state of the philippine environment

STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT-Investment Prospects

Department of Environment and Natural Resources

SECTION 16 ARTICLE II, 1987 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

“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.”

ENVIRONMENT FRAMEWORK

1. Improved conservation, protection and rehabilitation of natural resources

2. Improved environmental quality for a cleaner and healthier environment

3. Enhanced resilience of natural systems and improved adaptive capacities of human communities to cope with environmental hazards including climate related risks

ENVIRONMENT FRAMEWORKPhilippine Development Plan: 2011-2016

FORESTRY

Situationer:• Philippine forest at 7.2 M ha or 24% of country’s land

area

• 8 M ha of forestlands degraded (26% of land area)

Forest Management

Government Actions:• Total log ban in natural forests to conserve & protect

(E.O. 23)• Created National Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force

Forest Management

• Confiscated 10.6 M bd. ft. of logs/lumber valued at P 317 M

• Filed 269 cases for illegal logging• Closed 215 wood processing plants

Government Actions:

Forest Management

• Established National Greening Program, biggest reforestation in Philippine history (E.O. 26)

Plant 1.5 B trees in 1.5 M ha in 6 years (27.8% higher than past 50 years).

For 2011, target is 50 M trees in 100,000 ha.

Government Actions:

Forest Management

CLEAN AIR

• Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) in Metro Manila is 166 micrograms/normal cubic meters (μg/Ncm) in 1st half of 2010

84% beyond standard of 90 μg/Ncm (WHO)

Other polluted cities: San Fernando, Calapan, Cebu, Zamboanga, Davao

Situationer – Major urban centers are polluted

Clean Air

• 80% of pollution due to vehicular emissions• Per WB, 18M Filipinos exposed to air pollution, with

health cost & loss of income of P 7.6 B/year

Situationer – Major urban centers are polluted

Clean Air

Government Actions:

More stringent air emission standards for Compression & Spark-Ignition Engines (motorcycles & tricycles)

• Strengthened enforcement & regulations

Agreement with Earth Day Network to make EDSA “Linis Hangin Zone.” (cellphone to catch smoke-belchers)

Clean Air

DENR, LTO, MMDA, etc. worked to reduce traffic & ensure compliance with emission testing to reduce vehicular emissions

Government Actions:• Strengthened enforcement of regulations

Clean Air

• Strengthened enforcement of regulations Developed program with ADB to provide credit for

conversion of tricycle engines to electric

Government Actions:

Clean Air

• As of June 2011, pollution reduced by 32% from 166 to 113 μg/Ncm.

Government Actions:

Clean Air

1st Sem 2010 2nd Sem 2010 1st Sem 20118090

100110120130140150160170180

166

133.5

113

90

Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) Level

ActualStandard

TSp

leve

l (ug

/Ncm

)

CLEAN WATER

• Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), or demand for oxygen in water, for 19 major rivers in 2010 at 27 milligrams/liter, 4x the standard at 7 mg/L

Clean WaterSituationer – Waterways/esteros in major urban centers unfit for human activity

Government Actions:Initiated “Adopt an Estero Program”

Before After

Estero de Paco, Manila (ABS-CBN Foundation)

Clean Water

Before After

Estero de Paco, Manila

Adopt an Estero Program Government Actions:

Clean Water

Before After

Estero de Paco, Manila

Adopt an Estero Program Government Actions:

Clean Water

226 Major companies have adopted waterways

nationwide (Examples: Jollibee, San

Miguel Foundation, Toyota, Masinloc Power Corp.)

Adopt an Estero Program Government Actions :

Clean Water

• Reduced solid wastes

Required Philippine Plastic Industry to develop program for retrieval/collection/ recycling of plastics

Launched “Reusable Bag Campaign for Greener Environment” with major malls & supermarkets

Government Actions:

Clean Water

• Reduced solid wastes Agreement with 11 Metro Manila LGUs for solid waste

management systems in subdivisions/ condominiums. Initially, 4,717 homeowners associations identified

Government Actions: Clean Water

GEOHAZARD

• Philippines is prone to natural disasters due to geographical location & geological attributes: landslides, flooding, earthquakes, tsunami, etc.

Situationer:

Geohazard

• Completed geo-hazard mapping of all provinces/ cities/municipalities at 1:50,000 scale

• Distributed 65,000 map sheets to all LGUs• More detailed mapping started for 88 landslide-prone

cities/municipalities (scale of 1:10,000)

Government Actions:

Geohazard

• Conducted coastal geohazard assessment of 46 coastal municipalities

MINERAL REFORMS

• Started cleansing of idle mining applications under “use it or lose it” policy. Additional 5.2 M ha have been opened for new and serious investors, resulting from cleansing/denial of 2,136 pending and idle mining applications (97% of total)

• Suspended acceptance and processing of new mining applications to ensure successful implementation of the on-going cleansing of mining applications

Mineral Reforms Situationer:

Mineral Reforms

• Cleansing the remaining idle mining applications under the “use it or lose it” policy.

Government Actions:

GOOD GOVERNANCE

• Removed opportunities for graft and corruption Policy shift to donate confiscated logs/lumber to

DepEd, instead of auctiono Donated 2.282 M bd. ft. of confiscated logs/lumber to DepEd, LGUs, and other government offices (additional 5.5 M bd.ft. for donation)

o Produced 9,699 armchairs, 174 school desks, 171 tables, 55 cabinets & repaired 197 buildings (i.e., schools, chapel, mun. buildings & CENRO Offices), etc)

Government Actions:

Good Governance

• Removed opportunities for graft and corruption

Rationalized and reduced DENR checkpoints from 274 to 118 or by 57%

Government Actions:

Good Governance

• Removed opportunities for graft and corruption Installed 902 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)

cameras up to field offices Eliminated face-to-face transactions

Government Actions:

Good Governance

• Strengthened prosecution and justice systemNo. of

PersonnelShow cause issued 118

Formally charged 31

Fined/Suspended 7

Dismissed from service 10

Government Actions:

Good Governance

Filed 297 cases for illegal logging

• Strengthened prosecution and justice system Strengthened capacities of DENR personnel,

prosecutors & judges through trainings with the Supreme Court

Government Actions:

Good Governance

PUBLIC ASSESSMENT

• From one of the most corrupt in December, 2009, DENR is now the 4th least corrupt agency in March 2011 (Pulse Asia Survey)

• Environment ranked 4th in assessment of government performance by Movement for Good Governance (August 2011)

Public Assessment

OVERALL PERFORMANCE(Pulse Asia Survey)

• Efforts of government in stopping the destruction & abuse of environment

Period Approval Rating Disapproval Rating

Net Approval Rating

October 2009 +27 -39 -12

March 2011 +48 -16 +32

June 2011 +50 -14 +36

Public Assessment

INVESTMENT PROSPECTS

INVESTING in theFORESTRY SECTOR in the

PHILIPPINES

• Industrial Tree Plantation• Agroforestry• Eco-tourism• Wood Pellet• Bio-energy

Investing in the Forestry SectorPotential Areas for Investment

Investing in the Forestry Sector

Region 9

Region 10

Region 11

Region 12

Region 13

Potential Areas forTree Plantations

• Identification of Clear investment zones – Forest Land Use Planning process transparent and participatory• Simplified procedures for investing that reduce transaction costs• Stable policy environment which guarantees the right to harvest or benefit from investment

- Secured land tenure - De-regulated policy especially in harvesting

planted trees - Harmonized policies with LGUs, NCIP, NGAs

Investing in the Forestry Sector Policy Reforms Underway to Encourage

Private Sector Participation

Investing in the Forestry SectorAdoption of Investment Portfolio Approach

• To encourage public-private forestry investments through reduction of transaction costs by undertaking preparatory work relative to completing documentary requirements and securing necessary clearances

• To develop investment portfolio package options for private investors on potential forestry enterprises (industrial tree plantations, agroforestry, ecotourism , etc.)

Objectives

Investing in the Forestry SectorInvestment Portfolio ApproachObjectives

• To ensure forestry projects are in accordance with national and LGU plans (Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUP), Forest Land Use Plans (FLUP)

• To allow synergy and convergence of government agencies’ programs