CLEAN AIR ACT OF THE PHILIPPINES

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8749

Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999.

Declaration of Principles. - 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.
The State shall promote and protect the global environment to attain sustainable development
while recognizing the primary responsibility of local government units to deal with
environmental problems.
The State recognizes that the responsibility of cleaning the habitat and environment is primarily
area-based.
The State also recognizes the principle that polluters must pay.
Finally, the State recognizes that a clean and healthy environment is for the good of all and
should, therefore, be the concern of all.
Declaration of Policies. - The State shall pursue a policy of balancing development and
environmental protection. To achieve this end, the frame work for sustainable development shall
be pursued. It shall be the policy of the State to:
[a] Formulate a holistic national program of air pollution management that shall be implemented
by the government through proper delegation and effective coordination of functions and
activities;
[b] Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among citizens and industries through the
application of market-based instruments;
[c] Focus primarily on pollution prevention rather than on control and provide for a
comprehensive management program for air pollution;
[d] Promote public information and education and to encourage the participation of an informed
and active public in air quality planning and monitoring; and
[e] Formulate and enforce a system of accountability for short and long-term adverse
environmental impact of a project, program or activity. This shall include the setting up of a
funding or guarantee mechanism for clean-up and environmental rehabilitation and
compensation for personal damages.
Recognition of Rights. - Pursuant to the above-declared principles, the following rights of citizens
are hereby sought to be recognized and the State shall seek to guarantee their enjoyment:
[a] The right to breathe clean air;
[b] The right to utilize and enjoy all natural resources according to the principles of sustainable
development;
[c] The right to participate in the formulation, planning, implementation and monitoring of
environmental policies and programs and in the decision-making process;
[d] The right to participate in the decision-making process concerning development policies,
plans and programs projects or activities that may have adverse impact on the environment
and public health;
[e] The right to be informed of the nature and extent of the potential hazard of any activity,
undertaking or project and to be served timely notice of any significant rise in the level of
pollution and the accidental or deliberate
release into the atmosphere of harmful or hazardous substances;
[f] The right of access to public records which a citizen may need to exercise his or her rights
effectively under this Act;
[g] The right to bring action in court or quasi-judicial bodies to enjoin all activities in violation of
environmental laws and regulations, to compel the rehabilitation and cleanup of affected area,
and to seek the imposition of penal sanctions against violators of environmental laws; and
[h] The right to bring action in court for compensation of personal damages resulting from the
adverse environmental and public health impact of a project or activity.

CLEAN WATER ACT OF THE PHILIPPINES

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9275
This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004."
Declaration of Policy. - The State shall pursue a policy of economic growth in a manner
consistent with the protection, preservation and revival of the quality of our fresh, brackish and
marine waters. To achieve this end, the framework for sustainable development shall be pursued.
As such, it shall be the policy of the State:
a) To streamline processes and procedures in the prevention, control and abatement of pollution
of the country's water resources;
b) To promote environmental strategies, use of appropriate economic instruments and of control
mechanisms for the protection of water resources;
c) To 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;
d) To formulate an integrated water quality management framework through proper delegation
and effective coordination of functions and activities;
e) promote commercial and industrial processes and products that are environment friendly and
energy efficient;
f) To encourage cooperation and self-regulation 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;
g) To provide for a comprehensive management program for water pollution focusing on pollution
prevention;
h) To promote public information and education and to encourage the participation of an
informed and active public in water quality management and monitoring;
i) To formulate and enforce a system of accountability for short and long-term adverse
environmental impact of a project, program or activity; and
j) To 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.
Sec. 3. Coverage of the Act. - This Act shall apply to water quality management in all water
bodies: Provided, That it shall primarily apply to the abatement and control of pollution from land
based sources: Provided, further, That the water quality standards and regulations and the civil
liability and penal provisions under this Act shall be enforced irrespective of sources of pollution.
Sec. 4. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
a) Aquifer - means a layer of water-bearing rock located underground that transmits water in
sufficient quantity to supply pumping wells or natural springs.
b) Aquatic life - means all organisms living in freshwater, brackish and marine environment.
c) 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:
1. 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;

2. Use of water for municipal purposes - means the utilization of water for supplying water
requirements of the community;
3. Use of water for irrigation - means the utilization of water for producing agricultural crops;
4. Use of water for power generation - means the utilization of water for producing electrical or
mechanical power;
5. Use of water for fisheries - means the utilization of water for the propagation of culture of fish
as a commercial enterprise;
6. Use of water for livestock raising - means the utilization of water for large herds or flocks of
animals raised as a commercial enterprise;
7. 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.

ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS
1. Human Population and Pollution
A growing world population might seem like an obvious threat to the environment that goes far beyond the debatable
theory of global warming. The bigger threat is far more complex and directly linked not to the controversial idea of a
carbon footprint, but to the unique system of supply and demand.
Consumers place more and more demands on the earth's natural resources as the population increases year after year.
These demands leave pollution and waste in the wake of human daily activity. Compound this with each world
government doing its own brand of commerce, many without environmental consciences, and you get the formula for
environmental chaos and disaster.
A prime example of higher consumption demands can be found in the fishery industry, where the world's marine life is
being harvested with few to no renewable methods in place. Consumers are also responsible via industry for hundreds of
hazardous chemicals used in the production of various products. Heavy metals continue to contaminate land, water and
air.
The power of a consumer can be mighty when each person in the world realizes that action can be taken and changes
made by carefully choosing how each consumer dollar are spent.
Earth Changes .2
The last major climate change was an ice age and the world is in the final stages of that event. The result is a rise in
temperatures and the melting of glaciers and even the polar ice cap. Many highly-respected scientists disagree that global
warming is the result of human-caused pollution any more than it can cause powerful hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes,
floods, and even solar flares. This school of thought views earth changes as being the result of the natural processes found
in an evolving living planet and its sun. While the cause of global warming remains controversial, both sides agree that it's
.a very real environmental threat to the world as you know it
Deforestation .3
When a region loses its biodiversity, it becomes more vulnerable to other environmental elements. Deforestation disrupts
the natural balance of ecological systems in the area where the trees have been harvested and far beyond. Food production
.can be impacted due to drought and erosion directly linked to the loss of forests
Ozone Deterioration .4
Chemicals and chlorofluorocarbons pollutants are created by industry and agriculture. They have a negative impact the
ozone layer. The lack of strict enforcement of laws to prevent the use of such pollutants compounds the situation. World
.governments that continue to allow various pollutants into the environment impede the recovery of the ozone layer

Acid Rain .5
Acid rain is created by excessive sulfuric and nitric acid being pumped into the atmosphere, rivers, oceans, and land.
While some acid rain is the byproduct of the natural processes of decaying vegetation and volcanic activity, the current
crisis comes directly from the burning of fossil fuels. Water becomes toxic when acid rain imbues the oceans or lakes with
.an absorption quality that cause the water to absorb soil-based aluminum and poisons the aquatic plant and marine life
Dead Zones in the Ocean .6
Another harmful source of excessive nitrogen being dumped into the oceans can be traced back to agricultural practices of
over-fertilization of crops, lawns and gardens. The end result has been the creation of over 160 dead zones throughout the
.world's oceans
The oceans' eco-systems are dependent upon the natural process of organic ocean matter known as phytoplankton, which
is found on ocean surfaces. This eventually breaks down and filters to the bottom of the ocean floor where it's broken
.down further by ocean floor bacteria. This process is called bacterial respiration
When too much nitrogen feeds the phytoplankton, like any fertilized crop, it begins to overproduce. The bacteria are
unable to break down the plankton fast enough and the chemical processes that convert carbon dioxide into oxygen can't
keep up. The oxygen is used up quicker than it can be produced. The plankton chokes out the flow of water and oxygen so
.that marine and plant life die from the lack of oxygen
Species Extinction .7
An alarming rate of species extinction is happening worldwide. As of 2010, the rate of loss is estimated to be more than
1,000 times the normal rate. Greater preservation tactics and strategies are needed with laws put into place to protect
species. Once more, manmade pollution is the culprit along with land encroachment by developers. Both causes are
.created by consumer demands as people branch out into areas that were once remote habitats for various species
An example of successful endangered species preservation is the American national symbol, the bald eagle. In the 1960s,
there were fewer than 470 eagle nestlings. As of 2010, there were over 7,000 nestlings in the United States. This increase
in the bald eagle population demonstrates how threatened species can be brought back from the brink of extinction. More
and more animals and other forms of wildlife are being added to the endangered species list each year. It makes sense to
.become better land stewards, instead of encroaching on forests and wetlands