FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
Second Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 16 mandates that 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. In Section 13, the Constitution states that the State recognizes the vital role of 
the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, 
intellectual and social well-being. It shalt inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism and 
encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs. In Section 20 o f  the same article, the 
Constitution likewise mandates that the State recognizes the indispensable role of the private 
sector, encourages private enterprise and provides incentives to needed investments. 
Environmental justice education is essential for the following: 
A. Producing students who are prepared to address not only the imminent climate 
change issues that effect them locally, but to be the driving force behind global 
environmental solutions that will be the stimulus of an emerging eco-efficient 
economy; 
B. Addressing the global and local environmental issues that are 
disproportionately affecting the impoverished sector; and 
C. Fostering a critical understanding of the environment within the context of 
human political and social actions. 
Environmental justice education lends itself to the field of service learning with the call 
to move beyond the classroom and experience the earth in an experiential, embodied way which 
empowers students to confront global environmental justice. Environmental justice education 
uses multiple strategies including experiential learning, integrated core subject study, analytical 
research, and project based learning. 
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Local educational agencies should create an integrated curriculum in which 
environmental justice education is incorporated throughout subject areas such as math, science, 
history, language arts, and all other core subject areas. 
This bill seeks to promote the development of curricula which shall equip our youth with 
the knowledge, skills and opportunities to participate in the protection of the environment. 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
8 .JUL 10 p 2  :as 
Second Regular Session 
1 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE EDUCATION IN HIGH SCHOOLS THAT 
SERVE DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS 
Be it enacted by the Sehate and the House of representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Getting Youth Re-invested in 
Environmental Education Now Act;” or GREEN Act 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State to promote the 
environmental education of our youth and their participation in protecting the environment. 
SECTION 3. Grants Authorized. - The Secretary of the Education shall, subject to the 
availability of appropriations, make grants on a competitive basis under this Act to local 
educational agencies that submit to the Secretary an application at such time and in such manner 
as the Secretary may require. The purpose of the grants is to assist eligible recipients to develop 
an environmental justice curriculum, and a co-op program, for students attending high schools 
that are located in an urban community that may be disproportionately affected by climate 
change, pollution, and other environmental issues. 
SECTION 4. Curriculum Development. - An environmental justice curriculum 
developed with funds received under this Act shall satisfy the following objectives: 
(1) Educating students, through experiential learning and otherwise, about topics relating 
to environmental justice, such as air pollution, lead paint poisoning, access to organic 
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foods, sustainable agriculture, proximity to landfills, toxic dumping, relative asthma 
rates, and the historical patterns of environmental impacts. 
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(2) Empowering students actively to address environmental issues in their local 
neighborhoods while also considering global environmental problems. 
(3) Allowing students to explore careers that involve solving environmental problems and 
cultivating innovators to solve such problems. 
(4) Enhancing life skills required for sound personal decision making, participation in 
civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity, such as problem solving, critical 
thinking, and good stewardship. 
(5) Establishing a nurturing environment that fosters democratic and socially just 
relationships among schools, families, and surrounding communities. 
SECTION 5 .  Co-op Pvogram Development. - A co-op program developed with funds 
received under this Act shall satisfy the following objectives: 
(A) Linking students with career opportunities in the environmental field by building 
partnerships with the public and private sector. 
(B) Providing students with an opportunity to earn secondary school course credits or 
credits towards the jurisdiction's service learning requirements during the summer 
through experiential leaning such as internships and other types of field experience. 
(C) Assisting students in building skills necessary for workforce success, such as 
development of a career path; resume, letter, and memoranda writing; and job 
interviewing. 
@) Providing students with mentors recruited through the partnerships described in 
paragraph (A) who are equipped to assist a mentee in the skill building described in 
paragraph (C). 
SECTION 6. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as 
hereby necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. Thereafter, 
the amount necessary for the continuation of the program shall be included in the annual 
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appropriation of the Department of Energy. 


SECTION 7. 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 8. 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 9. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
/apm061908