Genon, Vedia A.

JD-II
Nov. 20, 2020

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS IN THE PHILIPPINES

“The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth. In
many parts of the planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful landscapes are now
covered with rubbish,”1 said Pope Francis, to political leaders This statement was an eye-
opener to the whole world that the Earth is suffering from serious environmental crisis
such as pandemic, pollution and climate change which greatly affects the poor
communities. What was cause of all these? We may point finger to each other, however, we
should note that every individual has the duty to protect the environment that give us life
and allow us to enjoy and consume its resources. After reading the book, After More Than
100 Years of Environmental Law, What's Next For The Philippines? written by Antonio
Gabriel Maestrado La Vina, a Filipino laywer, educator and environmental policy expert, I
am frightened of the life that the people of the Philippines would experience and I am
worried for the future of the new generation to come.

The Philippines, as a third world country, is one of the most affected victims. Philippines
suffers major human-caused environmental degradation aggravated by a high annual
population growth rate, including loss of agricultural lands, deforestation, soil erosion, air
and water pollution, improper disposal of solid and toxic wastes, loss of coral reefs,
mismanagement and abuse of coastal resources, and overfishing.

We have various law which Philippine government legislation enacted and promulgated.
These would include the Philippine Clear Air Act of 1999, Animal Welfare Act of 1998,
Philippine Mining Act of 1995, Ecological Solid Management Act of 2000, Water Code of the
Philippines, Revised Forestry Code, Philippine Fisheries Code, Clean Water Act and other
pertinent laws. Yes, the legislators have drafted and promulgated brilliant and outstanding
laws. However, despite these tons of laws trying to protect the environment, we cannot see
any significant change. The laws are good but the implementations are not. Laws
should be observed and strictly followed. However, the government and its agencies tend
to disregard the importance of properly effecting these laws. Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR) is officially the mechanism for the implementation of the
State policy on the development and utilization of natural resources 'consistent with the
necessity of maintaining a sound ecological balance and protecting and enhancing the
quality of the environment.2 Yet, we see a lot of actions taken by this department in
contrary to its mandate. Mining and logging projects were approved and issued permit
1
Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si, 2015
notwithstanding the environmental effects it would cause. The cry of the cultural
communities when their ancestral lands and domains became subjects of these project
were barely heard.

Before taking this course, I was not that concerned of the environment nor intelligently
aware of what happening right now. This is my first year taking an environmental class and
I did not think I was going to appreciate it as much as I did. I never really considered my
relationship with the environment until taking this class. Amidst pandemic, taking this
course brought me to many realizations.

Firstly, we don't have to sacrifice a strong economy for a healthy environment. We can
balance a healthy economy and healthy environment. This tackle everyone’s social
responsibility amidst industrial development. We must make sure that the means and
methods we used in striving to have a prosperous and abundant state should not weaken
and demoralize the Earth. The root cause of all of these is greed and power. Sometimes, we
take everything even though we don’t need it. In a sense, we don’t need to cut down all the
trees in the forests, we don’t need to look for so much gold and copper which destroys
protected areas, we don’t need to kill endangered animals and used some of their parts for
clothing and business. We just need use and consume what we need. There is a sufficiency
in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.

Secondly, environment is no one's property to destroy; it's everyone's responsibility to

Thirdly, it is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.
Sadly, it is realistic to say that the government who should be the one to make sure that
environmental laws are properly implemented are ones who first disobey it. We see how
the government ignore that cry of its citizen against unnecessary and detrimental acts for
the purpose of economic development. We see how the government favored a particular
individual, corporation and organization in its aim to acquire resources notwithstanding its
harmful and injurious effects to the society.

Fourthly, we owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to conserve the environment so
that we can bequeath our children a sustainable world that benefits all. The efforts and
struggles of the environmentalists and people who are fighting to save the environment is
2
AFTER MORE THAN 100 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE PHILIPPINES?; Antonio
G.M. La Vina
also to conserve and preserve it for future use. It is unimaginable that in the coming years,
the children will not be able to see the beauty of our mother nature. There will be no
stronger trees to climb up to, no more clean rivers and streams to swim, no more beautiful
scenery to watch, no more birds chirping, no one wants to go out because the extreme
temperature of the sun, no enough water for supply, no enough food to consume, no
fresher air to breathe.

Lastly, the Earth does not belong to us: we belong to the Earth, we must act before it’s too
late. Sooner or later, we will have to recognize that the Earth has rights, too, to live without
pollution. What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother
Earth, but the planet can live without humans. Most of the crisis we are experiencing right
now are mainly human caused. The pandemic or the emergence of the Novel Corona Virus
which caused deaths of millions of people all over the world was due to human activities.
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 is a sensational reminder that human history is often
directed by environmental factors and life-forms and species other than our own. Viruses
are an obvious case in point. These submicroscopic biological entities, described in 1990 by
South African scientist Edward Rybicki as existing “at the edge of life,” can infect cells of all
types and sizes in humans, other animals, and plants. Many thousands of virus species are
found everywhere on Earth and in every ecosystem. They are particularly dangerous
because they can mutate and—quite quickly—have unknown or unforeseen consequences.
Plant viruses affect our food supply and determine demographic expansions and declines.
Yes, we keep on destroying the habitat and ecosystem of animals and creatures which
caused the virus coming these animals closer to people. I am really saddened by the
happenings all over the world. From floods, earthquakes, landslides and pandemic. Just this
month, my grandmother, who raised me since I was a child, died and she was a casualty
because of the dealings we need to suffer. Health and medical services became slow and
incompetent because we lack doctors and nurses in the hospitals. This pandemic and the
time for quarantine should be enough for us to reflect how much destruction we have
caused. It should also be a lesson and a warning for everyone to stop destroying and start
protecting and preserving the environment and its resources.

To conclude, Sidney Sheldon once said, “try to leave the Earth a better place than when you
arrived.” As individuals, we can make a difference, whether it is to probe the secrets of
Nature, to clean up the environment and work for peace and social justice, or to nurture the
inquisitive, vibrant spirit of the young by being a mentor and a guide. In the past 50 years,
humans have consumed more resources than in all of previous history. We live in a
consumer society where individuals across the world purchase, use, and dispose of
products throughout their daily lives. Whether this makes their lives easier or not, it is
taking an enormous toll on our environment. If people from across the globe united, we
could work together to make a change in policies, as well as influence other individuals to
create a healthier environment for generations to come.
The importance of environmental legislation is in that without adequate regulations and
laws, environment conservation cannot be realized. Creating environmental awareness and
promoting environmental education are the means to ensure that humans do not degrade
environment but conserve it for the future. However, it is the legislation that ensures
‘environmental conservation’ is actually practiced in daily life. Legislation requires
companies, businesses, and the general public to safeguard their environment and prevent
its degradation, it lays down strict punishment for those failing to obey laws and rules. It is
ultimately this kind of enforcement that can ensure that ideas and schemes get translated
into actual efforts to conserve the environment.