MANILA, Philippines – Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga has stripped regional offices of the power to approve environmental compliance certificate (ECC) applications within protected areas until further notice.

In a memorandum dated March 26, 2024, addressed to top officials in the central and regional offices, Loyzaga ordered the conduct of an inventory and a comprehensive review of all existing structures within protected areas.

Applications will now be escalated to the Environmental Management Bureau at the Central Office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Loyzaga announced this on Tuesday, April 2, during her visit to the Mount Apo Natural Park. Senator Raffy Tulfo had previously raised the issue of alleged illegal establishments inside the park following the controversy surrounding the resorts in Chocolate Hills.

According to the environment chief, they are now “looking at the processes also internally to see how we can make them more attuned to the reason why these areas were enrolled and actually legislated as protected areas in the first place.”

“The evaluations of all the known developments are ongoing,” Loyzaga said on Tuesday.

“We’ve already started to determine who has more or less completed documents and permits. That means they have PAMB clearance, ECC clearance, and Sapa. And then also from there [will] follow the different building permits they need to get for their own developments.”

A proponent who wants to conduct a project within a protected area has to secure a PAMB (Protected Area Management Board) clearance. This is a prerequisite before the DENR can issue an ECC.

Existing facilities and structures found compliant with the objectives of the management of a protected area still require a Sapa or a special use agreement in protected areas.

Projects need to apply for ECCs to certify that they “will not bring about an unacceptable environment impact and that the proponent has complied with the requirements of the Environment Impact Statement (EIS) System,” according to DENR Administrative Order No. 21.

In October 2023, the DENR said they would suspend the issuance of tenurial instruments over protected areas after stories of abuse of a “cult” in Surigao del Norte, which used 300 hectares of protected area, came to light. – Rappler.com