ENVIRONMENT Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez announced policy reforms related to forest, land, protected area and environmental management, days before facing again the Commission on Appointments (CA).
Lopez’s proposed policy reforms were presented on Thursday, as Lopez herself admits she is un-certain of her fate at the hands of the 25-member CA when she announced the ban on open-pit mining.
Noting that politics is unpredictable, Lopez said she wants to put in place policy reforms while she still heads the agency mandated to manage the country’s environment and natural resources.
Among the policy reforms is to make land titling service easier, more accessible and transparent to the public. Under this area, Lopez said barangay offices will be allowed to accept public land-titling applications.
She said barangays will be provided with cadastral maps with ongoing titling operations. Offices would also be required to post the process involved in titling with corresponding requirements and fees for each step.
Potential beneficiaries of free, homestead and sales patents can also expect support on managing their land from the Land Management Bureau and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) corporate arm, the Natural Resources Development Corp. (NRDC), according to her.
Also, the DENR chief promises that title holders can expect assistance in coordinating with other government offices on land development, payment of taxes and other fees and land preservation for climate-change resiliency.
Harmonization
LOPEZ pointed to the Land Management Bureau as having drafted guidelines regarding nonrequirement of tax declaration in filing, accepting and processing of agricultural and residential free patent applications, in lieu of which actual land occupants can present other applicable proof. The DENR is also adopting a strategy to maximize benefits from protected areas (PAs) through a special use agreement (Suapa), Lopez said.
The Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), which oversees management of PAs, has proposed the imposition of development fees based on zonal value of the PA. Further, the proponent shall pay an administrative fee for every Suapa application filed.
Under the proposal, income from Suapa fees will be accrued to the Integrated PA Fund, which could increase income to be utilized for improving PA management and operations while decreasing subsidy from the national government. The DENR is also eyeing a partnership with the Department of Agriculture in mainstreaming biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices in and around PAs. The move is expected to address issues, such as unregulated conversion of PAs to agricultural lands, and demonstrate how the environmental, social and economic components of social development can be harmonized.
Standard labeling
THE DENR has also identified several areas of improvement to protect and conserve the country’s watersheds for survival. It launched a control map as a standard for the use of the country’s environment and natural resources (ENR), and to promote evidence-based planning and decision making.
The map integrates all spatial information collected and produced by agency on forestland, PAs and mining tenements. According to Lopez, the control map would contribute to a better prioritization of the agency’s programs and projects, ensure equitable allocation of resources, and aid in disaster-risk reduction, mitigation and adaptation. The DENR is also establishing the Philippine Forest Certification System (PFCS), which adopts a standard labeling system to ensure all wood products come from so-called legal and sustainably managed forests. Lopez said the PFCS would result to “healthier forests, communities and workers” and help prevent illegal wood harvesting or logging while promoting employment that is “compliant with all fundamental International Labor Organization conventions”.
The DENR’s Forest Management Bureau is also aiming to streamline wood-processing plant permits by extending their validity from three to five years, she added. The scheme is expected to attract more investors, provide less transaction costs, improve security of tenure and help meet the domestic demand for wood-based products.
Sulfur oxide
TO improve air quality in Metro Manila, the DENR will designate Edsa in Metro Manila as a nonattainment area for exceeding pollution standards, Lopez said.
The DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) is set to revise emission standards for criteria pollutants, specifically sulfur oxide, from source-specific air pollutants to promote a safer, cleaner and healthier environment.
The standard will be lowered to 400 milligrams per normal cubic meter (mg/Ncm), compared to 1,500 mg/Ncm standard prior to the implementation of Republic Act 8749, also known as the Clean Air Act.
Sulfur oxide has been found to be one of the leading causes of respiratory diseases. The standards have been patterned to international health standards.
The DENR will also make use of technology to promote transparency and accountability. One of these is with the launch later this month of a mobile application that Lopez said will show the user the location of forestlands, ancestral domains, mining tenements, flood-prone areas, fault lines and PAs.
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 it now requires a programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) for proponents of sand and gravel projects securing an environmental compliance certificate . Lopez also vowed to enhance public participation in the various stages of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) system or from its onset to the evaluation stage.
Controversies
LOPEZ is set to face the CA as the committee resumes on May 2 a public hearing for her interim appointment as a public official.
Twice bypassed by the CA, Lopez’s appointment as environment secretary would have to be approved or rejected when the members of the CA meet on Tuesday. Lopez faces stiff opposition in the CA for her controversial decisions to close or suspend 28 operating mines, cancel 75 mineral-production sharing agreements (MPSAs) and impose a ban on open-pit mining on gold, silver, copper and complex ores. Still, she enjoys the support of some environmental groups.
The official is being criticized for her controversial policies, such as ordering a mine audit and audit criteria anchored on “social justice”, which prioritizes social, environmental and biodiversity over technical aspect of mining. She allegedly ignored “slap-in-wrist” penalty recommended by her own audit teams by going for mine closure or suspension, for bringing in her own team and putting 50 DENR career officials on floating status that is causing sweeping demoralization and for “forcing” several mining companies to cough out P2 million per hectare of disturbed area for rehabilitation beyond what is mandated by the mining law.