Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

8602

House Bill No.

Introduced by DIWA Party-list Representative Pepito M. Pico

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Climate change and the significance of environmental law is no longer just a
mere political issue. It has already evolved into a moral issue for us. As we have
experienced the worsening effects of climate change over the past years, it has now
become our collective moral obligation to ensure that we take actions to somehow
address this issue. Although we may be a considerably small nation who can only
have so much contribution in resolving the global issue of climate change, this does
not excuse us from not doing whatever we can to help combat this humanitarian
concern.

One of the worst aspects of our environmental policy is failure to take
cognizance of some of the worst practices we have been doing. Being an archipelago
and a tropical country, we rely much on our marine and aquatic resources. Almost our
entire country is surrounded by different water resources. This has been a source of
livelihood for most of our countrymen and a source of pride for our tourism industry
as well. Unfortunately, we have consistently taken our water resources for granted.
Water pollution has remained to be among our perennial environmental concer for
the past years. According to the Environmental management Bureau, 40% of our
freshwater bodies have only fair water quality, while 13% showed poor water quality.
It is for this reason that this bill, , is being filed to ensure that we finally put an end to
our destructive practice of dumping our wastes in our waters.

PEPITO M. PICO
} Representative, DIWA Party-list

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

House Bill No, 8602

Introduced by DIWA Party-list Representative Pepito M. Pico

ANACT
PROVIDING A BAN ON DUMPING OF SEWAGE SLUDGE AND
INDUSTRIAL WASTE INTO THE SEA

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This shall be known as the “Sea Dumping Ban
Act”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. -It is hereby declared the policy of the
State to promote the natural balance of the environment for the protection of human
health and safety.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. — For purposes of this Act, the term:

1. “Alternative system” means any method for the management of
sewage or industrial waste which does not require a permit under
this Act;

2. “Excluded material” means:

a. Any dredged material discharged by the Philippine Army
Corps of Engineers or discharged pursuant to a permit
issued by the Secretary of Environment and Natural
Resources;

b. Any waste from any industrial operation located in the
Philippines or discharge pursuant to a permit signed by the
Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources

3. “Industrial waste” means any solid, semi-solid, or liquid waste
dumped by a manufacturing or processing plant other than an
excluded material

4. “Interim measure” means any short-term method for the
management of sewage sludge or industrial wastes which:

a. Is used before implementation of an alternative system;

b. Does not require a permit under this Act;

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“Sewage sludge” means any solid, semi-solid, or liquid waste
generated by a wastewater treatment plant, other than an excluded
material.

SECTION 4. Prohibited Acts. - No person shall dump into sea waters or
transport for the purpose of dumping into sea waters, sewage sludge or industrial
waste, unless such person has obtained a permit issued by the Secretary of
Environment and Natural Resources which authorizes such transportation and
dumping.

SECTION 5. Penalties. - Any person who dumps into ocean waters or
transports for the purpose of dumping into ocean waters, sewage sludge, or industrial
waste, unless allowed under Section 4, shall be liable in the amount of not less than
Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50, 000.00) nor more than Five Hundred Thousand Pesos
(P500, 000.00) or imprisonment of not less than three (3) months but not more than
six (6) years, or both at the discretion of the court. If the offense is committed by a
corporation, trust, firm, partnership or association, or other entity, the penalty shall be
imposed upon the guilty officer or officers of such corporation, trust, firm, partnership
or association or other entity.

SECTION 6. Enforcement Monitoring Report. — Not later than six (6)
months after the date of the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources, in consultation with the Secretary of the
Department of Transportation and Communications, shall submit a report to the
Congress. The report required under this section shall contain an accounting of
discharges into the waters of the territorial sea, the economic zone, and the ocean, and
shall include:

(a) total number of discharges;

(b) the location, source volume and potential environmental effects
of each discharge;

(©) the date of original issuance, review and reissuance of each
discharge:

(d) the number of discharge that have been determined by the
Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources;

(e) schedule for implementing this Act and achieving compliance
with guidelines promulgated under this Act as expeditiously as
practicable, and an estimate of the resource required to meet
such schedules; and

( recommendations for any additional legislative authorities
needed to achieve compliance with such guidelines.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. — If any provision, or part hereof, is held

invalid or constitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise
affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

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SECTION 8. Repeating Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary
to or inconsistent with the visions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or
amended accordingly

SECTION 9. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

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