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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Third Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriani Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article I1 Section 16 provides: 
The State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a 
balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony 
of nature. 
Being an archipelagic country, all internal waters and seas of the Philippines are 
considered a natural resource of utmost importance. 
Occan and coastal arcas arc regions of remarkably high biological productivity, arc of 
considerable importance for a vaiety OC recreational and commercial activities, and provide a 
vital incans of twnsportation. 
Ocean and coastal rcsources are limited and susceptible to change as a direct and indirect 
result of human activitics, and such changes can impact the ability of thc ocean to provide tlic 
benefits upon which the nation depends. 
Marinc dcbris, including plastics, derelict fishing gear, and a widc variety o f  other 
objects, have a harml'ul and persislent erfect on intine flora and h n a  and can haw adverse 
impacts on human health. 
A study conducted by the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, found that 
plastic dehris in the marine environment is a persistent problem that has rapidly increased over 
the past forty years. The main sources are commercial fishing debris such as lines and nets, 
packaging inaterial discarded from vessels, and litter from land based sources such as beach 
litter. Most of these products degrade very slowly, at a slower rate in the sea than in the air, and 
so persist for considerable periods of time. Floating net fragments, monocline rope, can carriers, 
and packaging bands can entangle individual animals. Smaller plastic particles may be ingested 
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by marine niamnials, seabirds, turtles and fish, possibly blocking the digestive tract or causing 
ulcerations and damage to the stomach lining. 
Muine debris is also a hazard to navigation, putting mariners and rescuers, their vessels, 
and consequently the marine cnvironnicnt at risk, and can cause economic loss due to 
entanglement ol' vessel systems. 
Like many global environmental problems, marine pollution requires proper 
environmental planning. Insufficient knowledge and data on the source, movement, and effects 
of plastics and other marine debris in marine ccosystcms has hampered efforts to devclop 
el'fective approaches for addressing marine debris. 
Lack of resources, inadcquate attention to this issue, and poor coordination at the national 
level has undermined the development and implementation of a national program to address 
marine debris, both domestically atid regionally. 
The purpose or this hill is to establish programs within the Depafnient of Environment 
and Natural Iiesourccs to (1) liclp identify, determine sources of, asscss, reduce, and prevent 
marine debris and its adverse impacts on the marine environment and navigation safety, in 
coordination with other national and local entities; (2) devclop a national information 
clearinghouse lo enable researchers to study the sources, scale and impact of inariiie debris inore 
efficiently; and ( 3 )  taltc appropriate action in the international corninunity to prevent marine 
debris aid reduce concentrations o f  existing debris on a global scale. 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Third Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A MARINE DEBRIS RESEARCH, PREVENTION, AND REDUCTION 
PROGRAM 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Marine Debris Research, 
Prevention, and Reduction Act.” 
SECTION 2. Implementing Agency. - The Environmental Manageinent Bureau (EMB) 
of the Department of Environment and National Resources shall implement the provisions of this 
act; the acting Bureau Director shall be designated as program administrator. 
SECTION 3. Program Components - The EMB with the assistance of the Philippine 
Coast Guard and the Department of Interior and Local Government and in coordination with 
other relevant agencies shall: 
A. Develop and implement a Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Program to 
reduce and prevent the occurrence and adverse impacts of marine debris on the 
marine environment and navigation safety. 
13. Undcrtaltc niarinc 
debris mapping, identification, 
impact asscssincnt, 
prevention, and removal efforts, with a focus on marine debris posing a threat 
to living marine resources, particularly species identified as cndangcrcd or 
threatened or protected, and navigation safetp, including: 
1. The establishnicnt of a proccss, building on cxisting information 
sources maintained by other government agencies, educational institutions 
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and non-government organizations [or cataloguing and maintaining an 
inventory of niarinc debris and its impacts found in the internal waters of 
the Philippines and the Philippines‘ exclusive economic mne, including 
location, matcrial, size, age, and origin, and impacts on habitat, living 
marine resources, human health, and navigation safety; 
2. ‘l’he creation of measures to identify the origin. location, and projccted 
movement of marine debris within the Philippines internal waters, the 
Philippincs’ exclusive economic zone, and the high seas, including the use 
ol‘oceanographic, atmospl~eric, satellite, and remote sensing data; and 
3. ‘I‘he dcvelopincnt and implcmentatioii of strategies, methods. prioritics, 
and a plan for preventing and removing marine debris from Philippines’ 
internal waters and within the Philippines’ exclusivc economic zone, 
including development o f  local or regional protocols for removal of 
derelict fishing gcar. 
C. Improve effoils and actively seek to prevent aid reduce lishing gear 
losses, as well as to reduec adverse impacts o f  such gem on living 
marine resources and navigation safety, including-- 
1, research and devclo~trnent of alteriiatives to g a r  posing threats to the 
marine eiivironnientl and methods for marking gear nsed in specific 
fisheries to enhance the Weking, recovery, and identifiicsltion of lost and 
discarded gear: and 
2. development of voluntary or mandatory mcasnrcs to reduce the loss and 
discard of fishing gear. 
I). 
Establish outreach aetivitics and education of the public and othcr 
stakeholders, such as the fishing industry, fishing gear manufacturers, aid other 
marine-dcpcndeiit industries, on sources of marine dchris. tbrcats 
witti marine debris and approaehcs to idcntify, dctcrminc 
assess, 
reduce, and prevent marine debris and its adverse impacts on the marine 
associated 
sources of, 


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enviroiinient and navigational sdety, including outreach aid education activities 
through public-privatc initiatives. 
E. 
Take appropriate action in the international community to prevent marine 
debris and rcducc conccntratious of existing dcbris on a global scale. 
SECTION 4. Granls- 1:inancial assistance, in the form of grants, shall bc providcd 
tlirotigh the Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Program for projects to accomplish 
thc purposes of this Act. 
A .Filly percent (50%) Percent Matching Requirement- 
1, llxcept as providcd in subparagraph @)> national funds for any projcct 
under this section may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of such 
pro,jcct. For purposes of this subparagraph, the projcct proponent’s share 
of the project costs niay be provided by in-kind contributions and other 
noncash support. 
2. Waiver- The Environment Management Bureau niay waive all or part of 
the matching requirement under subparagraph (A) if thc Administrator 
determines that no reasonable means are available through which 
applicants can meet the mattching requircment and thc probable benefit of 
such project outweighs the public interest in such matching requirement. 
13. 
llligibility - Any natural rcsourcc management authority of a local 
government unit or other government authority whose activities directly or 
indircctly afkct rcscarch or regulation of inarinc debris, and any educational or 
nongovernmental institutions with demonstrated expertise in a lield related to 
marine dcbris, arc cligiblc to submit to the EM13 a marine debris proposal under 
the grant program. 
C. Grant Criteria and Chidclines - Within 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the EMB shall promulgate necessary guidelines for implemcntation of 
the grant program, including development of criteria and priorities for grants. 
Such priorities may include propovals that would reduce new sources of marine 
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debris and provide additional benelils to the public, such as recycling ol' nierine 
debris or use of biodegradable materials. In developing thosc guidclincs, the IJMR 
shall consult with-- 
1 , national, regional, and local govcrnmeiital entities with marine debris 
experience; 
2. marine-dependcnt industries; and 
3. non-governmenlal organizations involved in inarine debris research, 
prevention, or removal activities. 
D. Project Review and Approval- The EMB shall review each marine debris 
project proposal to dctcrniinc if it meets thc grant critcvia and supports tbc goals 
of the Act. Not later than 120 days alter receiving a project proposal under this 
section, the IlMB shall-- 
1, Provide for exter~ial merit-based peer review of the proposal; 
2, After considering any written comments and rccommcndatjons based on 
the review, approve or disapprove the proposal; and 
3. Provide written notification of that approval or disapproval to the 
person who submitted the proposal. 
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Projcct Reporting - Each grautcc undcr this scction shall provide pcriodic 
reports as required by the Administrator. Each report shall include all information 
required by the Administrator for evaluating the progress and succcss in meeting 
its stated goals, and impact on the marine debris problem. 
SECTION 5. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, an amount of 
Fifty million pesos (P50,000,000.00) is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National 
Treasury. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous operation of the program shall be 
included in the annual appropriations of the Environment Management Bureau. 
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SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 8. Efectivity Clause. - 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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