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General Information lesson

Environmental Laws at a Glance

The constitutional basis, who enforces environmental law, a master table of laws by number, year and purpose, hazardous waste, the ECC decision, and DENR programs, with current names.

35 min read · Professional and Sub-Professional

What it is

The Philippines has no single environmental code. Its environmental law is spread over the Constitution and many separate laws and decrees. This lesson puts them in order:

  • the constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology, and who enforces environmental law;
  • a master table of the main laws: number, year and purpose;
  • what the big pollution laws require and forbid, and who needs a Pollution Control Officer;
  • hazardous waste, chemical controls, and the ECC / CNC decision;
  • DENR's priority programs.

Why it matters on the exam

Environment items in the practice tests are mostly matching: a law number to its purpose, or an act to the law it breaks. The traps swap law numbers between neighboring purposes (air vs water vs solid waste) or use old names. A master table and the current names (DEC-05) turn these into quick points.

At work, LGUs and many offices apply these laws directly: barangay MRFs, waste segregation, permits and PCOs.

Rule 1 of 11The constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology
Art. II, Sec. 16: the State protects and advances the people's right to a balanced and healthful ecology, in harmony with nature. The right belongs to present and future generations (Oposa v. Factoran, 1993) and can be enforced in court even though it sits in Art. II.
Worked example 1 of 3Which law is violated?
A food factory releases its wastewater into a creek. The factory has a water discharge permit, but its discharge goes above the permitted limits, and it refuses to let EMB inspectors enter. Which law covers these acts?
  1. R.A. 8749
  2. R.A. 9275
  3. R.A. 9003
  4. P.D. 1181
Step 1 · Identify the mediumThe pollution goes into a creek: water.
Read the full lesson

The rest of this lesson, and every other lesson, is part of ReviewTayo.

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In the full lesson

  • How to recognize it on the test
  • What to look for (5 checks)
  • All 11 rules and tools
  • 3 worked examples, every step explained
  • 6 common mistakes and how to fix them
  • 2 exam techniques
  • Remember: 5 key points
  • Practice questions with explanations, and your progress saved
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ReviewTayo has 51 lessons that follow the official scope of the exam, each with rules, worked examples, common mistakes and practice. Open one and read the first part.

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