SIXTI~ENTII CONGRI ~SS OF TilE REl'lJllLIC 
OF TIm 1'1 J[L1I'PINI~S 
Third Regular S~ssion 
SENATI' 
S. No. 
2959 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Delcnsor Santiago 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTING A PIllLlI'PINE POLLUTANT REL.l \ASE 
. AND TRANSFER REGISTRY 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 16 provides: 
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SEP 21 P2 :23 
Section 16. The State shall pl:otect and advance the right of the 
people to a balanced and healthlill ecology in accord with the rhythm and 
harmony of nature. 
This bill seeks to create a Philippine Pollutant Release and Trans(Cr Registry 
(I'I'RTR). It aims to provide timely, relevant, and comprehensible data to the general 
public (0 support the identillcation and assessment of possible risks to humans and the 
environment by indicating sources Hnd amounts of potentially harmful releases and 
transfers to the cnvironment and to minimize their cficcts on the ellvironment. This will 
prevent pollution and the release of pollutants Ji'Olll various s~ctors by encouraging tile 
implemcntation or deaner tedll1ologie~ and to help the private sector to comply with 
environmental rules and regulations. 
This bill shall also evaluate the progress of government environmental policies on 
pollution control and prevention and 
10 asscss to what extent these national 
environmental goals can be achieved. This will make businesses more accountable for 
their pollution. The public will gain aeccss to data about the harmti.ll chemicals produced 
by difl'crcnt industries to hclp thcm participate in environmental decision making. This 


bill is based on the work of Greenpeace and Dean Antonio La Vifia of the Ateneo School 
of Government. l 
~\w ~_.O.~ 
~IRIAM DEF~SOR S~Tlyrb 
1 This bill was originally filed in the Fifteenth Congress, Second Regular Session. 
2 


SIXTEENTII CONGRESS OF TIlE RI~I'U/3L1C 
OF TIlE PIIILll'l'INr~S 
Third Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 
2Jl59. 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Scnator Miriam Defensor Santillgo 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTING A PIllLlI'PINE POLLUTANT RELEASE 
. AND TRANSFER RFCISTRY 
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SEP 21 
P 2 :23 
IJe it enacted by the Senate and the House ()lReprcscntatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION I. Short Tille . .. This Act shall be known as thc "Philippine Pollutant 
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Release and Transfer Registry Act." 
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SECTION 2. Declaration (!l Policy. - It is the policy or the State to protect and 
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advancc the right 01" the pcople to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the 
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rhythm llnd harmony of nature, and to protect and promote the people's right to health, 
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and to attain and maintain a balance between dcvelopl11wt and environmcntal protection. 
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It is the policy of the StDle to maintain a quality or air that protects human health 
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and welfarc. 
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It is the policy ofthe State to pursue economic growth in a manner consistent with 
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the protcction. preservation, and revival of thc quality of our fresh, brackish and marine 
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waters. 
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It IS the policy or the State to regulatc, restrict. or prohibit the importation, 
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mall u lilclurc, processing, sale and distribution, usc and disposal or chcmieal substances 
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and mixtures that prescntunreasonable risk and/or injury to health or the environment. 


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It is the policy of the State to adopt a systematic, comprehensive and ecological 
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solid waste management program which shall ensure the protection of public health and 
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the environment. 
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It is the policy of the State to adopt and implement full public disclosure or all its 
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transactions involving public interest, and to promote a transparent, open and 
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participatory environmental management regime. 
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SECTION 3. Definition a/Terms. - As used in this Act, the term: 
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(a) "Air pollution" refers to any alteration of the physical, chemical, and biological 
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properties of the atmospheric air, or any discharge thereto of any liquid, gaseous or solid 
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substance that will or is likely to create or to render the air resources of the country 
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harmful, detrimental, or injurious to public health, safety, and welfare or which will 
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adversely affect their utilization for domestic, commercial or industrial, agricultural, 
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recreational or other legitimate purposes; 
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(b) "Clean production" refers to a preventive, integrated, continuous strategy for 
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modifYing products, processes, and services, to enhance efficiency which improves 
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environmental performance and reduces costs. 
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(c) "Emission" refers to emission of a substance to the environment whether in 
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pure form or contained in other matter and whether in solid, liquid or gaseous form. It 
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includes emissions from landfills, incinerators, waste management and other disposal 
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facilities, concrete kilns, sewerage systems, tailings dams, and other industrial facilities; 
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(d) "Green chemistry" also known as sustainable chemistry, refers to the design of 
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chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use of generation of 
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hazardous substances; 
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(e) "Hazardous substances chemicals" refer to substances which present either: 
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I) short-term acute hazards, such as acute toxicity by ingestion, inhalation 
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or skin absorption, corrosivity or other skin or eye contact hazard or the risk of fire 
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or explosion; or 
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2) long-term enviromuental hazards, including chronic toxicity upon 
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repeated exposure, carcinogenicity (which may in some cases result from acute 
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exposure but with a long latent period), resistance to detoxification process such as 
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biodegradation, the potential to pollute underground or surface waters, or 
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aesthetically objectionable properties such as offensive odors. It is a chemical for 
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which there is statistically significant evidence (based on at least one study 
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conducted according to established scientific principles) that acute or chronic 
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health effects may occur; 
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(f) "Hazardous wastes" refer to substances that arc without any safe commercial, 
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industrial, agricultural or economic usage and to by-products, side-products, process 
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residues, spent reaction, media, contaminated plant or equipment or other substances 
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from manufacturing operations, and as consumer discards from manufactured products; 
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(g) "Pollutant release and transfer registry (PRTR)" refers to catalogues or 
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registries of potentially harmful pollutant releases or transfers to the environment from a 
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variety of sources, including information on the nature and quantity of such releases and 
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transfers. It includes information about releases or transfers to air, water, and soil, as well 
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as about wastes transported to treatment and disposal sites. It is a means for obtaining 
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regular, periodic information about releases andlor transfers of chemical substances of 
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interest and for making this information accessible to those who may be interested andlor 
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affected by it; it is a tool for promoting efficient and effective policies for environmental 
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protection and sustainable development; 
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(h) "Solid waste" refers to all discarded household, commercial waste, non-
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hazardous institutional and industrial waste, street sweepings, construction debris, 
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agricultural waste, and other non-hazardous and non-hazardous! non-toxic waste; and 
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(i) "Water pollution" refers to any alteration of the physical, chemical, biological, 
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radiological properties of a body of water resulting in the impairment or its purity or 
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quality, or is hazardous or potentially hazardous to health. 
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SECTION 4. Applicable and Related Laws, Rules and Regulations. -
The 
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following laws and their pertinent rules and regulations shall be applicable and taken into 
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account in the implementation of the Philippine Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry 
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(PPRTR): 
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(a) Republic Act No. 6969 or the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear 
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Waste Control Act of 1990; 
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(b) RA. No. 8749 or the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999; 
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(c) R.A. No. 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004; 
IS 
(d) RA.No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of2000; and 
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( e) All other environmental laws, rules, and regulations as may be relevant to the 
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implementation of the PPRTR, including, but not limited to multilateral and bilateral 
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health and environmental agreements to which the Philippines is a party to. 
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SECTION 5. Scope and Coverage. - The PPRTR shall cover all forms of 
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pollutants and hazardous and toxic chemicals, and all forms of emissions and discharges 
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to the environment, whether in the air, water, or soil by all facilities and industries 
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operating in the Philippines, subject to the guidelines and procedures of the PPRTR on 
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the disclosure requirement for facilities and industries. 
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SECTION 6. Lead/Implementing Agency. - The Environmental Management 
2 
Bureau (EMB) shall be the lead! implementing agency for the PPRTR. The EMB shall 
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create a special unit, the PPRTR Office (PPRTRO), whose sole function shall be to 
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manage and administer the PPRTR. 
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The PPRTRO shall be headed by an Executive Director and shall be assisted by 
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competent staff to be determined based on the exigency of the circumstances. The 
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PPRTRO shall be created and established within one (1) month from the effectivity of 
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this Act. 
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SECTION 7. Powers and Functions a/the PPRTR Office. - The PPRTRO shall 
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have the following powers and functions: 
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a) Conduct an assessment of existing infrastructure for the full implementation of 
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the PPRTR; 
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b) Conduct information and dissemination campaigns as regards the PPRTR, from 
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inception to its implementation stages; 
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c) Collect, manage, sort, and make available to the general public the data and 
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information collected in the system in an effective, efficient, accessible and timely 
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manner; 
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d) Maintain a database of covered industries, facilities and establishments; 
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e) Issue reports and updates regarding the PPRTR for the general public; 
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f) Conduct research and studies on pollution control, prevention, and mitigation 
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and on green chemistry and clean production; 
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g) Coordinate with other government agencies and the private sector for the 
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effective and efficient implementation of the PPRTR; 
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h) 
Conduct periodic 
assessments 
of the 
PPRTR system 
and 
make 
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recommendations for the improvement of the same; and 
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i) Perfonn such other powers and functions as may be designated by the Secretary 
2 
of Environment and Natural Resources. 
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SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The IRR for the PPRTR 
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shall be issued by the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources within three (3) 
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months from the date of effectivity of this Act. The IRR shall contain, but not be limited 
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to the following information: 
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a) List and schedule of covered substances, chemicals and pollutants, and their 
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classification; 
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b) List of covered facilities, establishments and industries; 
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c) Procedure and method of obtaining, reporting, and disseminating infonnation; 
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d) Procedure for citing non-compliant and violating facilities; 
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e) Guidelines to ensure accessible, timely, relevant and accessible public access to 
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infonnation on the PPRTR, taking into account the right of businesses and industries to 
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the protection oftrade secrets and other intellectual property and related rights. 
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SECTION 9. Penalties. - Businesses that fail to comply with the requirements of 
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this Act shall be fined an amount between Fifty Thousand Pesos (PSO,OOO) and One 
17 
Million Pesos (PI,OOO,OOO) and their license to operate may also be revoked. 
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SECTION 10. Transitory Provisions. - Existing inventories, records and listings 
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of pollutants, chemicals, and substances as provided for in other laws, rules, and 
20 
regulations, such as but not limited to the Priority Chemicals List (PCL) of the 
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Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), shall be taken into 
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consideration in the formulation of the list and schedules or the PPRTR. Data and 
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information in existing inventories, records, and listings shall be included in the initial list 
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of the PPRTR, provided that all the chemicals in the PCL of the DENR shall be used as 
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the initial list of the system. The consolidation shall be completed within three (3) months 
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from the date of effectivity of this Act. 
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SECTION 11. Funding. - Upon the effectivity of this Act, the EMB shall allocate 
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from their existing funds such amounts as may be necessary for the additional funding 
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requirements that may be needed by the PPRTR, subject to the usual government 
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accounting and auditing rules and regulations. Thereafter, the amount of One Million 
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Pesos (PI ,000,000) shall be added to the annual budget of the EMB for the PPRTRO. 
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SECTION 12. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other 
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provisions hereof. 
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SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, and issuances, or 
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portions thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby 
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repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
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SECTION 14. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
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after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general 
16 
circulation. 
Approved, 
/fldp IOSept20 15 
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