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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
HON. EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
AN ACT  
INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 
IN THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL (SHS) CURRICULUM 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Waste disposal problems, water and air pollution, deforestation, 
biodiversity loss, climate change, and countless other environment issues 
plague the Philippines. The poor1 and those whose livelihoods depend on 
agriculture, coastal ecosystems, food systems feel most intensely the 
impact of such problems. 
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), environmental 
problems caused around 24% of all deaths worldwide in 2016, and caused 
the death of 3.8 million people in Southeast Asia2  Deaths due to non-
communicable diseases (NCDs) such as stroke, heart diseases, and 
cancers are largely attributable to air pollution, while other deaths such as 
those due to malaria and diarrhea are attributable to poor sanitation and 
waste management.3 
1 Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016. 
2
World 
Health 
Organization, 
Environmental 
Health 
in 
the 
South-East 
Asia, 
accessible 
at 
https://www.who.int/southeastasia/health-topics/environmental-health (last accessed July 11, 2022). 
3 An estimated 12.6 million deaths each year are attributable to unhealthy environments, March 15, 2016,  
accessible at https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/15-03-2016-an-estimated-12-6-million-deaths-each-year-are-
attributable-to-unhealthy-environments (last accessed July 11, 2022). 
November 7, 2022
8:05 am
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From a climate standpoint, the Philippines is among the countries that 
stand to lose the largest, almost double the global average loss.4 The 
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change points that due to the unique 
geography and climatology, low per capita incomes, and urbanization 
patterns of Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, they are 
estimated to lose 6.7% of their combined Gross Domestic Product in 2100 
if the current trend in environmental degradation continues.5 
 
In this light, this bill seeks to integrate environmental education in the 
Senior High School curriculum. This is in recognition of the fact that 
educational attainment is considered by a number of studies as the single 
strongest determinant of public awareness of environmental issues such 
as climate change. 
 
Environmental education seeks to enhance awareness and 
sensitivity of students on global and local environmental issues and 
engages them into taking actions to sustain and advance the quality of 
our environment. This measure is also in line with the United Nations 
Environment Programme (UNEP) 2030 vision of reducing environmental 
risks and increasing resilience of societies and the environmental as a 
whole.  
 
Indeed, better understanding of the environment is seen to improve 
participation of citizens in active environmental protection and thereby 
contribute to the reduction of the country’s vulnerabilities to impacts of 
environmental degradation. 
 
Thus, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 
 
 
HON. EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4 Sovacool, Benjamin K. Environmental Issues, Climate Changes, Energy Security in Developing Asia. Asian 
Development 
Bank 
Economics 
Working 
Paper 
Series, 
June 
2014, 
accessible 
at 
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/42604/ewp-399.pdf (date last accessed: January 8, 2020). 
5 Id. 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
HON. EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
AN ACT 
 INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 
IN THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL (SHS) CURRICULUM 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
1 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
2 
3 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the 
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“Environmental Education in Senior High School Act.” 
5 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The Constitution provides that the 
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State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and 
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healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature. 
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Pursuant to this, the State shall formulate and institutionalize 
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environmental policies that protect the environment against degradation 
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and deterioration, and shall ensure that such policies are widely 
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disseminated to all its citizens.  
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SEC. 3. Integration of Environmental Education in Senior High 
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School (SHS) Curriculum. – All public and private senior high schools 
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(SHS) are mandated to integrate Environmental Education in the core 
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SHS subjects (i) Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction and (ii) Earth 
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Science for those under the Science, Technology, Engineering and 
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Mathematics (STEM) Strand, or (i) Earth and Life Science and (ii) Physical 
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Science for those under the other SHS tracks; Provided, That in the event 
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that there shall be an amendment to the K-12 curriculum and the list of 
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core subjects taken up by SHS students, the Department of Education 
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(DepEd) shall ensure that Environmental Education is integrated in 
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another core subject. 
2 
 
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SEC. 4. Coverage. – Environmental Education shall increase 
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students’ understanding, awareness, and sensitivity to the environment 
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and environmental challenges, and improve the attitudes and motivation 
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towards maintaining environmental quality. It shall include, but not be 
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limited, to the teaching of the following:  
8 
 
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(i) 
how natural environments function and how human activities 
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increase hazards to disasters, environmental degradation, and 
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resource depletion, among others; 
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(ii) 
relevant national and local environmental laws;   
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(iii) 
pressing global and local environmental issues; and 
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(iv) 
measures to prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change. 
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SEC. 5. Implementing Rules and Guidelines. – Within sixty (60) 
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days from the effectivity of this Act, the DepEd, in consultation with the 
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Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the National 
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Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and other 
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appropriate government agencies and relevant stakeholders, shall 
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formulate the rules and regulations to effectively implement the provisions 
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of this Act.  
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SEC. 6. Separability Clause. – Any portion or provision of this Act 
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that may be declared unconstitutional or invalid shall not have the effect 
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of nullifying other portions and provisions hereof as long as such 
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remaining portions or provisions can still subsist and be given effect in 
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their entirety.  
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SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, 
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proclamations and administrative regulations, or any parts thereof 
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inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby revoked, repealed 
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or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 8.  Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) 
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days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) 
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newspapers of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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