Environment laws hard to enforce

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — A massive review and revisiting of environmental laws in the Philippines is now needed to make these easier to implement, according to Secretary J.R. Nereus Acosta during a convocation on environmental issues at the Foundation University in this city.

Acosta, presidential adviser on environmental protection said that crafting these laws were easy but then these have been difficult to implement considering the local setting, thus these have to be reviewed for possible amendments.

The former congressman who was the main author of the Clean Air Act said that if he will be given the chance to return as a legislator, he would push for review and revisit of environmental standards, such as on emission and water among others, to make these realistic and befit the local parameters.

Acosta, also the general manager of the Laguna Lake Development Authority at present, lost in his senatorial bid in 2010 but did not make any categorical statements about his plans for 2016.

He however said: “If I will be back in a legislative role, I will immediately conduct a policy review on environmental laws not just strengthen these but to also make them more realistic.”

Acosta quoted some leaders in the private sector as telling him: “You might have passed environmentally sound laws but these are the standards in Europe or in America, and cannot be applied immediately in the Philippines.”

The secretary admitted he has a better appreciation of these views, although he said there has been a number of businesses that has been abusive or violators of environmental laws.

The government has been running after them, but Acosta had another idea to contain these violators, proposing for an enforcement based on incentives.

“These incentives maybe in a form of a tax break, or some rewards that would drive businesses to comply with the provisions of environmental laws, without the need for chasing or penalizing them by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Office of the President or the local government units,” Acosta added.