hectares while the smallest area is NCR (Metro Manila) covering only 2, 106 hectares (Region 11 ranks 5th with 400,613 hectares following Region 8 (511,962);

The country has 147 Proclaimed Watershed Forest Reserve in 2018. Region 3 tops with 27 proclaimed protected area, Region 11 has 4 proclaimed Watershed Forest Reserve (WFR) including Andap WFR of New Bataan, Bagangga WFR of Bagangga Davao Oriental, Malagos WFR of Davao City and Mati Watershed WFR of Mati Davao Oriental;

In 2015 the Food and Agriculture Organization ranked the Philippines as the 5 th worldwide in the greatest forest area regain from 2010 to 2015;

Source: Philippine Forest Statistics, 2018

CLASSIFICATION AND SURVEYS Classification. Section 13 of PD 705 states that the DENR Secretary shall determine which of the unclassified lands of the public domain are needed for forest purposes and declare them as permanent forest to form part of the forest reserves. He shall declare those classified and determined not to be needed for forest purposes as alienable and disposable lands, the administrative jurisdiction and management of which shall be transferred to the Land Management Bureau.

It is also stated that mangrove and other swamps not needed for shore protection and suitable for fishpond purposes shall be released to, and be placed under the administrative jurisdiction and management of, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Those still to be classified under the Present system shall continue to remain as part of the public forest.

Section 14 of PD 705 likewise states that forest lands which are not reservations and which are the subject of pasture leases shall be classified as grazing lands and areas covered by pasture permits shall remain forest lands until otherwise classified under the criteria, guidelines and methods of classification to be prescribed by the DENR.

Concept of Forests and Forest Lands. Public forests or forests reserves are not capable of private appropriation. A forested area classified as forest land of the public domain does not lose such classification simply because loggers or settlers may have stripped it of its forest cover. All lands that were not acquired from the government, either by purchase or by grant, belong to the public domain. An exception to the rule would be any land that should have been in the possession of an occupant and of his predecessors in- interests since time immemorial, for such possession would justify the presumption that the land had never been part of the public domain or that it had been a private property even before the Spanish conquest.

Topography. Section 15 of PD 705 states that no land of the public domain 18% in slope or over shall be classified as alienable and disposable nor any forest land 50% in slope or over as grazing land. Lands 18% in slope or over which have already been declared as alienable and disposable shall be reverted to the classification of forest lands by the DENR Secretary, to form part of the forest reserves.

Exception - Unless they were already covered by existing titles or approved public land applications, or actually openly, continuously, adversely and publicly for a period of not less than 30 years as of the effectivity of the Code, where the occupant is qualified for a free patent under Public Land Act.

Areas Needed for Forest Purposes The following lands, even if they are below eighteen per cent (18%) in slope, are needed for forest purposes, and may not, therefore, be classified as alienable and disposable land, to wit:

a) areas less than 250 hectares which are far from, or are not contiguous with, any certified alienable and disposable land, b) isolated patches of forest of at least five (5) hectares with rocky terrain, or which protect a spring for communal use, c) areas which have already been reforested, d) areas within forest concessions which are timbered or have good residual stocking to support an existing, or approved to be established, wood processing plant, e) ridge tops and plateaus regardless of size found within, or surrounded wholly or partly by, forest lands where headwaters emanate, f) appropriately located road-rights-or-way, g.) twenty-meter strips of land along the edge of the normal high waterline of rivers and streams with channels of at least five (5) meters wide, h) strips of mangrove or swamplands at least twenty (20) meters wide, along shorelines facing oceans, lakes, and other bodies of water, and strips of land at least twenty

(20) meters wide facing lakes, i) areas needed for other purposes, such as national parks, national historical sites, game refuges and wildlife sanctuaries, forest station sites, and others of public interest, and j) areas previously proclaimed by the President as forest reserves, national parks, game refuge, bird sanctuaries, national shrines, national historic sites:

In case an area falling under any of the foregoing categories shall have been titled in favor of any person, steps shall be taken, if public interest so requires, to have said title cancelled or amended, or the titled area expropriated. Mangrove swamps or Manglares are within the public forest lands of the Philippines and not subject to private appropriation. Reservations in Forest Lands and Off- Shore Areas The DENR Secretary may reserve and establish any portion of the public forest or forest reserve as site or experimental forest for use of the Forest Research Institute. Off- shore area needed for the preservation and protection of its educational, scientific, historical, ecological and recreational values including the marine life found therein, shall be established as Marine parks.

Multiple use Only the utilization, exploitation, occupation or possession of any forest lands and grazing lands, which will produce the optimum benefits to the development and progress of the country and the public welfare, without impairment or with the least injury to its resources, shall be allowed. No person may utilize, exploit, occupy, possess or conduct any activity within any forest and grazing land, or establish, install, add and operate any wood or forest products processing plant, unless he had been authorized to do under a license agreement, license, lease or permit.

A Timber License is an instrument by which the State regulates the utilization and disposition of forest resources to the end that the public welfare is promoted. A timber

license is not a contract, within the purview of due process clause; it is only a license or a privilege, which can be validly withdrawn whenever dictated by public interest or welfare. The granting of license does not create irrevocable rights; neither is it property or property rights.

Timber The duration of the privilege to harvest timber in any particular forest land under a license agreement or license shall be fixed and determined in accordance with the allowable cut therein, the established cutting cycle thereof, the yield capacity of harvestable timber, and the capacity of healthy residuals for a second growth. The privilege shall automatically terminate, even before the expiration of the license agreement of license, the moment the harvestable timber have been utilized without leaving any logged- over area capable of commercial utilization.

The maximum period of any privilege to harvest timber is 25 years, renewable for not exceeding 25 years, necessary to utilize all the remaining commercial quantity or harvestable timber either from the unlogged or logged- over area. It shall be a condition for the continued privilege to harvest timber under any license agreement that the licensee shall reforest all the areas which shall be determined by the Bureau.

Size of Forest Concessions Forest lands shall not be held in perpetuity. The size of the forest lands which may be the subject of timber utilization shall be limited to that which a person may effectively utilize and develop for a period of 50 years.

Wood Processing / Log Production and Processing Unless otherwise directed by the President, upon recommendation of the Department Head, the entire production of logs by all timber licensees shall, beginning January 1, 1976 be processed locally. Total log export of timber licensees shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the total national allowable cut.

Reforestation: Industrial Tree Plantations, Tree Farms and Agro-forestry Farms A lease for a period of 25 years and renewable for another period not exceeding 25 years, for the establishment of an industrial tree plantation (100 hectares min. area) or a tree farm (10 hectares min. area) may be granted by the DENR to any qualified person qualified to develop and exploit natural resources, over timber or forest lands of the public domain. Section 36 of PD 705 enumerates the incentives granted to Industrial Tree Planting and or tree farming. Including among others (paragraph l) importation ban of wood, wood

products or wood-derived products including pulp, paper and paperboard if the same are available in required quantities and reasonable prices, as may be certified by the DENR from artificial or man-made forests, or local processing plants manufacturing the same. Section 43 of PD 705: Swamplands and Mangrove Forests shall be maintained and shall not be alienated. Therefore, it shall not be subject to clear- cutting operation. Mangrove and other swamps released to the BFAR which are not utilized, or which have been abandoned for 5 years from the date of such release, shall revert to the category of forestland.

Authority of Forest Officers When in the performance of their official duties, forest officers, or other government officials or employees duly authorized by the Secretary or Director, shall have free entry into areas covered by a license agreement, license, lease, or permit.

Mineral Reservations Mineral reservations which are not the subject of mining operations or where operations have been suspended for more than 5 years shall be placed under forest management by the Bureau. Mineral reservations where mining operations have been terminated due to exhaustion of its mineral shall revert to the category of forest land, unless otherwise reserved for other purposes.

Special Uses No forestland 50% in slope or over may be utilized for pasture purposes. The Bureau shall, in the preparation of multiple- use management plans, identify and provide for the protection of scenic areas in all forest lands which are potentially valuable for recreation and tourism, and plan for the development and protection of such areas to attract visitors thereto and meet increasing demands therefor.

What is “Timber”? While the law does not define “timber”, such word should be taken in its ordinary meaning. In the absence of legislative intent to the contrary, words and phrases used in a statute should be given their plain, ordinary and common usage meaning. “Timber” in its common acceptation refers to “wood used for or suitable for building or for carpentry or joinery”. (Sison, 2018)

What are Forest Products?

Forest products means timber, pulpwood, firewood, bark, tree top, resin, gum, wood, oil, honey, beeswax, nipa, rattan, or other forest growth such as grass, shrub, and flowering plant, the associated water, fish, game, scenic, historical, recreational and geologic resources in forest lands.

Unlawful Occupation or Destruction of Forest Lands For any person who enters, occupies, possesses, or makes kaingin for his own private use or for others, any forest land without authority or in any manner destroys such forest land or part thereof, or causes any damage to timber stand and other products and forest growths found therein, the Court shall further order the eviction of the offender from the land and the forfeiture of the government of all improvements made and all vehicles, domestic animals and equipment of any kind used in the commission of the offense.

In case the offender is a government official or employee, he shall, in addition to the above penalties, be deemed automatically dismissed from office and permanently disqualifies from holding any elective or appointive position.

Pasturing Livestock Imprisonment, fine, and confiscation of livestock and all improvement in favor of the government shall be imposed upon any person, without the authority under a lease or permit, graze, or cause to graze livestock in forest lands, grazing lands, and alienable and disposable lands which have not as yet been disposed under CA 141. In case the offender is a corporation, partnership, or association, the officers and directors thereof shall be liable.

Illegal Occupation of National Parks System and Recreation Areas and Vandalism Therein Any person, without permit, occupy for any length of time any portion of the national park system or shall, in any manner, cut, destroy, damage, or remove timber or any species of vegetation of forest cover and other natural resources found therein, or shall mutilate, deface or destroy objects of natural beauty or of scenic value within areas of national parks.

[2] Any person who, without proper permit shall hunt, capture, or kill any kind of bird, fish, or wild animal life within any area of national park system. Survey by Unauthorized Persons Any person who shall, without permit to survey from Director, enter any forest lands, whether covered by a license agreement, lease, license, or permit, or not, and conduct or undertake a survey for whatever purpose.

References: Caballero,

Jeremiah N. PD 705 Revised Forestry Code extracted from https://www.academia.edu/36616843/PD_705_REVISED_FORESTRY_CODE

Domingo, Sonny N. and Manejar, Arvie Joy A., Forest Protection in the Philippines, PIDS. Discussion Paper Series No. 2018-53 Executive

Order No. 277 July 25, 1987 executive/ execord/eo1987/eo_277_1987.html

https://www.lawphil.net/

Philippine Forest Statistics (2018) downloaded from https://forestry.denr.gov.ph/index. php/ statistics/philippines-forestry-statistics Republic Act No. 7161 https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1991/ra_7161_1991.html Sison, C (23008) A Law a day (keeps trouble away), Timber!! https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2008/07/29/75828/timber

Jose

Learning Activity

Case Analysis: In Oposa vs the Honorable Fulgencio S. Factoran, Jr., in his capacity as the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Honorable Eriberto U. Rosario, Presiding Judge of the RTC, Makati, Branch 66, respondents (1993), an action was filed by several minors represented by their parents against the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to cancel existing timber license agreements in the country and to stop issuance of new ones. It was claimed that the resultant deforestation and damage to the environment violated their constitutional rights to a balanced and healthful ecology and to health (Sections 16 and 15, Article II of the Constitution). The petitioners asserted that they represented others of their generation as well as generations yet unborn.

The court stated that the petitioners were able to file a class suit both for others of their generation and for succeeding generations as “the minors' assertion of their right to a sound environment constitutes, at the same time, the performance of their obligation to ensure the protection of that right for the generations to come.” (Extracted from G.R. No. 101083. July 30 1993).

Questions: 1. “Timber License is not a Contract but a mere privilege which does not create irrevocable rights.” What do we mean by this? 2. What do we mean by “rights to a balanced and healthful ecology and to health”? 3. As a young individual, do you think it is right to defend the forests and other natural resources? Why or why not? 4. How do you relate the case to sustainable development?

Lesson 5: Week 6-7

Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation Learning Objectives: By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:    

Recall wildlife resources conservation and protection act; Evaluate the importance of wildlife resources, its conservation and protection; Identify the categories of wildlife resources and how they can be protected; Assess the penalties that will be charged in case of R.A. 9147 violations.

INTRODUCTION The earth is composed of different kinds of living and non-living things. Wildlife resources are among those living things that exist. “Wildlife” is an Anglo-American term which is difficult to translate into other languages. Wildlife, as defined in R.A. 9147, refers to wild forms and varieties/strains of flora and fauna, in all developmental stages, such as but not limited to eggs, pupae, seedlings including those which are in captivity or are being bred or propagated; flora and fauna or those no covered by any legally accepted document stating that same is a product of registered captive-breeding/propagation shall be presumed to be in wild form.

The Philippines is considered one of the 18 mega-biodiverse countries in the world providing shelter to 52,177 species of flora and fauna. This represents 5% of the world’s flora, ranking 5 th in the world in terms of number of plant species. The country houses an estimated 7,620 species of plants of which are endemic (Ambag, 2018). It contains two- thirds of the earth’s biodiversity and between 70% to 80% of the world’s plant and animal species. In terms of the number of plant species, the Philippines ranks fifth while it ranks fourth in bird endemism. It is also said that it maintains 5% of the world’s flora. There is also high incidence of species endemism which can be supported with 25 genera of plants and 49% of terrestrial wildlife. (ERDB-DENR, 2015).

While, the Philippines has a very diverse wildlife, it is also considered to be one of the hotspots in the world because of its 700 threatened species, thus resulting to be one of the top global conservation areas (CBD, 2016). It is said that an area is considered hotspot when it has the least number of species existing, has the least number of species found in an exclusive ecosystem, also if these species face an alarming degree of threat. The reason why the Philippines was considered one of the top hotspots

because 97% of its original vegetation has already been lost and has more critically endangered wildlife than any other country (ERDB-DENR, 2015). It is said that the major reasons of high rate of biodiversity destruction was due to industrialization and commercialization. Furthermore, because of the growing population that needs to be fed, lands were converted from forested lands into agricultural lands.

Based on the convention of biological diversity, a national list of threatened faunal species was generated in 2004. It includes 42 species of land mammals, 127 species of birds and includes 24 species of reptiles and 14 species of amphibians. In terms of fishes, the Philippines counts at least 3,214 species, of which 121 are endemic and 76 threatened. On the other hand, DENR established in 2007 a national list of threatened plant species which classified that 99 species were critically endangered, 187 were endangered, 176 vulnerable as well as 64 other threatened species. (CBD, 2016).

According to the recently-released Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) based in Switzerland, the country’s flora and fauna face a precarious future. Of the 11,406 endangered and extinct plant and animal species documented in 112 countries, 9% or 932 are in the Philippines. As recorded, the country has 387 threatened species, the world’s fourth highest, after the three other Asian countries. (ERDB-DENR, 2015)

Importance of Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Protection of Biodiversity. There is a need to maintain ecological balance thus, wildlife resources conservation and protection will help protect the biodiversity of our ecosystem. Every specie is important and plays a role in the ecosystem. Endangering wildlife has a domino effect to the whole ecosystem and may have negative impact to the environment and ecological balance. Sustainability of Agriculture. Wildlife conservation can significantly help us in food security. In agriculture, crop diversity protects food supplies from vulnerability to diseases. Saving wild plants can be the source for developing biodegradable chemicals like pesticides, etc which helps maintains ecological balance and protect our environment from harmful chemicals brought about by synthetic pesticides and the like. We need to have a paradigm shift from the use of synthetic chemicals to nonsynthetic inputs which are environment friendly. This will lead to a more sustainable agriculture. Motivation for Research. Maintaining biodiversity and ecosystems will cater the need of the humans like medicines. Conducting research on wildlife may develop an additional natural source and could be more efficient initiative than artificial sources. Enhance Eco-tourism. Wildlife conservation and protection will increase awareness of the people on the importance of conserving wildlife and maintaining its habitat. This will also help enhance tourist’s attraction and destination. Wildlife has been an integral part of ecotourism, which has gained considerable growth over the past few decades. Ecotourism has already been a very influential stimulus for the country’s economies.

REPUBLIC ACT 9147 To address the alarming and deteriorating population of wildlife in the Philippines, the government has come up with the Republic Act No. 9147, otherwise known as the wildlife resources and conservation Act. This act was conceptualized and implemented in 2001. It will be the policy of the State to conserve the country’s wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainability. This law is enforceable to all kinds of wildlife species found in the Philippines which include the protected areas which is under Republic Act No. 7586, otherwise known as the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act, and critical habitats. This will also apply to exotic species which are subject to trade, are cultured, maintained and/or bred in captivity or propagated in the country.

CATEGORIES OF WILD LIFE RESOURCES THREATENED SPECIES is a general term to denote species or subspecies considered as critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or other accepted categories of wildlife whose population is at risk of extinction. They are classified as: 1) Critically Endangered Species refer to species or subspecies that is facing extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future. Among country’s critically endangered animals which are in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List are as follows:

a. Philippine Cockatoo – The red-vented cockatoo or kalangay is endemic to the Philippines is considered as critically endangered species.

c. Philippine Flying Lemur – known locally as “kagwang”. Although called a flying lemur, it cannot fly and is not a lemur. Instead, it glides as it leaps among trees.

b. Visayan Wrinkledbilled Hornbill This bird originated in Negros,Panay and Guimaras. It is also known as the Rufous-headed Hornbill. Due to severe deforestation, hunting and poaching this incredible bird species has become extinct in the island of Guimaras.

d. Freshwater

e. Visayan Warty Pig – can only be found on two of the Visayan Islands in the Philippines. It is considered critically endangered species because of it faces unique challenges to their survival in the wild.

g. Mindoro Bleeding Heart – This species has an extremely small, severely fragmented population which is undergoing a continuing decline owing to lowland forest destruction, combined with hunting and trade. With this, reason this species is classified as critically endangered species.

crocodile – considered as the most threatened among all Philippine Reptiles. It is strictly prohibited to trade freshwater crocodiles since its population is estimated at 250 in the wild.

f. Cebu Flowerpecker – It can only be found in Cebu, Philippines. It is considered critically endangered species and was feared to have become extinct in the early 20th century, but was rediscovered in 1992. It is said that existing population is between 85 and 105 individuals.

h. Ilin Island Cloudrunner – This animal is classified as critically endangered species. It is endemic in Ilin Island, Philippines. It emerges from tree hollows at night to feed on fruits and leaves.

2. Endangered species refer to species or subspecies that is not critically endangered but whose survival in the wild is unlikely if the causal factors continue operating. The Philippines ranked 24 th in the list with 38 endangered animals. It shares the same ranking with Argentina and Cameroon.

a. Tamaraw – This mammal is considered the most threatened mammal in the Philippines. It is also known as the Mindoro dwarf water buffalo. Its last sightings was in 1992 at Mt. Calavite Wildlife Sanctuary in Mindoro.

b. Calamian Deer – is a species of deer found only in the Calamian Group of Islands of Palawan province of the Philippines

ENDANGERED ANIMALS AND PLANTS IN THE PHILIPPINES c. Philippine Eagle Also known as the monkey-eating eagle, is the country’s national bird. According to data, its total population is now estimated at less than 700 individual birds. There has been attempt of having a breeding program in captivity but has not been successful and the only hope for survival is to protect their habitat, however, it may be difficult to achieve this due to high incidence of deforestation in the Philippines.

d. Sardinella Tawilis – is the only freshwater sardine in the world. Though is it the most dominant fish in Taal lake, its population is rapidly declining due to overfishing, illegal fishing and the deteriorating water quality due to pollution.

e. Palawan Bearded Pigs – popularly known as “baboy damo”. It can be seen in areas of Palawan island. It is reported that its population is rapidly decreasing due to hunting and destruction of its habitat due to illegal logging, agriculture, urban development, etc.

f. Cyathea heterochlamydea -. Is a species of tree fern found in the islands of Luzon, Panay, Negros and Mindanao.

g. Almaciga - This ancient coniferous tree used to dominate the upland forests in Palawan but overharvesting and illegal logging now threaten its existence.

h. Bungang Ipot – or its Scientific name is ( Areca ipot Becc.) and its family name is(Palmae). Bungangipot is a small stocky tree to 4m high and to 12cm in diameter. It is found in primary forests at low and medium altitudes and its conservation status is threatend. While the threats is over-collection for ornamental purposes.

i. Philippine Date Palm – The very first dates palm tree farm in the Philippines is located at Barangay Balete, Batangas City

j. Philippine Camia – Philippine Garland, Philippine Camia is epiphytic grew on trunks and branches of trees in primary forests at altitudes 900 to 1,800m. And its conservation status is very rare.

3. Vulnerable species refer to species or subspecies that is not critically endangered nor endangered but is under threat from adverse factors throughout their range and is likely to move to the endangered category in the near future

VULNERABLE SPECIES a. Philippine Eagle Owl - It is locally known as the “kuwago” or “bukao” and is vulnerable species of bird belonging to the Strigidae family. It is endemic to the Philippines where found in lowland forests on the islands of Catanduanes, Samar, Bohol, Mindanao, Luzon, Leyte and possibly Sibuyan.

B. “ENDEMIC SPECIES” - means species or subspecies which is naturally occurring and found only within specific areas in the country. The Philippines is one of the world’s hotspots for endemic species. ENDEMIC ANIMALS AND PLANTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

e. Philippine Eagle Owl - It is locally known as the “kuwago” or “bukao”. It is endemic to the Philippines where found in lowland forests on the islands of Catanduanes, Samar, Bohol, Mindanao, Luzon, Leyte and possibly Sibuyan.

a. Tamaraw or dwarf water buffalo which can be found in the island of Mindoro and is also the largest endemic mammal in the country. It is believed, however, to have once thrived on the greater island of Luzon. Once numbered more than 10,000, the species is critically endangered with fewer than 300 living now.

b. Pandaka Pygmea – with weight from 4 to 5 mg and length of 1.1 cm to 1.5 cm, this fish is one of the smallest in the world by mass and is also one of the shortest freshwater fish. c. Philippine Tarsier – It is endemic in Bohol, Samar, Leyte and some part of Mindanao.

d. Pilandok – It is popularly known as Mouse-deer or Balabac Mouse-deer which is endemic in Palawan. It has a body size of a rabbit with slender legs and an arched back that is covered by brown fur with a white base. k. Kris Plant – is an ornamental plant which Rafflesia is i. native toPhilippensis the – parasitic Philippines. It can plant reachnamed in his up to 6 by ft Blanco (2 m) tall andFlora de 1845. It was large in Filipinas its nativeintropical area first discovered in between mountain of Laguna and Quezon.

f. Philippine Crocodile – It is endemic in the Philippines.

g. Hoya obscura – is a fast growing hoya . This plant is very easy to grow. This endemic in the Philippines

h. Paphiopedilium fowliei – is a native to the beautiful island of Palawan, Philippines. This species is threatened by loss of habitat inhabits tropical and subtropical forests.

l. Cebu Cinnamon Tree – It originated in Cantipla, Cebu in j. Waling-Waling – mid 1980’s. This Itisispopularly speciesknown of cinnamon as the which is“Queen endemic of to Philippine Cebu Island, Flowers”. It is Philippines however endemic to several Mindanao trees are in the found inprovinces the of Davao, neighboring islands Cotabato and of Camotes and Zamboanga where it Siquijor.is found in the trunks C. Economically important species mean species which have or potential of actual dipterocarp trees. value in trade or utilization for commercial purpose. D. Exotic species mean species or subspecies which do not naturally occur in the country. How the Government Protects and Conserves Wildlife Resources National Wildlife Management Committee (NWMC) was created to provide technical and scientific advice for the secretary or council or authorized representatives in the issuance of permits or clearances related to conservation and protection of wildlife resources. A Regional Wildlife Management Committee (RWMC) is also created for the provincial level function.

NMWC Function 

Will be responsible to submit recommendations to the PAWB or BFAR Director or PCSDS Executive Director regarding the following applications: O Use of Wildlife for Trade O Bioprospecting O Conservation Breeding or propagation of thre O atened species O Scientific researches O Special uses for other purpose as may be allowed in this Order

ISSUANCE OF PERMITS These permits below are issued by the Secretary upon completion of the required documents prior to issuance. These permits may be renewed subject to the guidelines issued by the appropriate agency and upon consultation with concerned gro

PERMITS (1) Wildlife farm or culture permit; (2) Wildlife collector’s permit (3) Gratuitous permit

Duration of Permits 3 to 5 years 1 to 3 years; 1 year;

(4) Local transport permit

1 to 3 months

(5) Export/Import/Re-export permit

1 to 6 months

VIOLATIONS OF R.A. 9147 R.A 9147 has determine what are considered violations for any person who will undertake the following:

1. Killing and destroying wildlife species. 2. Inflicting injury which cripples and/or impairs the reproductive system of wildlife species; 3. Effecting the following acts in critical habitats b. c. d. e. f. g.

Dumping of waste products detrimental to wildlife. Squatting or otherwise occupying any portion of the critical habitat Mineral exploration and/or extraction. Burning Logging Quarrying

4. Introduction, reintroduction or restocking of wildlife resources; 5. Trading of wildlife; 6. Collecting, hunting or possessing wildlife, their by-products and derivatives. 7. Gathering or destroying of active nests, nest trees, host plants and the like; 8. Maltreating and/or inflicting other injuries not covered by the preceding violation; 9. Transporting of wildlife.

A. FINES AND PENALTIES Fines and Penalties will be imposed on any violations of R.A. 9147 as follows:

VIOLATIONS BASED ON WILDLIFE RESOURCE CATEGORY 1. Critically Endangered Species 2. Endangered Species 3. Vulnerable Species 4. Threatened Species 5. For other Wildlife Species

FINES AND PENALTIES Six (6) years and One (1) day min to Twelve (12) years imprisonment Php 100,000.00 to Php 1,000,000.00 Four (4) years and One (1) day min to Six (6) years imprisonment Php 50,000.00 to Php 500,000.00 Two (2) years and One (1) day min to Four (4) years imprisonment Php 30,000.00 to Php 300,000.00 One (1) year and One (1) day min to Two (2) years imprisonment Php 20,000.00 to Php 200,000.00 Six (6) months and One (1) day min to One (1) year imprisonment Php 10,000.00 to Php 100,000.00

CONCLUSION The alarming and pressing concern on how Philippine wildlife and their habitats will be conserved and protected has been the focus of the local and international government. With the alarming ecological imbalance and destruction of wildlife habitats due to manmade interventions may have negative impact to our future generations. The Philippine government is very serious in enforcing the Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act. There are a lots of cases filed against violators of RA 9147 which only shows the need to put priority in giving full protection of our wildlife for our future generation. This is because wildlife conservation and protection is very crucial in maintaining ecological balance in our ecosystem. We owe this to the future generations. With the initiatives of the Philippine government in intensifying the wildlife resources and conservation protection program, we are hoping that this can address the declining population of the flora and fauna in the Philippines. This needs a concerted effort of everybody, this is not only the concern of the government but it is everybody’s concern. If we will not help protect our wildlife, it will pose negative impact to our food security, we will end up experiencing unsustainable agriculture which affects our food supply, source of raw materials to make medicines, we will experience constant calamities due to climate change, no clean water to drink. With this, we need to come to think of it and make a move and action towards how we can contribute to the initiatives of the government on wildlife resources

conservation and protection. In our little ways we can make a difference. Let’s move and go for the protection and conservation of wildlife resources.

References: Ambag, Rafael. August 13, 2018. Wildlife in the Philippines: Our Glaring Responsibility. Flipscience.ph. Retrieved from: http//www.flipscience.ph BusinessWorld. March 15, 2018. DENR to charge wildlife traffickers under RA 9147. Retrieved from: http//www.bworldonline.com. Cababaros, Anna Mae. July 1, 2013. “Biodiversity laws R.A. 9147. Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act”. Slideshare.net. Retrieved from: http//www.slideshare.net. Convention on Biological Biodiversity. Philippines – Main Details. Biodiversity Facts. Status and trends of biodiversity including benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services. Retrieved from: http//www.cbd.com Dela Torre, Joanna. N.D. Endemic and Endangered Plants and Animals in the Philippines. Retrieved from: http://www.academia.edu. DENR. Press Releases. GOVPH. Cimatu Lauds Swift Justice for Illegal Pangolin Traders. June 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.r5.denr.gov.ph/index.php/news- events/pressrelease. Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, DENR. 2015. Heeding Nature’s Cry: R.A. 9147. Retrieved from http://erdb.denr.gov.ph./wp content/uploads/2015/05/c27nl.pdf Joint DENR-DA-PCSD Administrative Order No. 01 May 18, 2004. Joint Implementing Rules And Regulations (IRR) Pursuant To Republic Act No. 9147: “An Act Providing For The Conservation And Protection Of Wildlife Resources And Their Habitats, Appropriating Funds Therefore And For Other Purposes” Retrieved from: http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/phi157501.pdf Panay News. P300T worth of threatened plant seized. September 1, 2018. Retrieved from: http/www.panaynews.net. Perez, D. 2019. Eco Warrior Princess. Species at Risk: The Most Critically Endangered Animals in the Philippines. July 3, 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.ecowarriorprincess.net. Philstar. Letter to the Editor. N.O. DENR Files Cases Against Violators of Wildlife Act. Retrieved from: http//www.philstar.com Republic Act No. 9147. An Act Providing for the Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources and their habitats. July 30, 2001 Retrieved from: (http://www.gov.ph/2001/07/30/republic-act-no-9417/) Seewee Wildlife Association. October 2017. The Reason Why Wildlife Conservation is Important. Retrieved from: https://www.seweeassociation.org/reason-wildlifeconservation-important/ The LAWPHIL Project. Arellano Law Foundation. Philippine Laws and Jurisprudence Databank. March 23, 2011. G.R. No. 172678: Sea Lion Fishing Corporation vs People of the Philippines. Retrieved from: http//www.lawphil.net

Learning Activity

Instructions: 1. List as many as possible any wildlife found in Davao Region (both plants and animals) 2. Look for any news clip or news article about a person or persons caught for violating the wildlife resources protection act. You can read or download news in the internet. a. What is the violation of the person in the news clip? b. What are the common reasons for violating the law on wild life resources protection? c. Is the government doing enough to protect the wildlife resources? d. What can you do to help protecting the wildlife resources?

Lesson 6: Week 8-9

Environmental Impact and Sustainability Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

   

Elaborate environmental impact assessment; Distinguish environmentally critical project from environmentally critical area; Explain the coverage of the PEISS; and Compare categories of projects that impact the environment.

LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK Patterned after the US National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) of 1969, the Philippine EIS System was intended to provide an action-forcing mechanism to ensure that the expressed goals of Presidential Decree 1151 which include the "creation of conditions under which man and nature can thrive in harmony," the fulfilment of socio- economic requirements of present and future generations and the attainment of environmental quality that is conducive to life of dignity and well-being, are infused into government plans and programs.

The goals are captured in the policy statement of Presidential Decree 1586 which states that “it is the policy of the state to attain and maintain a rational and orderly balance between socio-economic growth and environmental protection.” These goals are widely observed as fundamentally the same as those required to achieve sustainable development.

The Environmental Impact Statement was introduced in 1977 with the issuance of the Philippine Environmental Policy law through Presidential Decree 1151. The law provides the rationale for the EIS System and led to the issuance of PD 1586 in 1978.

The Legal Basis in developing the Philippine Environment Impact Statement has based on the Philippine Constitution stipulated 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 the year the 1960s, the Philippines previously experiencing the burdens of uncontrolled population growth, urbanization, industrial expansion, rapid natural resource utilization, and increasing technological advances which are still being strongly felt and experience as of date. As the ecological crisis mounted from air and water pollution. The Government answered on it by issuing a Presidential Decree (PD) 984, the National Control Decree of 1976 and Presidential Decree (PD) 1586 Establishing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System in 1978.

In establishing the Philippine EIS System striking the beginning of the realization of the importance of considering environmental concerns as early as the project is in the planning stage. In particular, in Section 2 of PD 1586 states that “There is hereby established EIS System based on the EIS required under Sec 4 of PD 1151 of all Agencies and Instrumentalist of the National Government including Government Owned & Controlled Corporations, as well as Private Corporations, Firms, and Entities, for every proposed project and undertaking which significantly affect the quality of the environment. PEISS is a planning tool for incorporating environmental management measures in the project design as an instrument of certifying compliance with other environment laws such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Solid Waste Management Act and Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste Management Act.

The Philippine (EIS) system provides the legal and procedural framework for conducting Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for projects likely to have a significant environmental impact. The EIS system was designed to safeguard the Philippine environment and natural resources in the challenge of increasing industrialization and urbanization.

In Section 4 of PD 1586, no person, partnership or corporation shall undertake or operate any such declared environmentally critical project or area without first securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

Coverage Screening and Standardized Requirements under the Philippine EIS System The Coverage Screening Guidelines is envisioned to provide clearer and updated technical definitions of ECAs and description of activities or undertakings that are projected to have significant impacts on the environment and therefore covered under the PEISS. It also provides procedures for determining categories of projects with multiple components and operationalization guide for ECA. Furthermore, the project listing and thresholds were updated and organized.

For the Guidelines, are the following definitions to be applied for a better understanding:

Certificate of Non-Coverage - a certificate issued by the EMB certifying that, based on the submitted project description, the project is not covered by the EIS System and is not required to secure an ECC.

Co-located projects/undertakings- projects or series of similar projects or a project subdivided to several phases and/or stages by the same proponent. Located in contiguous areas.

Environment – Surrounding air, water (both ground and surface), land, flora, fauna, humans, and interrelations.

Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) – document issued by the DENR/EMB after a positive review of an ECC application, certifying that based on the representations of the proponent, the proposed project or undertaking has complied with all the requirements of the EIS System and has committed to implement its approved Environmental Management Plan to declare the environmental impacts.

Environmentally Critical Area (ECA) - are delineated through Presidential Proclamation 2146 (1981) as environmentally sensitive such that significant environmental impacts are expected if certain types of proposed projects or programs are located, developed or implemented in it.

Environmentally Critical Project (ECP) - project or program that has a high potential for significant negative environmental impact as defined under Presidential Proclamation 2146 (1981).

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)- process that involves evaluating and predicting the likely impacts of a project (including cumulative impacts) on the environment during construction, commissioning, operation, and abandonment. It also includes designing appropriate preventive, mitigating and enhancement measures addressing these consequences to protect the environment and the project proponent and/or EIA Consultant, EMB, a Review Committee, affected communities, and other stakeholders.

Environment Management Plan /Program (EMP) – section in the EIS that details the prevention, mitigation, compensation, contingency and monitoring measures to enhance positive impacts and minimize negative impacts and risks of a proposed project or undertaking

Significant Impacts – impacts which damage the environment to the point that the environmental resource loses its capacity to sustain life or to continue functioning within baseline levels and efficiency, impacts which need action through prevention, (e.g. change in project siting or design) or mitigation (reduce, repair, rehabilitate) or other interventions to protect the environment from being harmed at levels that reduce its functionality for its users.

Coverage and Procedures of the System The EIS system requires completion of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) report for any environmentally critical project (ECP) or any project located in an environmentally critical area (ECA). DENR determines whether a proposal is an ECP or will be implemented in an ECA; if either or both of these conditions apply, then the proposal is required to secure an environmental compliance certificate (ECC). For ECPs, the EIS System requires preparation of an EIS because these projects will most likely have a high risk or negative environmental impact. ECPs include major resource extractive projects, major infrastructure projects, fishpond development, golf course resort development, and major industrial development projects.

ECAs are areas that are ecologically, socially, or geologically sensitive; many coastal habitats such as mangroves, coral reefs, and municipal waters are classified as ECAs. For projects in ECAs, the EIS system requires an initial environmental examination (IEE) that includes a project description and may require an EIS. After a thorough review of the project plans and EIA documents submitted by the project proponent, the project will be issued an ECC by DENR.

The Philippine EIS System has a significant adverse impact to environmental quality. Presidential Proclamation No. 2146, series of 1981- defines undertakings that are either Environmentally Critical Projects (ECPs) or located in Environmentally Critical Areas (ECAs) as within the scope of the Philippine EIS System. ECPs are Category A While Category B projects are not classified as Category A but are likewise deemed to significantly affect the quality of the environment. An Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) has to be secured for projects categorized as Category A and Category B before implementation. Projects or undertakings which are existing environmental problems are classified under Category C while those that do not pose significant environmental impacts are classified as Category D.

Category A - Environmentally critical projects Category A - projects or undertakings which are classified as environmentally critical projects (ECPs) under Presidential Proclamation No. 2146 (1981), Proclamation No. 803 (1996), and any other projects that may later be declared as such by the President of the Philippines. Proponents of these projects implemented from 1982 onwards are required to secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).For detailed understanding, below are the technical definitions of Environmentally Critical Projects or what are the projects under ECPs and ECAs.

Heavy Industries: including non-ferrous metal industries, iron and steel mills, smelting plants, and petroleum and petrochemical industries, including oil and gas;

Non-ferrous metal industries refer to the organized and coordinated arrangement of manufacturing processes designed to prepare, smelt, process or recycle non-ferrous metals into marketable products.

Iron and steel mill projects refer to the organized and coordinated arrangement of manufacturing processes designed to prepare or smelt or process iron ores, steel scraps or primary iron and steel mill products into marketable products except when the process involves reheating or resizing only.

Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries refer to the organized and coordinated arrangement of manufacturing processes designed to physically and/or chemically transform petroleum and its derivatives into marketable products. Smelting plant projects shall refer to the organized and coordinated arrangement of manufacturing processes designed to smelt metals or alloys and cast the same into some special form.

Resource Extractive Industries include major mining and quarrying projects, forestry projects (logging, major wood processing, the introduction of exotic animals in public or private forests, forest

occupancy, extraction of mangrove products, grazing), and fishery projects (dikes for/and fishpond development projects);

Mining and quarrying projects refer to projects involving the extraction and processing of metals, metalliferous ores, fuel, precious stones, clays, fertilizers and other earth-based materials on a commercial scale. Forestry projects refer to projects involving the extraction, harvesting and/or processing of timber and other forest products on a commercial scale. Dikes for /and Fishpond Development Projects refer to natural or artificial water impoundment involving the construction of dikes, the establishment of fish cages and similar undertakings for aquaculture purposes or salt production. Infrastructure Projects include major dams, major roads and bridges, major power plants (fossil-fueled, nuclear, coal-fired, hydroelectric, geothermal), and major reclamation projects; Dams refer to impoundment structures and appurtenances. Power Plants refers to power generating plants, transmission and distribution systems (substations) utilizing, or run by, fossil fuels, geothermal resources, natural river discharge, pump storage. Reclamation Projects refer to projects which involve the filling or draining of areas (foreshore, marshes, swamps, lakes, rivers, etc.) and restoration / backfilling projects. Roads and Bridges refer to the construction, significant extension, expansion, widening or improvement of national roads, railroads/railways, expressways, tunnels, and bridges. Golf Course Projects: golf courses and golf resorts are now subject to EIS requirements A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick (‘pin”) and hole (“cup”), all designed for the game of golf. Other: Many other types of coastal projects not explicitly listed above may, at the discretion of DENR, require an EIS if they are considered ECPs. Some likely examples include major resorts or hotels, airports, ports, shoreline fortifications, fish processing plants, and major military development.

Category B - Environmentally critical areas. Category B – projects or undertakings which are not classified as ECP under Category A, but which are likewise deemed to significantly affect the quality of the environment by being located in Environmentally Critical Area (ECA) has declared under Proclamation 2146 and according to the parameters outlined in the succeeding sections. Proponents of these projects implemented from 1982 onwards are required to secure an ECC. There are twelve (12) main categories of ECAs following Presidential Proclamation No. 2146, series of 1981.

a) National parks, watershed reserves, wildlife preserves, and sanctuaries declared by law; Areas set aside as potential tourist spots; b) Habitats of endangered or threatened species indigenous to the Philippines; Areas of unique historic, archaeological, or scientific interest; c) Areas traditionally occupied by indigenous people and cultural communities; d) Areas frequently hit by natural calamities (geologic hazards, floods, typhoons, volcanic activity, etc.); d) Areas with critical (steep) slopes; This shall refer to all lands with the slope of 50% or more as determined from the latest official topographic map from NAMRIA e) Areas classified as prime agricultural lands; f) Aquifer recharge areas; g) Water bodies used for domestic supply or support of fish and wildlife;

h) Mangrove areas supporting critical ecological functions or on which people depend for livelihood; and i) Coral reefs with critical ecological functions j) Areas declared by law as National Parks, Watershed reserves, wildlife preserves, and sanctuaries k) Areas declared as such under Republic Act No. 75 the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act, l) Areas declared as such through other issuances from pertinent national and local government agencies such as presidential proclamations and executives’ orders, local ordinances and international commitments and declarations. m) Areas set aside as aesthetic, potential tourist spots. Aesthetic potential tourist spots declared and reserved by the LGU, DOT or other appropriate authorities for tourism development n) Class 1 and 2 caves as cited in EMB MC 2014-004 and defined under DENR MC 2012-03 and significant caves as may be determined by BMB and EMB o) Areas which constitute the habitat for any endangered or threatened species of Indigenous Philippine Wildlife (flora and fauna) p)

Areas identified as key biodiversity areas (KBAs) by BMB,

q) Areas declared as Local conservation areas (LCA) through issuances from pertinent national and local government agencies such as presidential proclamations and executives’ orders, local ordinances and international commitments and declarations r) Areas of unique historic, archaeological, geological, or scientific interests s) All areas declared as a historic site under RA 10066 by the NHCP. The whole barangay or municipality, as may be applicable, where archaeological, paleontological and anthropological sites/ reservations are located as proclaimed by the National Museum The whole barangay or municipality, as may apply, of cultural and scientific significance to the nation as recognized through national or local laws or ordinances (e.g. declared geological monuments and scientific research areas and areas with cultural heritage significance as declared by the LGUs or NCCA)

t). Areas which are traditionally occupied by cultural communities or tribes. Areas issued Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) or Certificate of Ancestral Land Title (CALT) by National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).Areas issued Certificate of Ancestral Land Claim (CALC) by the DENR. Areas that are historically/ traditionally occupied as ancestral lands or ancestral domains by indigenous communities documented in reputable publications or certified by NCIP u) Areas frequently visited and or hard hit by natural calamities. The area shall be so characterized if any of the following conditions exist

v) Geologic hazard areas: Areas classified by the MGB as susceptible to landslide; Areas identified as prone to land subsidence and ground settling; areas with sinkholes and sags as determined by the MGB or as certified by other competent authorities, flood prone areas w) Areas with identified or classified by MGB or PAGASA as susceptible or prone to flood x). Areas frequently visited or hard –hit by typhoons: For purposes of coverage, depressions, storms, and typhoons will be covered in the category. This shall refer to all provinces affected by a tropical cyclone in the past y) Areas classified as prime agricultural lands. Prime Agricultural Lands shall refer to lands that can be used for various or specific agricultural activities and can provide optimum sustainable yield with a minimum of inputs and development costs as determined by DA, NIA or concerned LGU through their zoning ordinance. z) Recharge areas of aquifers. Recharge areas of aquifers refer to sources of water replenishment where rainwater or seepage enters the aquifers. aa). Areas under this classification shall be limited to all local or non-national watersheds and geothermal reservations ab) Water Bodies. All natural water bodies that have been classified or not. Mangrove Areas. Mangrove areas as mapped or identified by DENR. Coral Reefs. Coral reefs as mapped or identified by DENR and/or DA-BFAR Category C The proponent of projects which are intended to directly enhance the quality of the environment or directly address existing environmental problems shall submit a Project Description (PD) to the EMB Regional Office having jurisdiction over the area where the proposed project will be located following the Guidelines to confirm that is falls within. Category C - projects or undertakings not falling under Category A or B which are intended to directly enhance the quality of the environment or directly address existing environmental problems. Category D Category D projects shall not be required to submit any document to the EMB. Proponents of these projects may, however, still opt to secure a Certificate of NonCoverage (CNC) from the EMB. Project Design is also requiring to accomplish and submit for the CNC application. Category D - projects or undertakings that are deemed unlikely to cause a significant adverse impact on the quality of the environment according to the parameters outlined in the Screening Guidelines. These projects are not covered by the

Philippine EIS system and are not required to secure an ECC. However, such noncoverage shall not be construed as an

exemption from compliance with other environmental laws and government permitting requirements. Challenges and Issues In the of implementation of the PEISS, there are following some issues and concerns were observed: Overlapping and conflicting implementation strategies among interrelated agencies Limited participation of the LGUs Lack of human resources Lack of facilities The EIS system is recognized as a bureaucratic requirement needed to get project approvals Political intervention controls the outcome of some environmental reviews Questionable practices by public servants serve to discredit the system The treatment of projects in environmentally critical areas is less than satisfactory Conclusion In over past years and up to date - the environment is the globally concerned because of the uncontrolled population growth, urbanization, industrial expansion and increasing technological advances with rapid natural resource utilization that is why environmental assessment has been globally considered as a crucial tool in achieving sustainable development. The Philippine EIS System provides the framework and mechanism to pursue the country’s environmental policies and goals and part of the EIS System is the Environmental Impact Assessment or called EIA is become an important process or procedure to determine the possible impacts of projects on the environment and to the communities involved but during the implementation, there were also challenges and concerns have been observed like overlapping and conflicting implementation strategies among interrelated agencies, limited participation of the LGUs and lack of human resources to implement EIS - that is why DENR issued Administrative Order 2003-30 providing with Implementing Rules and Regulations for the policy directions, guidance and reference to all government agencies and private sectors before to proceed the projects. References Al, E. S. (n.d.). Initiatives to streamlining the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System: A Brief Guide for LGUs. Retrieved 5 February, 2020, from http://eia.emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/For-Local-GovernmentUnits.pdf

Ani, P. (2006). The Philippine Environmental Assessment Policies. Retrieved 5 February, 2020, from http://ap.fftc.agnet.org/ap_db.php?id=625&print=1 Decena, F. (n.d.). The Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System: Balancing Socio-Economic Growth and Environmental Protection. Retrieved 5 February, 2020, from http://ap.fftc.agnet.org/ap_db.php?id=772 Enhancing the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System Improvement Initiatives. (2011). Retrieved 5 February, 2020, from Asian Development Bank: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/61638/44140-01-regdpta- 09.pdf Presidential Decree 1586. Establishing the Environmental Impact Statement System including other Environmental Management and Related Measures. (n.d.). Retrieved 4 February, 2020, from https://emb.gov.ph/wpcontent/uploads/2015/09/PD-1586.pdf RDC XI. (2019). Priority Policy Agenda CY 2020-2022. EDC XI Strategic Planning Conference. Revised Guidelines for Coverage Screening and Standardized Requirements Under the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System. (July, 2014). Retrieved 4 February, 2020, from https://r7.emb.gov.ph/wpcontent/uploads/2018/09/RevisedGuidelines-for-Coverage-Screening-andStandardized-Reqts.pdf The Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System and What it entails. (2002). Retrieved 5 February, 2020, from One Ocean: http://oneocean.org/overseas/200203/the_philippine_environment_impact_statemen t_system_and _what_it_entails.html Ross,W.A.(1994).

Environmental Impact Assessment in the Philippines: Progress,Problems,and directions for the future. Retrieved 5 February , 2020, fromhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/019592559490 02 05

Learning Activity

Requirement: Case Analysis Mining Company ABC is required to secure ECC because it is a Category A Project. Why do think this company is considered Category A? Support your answer with scenarios and impacts of the project to the environment and to the surrounding communities of the mining area.

Lesson 7: Week 10-12

Management of Solid Wastes Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

   

Define ecological solid waste management; Characterize different types of solid waste; Connect the principles of solid waste management with actual daily practices; and Validate the provisions of solid waste management with the compliance of local government units.

Introduction The common practice for household refuse disposal in rural areas is to dump solid wastes openly in backyard gardens or in an open space. Such indiscriminate disposal is an environmental hazard and can threaten human health and safety. Solid waste that is improperly disposed of can result in a number of problems. It can create a breeding ground for pathogenic microorganisms and vectors of disease, and cause a public nuisance due to unsightliness and bad smell. It can cause contamination of surrounding soil, groundwater and surface water, and it can also create fire hazards, physical hazards and have poisoning effects (from pesticides and insecticides). However, these problems can be avoided by using appropriate management techniques. For all waste management issues, your role should be to engage community members and families in awareness of the solid waste problems in their area and try to change their behavior. In doing so, it should be possible to have a clean, attractive and sustainable environment. Impacts of Solid Waste Improper disposal of solid waste may result to various social, economic, environmental and health issues.

Y

How do we deal with solid waste? In order to deal with proper solid waste management, we need to be familiar first with the terms used in this concept. Agricultural waste refers to waste generated from planting or harvesting of crops, trimming or pruning of plants and wastes or run-off materials from farms or fields. Bulky wastes refer to waste materials which cannot be appropriately placed in separate containers because of either its bulky size, shape or other physical attributes. These include large worn-out or broken household, commercial, and industrial items such as furniture, lamps, bookcases, filing cabinets, and other similar items. Buy-back center refers to a recycling center that purchases or otherwise accepts recyclable materials from the public for the purpose of recycling such materials. Collection refers to the act of removing solid waste from the source or from a communal storage point.

Composting refers to the controlled decomposition of organic matter by micro- organisms, mainly bacteria and fungi, into a humus-like product. Consumer electronics refer to special wastes that include worn-out, broken, and other discarded items such as radios, stereos, and TV sets. Controlled dump refers to a disposal site at which solid waste is deposited in accordance with the minimum prescribed standards of site operation. Disposal refers to the discharge, deposit, dumping, spilling, leaking or placing of any solid waste into or in any land. Disposal site refers to a site where solid waste is finally discharged and deposited. Ecological solid waste management refers to the systematic administration of activities which provide for segregation at source, segregated transportation, storage, transfer, processing, treatment, and disposal of solid waste and all other waste management activities which do not harm the environment. Generation refers to the act or process of producing solid waste. Generator refers to a person, natural or juridical, who last uses a material and makes it available for disposal or recycling. Leachate refers to the liquid produced when waste undergo decomposition, and when water percolate through solid waste undergoing decomposition. It is a contaminated liquid that contains dissolved and suspended materials. Materials recovery facility includes a solid waste transfer station or sorting station, drop-off center, a composting facility, and a recycling facility. Municipal waste refers to wastes produced from activities within local government units which include a combination of domestic, commercial, institutional and industrial wastes and street litters; Open dump refers to a disposal area wherein the solid wastes are indiscriminately thrown or disposed of without due planning and consideration for environmental and health standards.

Opportunity to recycle refers to the act of providing a place for collecting source- separated recyclable material, located either at a disposal site or at another location more convenient to the population being served, and collection at least once a month of source-separated recyclable material from collection service customers and to providing a public education and promotion program that gives notice to each person of the opportunity to recycle and encourage source separation of recyclable material.

Person(s) refer to any being, natural or juridical, susceptible of rights and obligations, or of being the subject of legal relations. Post-consumer material refers only to those materials or products generated by a business or consumer which have served their intended end use, and which have been separated or diverted from solid waste for the purpose of being collected, processed and used as a raw material in the manufacturing of recycled product, excluding materials and by-products generated from, and commonly used within an original manufacturing process, such as mill scrap. Receptacles refer to individual containers used for the source separation and the collection of recyclable materials. Recovered material refers to material and by-products that have been recovered or diverted from solid waste for the purpose of being collected, processed and used as a raw material in the manufacture of a recycled product. Recyclable material refers to any waste material retrieved from the waste stream and 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 scrap metal, used oil, corrugated cardboard, aluminum, glass, office paper, tin cans and other materials. Recycled material refers to post-consumer material that has been recycled and returned to the economy. Recycling refers 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 products may lose their identity, and which may be 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. Resource conservation refers to the reduction of the amount of solid waste that are generated or the reduction of overall resource consumption, and utilization of recovered resources.

Resource recovery refers to the collection, extraction or recovery of recyclable materials from the waste stream for the purpose of recycling, generating energy or producing a product suitable for beneficial use. Re-use refers to the process of recovering materials intended for the same or different purpose without the alteration of physical and chemical characteristics. Sanitary landfill refers to a waste disposal site designed, constructed, operated and maintained in a manner that exerts engineering control over significant potential environmental impacts arising from the development and operation of the facility.

Segregation refers to a solid waste management practice of separating different materials found in solid waste in order to promote recycling and re-use of resources and to reduce the volume of waste for collection and disposal. Segregation at source 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 re-use of resources and to reduce the volume of waste for collection and disposal. Solid waste refers to all discarded household, commercial waste, nonhazardous institutional and industrial waste, street sweepings, construction debris, agriculture waste, and other non-hazardous/non-toxic solid waste. Solid waste management refers 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. Solid waste management facility refers to any resource recovery system or component thereof; any system, program, or facility for resource conservation; any facility for the collection, source separation, storage, transportation, transfer, processing, treatment, or disposal of solid waste. Source reduction refers to the reduction of solid waste before it enters the solid waste stream by methods such as product design, materials substitution, materials re- use and packaging restrictions. Source separation refers to the sorting of solid waste into some or all of its component parts at the point of generation.

Special wastes refer to household hazardous wastes such as paints, thinners, household batteries, lead-acid batteries, spray canisters and the like. These include wastes from residential and commercial sources that comprise of bulky wastes, consumer electronics, white goods, yard wastes that are collected separately, batteries, oil, and tires. These wastes are usually handled separately from other residential and commercial wastes. Storage refers to the interim containment of solid waste after generation and prior to collection for ultimate recovery or disposal. Waste diversion refers to activities which reduce or eliminate the amount of solid wastes from waste disposal facilities. White goods refer to large worn-out or broken household, commercial, and industrial appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, dishwaters, and clothes washers and dryers collected separately. White goods are usually dismantled for the recovery of specific materials (e.g., copper, aluminum, etc.); and

Yard waste refers to wood, small or chipped branches, leaves, grass clippings, garden debris, vegetables residue that is recognizable as part of a plant or vegetable and other materials identified by the Commission.

The conceptual framework of solid waste management in the Philippines begins with the generation of solid wastes. Solid wastes can be generated by the individual person, households, industrial and commercial establishments, factories, government and private institutions, agricultural farms, schools, and many others. It is imperative that each generator, individual or institutional entity, segregate the wastes at their level. This is the concept of segregation-at-source. Meaning, the source of the solid waste must be able to separate the solid wastes according to its kind: biodegradable, recyclable, special wastes, and residual waste. The framework describes that the biodegradable wastes go to the barangay which should have a composting facility. The barangay is also in-charge in keeping the recyclable wastes of the generators through its established materials recovery facility (MRF). The MRF is a special structure in the barangay that is safe and designed to keep the recyclable materials until they are transferred or sold to a junk shop. The residual wastes are the ones being collected by the garbage collectors of the local government unit to be transported to the sanitary landfill facility (SLF). The special wastes on the other hand need to be collected by an accredited transporter and treated in an accredited treater. These wastes need to be treated first before they are transported to the SLF for final disposal. It is very clear that the role of the barangay is on the disposal of biodegradable and recyclable wastes while the local government unit (city of municipality) takes care of the wastes that can never be reused such as the special and residual wastes. Mandatory Segregation of Solid Wastes. -- The LGUs shall evaluate alternative roles for the public and private sectors in providing collection services, type of collection system, or combination of systems, that best meet their needs: Provided, That segregation of wastes shall primarily be conducted at the source, to include household, institutional, industrial, commercial and agricultural sources: Provided, further, That wastes shall be segregated into the categories provided in Section 22 of this Act. For premises containing six (6) or more residential units, the local government unit shall promulgate regulations requiring the owner or person in charge of such premises to: (a) provide for the residents a designated area and containers in which to accumulate source separated recyclable materials to be collected by the municipality or private center; and (b) notify the occupants of such buildings of the requirements and the regulations promulgated pursuant thereto. Requirements for the Segregation and Storage of Solid Waste. The following shall be the minimum standards and requirements for segregation and storage of solid waste 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 and 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", "recyclable" or "special waste", or any other classification. Requirements for Collection of Solid Waste. The following shall be the minimum standards and requirements for the collection of solid waste: (a) All collectors and other personnel directly dealing with collection of solid waste shall be equipped with personal protective equipment to protect them from the hazards of handling solid wastes; (b) Necessary training shall be given to the collectors and personnel to ensure that the solid wastes are handled properly; (c) Collection of solid waste shall be done in a manner which prevents damage to the container, and spillage or scattering of solid waste within the collection vicinity. Requirements for the Transport of Solid Waste. The use of separate collection schedules and/or separate trucks or haulers shall be required for specific types of wastes. Otherwise, vehicles used for the collection and transport of solid wastes shall have the appropriate compartments to facilitate efficient storing of sorted wastes while in transit. Vehicles shall be designed to consider road size, condition and capacity to ensure the safe and efficient collection and transport of solid wastes. The waste compartment shall have a cover to ensure the containment of solid wastes while in transit. For the purpose of identification, vehicles shall bear the body number, the name, and telephone number of the contractor/agency collecting solid waste.Prohibition on the Use of Non-Environmentally Acceptable Packaging. No person owning, operating or conducting a commercial establishment in the country shall sell or convey at retail or possess with the intent to sell or convey at retail any products that are placed, wrapped or packaged in on packaging which is not environmentally acceptable packaging: Provided, That the Commission shall determine a phaseout period after proper consultation and hearing with the stakeholders or with the sectors concerned. The presence in the commercial establishment of non-environmentally acceptable packing shall constitute a rebuttable presumption of intent to sell or convey the same at retail to customers. Any person who is a manufacturer, broker or warehouse operator engaging in the distribution or transportation of commercial products within the country shall

file a report with the concerned local government unit and annually thereafter, a listing of any products in packaging which is not environmentally acceptable. A violation of this Section shall be sufficient grounds for the revocation, suspension, denial or non-renewal of any license for the establishment in which the violation occurs. Recycling Market Development. The Commission together with the National Ecology Center, the DTI and the Department of Finance shall establish procedures, standards and strategies to market recyclable materials and develop the local marker for recycled goods, including but not limited to: (a) measures providing economic incentives and assistance including loans and grants for the establishment of privately-owned facilities to manufacture finished products from post-consumer materials; (b) guarantees by the national and local governments to purchase a percentage of the output of the facility; and (c) maintaining a list of prospective buyers, establishing contact with prospective buyers and reviewing and making any necessary changes in collecting or processing the materials to improve their marketability. In order to encourage establishment of new facilities to produce goods from post- consumer and recovered materials generated within local government units, and to conserve energy by reducing materials transportation, whenever appropriate, each local government unit may arrange for long-term contracts to purchase a substantial share of the product output of a proposed facility which will be based in the jurisdiction of the local government unit if such facility will manufacture such finished products from post- consumer and recovered materials. Establishment of LGU Materials Recovery Facility. - There shall be established a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in every barangay or cluster of barangays. The facility shall be established in a barangay-owned or leased land or any suitable open space to be determined by the barangay through its Sanggunian. For this purpose, the barangay or cluster of barangays shall allocate a certain parcel of land for the MRF. The determination of site and actual establishment of the facility shall likewise be subject to the guidelines and criteria set pursuant to this Act. The MRF shall receive mixed waste for final sorting, segregation, composting, and recycling. The resulting residual wastes shall be transferred to a long-term storage or disposal facility or sanitary landfill. Guidelines for Establishment of Materials Recovery Facility. Materials recovery facilities shall be designed to receive, sort, process, and store compostable and recyclable material efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner. The facility shall address the following considerations: (a) The building and/or land layout and equipment must be designed to

accommodate efficient and safe materials processing, movement, and storage; and (b) The building must be designed to allow efficient and safe external access and to accommodate internal flow. Composting. The composting of agricultural wastes, and other compostable materials, including but not limited to garden wastes, shall be encouraged. Compost products intended to be distributed commercially shall conform with the standards for organic fertilizers Criteria for Siting a Sanitary Landfill. The following shall prescribe with the minimum criteria for the siting of sanitary landfills: The site selected must be consistent with the overall land use plan of the LGU; The site must be accessible from major roadways or thoroughfares; The site should have an adequate quantity of earth cover material that is easily handled and compacted; The site must be chosen with regard for the sensitivities of the community's residents; The size 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; 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; The site chosen should facilitate developing a landfill that will satisfy budgetary constraints, including site development, operation for many years, closure, post-closure care and possible remediation costs; Operating plans must include provisions for coordinating with recycling and resource recovery projects; and Designation of a separate containment area for household hazardous wastes. Criteria for Establishment of Sanitary Landfill. The following shall be the minimum criteria for the establishment of sanitary landfills:

Liners – a system of clay layers and/or geosynthetic membranes used to contain leachate and reduce or prevent contaminant flow to groundwater; Leachate collection and treatment system – Installation of pipes at the low areas of the liner to collect leachate for storage and eventual treatment and discharge; Gas control recovery system – a series of vertical wells or horizontal trenches containing permeable materials and perforated piping placed in the landfill to collect gas for treatment or productive use as an energy source; Ground water monitoring well system – wells placed at an appropriate location and depth for taking water samples that are representative of groundwater quality; Cover – two (2) forms of cover consisting of soil and geosynthetic materials to protect the waste from long-term contact with the environment: 1. a daily cover place over the waste at the close of each day’s operations, and; 2. a final cover, or cap, which is the material placed over the completed landfill to control infiltration of water, gas emission to the atmosphere, and erosion. Closure procedure – with the objectives of establishing low maintenance cover systems and final cover that minimizes the infiltration of precipitation into the waste. Installation of the final cover must be completed within six (6) months of the least receipt of wastes; and Post-closure care procedure – During this period, the landfill owner shall be responsible for providing for the general upkeep of the landfill, maintaining all of the landfill’s environmental protection features, operating monitoring equipment, remediating groundwater should it become contaminated and controlling landfill gas migration or emission. Operating Criteria for Sanitary Landfills. In the operation of a sanitary landfill, each site operator shall maintain the following minimum operating requirements: Disposal site records of, but not limited to: 

Records of weights or volumes accepted in a form and manner approved by the Department. Such records shall be submitted to the Department upon request, accurate to within ten percent (10 %) and adequate for overall planning purposes and forecasting the rate of site filling;



Records of excavations which may affect the safe and proper operation of the site or cause damage to adjoining properties;



Daily log book or file of the following information: fires, landslides, earthquake damage, unusual and sudden settlement, injury and property damage, accidents, explosions, receipt or rejection of unpermitted wastes, flooding, and other unusual occurrences;Record of personnel training; and copy of written notification to the Department, local health agency, and fire authority of names, addresses and telephone numbers of the operator or responsible party of the site:



Water quality monitoring of surface and ground waters and effluent, and gas emissions; Documentation of approvals, determinations and other requirements by the Department; Signs – (1) Each point of access from a public road shall be posted with an easily visible sign indicating the facility name and other pertinent information as required by the Department; (2) If the site is open to the public, there shall be an easily visible sign at the primary entrance of the site indicating the name of the site operator, the operator’s telephone number, and hours of operation; an easily visible sign at an appropriate point shall indicate the schedule of charges and the general types of materials which will be accepted or not; (3) If the site is open to the public, there shall be an easily visible road sign and/or traffic control measures which direct traffic to the active face and other areas where wastes or recyclable materials will be deposited; and (4) Additional signs and/or measures may be required at a disposal site by the Department to protect personnel and public health and safety; Monitoring of quality of surface, ground and effluent waters, and gas emissions; The site shall be designed to discourage unauthorized access by persons and vehicles by using a perimeter barrier or topographic constraints. Areas within the site where open storage or ponding of hazardous materials occurs shall be separately fenced or otherwise secured as determined by the Department. The Department may also require that other areas of the site be fenced to create an appropriate level of security;

Roads within the permitted facility boundary shall be designed to minimize the generation of dust and the tracking of materials onto adjacent public roads. Such roads shall be kept in safe condition and maintained such that vehicle access and unloading can be conducted during inclement weather; Sanitary facilities consisting of adequate number of toilets and handwashing facilities, shall be available to personnel at or in the immediate vicinity of the site; Safe and adequate drinking water supply for the site personnel shall be available; The site shall have communication facilities available to site personnel to allow quick response to emergencies; Where operations are conducted during hours of darkness, the site and/or equipment shall be equipped with adequate lighting as approved by the Department to ensure safety and to monitor the effectiveness of operations; Operating and maintenance personnel shall wear and use appropriate safety equipment as required by the Department; Personnel assigned to operate the site shall be adequately trained in subject pertinent to the site operation and maintenance, hazardous materials recognition and screening and heavy equipment operations, with emphasis on safety, health, environmental controls and emergency procedures. A record of such training shall be placed in the operating record; The site operator shall provide adequate supervision of a sufficient number of qualified personnel to ensure proper operation of the site in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, permit conditions and other requirements. The operator shall notify the Department and local health agency in writing of the names, addresses, and telephone number of the operator or responsible party. A copy of the written notification shall be placed in the operating record; Any disposal site open to the public shall have an attendant present during public operating hours or the site shall be inspected by the operator on a regularly scheduled basis, as determined by the Department; Unloading of solid wastes shall be confined to a small area as possible to accommodate the number of vehicles using the area without resulting in traffic, personnel, or public safety hazards. Waste materials shall normally be deposited at the toe of the fill, or as otherwise approved by the Department; Solid waste shall be spread and compacted in layers with repeated passages of the landfill equipment to minimize voids within the cell and maximize compaction. The loose layer shall not exceed a depth approximately two feet before compaction. Spreading and compacting shall be accomplished as rapidly as practicable, unless otherwise approved by the Department; Covered surfaces of the disposal area shall be graded to promote lateral runoff of precipitation and to prevent ponding. Grades shall be established of sufficient slopes to account for future settlement of the fill surface. Other effective maintenance methods may be allowed by the Department; and

Cover material or native material unsuitable for cover, stockpiled on the site for use or removal, shall be placed so as not to cause problems or interfere with unloading, spreading, compacting, access, safety, drainage, or other operations.

Learning Activity

Analyze the following infographic:

Requirements:

1.

What is being meant by the inverted pyramid?

2.

Which part is the responsibility of the household and commercial generators? Explain.

3.

Why is avoidance situated in the base part of the inverted pyramid?

Lesson 8: Week 13-14

Water Quality Management in the Philippines Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:    

Define water quality management; Explain the need to monitor the quality of water; Classify the water bodies in the Philippines; and Recall water quality management areas in the Philippines.

Introduction As early as 1996, monitoring of the country’s rivers showed that only 51% of the classified rivers still met the standards for their most beneficial use. The rest were already polluted from domestic, industrial and agricultural sources. Most studies point to the fact that domestic wastewater is the principal cause of organic pollution (at 48%) of our water bodies. Yet, only 3% of investments in water supply and sanitation were going to sanitation and sewage treatment. A recent World Bank report pointed out that Metro Manila was second to the lowest in sewer connections among major cities in Asia and less than 7% compared to 20% for Katmandu, Nepal and 30% for Dhaka, Bangladesh. Thirty-one percent (31%) of all illnesses in the country are attributed to polluted waters. Clearly, to ensure access to clean water for all Filipinos, it was imperative that government put together a comprehensive strategy to protect water quality. In the Philippines, a significant law was enacted to regulate the quality of water in the entire country. The law was enacted to streamline processes and procedures in the prevention, control and abatement of pollution of the country's water resources, promote environmental strategies, use of appropriate economic instruments and of control mechanisms for the protection of water resources, formulate a holistic national program of water quality management that recognizes that water quality management issues cannot be separated from concerns about water sources and ecological protection, water supply, public health and quality of life, formulate an integrated water quality management framework through proper delegation and effective coordination of functions and activities, promote commercial and industrial processes and products that are environment friendly and energy efficient, encourage cooperation and selfregulation among citizens and industries through the application of incentives and market-based instruments and to promote the role of private industrial enterprises in shaping its regulatory profile within the acceptable boundaries of public health and

environment, provide for a comprehensive management program for water pollution focusing on pollution prevention, promote public

information and education and to encourage the participation of an informed and active public in water quality management and monitoring, formulate and enforce a system of accountability for short and long-term adverse environmental impact of a project, program or activity; and encourage civil society and other sectors, particularly labor, the academe and business undertaking environment-related activities in their efforts to organize, educate and motivate the people in addressing pertinent environmental issues and problems at the local and national levels. Important Terms to Remember Aquifer means a layer of water-bearing rock located underground that transmits water in sufficient quantity to supply pumping wells or natural springs. Aquatic life means all organisms living in freshwater, brackish and marine environment. Use of water for domestic purposes means the utilization of water for drinking, washing, bathing, cooking or other household needs, home gardens and watering of lawns or domestic animals. Use of water for municipal purposes means the utilization of water for supplying water requirements of the community. Use of water for irrigation means the utilization of water for producing agricultural crops. Use of water for power generation means the utilization of water for producing electrical or mechanical power. Use of water for fisheries means the utilization of water for the propagation of culture of fish as a commercial enterprise. Use of water for livestock raising means the utilization of water for large herds or flocks of animals raised as a commercial enterprise. Use of water for industrial purposes means the utilization of water in factories, industrial plants and mines, including the use of water as an ingredient of a finished product. Use of water for recreational purposes means the utilization of water for swimming pools, bath houses, boating, water skiing, golf courses and other similar facilities in resorts and other places of recreation. Classification/Reclassification of Philippine Waters means the categorization of all water bodies taking into account, among others, the following: (1) existing quality of the body of water; (2) size, depth, surface area covered, volume, direction, rate of flow and gradient of stream; (3) most beneficial existing and future use of said bodies of water and lands bordering them, such as for residential, agricultural, aquacultural, commercial, industrial, navigational, recreational, wildlife conservation and aesthetic purposes; and (4) vulnerability of surface and groundwater to contamination from pollutive and hazardous wastes, agricultural chemicals and underground storage tanks of petroleum products

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. 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 which it might flow or drain into said water. Drinking water means water intended for human consumption or for use in food preparation. Dumping means any unauthorized or illegal disposal into any body of water or land of wastes or toxic or hazardous material provided that it does not mean a release of effluent coming from commercial, industrial, and domestic sources which are within the effluent standards. Effluent means discharge from known sources which is passed into a body of water or land, or wastewater flowing out of a manufacturing plant, industrial plant including domestic, commercial and recreational facilities. Effluent standard means any legal restriction or limitation on quantities, rates, and/or concentrations or any combination thereof, of physical, chemical or biological parameters of effluent which a person or point source is allowed to discharge into a body of water or land. Environmental management means the entire system which includes, but is not limited to, conservation, regulation and minimization of pollution, clean production, waste management, environmental law and policy, environmental education and information, study and mitigation of the environmental impacts of human activity, and environmental research. Environmental management system means the part of the overall management system that includes organizational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the environment policy. Freshwater means water containing less than 500 ppm dissolved common salt, sodium chloride, such as that in groundwater, rivers, ponds and lakes. Groundwater means a subsurface water that occurs beneath a water table in soils and rocks, or in geological formations. Groundwater vulnerability means relative ease with which a contaminant located at or near the land surface can migrate to the aquifer or deep well. Industrial waste means any solid, semi-solid or liquid waste material with no commercial value released by a manufacturing or processing plant other than excluded material. Non-point source means any source of pollution not identifiable as point source to include, but not be limited to, runoff from irrigation or rainwater, which picks up pollutants from farms and urban areas. Point source means any identifiable source of pollution with specific point of discharge into a particular water body. Pollutant refers to any substance, whether solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive, which directly or indirectly: (a) 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; (iii) imparts objectionable odor, temperature change, or physical, chemical or biological change to any segment of the water body; or (iv) is in excess of the allowable limits, concentrations, or quality standards. Septage means the sludge produced on individual onsite wastewater disposal systems, principally septic tanks and cesspools. Sewage means water-borne human or animal wastes, excluding oil or oil wastes, removed from residences, building, institutions, industrial and commercial establishments together with such groundwater, surface water and storm water as maybe present including such waste from vessels, offshore structures, other receptacles intended to receive or retain waste or other places or the combination thereof. Sewerage includes, but is not limited to, any system or network of pipelines, ditches, channels, or conduits including pumping stations, lift stations and force mains, service connections including other constructions, devices, and appliances appurtenant thereto, which includes the collection, transport, pumping and treatment of sewage to a point of disposal. Sludge means any solid, semi-solid or liquid waste or residue generated from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or water control pollution facility, or any other such waste having similar characteristics and effects. Surface water means all water, which is open to the atmosphere and subject to surface runoff. Treatment means any method, technique, or process designed to alter the physical, chemical or biological and radiological character or composition of any waste or wastewater to reduce or prevent pollution. Wastewater means waste in liquid state containing pollutants. 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, 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 treatment facilities and/or water storage for recycling and re-use which are integral to process industry or manufacturing. Water Pollution means any alteration of the physical, chemical, biological, or radiological properties of a water body resulting in the impairment of its purity or quality. Water Quality means the characteristics of water, which define its use in characteristics by terms of physical, chemical, biological, bacteriological or radiological characteristics by which the acceptability of water is evaluated.

Water Conservation and Management Literature defines water conservation as the practice of sustainably managing fresh water and protecting the hydrosphere for current and future use. Water management on the other hand is practiced through a reduction in water use, waste and quality and through an increase in the favorable use of water. Some of the water conservation and management practices Rainwater harvesting. In urban areas, the construction of houses, footpaths and roads has left little exposed earth for water to soak in. Hence, harvesting the rain water would be the most efficient way to conserve water and manage it to reduce the risks of floods. This has become a very popular method of conserving water especially in the urban areas. This literally means collecting rainwater on the roofs of building and storing it underground for later use. This method does not only arrest ground water depletion but it also raises the declining water table and can help augment water supply. Tank system for agricultural use. The tank system is traditionally the backbone of agricultural production. Tanks are constructed either by bunding or by excavating the ground and collecting rain water. For areas that receive hardly any rainfall, large bunds are created to serve as reservoir, dams, tanks, and other methods are applied to check water flow and accumulate run-off. At the end of the monsoon, water from these structures are used to irrigate the crops and help ease the cultivation practices. Reducing water demand. Simple techniques can be done to reduce the demand for water. In farms, mulching can be done which makes use of available organic or inorganic material to slow down the surface run-off, improves the moisture of the soil, reduces evaporation losses, and improves soil fertility. Soil covered by by crops slows down run-off and minimizes the evaporation losses. Hence, fields should not be left bare for a long period of time. Agricultural practices for water conservation Plowing helps to move the soil around. As a consequence, it retains more water thereby reducing evaporation. Shelter belts of trees and bushes along the edge of agricultural field slow down the wind speed and reduce evaporation and erosion Planting of trees, grass, and bushes breaks the force of rain and helps rainwater penetrate the soil. Fog and dew contain substantial amount of water that can be used directly by adapted plant species.

Artificial surfaces such as netting-surface traps or polyethylene sheets can be exposed to fog and dew. The resulting water can be used for the crops. Contour farming is adopted in hilly areas and in lowland areas for paddy fields. Farmers recognize the efficiency of contour-based systems for conserving soil and water Transfer of water from surplus areas to deficit areas by inter-linking water systems theough canals, etc. Desalination technologies such as distillation, electro-dialysis and reverse osmosis are available. Use of efficient watering systems such as drip irrigation and sprinklers will reduce the water consumption by plants. Water Body Classification and Usage of Freshwater

CLASS AA

CLASS A CLASS B

CLASS C

INTENDED BENEFICIAL USE Public Water Supply Class I – Intended primarily for waters having watersheds, which are uninhabited and/or otherwise declared as protected areas, and which require only approved disinfection to meet the latest PNSDW Public Water Supply Class II – Intended as sources of water supply requiring conventional treatment (coagulation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection) to meet the latest PNSDW Recreational Water Class I – Intended for primary contact recreation (bathing, swimming, etc.) 1.Fishery Water for the propagation and growth of fish and other aquatic resources 2.Recreational Water Class II – For boating, fishing or similar activities

CLASS D

3.For agriculture, irrigation and livestock watering Navigable waters

Water Body Classification and Usage of Marine Waters CLASSIFICATION

INTENDED BENEFICIAL USE 1.Protected Waters – Waters designated as national or local marine parks, reserves, sanctuaries and other areas established by law

(Presidential Proclamation 1801 and other existing laws), and/or declared as such by appropriate government agecncy, LGUs, etc.

CLASS SA

2.Fishery Water Class I – Suitable for shellfish harvesting for direct human consumption 1.Fishery Water Class II – Waters suitable for commercial propagation of shellfish and intended as spawning areas for milkfish (Chanos chanos) and similar species CLASS SB 2.Tourist Zones – For ecotourism and recreational activities 3.Recreational Water Class I – Intended for primary contact recreation (bathing, swimming, skin diving, etc.) 1.Fishery Water Class III – For the propagation and growth of fish and other aquatic resources and intended for commercial and sustenance fishing CLASS SC 2.Recreational Water Class II – For boating, fishing or similar activities 3.Marshy and/or mangrove areas declared as fish and wildlife sanctuaries Navigable waters

CLASS SD

Classification means the categorization of all water bodies taking into account the existing quality of the body of water and most beneficial existing and future use of said bodies of water and lands bordering them, such as for residential, agricultural, aquacultural, commercial, industrial, navigational, recreational, wildlife conservation and aesthetic purposes, among others. Beneficial use means the use of the environment or any element or segment thereof conducive to public or private welfare, safety and health; and shall include, but not be limited to, the use of water for domestic, municipal, irrigation, power generation, fisheries, livestock raising, industrial, recreational and other purposes.

CLASS D

3.For agriculture, irrigation and livestock watering Navigable waters

Water Body Classification and Usage of Marine Waters CLASSIFICATION

CLASS SA

INTENDED BENEFICIAL USE 3.Protected Waters – Waters designated as national or local marine parks, reserves, sanctuaries and other areas established by law (Presidential Proclamation 1801 and other existing laws), and/or declared as such by appropriate government agecncy, LGUs, etc. 4.Fishery Water Class I – Suitable for shellfish harvesting for direct human consumption 4.Fishery Water Class II – Waters suitable for commercial propagation

of shellfish and intended as spawning areas for milkfish (Chanos chanos) and similar species CLASS SB 5.Tourist Zones – For ecotourism and recreational activities

CLASS SC

6.Recreational Water Class I – Intended for primary contact recreation (bathing, swimming, skin diving, etc.) 4.Fishery Water Class III – For the propagation and growth of fish and other aquatic resources and intended for commercial and sustenance fishing 5.Recreational Water Class II – For boating, fishing or similar activities

CLASS SD

6.Marshy and/or mangrove areas declared as fish and wildlife sanctuaries Navigable waters

Classification means the categorization of all water bodies taking into account the existing quality of the body of water and most beneficial existing and future use of said bodies of water and lands bordering them, such as for residential, agricultural, aquacultural, commercial, industrial, navigational, recreational, wildlife conservation and aesthetic purposes, among others. Beneficial use means the use of the environment or any element or segment thereof conducive to public or private welfare, safety and health; and shall include, but not be limited to, the use of water for domestic, municipal, irrigation, power generation, fisheries, livestock raising, industrial, recreational and other purposes.  Use of water for domestic purposes means the utilization of water for drinking, washing, bathing, cooking or other household needs, home gardens and watering of lawns or domestic animals;  Use of water for municipal purposes means the utilization of water for supplying water requirements of the community;  Use of water for irrigation means the utilization of water for producing agricultural crops;  Use of water for power generation – means the utilization of water for producing electrical or mechanical power;  Use of water for fisheries means the utilization of water for the propagation of cultured fish as a commercial enterprise;  Use of water for livestock raising means the utilization of water for large herds or flocks of animals raised as a commercial enterprise;  Use of water for industrial purposes means the utilization of water in factories, industrial plants and mines, including the use of water as an ingredient of a finished product; and  Use of water for recreational purposes means the utilization of water for swimming pools, bath houses, boating, water skiing, golf courses and other similar facilities in resorts and other places of recreation. References:

https://r5.emb.gov.ph/water-quality-management/ https://emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RA9275.pdf Supplementary Reading: Kramm, M. (2020). When a River becomes a Person. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2020.1801610

Kelly, B. (2019). Natural resources management for a sustainable future. Larsen and Keller Education. NY, New York.

Learning Activity

Activity 1: Essay. Answer the following:  What is the classification of Davao River?  What do you think is the current quality condition of Davao River along the urban areas of Davao City?  What could be the possible causes of the present condition?  What program can you suggest to maintain the water quality of Davao River? Activity 2: Reaction Paper Instruction: Make a one-page reaction paper on the paper attached. Click the link below or scan the QR code below using your android/IOS phone to get a copy of the document. https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2020.1801610

Lesson 9: Week 15-16

Learning Objectives Clean Air Management

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:      

Articulate the concept of clean air as every person’s basic right; Differentiate the sources of air pollution; Evaluate the penalties for violating the law on clean air; Explain the “Writ of Kalikasan” and “Writ of Continuing mandamus” Design alternatives to help clean the air at home and at the community; and Appreciate the role that everyone plays in maintaining clean air.

Introduction Air is a basic human need to grow and thrive in this planet; therefore, keeping it clean or unpolluted is our responsibility. As you read this module, you will learn more about the purpose, guiding principles, policies, and guidelines that govern the implementation of RA 8749. The module also highlights human activities that would impact the quality of the air we breathe and the penalties for violations of the provision of this Act with examples of decided cases from the court. Air pollution remains to be one of the foremost problems that continue to affect the wellbeing of the people (Su, Solomon & Ragragio, 2018). The poor quality of air impacts on the lives of those who are exposed to the harmful sub- stances in the atmosphere. Studies (Prisby et al. 2008, Yang et al. 2008, Parent et al. 2007) have shown that exposure to the deteriorating air quality poses numerous effects to one’s health, where subtle biochemical and physiological changes can contribute to respiratory and cardiac conditions. Recognizing these facts, countries across the world promulgated laws and statutes to protect the rights of the people and the future generation to clean air. In the Philippines, we have Republic Act 8749 otherwise known as the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 which was approved on June 23, 1999.

Sources of Air Pollution Air pollution may be due to natural or human-made (anthropogenic) sources. The emissions of the following pollutants – particulate matter (PM), sulfur oxides (SOx), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), carbon monoxide (CO) are monitored to assess the quality of ambient air (EMB Report, 2011). What are covered by Clean Air Act?

All potential sources of air pollution (MOBILE, POINT AND AREA SOURCES), must comply with the provisions of the law. MOBILE

refer to vehicles like cars, trucks, buses, jeepneys, tricycles, motorcycles, and vans

POINT SOURCES

refer to stationary sources such as industrial firms and the smokestacks of power plants, hotels, and other establishments

AREA SOURCES

refer to sources of emissions other than mobile and point sources such as smoking, burning of garbage, and dust from construction, unpaved grounds, etc.

Figure 1. Sources of Air Pollution

Other Sources of Air Pollution Smoking is banned beginning May 25, 2001, in any of the following locations: Inside a public building; Enclosed public places including public vehicles and other means of transport; In any enclosed area outside of one’s private residence, private place of work; or Any duly designated area which will be enclosed. The local government units are mandated to implement this provision of the law. Penalty to violation of this provision is six months and one day to one year imprisonment, or a fine of ten thousand pesos (P10,000). Clean fuels are pre-requisites to achieve clean air, hence, CAA provides for : Complete phase out of leaded gasoline before the end of the year 2000. Lowering of sulfur content of industrial (0.5% to 0.3% ) and automotive diesel 0.2% to 0.005%. Lowering of aromatics and benzene in unleaded gasoline. Cleaner alternative fuels will be spearheaded by the Department of Energy.

Ban of incineration Burning of municipal, bio-medical and hazardous wastes are strictly prohibited. Prohibition shall not apply to traditional small-scale method of community/ neighborhood sanitation “siga”, traditional, agricultural, cultural, and food preparation, and crematoria.

Learning Activity 2A. Sources of Air Pollution

In a tabulated form, list down the different types of air pollutant per source with its corresponding health effects and ambient air guideline values or standard necessary to protect public health and safety, and general welfare. Give at least five pollutants per source. Pollutants

Some of the Main Health Effects

Concentration (Maximum Limit)

A. Mobile Sources 1. 2. B. Stationary Sources 1. 2. C. Other Sources 1. 2. Learning Activity 2B. Policy Implications of Clean Air Act Due on November 27, 2020

Guide Questions:

1. What is your stand on the nationwide banning of smoking in Philippines? 2. How will it affect health and economy in general? 3. Discuss the significance of completely prohibiting the use of leaded gasoline.

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How can we help clean the air? We all want clean air, but it takes a concerted effort to get it. Luckily, there are more options than ever for reducing our carbon footprint and keeping harmful pollutants out of the air. By incorporating positive steps into our lives and supporting industries that help conserve energy, we can guarantee clean air for future generations. What can you do to help clean the air?

1. For vehicle owners/motorist: • Maintain your vehicle by changing oil regularly (every 5,000 kilometers) • Keep the engine well-tuned following the owner’s manual. • Keep tires properly inflated, plan trips and observe proper driving habits. • Remove unnecessary things from the trunk. Don’t overload and travel only at speed required by traffic regulations and road conditions. 2. For commuters: • Try talking to the jeep/bus/tricycle driver about the high health risks of poor vehicle maintenance and improper driving practices. • Patronize mass railway transit (i.e., MRT, LRT) 3. For office workers: • Reduce use of air conditioning and ensure that rooms are sealed. • Make sure that lights are energy-efficient. • Use company vehicles wisely and make sure that they are well-maintained. • Use natural lighting by opening window curtains at daytime. 4. At home: • Use low watt bulbs or energy-saving lights. • Limit the use of air conditioning units and keep the temperature a few degrees higher. • Don’t burn garbage and avoid using aerosols. • Properly dispose of refrigerant, refrigeration equipment, and used coolant. 5. For everyone: • Talk to people on what they can do about air pollution. • Report smoke-belchers to LTO, MMDA, and/or the appropriate local government units. • Walk or ride your bike to places. • Take the bus or mass rail transit whenever you can. • Work with residential associations to stop burning of garbage. • Plant trees. • Spread the word about the ban on smoking in public places.

Learning Activity 4. I Can Help Clean the Air. Due

on December 11, 2020

Below are some of the projects that may be adopted to help lessen air pollutants. Choose one or you may come up with your own idea as an intervention to air pollution which could be feasible in your area. Project Partnership for Clean

Air Tricycle Upgrading Project In cooperation with Mandaluyong City, Pasig City and other stakeholders, with funding support from the Philippine Institute of Petroleum (PIP), the project swapped old 2-stroke motorcycles which emit higher levels of CO and PM, with brand new 4-stroke motorcycles benefitting members of the Mandaluyong Federation of Tricycles Associations (MAFETA) and the Pasig S- Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA). The project was strongly supported by City Mayors Benhur Abalos and Bobby Eusebio of Mandaluyong and Pasig Cities, respectively, with the aim of expanding the project scope to more TODA members. Don Bosco Technical College provided the technical expertise while Rizal Technical UniversityKawani Multi-purpose Cooperative (RTU-KMPC) handled the financial matters and collection of loan payments. Source: Clean Air Asia, https://bit.ly/2wyTSc0

Remarks

Environmental Studies Institute (ESI) - Miriam College • Padyak Project As part of its long-term advocacy for non-motorized modes of transport, ESI, together with Don Bosco Technical College, modified the design of the pedicab to provide drive train durability, driver convenience, passenger comfort, vehicle safety and economic viability. A prototype was fabricated and, in collaboration with a pedicab association in Pasig, was subjected to a series of field tests. The improved design is undergoing an incubation platform to validate its performance, possible use and adoption by communities. The project is part of a continuing study to make the upgraded pedicab a viable product that can offer livelihood to the marginalized sector of society, improve the air quality in areas that will be served, address the rising cost of fuel, and mitigate climate change, while providing a sustainable form of transport. Source: Environmental Studies Institute, https://www.mc.edu.ph/esi

Eco-G Nanotechnology, Inc. • Eco-G3000

The Eco-G3000 is a fuel vaporizer that reduces toxic emissions from fuel combustion, such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen oxide (NOx). The system consists of a fuel vaporizer and auxiliary tank, which work to burn the engine more efficiently and economically. Eco-G3000 was submitted as a green technology for evaluation by the Climate Technology Initiative— Private Financing Advisory Network-USAID during the Clean Energy Investor Deal Flow. In 2011, it was tested on a poorly maintained jeepney by the Environment Technology Verification (ETV) and was found to result in savings on diesel fuel and reductions in toxic emissions.

Source: Ateneo de Manila University, https://ateneophysicsnews.wordpress.com/tag/ec o-g- nanotechnology/

References: Corona, R., Azcuna, A., Meyer, R.Access to Environmental Justice: A Sourcebook on Environmental Rights and Legal Remedies (2013). http://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/4_ASourcebook.-on-Envi-Rights-and-Legal-Remedies-FINAL-B.pdf Doctors to Roxas: clean up Metro air or we will sue you. https://www.rappler.com/nation/3644-doctors-to-roxas-clean-up-metro-air-orwe- will-sue-you Eco-G Nanotecnology, Inc. Eco-G3000. https://ateneophysicsnews.wordpress.com/tag/eco-gnanotechnology/ Environmental Monitoring Board Report (2016). Air Quality in the Pilippines. https:// www.pcw.gov.ph/sites/default/files/documents/efiles/webmaster/gwpf_sof e_air.p df Environmental Studies Institute (ESI) - Miriam College • Padyak Project. https://www.mc.edu.ph/esi Green minded: PH Clean Air Act Fines up by almost 400% in 2018. https://www.topgear.com .ph/news/motoring-news/clean-air-act-fines-2018a962- 20181210 Mandaluyong Tricycle Upgrading Program gets P1M boost. Clean Air Asia, https://bit.ly/2wyTSc0 Parent, M.E., Rousseau, M.C., Boffeta, P., Cohen, A. and Siemiatycki, J. 2007. Exposure to diesel and gasoline engine emissions and the risk of lung cancer. Amer. J. Epidemiol., 1(165): 53-62. Philippine Clean Air Act 1999. https://emb.gov.ph/wpcontent/uploads/2015/09/RA- 8749.pdf Prisby, R.D., Muller-Delp, J., Delp, M.D. and Nurkiewicz, T.R. 2008. Age, gender and hormonal status modulate the vascular toxicity of the diesel exhaust extract phenanthrraquinone. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health Part A, 63: 555- 563. Su, G. L. S., Solomon, N. F. R., & Ragragio, E. M. (2018). Air Pollution Tolerance Index of Selected Trees in Major Roadsides of Metro Manila, Philippines. Nature Environment and Pollution Technology, 17(3), 1005-1009. Yang, I.A., Fong, K.M., Zimmerman, P.V., Holgate, S.T. and Holloway, J.W. 2008. Genetic susceptibility to the respiratory effects of air pollution. Thorax., 63: 555-563. Torrentira, Moises Jr. C.

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Lesson 9: Week 17-18 Climate Change

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:    

Define climate change; Give examples of impacts of climate change; Explain the concept of greenhouse gas effect; and Evaluate the country’s commitment to international agreements.

What is climate? Climate is a pattern of weather elements (temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind pattern, frequency of storms, sunny days, rough or calm seas, etc.) or the “average weather.” Climate and the Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect is a natural process that plays a major role in determining the earth’s average atmospheric temperature and thus its climate. It occurs when the some of the solar energy absorbed by the earth radiates into the atmosphere as infrared radiation (heat). As the radiation interacts with molecules of several greenhouse gases in the air, including water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, it increases their kinetic energy and warms the lower atmosphere and the earth’s surface. Greenhouse effect refers to rise in global temperature due to the process by which the gases in the atmosphere trap the heat coming from the sun that is reradiated by the earth’s surface and re-emit it downwards. Because of how they warm our world, these gases are referred to as greenhouse gases. Why are greenhouse gases (GHGs) important? These are naturally occurring gases that keep the Earth comfortably warm enough for plants and animals to live in at an average temperature of 15o C. They act Torrentira, as a natural around the earth, trapping heat much like a glass roof of a Moisesblanket Jr. C. Course Module GE Elective: Environmental Science 91 | page greenhouse.

Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth’s average surface temperature would be some 30°C colder or approximately -15°C and possibly not warm enough to sustain life. How do greenhouse gases influence climate change? By burning fossil fuels due to industrialization and to sustain our modern lifestyle, the level of GHGs increase rapidly. The higher the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the stronger the greenhouse effect making it into enhanced greenhouse effect. Green House Gases GHG

Lifetime

GWP (CO2-e)

% Total emissions

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

5-200 years

1

77%

Methane (CH4)

12 years

21

14%

Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

114 years

310

8%

Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6)

3,200 years

23,900

<1%

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)

140 to 11,700

<1%

Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)

6,500 to 9,200

<1%

Carbon Tetrafluoride (CF4)

world

50,000 years

The atmospheric concentrations of CO 2, CH4 and N2O increased to levels unprecedented in at the last 800,000 years. Global GHG emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, and HF6) have grown since pre-industrial times with an increase of 70% between 1970 and 2004 due to human activities. Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) 1. Chemicals that potentially deplete the ozone layer 2. Contain Chlorine or Bromine atoms 3. Have a long atmospheric life Torrentira, Moises Jr. C.

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What is climate change? “A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over a comparable period of time.” (United Nations Framework result of human activity.” (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) “A change in the state of the climate that can be identified… by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer.” (IPCC) “Climate change is a “change in climate which is attributed directly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.” (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC]) Rains come at any time of the year (Example: In Davao City)  Floods and typhoons occur practically throughout the year  Temperatures during December and January are in upper 20s to lower 30s What causes climate change? (Based on the 4th Assessment Report 2007 Findings)  Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global average sea level.  Global GHGs due to human activities have grown since pre-industrial times, with an increase of 70% between 1970 and 2004.  Basically, the production of carbon dioxide molecules that absorb heat and radiate that heat to the surface of the earth.  Continued GHG emissions at or above current rates would cause further warming and induce may changes in the global climate system during the 21st century that would very likely be larger than those observed during the 20th century. Such as… 1. Burning of fossil fuels by transport vehicles

2. Burning of fossil fuels (gasoline, diesel, coal, crude oil) to generate electricity 3. Destruction of rainforests What are the impacts on the world around us? • Biodiversity loss. 1.increases in average global temperature (global warming) 2.changes in cloud cover and precipitation particularly over land 3.Disappearing habitat 4.Changing ecosystem 5.Acidifying oceans 6.20-30% of species globally at high risk of extinction 7.Coral bleaching that will result to dead reef ecosystem 8.Arctic sea ice is shrinking 9.Sea level rise results to salt water intrusion Increased coastal erosion displacement •

Threats to people around the World 1. More frequent and dangerous extreme weather 2. Surge in wildfires (Amazon, Africa, Australia and Cordillera) 3.Increased flooding (worldwide) 4. Droughts 5. Devastating heat waves 6. Earthquakes and erupting of volcanoes 7.More intense hurricanes 8. Increased soil erosion 9. less water in many water scarce regions; 10. increased demand for energy for space cooling because of higher summer temperatures 11. reduced crop yields in tropical areas leading to an increased risk of hunger

•

Threats to human health 1.Deaths 2.Spread of insect-borne diseases 3.Exacerbate respiratory illnesses 4.Spread of disease like malaria and dengue 5.an increased risk of extinction of 20 to 30 % of all plant and animal species 6.Worsening air quality - Higher emission of hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds Ground-level ozone, smog Asthma attacks, worsens breathing problems

What are the likely effects of climate change? Climate research and worst-case climate model projections indicate that rising atmospheric temperatures will likely lead to the following effects within this century:

      

Floods in low-lying coastal cities from a rise in sea levels More severe drought More intense and longer-lasting heat waves More destructive storms and flooding Forest loss and increased forest fires Extinction of species Changes in the where we can grow food.

These effects will likely reduce food security and increase poverty and social conflict in many poorer nations that are the least responsible for atmospheric warming and the least able to deal with its harmful consequences. Miller. G.T. and Spoolman, S. (2019). Environmental Science. 16th Ed. Cengage. Boston, MA. Major impacts of climate change in the Philippines Increase in temperature. Key Impacts include increased Heat stress, risks to biodiversity, increase in energy demand, risk to water security (quality/availability) and risk to food security. Increased Extreme Rainfall. Key impacts include risks to flooding, risks of landslide, risks to urban drainage, and transport disruption. Strong Cyclones. Key impacts include more intense tropical cyclones, pose risks to national infrastructure and to poorly designed houses, risk to transport and communication disruption, and risk to agriculture food security. Sea Level Rise. Key impacts include coastal inundated areas will have a wider extent inland due to storm surges. Climate change is as much a social and moral issue as it is an environmental issue. Its far-reaching effects will touch all of us in some way. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) a group of over 2,500 leading scientists from around the world are now predicting a rise in globally‐averaged temperatures by the end of this century. With these changes in temperatures, scientists are predicting that we Filipinos will experience more extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and heat waves, earthquakes further water shortages and more intense bushfires. The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report stated that it is now very likely that most of the observed increase in globally‐averaged temperatures in the last 50 years is attributable to human activities.

The current climate change that the world is experiencing has historically been caused by those wealthy countries as they have developed and controlled much of poor countries’ economies. However, the people who stand to lose the most are people in impoverished countries like us in the Philippines, who have historically contributed least to the problem. Furthermore, we lack the financial resources to cope adequately with the problem. The deep injustice of wealthy countries’ actions and the disproportionate effect to poor countries will have a great impact on its people. Thus, it requires a moral and ethical response. Climate change is becoming increasingly common in Philippines resulting in a huge effect and damages in agriculture sector in various parts of the country. Climate change and its effects showed considerable variability across the world. It is considered as the most critical global challenge of the century, which predicted that the global temperatures will increase further between 1.4 and 5.8°C by 2100. However, most of the poorest countries and their people are likely to suffer the earliest because of their low adaptive capacity and dependence on agriculture, which is highly reliant on climatic factors. Agriculture and food security are key sectors for intervention under climate change. Agricultural production is highly vulnerable even to 2°C (lowend) predictions for global mean temperatures, with major implications for rural poverty and for both rural and urban food security. Moreover, climate change will hinder agricultural productivity growth. It is expected to change agricultural productivity by affecting cropping calendars, yield quality and levels, the proliferation of pests and incidence of diseases, livestock and fisheries production, and infrastructure. Despite all this, the Philippine Government has taken major steps in addressing climate change vulnerability and impacts through an ambitious policy and institutional framework that focuses on food security, resilience building, and disaster risk reduction. It is seen that by 2050 climate change and variability is estimated to cost the Philippine economy approximately PHP 26 billion yearly. In fact, the Philippine Government crafted the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change. It is committed towards ensuring and strengthening the adaptation of natural ecosystems and human communities to climate change. In the process, the Framework aspires to chart a cleaner development path for the Philippines, highlighting the mutually beneficial relationship between climate change mitigation and adaptation. As a matter of principle, the Framework aggressively highlights the critical aspect of adaptation meant to be translated to all levels of governance alongside coordinating national efforts towards integrated ecosystem-based management which shall ultimately render sector's climate-resilient. As the world stands at the threshold of an important juncture in the history of the planet and the international community grapples for a lasting global solution to the climate crisis, the threats to humans and nature have become unprecedented. The international community stands at a point where even the most aggressive and immediate actions to mitigate climate change will not stop the impacts at least for the next half of this century. While deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions may buy time for human and natural systems to adapt in the decades ahead, human and natural systems have begun to reel from the unfolding impacts. The aim of this national process is to build a roadmap that will serve as the basis for a national program on climate change and establish an agenda upon which the

Philippines would pursue a dynamic process of determining actions through the National Climate Change Action Plan process.

In the Philippines, the most affected sectors are agriculture, water, health, biodiversity, ecosystems, power and energy, and others. What could be the possible adaptation methods? Climate Change Adaptation - response to climate change that seeks to reduce the vulnerability of social and biological systems to climate change effects. Disaster Risk Reduction - systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster

What are the possible adaptation measures? 1. Legislative Proposals: (Framework) •

The achievement of significant increase in renewable energy-based capacity as follows: –50% from 2008 to 2013; and –50 % from 2013 to 2020

• • • • • • • • •

The identification of the most vulnerable communities / areas to the extreme impacts of climate change; The conduct of local risk and vulnerability assessments for the purpose of identifying options and selecting appropriate adaptation measures for adoption as joint priority projects of the national and local governments Research, development and extension initiatives; Local database development and vulnerability assessment; Capacity building for DENR, other national agencies, and their regional counterparts; Training of vulnerable communities; Facilitation of local adaptation programs for priority vulnerable areas and communities; Promotion of incentive schemes, rules and regulations for accelerated preferential use of renewable energy sources; and Advocacy for and monitoring of the inclusion of climate risk management costs in the national and local plans, budgets and permitting systems of relevant government offices

2. Climate Change Commission • monitor the implementation of the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999; • recommend legislation, policies, programs and budgets on global warming or climate change adaptation and mitigation; • disseminate climate change information to the general public and to the government; • represent the Philippine Government in all international and regional meetings, conferences and/or conventions concerning climate change; and • keep under review all unratified international environmental treaties

3. Fiscal incentives for greenhouse gas emission reduction and carbon sequestration projects and activities • tax [free] and importation of machinery, equipment and materials; • tax credit on domestic capital equipment; • real estate tax exemption; • value-added tax exemption; and. • income tax holiday and exemption. What could be the possible mitigation methods? Climate Change Mitigations - actions to limit the magnitude and/or rate of long- term CC

What are the possible mitigation measures? 1. Energy • improve energy efficiency and conservation; • modernizing utilities; • reducing losses in transmission and distribution; and • use of renewable energy sources. 2. Agriculture • reducing methane emissions in rice cultivation; • providing training and dissemination of information on mitigating methane emissions; • improving water management; • improving collection, use and storage of organic waste; and • using animal waste for energy production. 3. Land-Use Change and Forestry • conserving existing forest cover; • preventing and controlling forest fires; • creating low-impact logging; and • improving timber utilization. 4. Waste Management • minimizing waste at the production, distribution, consumption and disposal stages; • recycling waste; • improving organic waste collection, utilization and storage systems; • improving waste water treatment; and • using waste for energy production. Strategies for Agricultural Resiliency against Climate Change In order to address these future challenges, the Department of Agriculture of Region XI should intensify its program approaches on climate change adaptation. This may include protection and enhancement of ecosystem services to secure food and water

resources and livelihood opportunities to the whole Davao Region community. This may also include the following strategic approaches to be prioritized in programming climate change adaptation: 1. Strengthen convergence strategies with other agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to reduce climate change risks and vulnerability of natural ecosystems and biodiversity through ecosystem-based management approaches, conservation efforts, and sustainable ENR based economic endeavors such as ecotourism. 2. Increase the resilience of agriculture communities through the development of climate change sensitive technologies, establishment of climate-proof agricultural infrastructure and climate-responsive food production systems, and provision of support services to the most vulnerable communities. 3. Improve climate change resiliency with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources through the restoration of fishing grounds, stocks and habitats and investment in sustainable and climate change-responsive fishing technologies and products. 4. Expand investments in aquaculture and in other food production areas. 5. Strengthen the crop insurance system as an important risk sharing mechanism to implement weather-based insurance system. 6. Strengthen sustainable, multi-sectoral and community-based resource management mechanisms. 7. Link with the academic institution to establish a concrete programming through inclusion of the Climate Smart Farm Business in schools, colleges and university’s curriculum. What needs to be done? We need to change the way we use energy, travel and do our daily chores 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Practice Green Economy Respect, Rethink, Replenish and Restore Strict implementation of environmental laws Amend/Repeal irrelevant laws Our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can forge inclusive solutions.

The global response to the climate change crisis will define humanity in the 21st century. References: Asuncion D. Merilo, M. G. 2001. Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Strategies: The Philippine Experience. Workshop on Good Practice Policies and Measures, Copenhagen, Denmark. Capili, E., A. Ibay, and J. Villarin. 2005. "Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation on Philippine Coasts". Paper presented at the International Oceans 2005 Conference. 19-23 September 2005, Washington D.C., USA.

Department of Energy. 2005. “Renewable Energy: Energy Resources”. Online. Accessed 18 September 2008. Available at: http://www.doe.gov.ph/ER/BioOSW.htm Habito, C.F. 2002. Climate Change and National Development. A presentation made at the Meeting on Climate Change and National Development in the Philippines, held on November 8, 2002 at the Justitia Room, Ateneo Professional Schools, Rockwell Center, Makati City, Philippines. Lasco, R. D., R. V. Gerpacio, M. R. N. Banaticla and A. G. Garcia. 2007. Vulnerability of Natural Ecosystems and Rural Communities to Climate Change: An Assessment of Philippine Policies and their Impacts. Perez, R.T., L.A. Amadore and R.B. Feir. 1999. “Climate Change Impacts and Responses in the Philippine Coastal Sector”. Climate Research. Vol. 12: 97107 United Nations. 2007. Philippines 2006 Typhoon Appeal. Geneva, United Nations Javier, S., Palicte C. M., Seguiro, A., and Torrentira, M. (2018). Climate change adaptation strategies of the Department of Agriculture in Davao Region, Philippines. International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development. Vol. 1, Issue 2 pp 198-201. Learning Activity

Evaluative Essay: (Paris Agreement on Climate Change) At the Paris climate conference in 2015, countries adopted an international agreement to address climate change that requires deeper emissions reduction commitments from all countries—developed and developing. The agreement aims to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius while making best efforts to keep it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Prior to the conference, countries responsible for 97 percent of global emissions submitted their climate commitments prior to the conference. These commitments have been enshrined in over 160 countries with domestic ratification, acceptance, or approval. The agreement, which entered into force on November 4, 2016, contains provisions to hold countries accountable to their commitments and mobilize greater investments to assist developing countries in building low-carbon, climate- resilient economies. While the Paris Agreement does not “solve” climate change, it is a critical inflection point. It brings us much closer to a safer climate trajectory and creates an ambitious path forward for decades to come. Countries have put forth an agreement that helps strengthen national action by ensuring that the current commitments are the floor—not the ceiling—of ambition. The agreement will also help spur greater action by cities, states, provinces, companies, and financial institutions. The Paris Agreement has created a virtuous cycle of Torrentira, Moises Jr. C. time.Course Module GE Elective: Environmental Science 101 | increased ambition over page

Source: https://www.nrdc.org/resources/paris-agreement-climate-change Full Content of the Paris Agreement may be downloaded on the following link: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/what-is-the-paris-agreement

Or you may scan the QR Code below using your android/IOS phone for automatic access of the document.

Questions: 1. What is the commitment of the Philippines to the Paris Climate Agreement? (you may search in the internet for other details) 2. What should be the first step of the Philippine government to materialize this commitment? 3. What do you think is the responsibility of developed countries in augmenting climate change? 

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