Social justice is aim of DENR policy reforms, says Gina Lopez

Environment Secretary Gina Lopez unveiled on Thursday policy reforms that would address key environmental issues, including watershed protection, protected areas, air pollution, land titling, and forest restoration.

The proposed changes in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Lopez said, are aimed at providing the public with efficient and accessible programs.

“The thing I would like to do is to institute a policy, legal framework, such that social justice indeed happens and it’s not dependent in one Cabinet Secretary. Because the law and policies of DENR are such that social justice will happen,” Lopez said in a press briefing at the DENR Central Office in Quezon City.

“Social justice – it’s where the people of our country benefit from the resources of our country. And how do we do that? Number one, by working together. Number two, by using technology, and we have to get rid of corruption. That’s why the audit team is here. As long as there is corruption, there can never be social justice,” she added.

The reforms Lopez presented included policies related to forest, land, protected area, and environmental management.

She said these reforms is in line with her objective of providing social justice to the people.

Land titling service

Lopez said the agency would make land titling service “easier, faster, more accessible and totally transparent.”

She mentioned that in the previous order, applicants needed to go to the DENR offices in order to apply for titling service.

However, she explained that this would no longer be followed as DENR personnel will now go to barangays to receive applications, provide maps and information materials.

Lopez added that they would also remove the tax declaration required by the applicants for the processing of the public land.

“We’re gonna remove the thing on having tax declaration. You want social justice, so kailangan tulungan yung mga mahihirap…Paano mag-tax declaration kung wala naman silang pera. We’ll take that out as a prerequisite for the titles,” Lopez said.

Lopez also pointed out that in the past, the DENR is limited to the issuance of land title under its mandate.

She said beneficiaries of free, homestead and sales patents can now expect to receive support on managing their land from the Land Management Bureau and DENR’s corporate arm, the Natural Resources Development Corporation.

Protected Areas

The DENR would maximize the benefits from Protected Areas through the Special Use Agreement in Protected Areas (SAPA).  Lopez said that before, each Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) signs a memorandum of agreement and prescribes its own fees.

Now, the DENR will standardize a higher development and administrative fees, in which five percent of the total income from SAPA fees will now be accrued to an Integrated PA Fund.

She said this will be utilized in improving the management and operations of protected areas while “decreasing subsidy from the national government” and this will also provide eco-livelihood to communities.

Watershed Protection

Lopez also underscored efforts to ensure the protection and conservation of the country’s watershed.

“Water is life. If we don’t protect our water resources, there can never be justice…What happens when we don’t take care of our watersheds? We have water shortage. Before, hundreds of watersheds remain unprotected,” she said.

Lopez said DENR regional offices, water districts, hydro water companies and concessionaires will also assess the determined watershed areas.

Forest restoration

The DENR also plan to establish the Philippine Forest Certification System (PCFS) that will adopt “a standard labeling system to ensure that all wood products come from legal and sustainably managed forests.”

“We’re gonna zone areas na pwede namang gumamit ng lumber diyan. For the communities and farmers living in areas where you can actually use the lumber without disadvantaging the entire forest, we will help them. We will create additional employment. We will help the community all the way up to marketing,” Lopez said.

She noted that the PCFS would result to “healthier forests, communities and workers.” This would also prevent illegal wood harvesting and illegal logging.

Air quality

Meanwhile, in an effort to improve air quality in Metro Manila, Lopez said they will designate EDSA as a “non-attainment area for exceeding pollution standards.”

“The non-attainment area only means that LGUs (Local Government Units) and agencies will implement measures to achieve the air quality guideline value that is 90, prohibition of any new source and any type of emission activities. And we have to require industries to pay emission fees to bring it down further,” DENR Undersecretary Maria Paz Ipat Luna said.

The move is pursuant to Section 10 of Republic Act 8749 or the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 in which the DENR shall designate areas where specific pollutants have already exceeded ambient air quality standards as non-attainment areas.

Luna also suggested that the agency would have to “centralize carpooling in EDSA.” She added that the agency will “encourage biking and walking and the provision of incentives to use mass transport.”

The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), a line agency of the DENR, will revise emission standards for pollutants.

DENR Control Map

Meanwhile, Lopez said DENR is mandated to have a control map, noting that this will have the “integration of all the needs of different facets of the government.”

The map will contain information and data collected by the agency on forestland, protected areas, and mining tenements. Lopez said that will serve as an “evidence for decisions that will contribute to the common good.”

She added that this would help the agency in the prioritization of its programs and projects. The said map will also aid in the “equitable allocation of resources, disaster risk reduction, mitigation and adaptation.”

Enhancing Public Participation on Environmental Impact Assessment

The public will be involved in the Environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, Lopez said.

The EMB will implement online submission of monitoring data as a strategy in “bringing quality service to our people” by providing an adequate and timely feedback mechanism.

The bureau also announced that it will now require a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for the river system. — BAP, GMA News