NSTP-CWTS 1:

MODULE 2
 MODULE 2:
TOPIC 4
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
(RA 9003)
 A. Contemporary Environmental Issues

Ecological Richness of the Philippines in Peril

A) Biodiversity
B) Forest Ecosystem
C) Agricultural Lands
D) Mineral Wealth
E) Energy Sources
F) Water resources
 A. Contemporary Environmental Issues
Threatened biodiversity and deforestation
 Extinction of species is a natural
phenomenon, but the very rapid rate of
biodiversity loss is alarming. The
Philippines ranks 4th in the Asia-Pacific
region in terms of the number of
threatened species (CEC-Philippines,
2012).
 It has a total of 784threatened fauna
(DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau,
 A. Contemporary Environmental Issues
Over-extraction and exploitation of mineral
resources

 Despite the rich mineral resources of the

Philippines, the country is yet to fully
utilize this resource for national industries.
Minerals are mostly exported to foreign
countries. Republic Act no. 7942 of the
Mining Act of 1995, for one, enticed more
foreign companies to engage in mining
 A. Contemporary Environmental Issues
Degradation of coastal ecosystems
 Conservation International (in CEC-
Philippines, 2012) tagged the Philippine as
part of the 11 “coral hotspots” or areas with
the most-degraded coral reefs from 20023 to
2011.
 The DENR reported that 40% of the corals in
Philippine waters are in deteriorated
conditions (CEC-Philippines, 2016). Other
coastal resource issues include mangrove
 A. Contemporary Environmental Issues

❖ Climate change

 This is a complex phenomenon involving a

significant change in measures of climate,
observed for long periods. Indicators of
climate change are alterations in
temperature, rain fall, sever weather events,
rises in sea levels, and melting of ice.
 A. Contemporary Environmental Issues
 Human activities significantly contribute to
climate change, particularly through
increased discharges of greenhouse gases
such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide
(N2O), and methane (CH4) in the last
centuries.
 Increased concentrations of these
greenhouse gases cause rapid increase in
global temperatures and sea levels
(Jimenez, 2013). Significant impacts of
 B. Our Role in Environmental Protection
 Environmental Justice

Environmental justice recognizes that:

 rich ecosystem services and environmental
wealth are great resources to lift people
out of poverty:
 improper use of environment and natural
resources lead to environmental decline
and degradation;
 environmental degradation severely affects
 B. Our Role in Environmental Protection

 the poor suffer more from floods, droughts,

typhoons, health impacts, and decline sin
forest and coastal resources; and
 the poor also lack equitable access to
environment and natural resources, which
ironically paves more privileges for richer
individuals and corporation to gain benefits
from nature (UNDP, 2014).
 B. Our Role in Environmental Protection
Environmental justice, then, is a call for
governments, businesses and other
duty-bearers to protect the rights of the
poor to a healthful environment and
equitable access to nature. It is also
about the protection of the poor from
the impact of environmental degradation
and the appropriate governance towards
sustainable use of the environment and
 B. Our Role in Environmental Protection
Initiatives to address contemporary
environmental issues
1) Innovations in economic processes
= Green Chemistry
= Zero Waste
= Closed Loop Production
= Local Living Economies
 B. Our Role in Environmental Protection
Initiatives to address contemporary
environmental issues
2) Green Movements
⮚ These, on the other hand, are civil
society movements intended to uphold
the rights of communities and to
advocated for sustainable governance of
the environment.
 B. Our Role in Environmental Protection
Initiatives to address contemporary
environmental issues
2) Green Movements
⮚ These movements turn to social
protest, dialogues, and advocacy
activities to demand accountability from
the government and other organizations
to support equity, poverty alleviation,
development, and sustainability.
 B. Our Role in Environmental Protection
Voices and capacities of the youth in
environmental justice
Young people can partake in:

 providing technical assistance; partnering

with science workers and communities to
create green technologies, zero-waste
designs in products, sustainable and non-
toxic food system, agriculture, and
infrastructure;
 B. Our Role in Environmental Protection

 forging solidarity activities with

communities and environmental defenders
in pushing for just and environmentally
friendly laws; community efforts and
advocacies to oppose destructive projects
in localities;
 providing more access to information to
communities regarding environmental laws
and potential actions;.
 B. Our Role in Environmental Protection

 crafting letters to government bodies and

joining in petitions and other campaigns to
pressure decision-makers to enact
environmentally friendly legislations; and
 reinforcing environmental organizations in
increasing own awareness on important
environmental and social justice concerns.
 C. RA 9003 (Solid Waste Management
Act)
It is hereby declared the policy of the St ate
to adopt a systematic, comprehensive, and
ecological solid waste management program
which shall:

 Ensure the protection of public health and

environment;
 Utilize environmentally-sound methods that
maximize the utilization of valuable
resources and encourage resource
 C. RA 9003 (Solid Waste Management
Act)
 Set guidelines and targets for solid waste
avoidance and volume reduction through
source reduction and waste minimization
measures, including composting, recycling,
re-use, recovery, green charcoal process,
and others, before collection, treatment
and disposal inappropriate and
environmentally sound solid waste
management facilities by ecologically
sustainable development principles;
 C. RA 9003 (Solid Waste Management
Act)
 Ensure the proper segregation, collection,
transport, storage, treatment, and disposal of
solid waste through the formulation and
adoption of the best environmental practice in
ecological waste management excluding
incineration;
 Promote national research and development
programs for improved solid waste
management and resource conservation
techniques, more effective institutional
arrangement, and indigenous and improved
 C. RA 9003 (Solid Waste Management
Act)
 Encourage greater private sector
participation in solid waste management;
 Retain primary enforcement and
responsibility of solid waste management
with local government units while
establishing a cooperative effort among the
national government, other local
government units, non-government
organizations, and the private sector;