Question & AnswerQ&A (PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 600)
The official title is the Marine Pollution Decree of 1974.
The main policy is to prevent and control the pollution of seas by the dumping of wastes and other matters that create hazards to human health, harm living resources and marine life, damage amenities, or interfere with legitimate uses of the sea within the Philippines' territorial jurisdiction.
Discharge includes spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or dumping.
Dumping means any deliberate disposal at sea of wastes or other matters from vessels, aircraft, platforms, or other man-made structures at sea, excluding disposal incidental to normal operations or arising from seabed mineral exploitation.
No, it is unlawful to throw, discharge, or deposit refuse matter from any ship, floating craft, shore, wharf, or establishment into any navigable waters, except for liquid wastes flowing from streets and sewers.
The Commandant may permit deposit where navigation will not be injured, within defined limits and prescribed conditions, but only if application is made prior to depositing the material.
The discharge of oil, noxious liquid substances, and other harmful substances is prohibited, except in emergencies, unavoidable accidents, or as permitted by the Commandant's regulations.
Violators may be fined not less than P5,000, or imprisoned for 30 days to 1 year, or both. The penalty may also be levied against vessels involved, including withholding clearance until the penalty is paid.
They must immediately notify the Philippine Coast Guard with details including ship name, company, spill location, type and quantity of oil, and conditions such as weather, tide, and cause of the spill.
A fine of P10,000 or imprisonment of 30 days to 6 months, or both, may be imposed.
The owner or operator of the vessel or facility that discharged the oil or oily mixture may be liable for the cleanup costs.
The Commandant is authorized to prescribe rules and regulations for vessel design, equipment, oil transfer procedures, communication, operational supervision, and equipment inspection to enforce the decree.
An initial amount of two million pesos is appropriated for the procurement of containment and recovery equipment for oil spills, with future appropriations included in the Coast Guard's budget.
The decree took effect immediately upon its signing on December 9, 1974.