PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No.

1151 responsibilities of each generation as trustee

PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY and guardian of the environment for succeeding
generations, (b) assure the people of a safe,
WHEREAS, the individual and, at times, decent, healthful, productive and aesthetic
conflicting, demands of population growth, environment, (c) encourage the widest
urbanization, industrial expansion, rapid natural exploitation of the environment without
resources utilization and increasing degrading it, or endangering human life, health
technological advances have resulted in a and safety or creating conditions adverse to
piecemeal-approach concept of environmental agriculture, commerce and industry, (d)
protection; preserve important historic and cultural aspects
of the Philippine heritage, (e) attain a rational
WHEREAS, such tunnel-vision concept is not and orderly balance between population and
conducive to the attainment of an ideal resource use, and (f) improve the utilization of
environmental situation where man and nature renewable and non-renewable resources.
can thrive in harmony with one another; and
Section 3. Right to a Healthy Environment. In
WHEREAS, there is now an urgent need to furtherance of these goals and policies, the
formulate an intensive, integrated program of Government recognizes the right of the people
environmental protection that will bring about to a healthful environment. It shall be the duty
a concerted effort towards the protection of the and responsibility of each individual to
entire spectrum of the environment through a contribute to the preservation and
requirement of environmental impact enhancement of the Philippine environment.
assessments and statements:
Section 4. Environmental Impact Statements.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, Pursuant to the above enunciated policies and
President of the Philippines, by virtue of the goals, all agencies and instrumentalities of the
powers vested in me by the Constitution, do national government, including government-
hereby order and decree: owned or controlled corporations, as well as
private corporations firms and entities shall
Section 1. Policy. It is hereby declared a prepare, file and include in every action, project
continuing policy of the State (a) to create, or undertaking which significantly affects the
develop, maintain and improve conditions quality of the environment a detail statement
under which man and nature can thrive in on
productive and enjoyable harmony with each
other, (b) to fulfill the social, economic and (a) the environmental impact of the proposed
other requirements of present and future action, project or undertaking
generations of Filipinos, and (c) to insure the
attainment of an environmental quality that is (b) any adverse environmental effect which
conducive to a life of dignity and well-being. cannot be avoided should the proposal be
implemented;
Section 2. Goal. In pursuing this policy, it shall
be the responsibility of the Government, in (c) alternative to the proposed action;
cooperation with concerned private
organizations and entities, to use all practicable (d) a determination that the short-term uses of
means, consistent with other essential the resources of the environment are consistent
considerations of national policy, in promoting with the maintenance and enhancement of the
the general welfare to the end that the Nation long-term productivity of the same; and
may (a) recognize, discharge and fulfill the
(e) whenever a proposal involve the use of
depletable or non-renewable resources, a
finding must be made that such use and
commitment are warranted.

Before an environmental impact statement is

issued by a lead agency, all agencies having
jurisdiction over, or special expertise on, the
subject matter involved shall comment on the
draft environmental impact statement made by
the lead agency within thirty (30) days from
receipt of the same.

Section 5. Agency Guidelines. The different

agencies charged with environmental
protection as enumerated in Letter of
Instruction No. 422 shall, within sixty (60) days
from the effectivity of this Decree, submit to
the National Environmental Protection Council
(NEPC), their respective guidelines, rules and
regulations to carry out the provisions of Sec. 4
hereof on environmental impact assessments
and statements.

Section 6. Repealing Clause. All Acts,

Presidential Decrees, executive orders, rules
and regulations or parts thereof which are
inconsistent with the provisions of this Decree
are hereby repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.

Section 7. Effectivity. This Decree shall take

effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila this 6th day of June

in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and
seventy-nine.
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 1586 Section 3. Determination of Lead Agency. The
Minister of Human Settlements or his
ESTABLISHING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT designated representative is hereby authorized
STATEMENT SYSTEM, INCLUDING OTHER to name the lead agencies referred to in Section
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT RELATED 4 of Presidential Decree No. 1151 which shall
MEASURES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES have jurisdiction to undertake the preparation
of the necessary environmental impact
WHEREAS, the pursuit of a comprehensive and statements on declared environmentally critical
integrated environment protection program projects and areas. All Environmental Impact
necessitates the establishment and Statements shall be submitted to the National
institutionalization of a system whereby the Environmental Protection Council for review
exigencies of socio-economic undertakings can and evaluation.
be reconciled with the requirements of
environmental quality; Section 4. Presidential Proclamation of
Environmentally Critical Areas and Projects. The
WHEREAS, the regulatory requirements of President of the Philippines may, on his own
environmental Impact Statements and initiative or upon recommendation of the
Assessments instituted in pursuit of this National Environmental Protection Council, by
national environmental protection program proclamation declare certain projects,
have to be worked into their full regulatory and undertakings or areas in the country as
procedural details in a manner consistent with environmentally critical. No person, partnership
the goals of the program. or corporation shall undertake or operate any
such declared environmentally critical project or
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, area without first securing an Environmental
President of the Philippines, by virtue of the Compliance Certificate issued by the President
powers vested in me by the Constitution do or his duly authorized representative. For the
hereby order and declare: proper management of said critical project or
area, the President may by his proclamation
Section 1. Policy. It is hereby declared the policy reorganize such government offices, agencies,
of the State to attain and maintain a rational institutions, corporations or instrumentalities
and orderly balance between socio-economic including the re-alignment of government
growth and environmental protection. personnel, and their specific functions and
responsibilities.
Section 2. Environmental Impact Statement
System. There is hereby established an For the same purpose as above, the Ministry of
Environmental Impact Statement System Human Settlements shall: (a) prepare the
founded and based on the environmental proper land or water use pattern for said critical
impact statement required, under Section 4 of project(s) or area (s); (b) establish ambient
Presidential Decree No. 1151, of all agencies environmental quality standards; (c) develop a
and instrumentalities of the national program of environmental enhancement or
government, including government-owned or protective measures against calamituous
controlled corporations, as well as private factors such as earthquake, floods, water
corporations, firms and entities, for every erosion and others, and (d) perform such other
proposed project and undertaking which functions as may be directed by the President
significantly affect the quality of the from time to time.
environment.
Section 5. Environmentally Non-Critical Projects.
All other projects, undertakings and areas not
declared by the President as environmentally Pesos (P50,000.00) for every violation thereof,
critical shall be considered as non-critical and at the discretion of the National Environmental
shall not be required to submit an Protection Council.
environmental impact statement. The National
Environmental Protection Council, thru the Section 10. Environmental Revolving Fund.
Ministry of Human Settlements may however Proceeds from the penalties prescribed in the
require non-critical projects and undertakings preceding Section 9 and other penalties
to provide additional environmental safeguards imposed by the National Pollution Control
as it may deem necessary. Commission as authorized in P.D. 984, shall be
automatically appropriated into an
Section 6. Secretariat. The National Environment Revolving Fund hereby created as
Environmental Protection Council is hereby an exemption to P.D. 711 and P.D. 1234. The
authorized to constitute the necessary fund shall be used exclusively for the operation
secretariat which will administer the of the National Environmental Protection
Environmental Impact Statement System and Council and the National Pollution Control
undertake the processing and evaluation of Commission in the implementation of this
environmental impact statements. Decree. The rules and regulations for the
utilization of this fund shall be formulated by
Section 7. Management and Financial the Ministry of Human Settlements and
Assistance. The Ministry of Human Settlements submitted to the President for approval.
is hereby authorized to provide management
and financial support to government offices and Section 11. Repealing Clause. The Inter-Agency
instrumentalities placed under its supervision Advisory Council of the National Pollution
pursuant to this Decree financed from its Control Commission created under Section 4 of
existing appropriation or from budgetary P.D. 984 is hereby abolished and its powers and
augmentation as the Minister of Human responsibilities are forthwith delegated and
Settlements may deem necessary. transferred to the Control of the National
Environmental Protection Council.
Section 8. Rules and Regulations. The National
Environmental Protection Council shall issue the All other laws, decrees, executive orders, rules
necessary rules and regulations to implement and regulations inconsistent herewith are
this Decree. For this purpose, the National hereby repealed, amended or modified
Pollution Control Commission may be availed of accordingly.
as one of its implementing arms, consistent
with the powers and responsibilities of the Section 12. Effectivity Clause. This Decree shall
National Pollution Control Commission as take effect immediately.
provided in P.D. No. 984.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 11th day of
Section 9. Penalty for Violation. Any person, June, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred
corporation or partnership found violating and seventy-eight.
Section 4 of this Decree, or the terms and
conditions in the issuance of the Environmental
Compliance Certificate, or of the standards,
rules and regulations issued by the National
Environmental Protection Council pursuant to
this Decree shall be punished by the suspension
or cancellation of his/its certificate or and/or a
fine in an amount not to exceed Fifty Thousand