The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is the primary agency responsible for the conservation, management, development and proper use of the environment and natural resources of the Philippines, in particular forests, rangelands, reservations, mineral resources and public lands. It also responsible for all licensing procedures and regulations on natural resources in the country to ensure equitable sharing of the benefits given by natural resources for the welfare of present and future generations of Filipinos. The core mandates of the DENR are as follows:
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) was established in 1987 as a supporting body for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 1987. And then EMB was institutionalized as a separate governing body with an independent enforcement authority in 2002. The EMB is responsible for pollution prevention and control, and environmental impact assessment. The Bureau has a vision of a nation that is empowered to protect its limited natural resources pursuing sustainable development, to ensure a healthy environment that enhances the Filipinos’ quality of life for present and future generations. The EMB sets out standards for air and water quality and monitors pollutants in the environment and those from point sources. It also controls hazardous and toxic materials under the Toxic Substances, Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act, and operates the country’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system.
The Department of Health (DOH) is responsible for ensuring that all Filipinos have access to basic public health services through the provision of quality health care and the regulation of providers of health products and services. The Department has adopted the vision “the healthiest Filipinos in Southeast Asia by 2022 and in Asia by 2040” and has the mission of leading the country in developing a productive, resilient, equitable, and people-centered health system.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a regulatory agency established under the Department of Health (DOH) pursuant to the Food, Drugs and Devices, and Cosmetics Act and the subsequent Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009. The FDA is mandated to ensure the safety, effectiveness and quality of health products such as food, drugs, cosmetics, devices, biological products, vaccines, in vitro diagnostic reagents, devices and equipment emitting radiation, household and urban hazards chemicals including pesticides and toys, or consumer products that may affect health and require regulation as designated by the FDA.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety, and strengthening the capacity of local governments through active people’s participation.
Objectives:
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is responsible for the control of chemicals that may be used in manufacture of explosives or raw materials thereof. It controls the “restricted chemicals” as stipulated by laws and regulations. The restricted chemicals are regulated for manufacture, trade, import, export, transportation and storage.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is a governmental agency that controls and regulates narcotic precursors and implements programs/projects to combat narcotics. The import of chemicals used for the manufacture of narcotics are controlled by the Anti-illegal Drug Task Force of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is responsible for strengthening the border control, facilitating international trades and improving the revenue legally collected, with the goal of achieving a modernized and reliable customs administration at the world’s highest level. The Environmental Protection and Compliance Division (EPCD) under the Bureau was reorganized from the Environmental Protection Unit into the EPCD, an upper level organization, pursuant to the Customs Memorandum Order No. 38 of 2019. The purpose of the EPCD is to deal with illegal entry of hazardous and other wastes from other countries. The EPCD is also responsible for 1) monitoring the import and export of hazardous, recyclable and other materials under the regulatory control of the DENR; 2) recommending issuance of Alert Order (AO) and Pre-Lodgment Control Order (PLCO) against shipments suspected of containing goods in violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and/or environmental laws and regulations; and 3) investigating cases involving violations of environmental laws and making recommendations for prosecution of violations of the CMTA.
The Department of Energy (DOE) is mandated by the Department of Energy Act of 1992 to prepare, integrate, coordinate, supervise and control all plans, programs, projects and activities of the government related to energy exploration, development, utilization, distribution and conservation. The DOE, in cooperation with stakeholders, aims to improve the quality of life of Filipinos by formulating and implementing policies and programs to ensure sustainable, stable, secure, adequate, accessible, and reasonably priced energy. The Department is also responsible for the development of energy conservation standards and labels for products, as well as energy conservation regulations for factories and other facilities. The Energy Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB), a subsidiary of DOE, develops and implements the minimum energy efficiency standards and energy labeling for different products and other programs. It also evaluates energy-saving technologies and develops comprehensive information, education, and communication strategies to raise public awareness about and promote the use of energy-efficient products.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is a national governmental authority established for the aim of developing domestic industry and international trade.
The organizational structure of the DTI has been reformed pursuant to the Department Order No. 18 of 2019 establishing the following functional groups:
The Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) is an agency established under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), on June 20, 1964, pursuant to the Standards Act (Republic Act No. 4109). The BPS is responsible for the Philippine National Standards. As such, the BPS is mandated to formulate, publish, and enforce standards for all products in the Philippines, promote national standardization activities, and ensure that high quality products are manufactured, produced, and/or distributed for protecting consumers. Currently, the Bureau is subordinate to the Consumer Protection Group (CPG) of the DTI and works in coordination with the Consumer Protection and Advocacy Bureau (CPAB) and the Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB).
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) is a governmental body created to establish the legal framework and mechanisms for the integration, coordination, planning, and monitoring of special economic zones (SEZs), industrial parks, export processing zones (EPZs), etc. to attract domestic and foreign investors, create employment opportunities, and strengthen linkages among industries in and around SEZs. In addition, the Authority has established and is developing environmentally friendly green SEZs under the concept of “environment-friendly industrialization,” which promotes industrialization without harming the environment through the responsible use of natural resources.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is the primary agency that controls occupational safety and health policies, enforcing rules under the provisions of the Labor Code. The Department is also responsible for regulations governing the handling of chemicals at work sites. The DOLE has adopted the goal of achieving decent and productive employment for all Filipino workers with subordinate organizations including the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), the Bureau of Work Conditions (BWC), and the Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR).
The Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) is an agency created by Presidential Decree No. 307 of 1987, as a national governmental body for conducting research and training on matters related to occupational safety and health. OSHC was designated as the international occupational safety and health information center (CIS Center) for the Philippines in July 1991, and accordingly receives information from the head CIS Center (in Geneva, Switzerland), a division of the International Labor Organization (ILO), and from the Asia-Pacific Regional Program on Occupational Safety and Health (headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand) and dispatch such information to relevant domestic stakeholders. OSHC conducts research and surveys on occupational safety and health. Other duties include:
Within the OSHC, the Safety Control Division, the Health Control Division, and the Environmental Control Division are responsible for chemical management, all of which work together to manage chemicals at workplaces.
Framework of EHS laws and regulations in Philippines.
Philippines
On January 22, 2021, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines invited various stakeholders for a public consultation to identify single-use plastic items to be included …
Philippines
On December 22, 2020, the FAQs and decision matrix (for determining whether a product is subject to Household/Urban Hazardous Substances (HUHS) regulations) regarding Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Circular No. …
Philippines
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines, in collaboration with the Technical Working Group (TWG), established the Breakpoints for PM2.5 …
Philippines
On October 29, 2020, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines announced that they are preparing WEEE regulations based on …
Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines unanimously passed a Bill on green public procurement (House Bill No. 6954, or the Green Public Procurement Act, hereinafter referred to as the …
Philippines
On August 19, 2020, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Circular No. 2020-025: Implementing Guidelines for Administrative Order No. 2019-0019, “Reinstatement of Requirements of Licensing as Importers, Exporters, Manufacturers, Toll Manufacturers, …
Philippines
On June 15, 2020, Department Circular No. DC 2020-06-0016: Prescribing the Minimum Energy Performance for Products (MEPP) Covered by the Philippine Energy Labeling Program (PELP) for Compliance of Importers, Manufacturers, …
Philippines
On May 12, 2020, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of Philippines announced the promulgation of the “Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) MC 2020-005, Data Requirements For Pre-Manufacture and …
Philippines
In the Philippines, Memorandum Circular No. 2020-007 was promulgated on May 12, 2020, adding 31 new substances to the PICCS (Philippine Inventory of Chemical and Chemical Substances), the country’s existing …
Philippines
On May 12, 2020, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines announced the issuance of EMB Memorandum Circular No. 010 …
Philippines
In the Philippines, on March 11, 2020, the “Environment Management Bureau (EMB) MC No. 2020-009: Guidelines in the Implementation of Globally Harmonized System (GHS) Classification and Labeling Requirements for Chemicals …
Philippines
In the Philippines, the Environmental Management Bureau Memorandum Circular No. 2020-008: Guidelines for Site Control was enacted on March 11, 2020. The Guidelines have been developed to clarify site control …
Philippines
NOTE: On July 23, 2022,the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, Republic Act (RA) No. 11898 was published to enhance waste management, especially plastic waste. See more details in the …
Philippines
On February 14, 2020, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) of the Philippines issued guidelines that mandate mental health management of workers in the workplace. The guidelines are pursuant …
Philippines
On December 6, 2019, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines announced the issuance of DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2019-21, Guidelines Governing Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Facilities …
Philippines
On November 8, 2019, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Philippines enacted Administrative Order No. 2019-17 on Chemical Control Order (CCO) for Arsenic and Arsenic Compounds (hereinafter referred to …
Philippines
On November 8, 2019, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order 2019-18 on Polymers and Polymer of Low Concern (PLC) Exemption from the Pre-Manufacture and Pre-Importation Notification (PMPIN) …
Philippines
On August 9, 2019, Food and Drug Administration Circular No. 2019-004 on Ban of Bisphenol A (BPA) from Infant Feeding Bottles and Sippy Cups as Child Care Article Products was …
Philippines
President Duterte of the Philippines signed the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (Republic Act No. 11285 [RA 11285]) on April 12, 2019. This is the first act of its kind …
Philippines
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines signed EMB Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2019-002 on March 26, 2019. This clarifies …
Philippines
In the Philippines, the Environmental Management Bureau Memorandum Circular No. 10, 2017: Guidelines in the Implementation of Globally Harmonized System (GHS) Classification and Labelling Requirements for High Volume Chemicals (HVCs) …
Philippines
On September 22, 2017, the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced that the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) under the DTI has established PNS IEC 60034-30-1 2017 (hereinafter …
Philippines
On January 18, 2017, the Philippines Department of Education enacted DepEd Order No. 4, s. 2017, Mandatory Use of Lead-Safe Paints in Schools (hereinafter referred to as this Order). This …
Philippines
In the Philippines, the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) on controlled chemicals (hereinafter referred to as the Rules) were published in the Official Gazette on July 25, 2016. The Rules …
Philippines
On April 21, 2016, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) of the Philippines enacted Department Order No. 154-2016, which establishes safety and health standards on the use and management …
Philippines
On August 24, 2015, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Memorandum Circular No. 2015-011 on Guidance Manual for Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order 2015-09 on the implementation of …
Philippines
On April 8, 2015, a public consultation was held in the Philippines on Draft Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order providing Guidelines on the Environmentally Sound Management …
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