Question & AnswerQ&A (DENR ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2000-05)
The main policy objective is to assure environmentally and socially acceptable development of industrial areas in the Philippines by supplementing existing EIS system regulations and providing programmatic compliance procedures for environmental impact assessments.
An ECC is a document issued by the DENR Secretary certifying that a proposed project or program will not bring about unacceptable environmental impacts and that the proponent has complied with the Environmental Impact Statement system requirements; it is usually issued with conditions.
Projects subdivided into several phases or stages in a contiguous area, and projects consisting of several components or a cluster of projects co-located in an industrial estate or export processing zone are covered under programmatic compliance.
The EMB is responsible for processing programmatic EIS documents, evaluating completeness, coordinating reviews including public hearings, making recommendations to the DENR Secretary for issuance or denial of the ECC, and monitoring compliance post-issuance.
The programmatic EIS must include project description, scoping report, eco-profiling of air, water, land, and people sectors, impact analysis, environmental risk assessment (if necessary), environmental management plan, proposals for environmental monitoring and guarantee funds, post-operation plan, accountability statements, and other supporting documents.
The MMT is tasked with monitoring compliance with ECC conditions, the environmental management plan, and relevant laws; validating predicted environmental impacts; and providing stakeholder oversight, especially including local communities.
Operating without an ECC may result in fines up to P100,000 for each Industrial Development Area plus P50,000 for each locator without ECC. If violations continue beyond 45 days, additional fines up to P50,000 per day apply, and the project operation may be ordered ceased.
Public participation is ensured through accessible public information dissemination by the proponent, public consultations to integrate community concerns, public hearings with notices, and documentation of these processes attached to the EIS.
Carrying capacity refers to the natural and human environment's ability to accommodate and absorb change without experiencing instability or degradation.
Programmatic compliance procedures refer to activities undertaken by a proponent to comply with policies and procedures of the DAO to secure an ECC for projects or programs that involve multiple components or stages, ensuring comprehensive environmental assessment and management.