Legarda urges Filipinos to act on environmental laws
At A Glance
- "This September, let us rise to the challenge. Protecting our environment demands more than compliance; it requires unity, urgency, and daily commitment. Let us turn this moment into a movement toward a cleaner and more resilient Philippines," Sen. Loren Legarda said.
As the country observes National Clean-up Month this September, Senator Loren Legarda called on the public to translate environmental policies into tangible community action.
This event is observed by virtue of Proclamation No. 244 s. 1993, complemented by Presidential Proclamation No. 470 s. 2003, which designates every third Saturday of September as International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day in the Philippines.
“As the principal author and principal sponsor of the Climate Change Act of 2009 (RA 9729), and author and principal sponsor of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003), I have seen that laws only bring real change when people embrace them,” Legarda said.
“This September, let us rise to the challenge. Protecting our environment demands more than compliance; it requires unity, urgency, and daily commitment. Let us turn this moment into a movement toward a cleaner and more resilient Philippines,” she added.
Citing data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Legarda said the Philippines generates around 61,000 metric tons of solid waste daily, with 12 to 24 percent made up of plastic.
This means each Filipino consumes 20 kilograms of plastic per year, with 15.4 kilograms ending up as waste, making the Philippines the world’s top contributor to ocean plastic pollution, accounting for roughly 36 percent of global marine waste.
Last year, the ICC removed 352,479 kilograms of trash from 250 sites nationwide in just one day.
“These numbers are visible scars. Flooding and mass displacement are no longer isolated events; these are symptoms of clogged waterways, deforested uplands, and years of poor waste management,” Legarda said.
To address these challenges, the senator reiterated her call for stronger environmental enforcement and innovative planning.
“The effects of pollution and climate change are not distant threats; they are happening in the present and are costing Filipino lives,” she stressed.
At the start of the 20th Congress, Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 1250, which seeks the establishment of an Environmental Protection and Enforcement Bureau (EPEB) under the DENR to improve the government’s capacity to monitor violations, especially those involving hazardous hospital waste and industrial pollution.
She also filed SBN 1251, or the Philippine Environmental Assessment System Act, which seeks to modernize the country’s environmental governance. The bill introduces three key mechanisms: Strategic Environmental Assessment for policies and programs, Environmental Impact Assessment for projects, and Health Impact Assessment aligned with the Universal Health Care Act.
Together, these reforms aim to create a more proactive, science-based, and health-conscious approach to environmental decision-making, the lawmaker stressed.
“Legislation alone won’t solve our environmental challenges. We need public participation, local innovation, and sustained community action,” Legarda emphasized.
“Environmental laws are not just words on paper; they are tools for transformation. Let us deepen our commitment to bridge policy and practice, not just this September, but every day. The real change begins when we take ownership of the laws meant to protect us,” she further stressed.