Business groups laud DENR move on ECC processing

MANILA, Philippines - Two of the country’s largest business groups yesterday lauded Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu’s move to return the authority for the processing of environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) for non-environmentally critical projects to the regional offices of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).

 The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) welcomed the move  which they said is aligned with President Duterte’s call to ease doing business in the country.

Reverting the authority of regional offices of the EMB to process ECCs for non-environmentally critical projects is a move  in the right direction as it is meets the industry’s need for an environment conducive for investments and businesses to grow.

“PCCI welcomes Department Administrative Order 2017-18 and lauds Secretary Roy Cimatu for positively responding to the call of an industry that is a major contributor to the economy to streamline the processes at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, particularly in the issuance of ECCs,” the the business group said.

 “We believe that this can be further improved if DENR will also put up safeguards and internal processes that would expedite the issuance of ECCs and check the  quality of decision making at the regional level,” it added.

 Prior to the signing of DAO 2017-18, all the ECCs were processed in the central office.

 PCCI said Cimatu’s directive is aligned with the 10-point agenda of the current administration which promotes ease of doing business.

 The FPI, for its part, said the move effectively removes previously-experienced bottlenecks in ECCs.

 FPI chair Jesus Arranza said the Cimatu directive is “vital in incentivizing industries to the ultimate benefit of the common Filipino.”

“The healthy economic gains being achieved under the Duterte administration should not be impeded by long delays in environmental clearances,” Arranza said.