Environmentally Critical Projects and Areas, Proclaiming Areas and Projects as (Pres. Proc. No. 2146, 1981)

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PROCLAIMING CERTAIN AREAS
AND TYPES OF PROJECTS
AS ENVIRONMENTALLY CRITICAL
AND WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT SYSTEM
ESTABLISHED UNDER PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1586
Presidential Proclamation No. 2146

• Whereas, it is the national policy to attain and maintain a rational and orderly balance between socio-economic growth and environmental conservation and protection;
• Whereas, there is an urgent need to bring about an intensive, integrated program of environmental protection through a requirement of environmental impact assessments and statements;
• Whereas, the environmental impact statement system established under Presidential Decree No. 1586 calls for the proper management of environmentally critical areas;
• Whereas, the pursuit of a comprehensive and integrated environmental protection program necessitates the establishment and institutionalization of a system whereby the exigencies of socio-economic undertakings can be reconciled with the requirements of environmental protection and conservation;
• Whereas, the national leadership mandates the establishment of such a system to regulate and minimize the environmental impacts of projects and undertakings which may significantly affect the quality of the environment in Presidential Decree No. 1586; and
• Whereas, in the effective implementation of such a system, there arises the need to identify and declare certain projects determined to be environmentally critical.

A.     Environmentally Critical Projects

1. Heavy Industries

1. Non-ferrous metal industries
2. Iron and steel mills
3. Petroleum and petro-chemical industries including oil and gas
4. Smelting plants

2. Resource Extractive Industries

1. Major mining and quarrying projects
2. Forestry projects

1. Logging
2. Major wood processing projects
3. Introduction of fauna (exotic animals) in public/private forests
4. Forest occupancy
5. Extraction of mangrove products
6. Grazing

3. Fishery projects

1. Dikes for/and fishpond development projects

3. Infrastructure Projects

1. Major dams
2. Major power plants (fossil-fueled, nuclear fueled, hydroelectric or geothermal)
3. Major reclamation projects
4. Major roads and bridges

B.     Environmentally Critical Areas

• All areas declared by law as national parks, watershed reserves, wildlife preserves and sanctuaries;
• Areas set aside as aesthetic potential tourist spots;
• Areas which constitute the habitat for any endangered or threatened species of indigenous Philippine Wildlife (flora and fauna);
• Areas of unique historic, archaeological, or scientific interests;
• Areas which are traditionally occupied by cultural communities or tribes;
• Areas frequently visited and/or hard-hit by natural calamities (geologic hazards, floods, typhoons, volcanic activity, etc.);
• Areas with critical slopes;
• Areas classified as prime agricultural lands;
• Recharged areas of aquifers;
• Water bodies characterized by one or any combination of the following conditions:

1. tapped for domestic purposes;
2. within the controlled and/or protected areas declared by appropriate authorities;
3. which support wildlife and fishery activities.

11. Mangrove areas characterized by one or any combination of the following conditions:

1. with primary pristine and dense young growth;
2. adjoining mouth of major river systems;
3. near or adjacent to traditional productive fry or fishing grounds;
4. which act as natural buffers against shore erosion, strong winds and storm floods;
5. on which people are dependent for their livelihood.

12. Coral reefs characterized by one or any combination of the following conditions:

1. With 50% and above live coralline cover;
2. Spawning and nursery grounds for fish;
3. Which act as natural breakwater of coastlines.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

Done in the City of Manila, this 14th day of December, in the year of Our Lord,nineteen hundred and eighty-one.

(signed) Ferdinand E. Marcos
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(signed) Juan C. Tuvera
Presidential Executive Assistant

Acknowledgement: Text from "Environmental Law in the Philippines".

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last updated 1st August 1998
Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law
Faculty of Law
National University of Singapore
© 1998