Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3407

Introduced by Honorable Anthony M. Bravo and Honorable
Cresente C. Paez

EXPLANATORY NOTE
Environmental justice education is essential for the following:

‘A. Producing students who are prepared to address not only the imminent climate
change issues that affect 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

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

HON. ANTHONY M. BRAVO Hon ch (TE C. PAEZ


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Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3407

Introduced by Honorable Anthony M. Bravo and Honorable
Cresente C. Paez

AN ACT
‘TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE EDUCATION IN HIGH SCHOOLS
THAT SERVE ENVIRONMENTALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS

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 “Youth Investment in

Environmental Education Act of 2013.”

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 fiinds 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.

(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 Program 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 eam secondary school course credits or
credits towards the jurisdiction's service learning requirements during the summer
through experiential learning 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,
(D) 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

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.

Approved,