, 
THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
First Regular Session 
OF THEPHILIPPINES 
pod JUti 30 $32 5 
SENATE 
S.B. NO. 
Introduced by Senator LUISA “LOI” P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 15 provides: 
“The State shall protect and promote the right to 
health of the people and instill health consciousness among 
them.” 
Children spend much of their young lives in schools and day care centers, and 
may face significant exposure to pesticides and other environmental pollutants in those 
locations. 
The metabolism, physiology, and diet of children, and exposure patterns of 
children to environmental pollutants differ from those of adults and can make children 
more susceptible than adults to the hamhl effects of environmental pollutants. 
Hence, this bill seeks to protect children and other vulnerable subpopulations 
from exposure to environmental pollutants and pesticides in schools, by requiring the 
systematic collection of data concerning the special susceptibility and exposure of 
children to those pollutants, and the adoption of an additional safety factor of at least 10- 
fold in the establishment of environmental and public health standards where reliable data 
are not available. 
In consideration of the above premises, early approval of this bill, is earnestly 
sought. 
LUISA “LOI” 
JERCITO--ESTRADA 
enator 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
1 
“%“I 
Jj;j 30 flz :SI 
I 
First Regular Session 
1 
SENATE 
S.B. NO. 
, I  
Introduced bv Senator LUISA “LOI” P. EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
PROTECTING CHILDREN AND OTHER VULNERABLE SUBPOPULATIONS 
FROM EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS AND PESTICIDES 
IN 
SCHOOLS 
AND 
PROVIDING 
PARENTS 
WITH 
INFORMATION 
CONCERNING TOXIC CHEMICALS THAT POSE RISKS TO CHILDREN 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short title. - This Act shall be known as the “Children’s 
Environmental Protection Act.” 
SEC, 2. Policy. - It is the policy of the State that -- 
(1) the public has the right to be informed about the pollution dangers to which 
children are being exposed in their homes, schools and communities, and how 
those dangers may present special health threats to children and other 
vulnerable subpopulations; 
(2) each environmental and public health standard for an environmental pollutant 
must, with an adequate margin of safety, protect children and other vulnerable 
subpopulations; 
(3) where data sufficient to evaluate the special susceptibility and exposure of 
children (including exposure in utero) to an environmental pollutant are 
lacking, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (here referred 
to as “Department’) should presume that the environmental pollutant poses a 
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special risk to children and should apply an appropriate additional margin of 
safety of at least 10-fold in establishing an environmental or public health 
standard for that environmental pollutant; 
(4) since it is difficult to identifjr all conceivable risks and address all 
uncertainties associated with pesticide use, the use of dangerous pesticides in 
schools and day care centers should be eliminated; and 
(5) the Department, in coordination and consultation with other agencies, should 
support research on the short-term and long-term health effects of cumulative 
and synergistic exposures of children and other vulnerable subpopulations to 
environmental pollutants. 
SEC. 3. De3nitions. - In this Act: 
(1) Child - The term 'khild" means an individual 18 years of age or younger; 
(2) Day Care Center- The term "Day Care Center" means a center-based child 
care provider; 
(3) Environmental Pollutant - The term "environmental pollutant" includes 
hazardous substances, drinking water contaminants, air pollutants, water 
pollutants and pesticides; 
(4) School - The term ''school" means an elementary school, a secondary school, a 
kindergarten, or a nursery school; 
(5) Vulnerable Sub population - The term "vulnerable subpopulation" means 
children, pregnant women, the elderly, individuals with a history of serious 
illness, and other subpopulations identified by the Department as being likely 
to experience special health risks fi-om environmental pollutants. 
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SEC. 4. Safeguarding children and other vulnerable subpopulations.- 
(a) In General- The Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources shall: 
(1) ensure that each environmental and public health standard for an 
environmental pollutant protects 
children and 
other vulnerable 
subpopulations with an adequate margin of safety; 
(2) explicitly evaluate data concerning the special susceptibility and exposure 
of children to any environmental pollutant for which an environmental or 
public health standard is established; and 
(3) adopt an additional margin of safety of at least 10-fold in the establishment 
of an environmental or public health standard for an environmental 
pollutant in the absence of reliable data on toxicity and exposure of the 
child to an environmental pollutant or if there is a lack of reliable data on 
the susceptibility of the child to an environmental pollutant for which the 
environmental and public health standard is being established. 
(b) Esta filishing, Modihing Or Reevaluating Environmental and Public Health 
Standinrdr - 
(1) In General - In establishing, modifjring, or reevaluating any environmental 
or public health standard for an environmental pollutant under any law, the 
Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (hereinafter referred to 
as the “Secretary”) in coordination with the Advisory Council established 
in Section 9, shall take into consideration available information 
concerning: 
(A) all routes of children’s exposure to that environmental pollutant; and 
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(B) the special susceptibility of children to the environmental pollutant, 
including neurological differences between children and adults, the 
effect of in utero exposure to that environmental pollutant, and the 
cumulative effect on a child of exposure to that environmental 
pollutant and other substances having a common mechanism of 
toxicity. 
(2) Additional Safety Margin- If any of the data described in paragraph (1) are 
not available, the Secretary shall, in completing a risk assessment, risk 
characterization, or other assessment of risk underlying an environmental 
or public health standard, adopt an additional margin of safety of at least 
10-fold to take into account potential pre-natal and post-natal toxicity of 
an environmental pollutant, and the completeness of data concerning the 
exposure and toxicity of an environmental pollutant to children. 
SEC. 5. Protecting children from exposure to pesticides in schook - 
(a) IFZ General- Each school and day care center shall-- 
(1) take steps to reduce the exposure of children to pesticides on school 
grounds, both indoors and outdoors; and 
(2) provide parents with advance notification of any pesticide application on 
school grounds in accordance with subsection (b). 
(b) Least Toxic Pest Control Strategy- 
(1) In General - The Secretary shall distribute to each school and day care 
center the department's manual that guides schools and day care centers in 
the establishment of a least toxic pest control strategy; 
(2) List - Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act and 
normally thereafter, the Secretary shall provide each school and day care 
center with a list of pesticides that contain a substance that the Secretary 
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has identified as a known or probable carcinogen, a developmental or 
reproductive toxin, a category I or I1 acute nerve toxin, or a known or 
suspected endocrine disrupter; 
(3) Prohibition Of Pesticide Application. - Effective beginning on the date that 
is two (2) years after the date of enactment of this Act, any school or day 
care center shall not apply any pesticide described in paragraph (2), either 
indoors or outdoors. 
(4) Emergency Exception - 
(A) In Generd - An administrator of a school or day care center may 
suspend the prohibition under paragraph (3) for a period of not more 
than 14 days if the administrator determines that a pest control 
emergency poses an imminent threat to the health and safety of the 
school or day care center community. 
(B) Notice - 
(i) IN GENERAL- Prior to exercising the authority under this 
paragraph, an administrator shall give notice to the board of the 
school or day care center of the reasons for finding that a pest 
control emergency exists. 
(ii) Action Taken- An administrator that exercises the authority under 
subparagraph (A) shall report any action taken by personnel or 
outside contractors in response to the pest control emergency to the 
board of the school or day care center at the next scheduled 
meeting of the board. 
(C) Parental Notice Prior To Any Pesticide Application. - 
(1) In General - An administrator of the school or day care center shall 
provide written notice to parents not later that seventy two (72) 
hours before any indoor or outdoor pesticide application on the 
grounds of the school or day care center; 
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(2) Contents oJNotice - A notice under this subsection shall include a 
description of the intended area of application and the name of 
each pesticide to be applied; 
(3) Form - A pesticide notice under this subsection may be 
incorporated into any notice that is being sent to parents at the time 
the pesticide notice is required to be sent; 
(4) Warning Sign 
(A) In General.- An administrator of a school or day care center 
shall post at any area in the school or day care center where a 
pesticide is to be applied a warning sign that is consistent with 
the label of the pesticide and prominently displays the term 
'warning', 'danger', or 'poison'. 
(B) Period of Display - During the period that begins not less than 
24 hours before the application of a pesticide and ends not less 
than 72 hours aRer the application, a sign under this 
subparagraph shall be displayed in a location where it is visible 
to all individuals entering the area. 
SEC. 6. Safer environment for children. - 
(a) In General. - Not later than one (1) year after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall- 
(1) identie environmental pollutants commonly used or found in areas that 
are reasonably accessible to children; 
(2) create a scientifically peer reviewed list of substances identified under 
paragraph (1) with known, likely, or suspected health risks to children; 
(3) create a scientifically peer reviewed list of safer-for-children substances 
and products recommended by the Secretary for use in areas that are 
reasonably accessible to children that, when applied as recommended by 
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the manufacturer, will minimize potential risks to children from exposure 
to environmental pollutants; 
(4) establish guidelines to help reduce and eliminate exposure of children to 
environmental pollutants in areas reasonably accessible to children, 
including advice on how to establish an integrated pest management 
program; 
( 5 )  create a family right-to-know information kit that includes a summary of 
helpll information and guidance to families, such as the information 
created under paragraph (3), the guidelines established under paragraph 
(4), 
information on the potential health effects of environmental 
pollutants, practical suggestions on how parents may reduce their 
children's exposure to environmental pollutants, and other relevant 
information, as determined by the Secretary; 
(6) make all information created pursuant to this subsection available to 
various agencies, the public, and on the Internet; and 
(7) review and update the lists created under paragraphs (2) and (3) at least 
once each year. 
SEC. 7. Additional reporting of toxic chemical releases that affect children. - 
(a) In General - With respect to each of the toxic chemicals described in clause 
(b) that are released from a facility, the amount described in clause (c). 
(b) Chemicals - Not later than two (2) years after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall identi% each toxic chemical that he determines may 
present a significant risk to children's health or the environment due to the 
potential of that chemical to bio-accumulate, disrupt endocrine systems, 
remain in the environment, or other characteristics, including 
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(1) any chemical or group of chemicals that persists in any environmental 
medium for at least 60 days (as defined by half life) or that have 
bioaccumulation or bio-concentration factors greater than 1,000, 
(2) any chemical or group of chemicals that, despite a failure to meet the 
specific persistence or bioaccumulation measuring criteria described in 
sub-clause (l), can be reasonably expected to degrade into a substance 
meeting those criteha; and 
(3) lead, mercury, dioxin, cadmium and chromium and pollutants that are bio- 
accumulative chemicals of concern. 
(c) 7RreshoZd- The Secretary shall establish a threshold for each toxic chemical 
described in clause (b) at a level that shall ensure for at least 80 percent of the 
aggregate of all releases of the chemical from facilities that have ten (10) or 
more fidl-time employees. 
(d) Additional Facilities - If the Secretary determines that a facility other than a 
facility described in clause (c) contributes substantially to total releases of toxic 
chemicals described in clause (b), the Secretary shall require that facility to 
comply with clause (c). 
SEC. 8. Research Initiatives - 
(a) Exposure and Toxicity Data. - The Secretary, the Secretary of Agriculture, and 
the Secretary of Health shall coordinate and support the development and 
implementation of basic and applied research, initiatives to examine the health 
effects and toxicity of pesticides (including active and inert ingredients) and 
other 
environmental , pollutants 
on 
children 
and 
other 
vulnerable 
subpopulations, and the exposure of children and vulnerable subpopulations to 
environmental pollutants. 
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(b) Biennial Reports. - The Secretary, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the 
Secretary of Health shall submit biennial reports to both Houses of Congress 
describing actions taken to carry out this section. 
SEC. 9. Children's Environmental Health Protection Advisory Committee.- 
(a) Establishment- The Secretary shall establish a Children's Environmental 
Health Protection Advisory Committee to assist him in carrying out this title. 
(b) Composition - The Committee shall be comprised of medical professionals 
specializing in pediatric health, educators, representatives of community 
groups, representatives of environmental and public health nonprofit 
organizations, industry representatives, and environmental and public health 
department representatives. 
(c) Duties - Not later than two (2) years after the date of enactment of this Act and 
annually thereafter, the Committee shall develop a list of standards that merit 
reevaluation by the Secretary in order to better protect children's health. 
(d) Termination- The Committee shall terminate not later than 15 years after the 
date on which the Committee is established. 
SEC. 10. Authorization of Appropriations. - The appropriation of such sums as 
are necessary to effectively implement this Act is hereby authorized. 
SEC. 11. 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. 
SEC. 12. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or 
inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly. 
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J 
SEC. 13, Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (1 5) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
G Wpink disk3/environmentaI polIutantsl 
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