Presidential Decree No. 1586 of 1978: Environmental Impact Statement System (Philippines)

The Presidential Decree establishes an Environmental Impact Statement System based on the environmental impact statement required of all agencies and instrumentalities of the national government, including government owned or controlled corporations, as well as private corporations, firms and entities for every proposed project and undertaking which significantly affects the quality of the environment. The decree also provides that the President of the Philippines may declare certain projects, undertakings or areas in the country as environmentally critical. 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). All other projects, undertakings and areas not declared by the President as environmentally critical shall be considered as non-critical and shall not be required to submit an environmental impact statement. The National Environmental Protection Council, through the Ministry of Human Settlements, may however require non-critical projects and undertakings to provide additional environmental safeguards as it may deem necessary. The decree also provides for a penalty for violation of the requirement to obtain an ECC or the terms and conditions for the issuance thereof, punishable by suspension or cancellation of the certificate or of a fine.