Amb. Amado S. Tolentino, Jr.

San Beda Alabang School of Law

Natural Resources and Environmental Law

1. An impediment to real progress on the environmental front is a dearth of

indigenous or local lawyers educated in the ways in which law can be used as a
tool for environmental protection/sustainable development. San Beda Alabang
School of Law joins the colleges and universities in the Philippines that
incorporate environmental law into its curriculum. The end in view is to make
available to law students a pioneering source of creative legal thinking with
respect to environmental challenges as they prepare for their ultimate goal of law
practice.

2. A two (2) unit course with class meeting twice a week (or once a week for
(two) hours), the course will use the following syllabus. Apart from the use of
reference books, selected applicable legal decisions of the Philippine Supreme
Court will be taken up to better understand in-depth the different areas of
coverage of environmental law. Likewise, various published articles on the
different environmental law concerns are also required reading.

3. The teaching methods will include lectures, recitations, role plays, debates,
case studies and internet research exercises. To lessen the heavy reading load of
students, panel and discussion methods will also be in use. Later, field trips to, for
example, environment-oriented government agencies, fish canning factories,
laboratories, coastal areas, etc. will be resorted to for hands-on learning.

4. At the beginning of the semester, guidelines will be provided for the

submission of a required paper for the course revolving around an environmental
problem or a specific issue affecting the Philippine environment which needs
LEGAL intervention, e.g., new law; amendments to existing law or implementing
rules and regulations; compliance/enforcement techniques; etc.

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

S Y L L A B U S

*Introduction to Environmental Law

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References:
+“Environmental Governance: Sustainable Development Through
Environmental Law,” San Beda Law Journal, Vol XLVII, March 2010.

+ 1987 Philippine Constitution; PD 1151 (Philippine Environment Policy)

1977; PD 1152 (Philippine Environment Code (1977).

CASES:

+Minors Oposa et al v Secretary of DENR et al 224 SCRA 792 (GR 1013083, July 30,
1993).
+Resident Marine Mammals of the Protected Seascape Tanon Strait, e.g. toothed
whales, dolphins, porpoises and other cetacean species, joined in and
represented herein by human beings Gloria Estenzo Ramos, et al vs. Sec. Angelo
Reyes et al (GR NO 180771 April 24, 2012).
+MMDA vs Concerned Citizens of Manila Bay (GR Nos. 171947 & 948 December
2008).
+Prince Hotel vs GSIS 67 SCRA 40 (February 3, 1997).

SUPPLEMENTAL/ADDITIONAL READINGS

+“A new global human right: In defense of nature fighters” Manila Times (MT) 14
April 2018
+“Legal standing of animals, etc.,” Manla Times 14 August 2021.
+“Science diplomacy vis-à-vis biodiversity loss, climate crisis, pandemics” Manila
Times (MT) 5 September 2020
+“Covid-19: Global challenge, global solution” (MT) 14 November 20

*ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL

ADMINISTRATION

Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR) and Regional Offices;

Environmental Management Bureau (EMB); Forest Management Bureau (FMB);
Lands management Bureau (LMB); Bureau of Mines and Geosciences (BMG);
Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB); Ecosystem Research and Development
Bureau (ERDB).

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Department of Health (DOH); Department of Agriculture (DA); Department of
Education, Culture and Sports (DECS); Department of Tourism (DOT); Department
of Trade and Industry (DTI); Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH);
Philippine National Police (PNP); Department of Interior and Local Governments
(DILG); Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAG-ASA), etc.

*POLLUTION ADJUDICATION BOARD (PAB) (EO 192 (1987) on DENR Re-

organization and PAB)

+Decided Cases: PAB vs CA & Solar Textile Manufacturing Corp. (GR 93891 March
11, 1991)
+Principe vs. Fact-Finding & Intelligence Bureau (GR No. 145973 January 23, 2002)

*Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) RA 4850; EO 927

+Case: LLDA vs CA (GR 120865-71December 7, 1995)

*RA 7611 (An Act Adopting the Strategic Plan for Palawan) 1992
+Case: Tano vs Socrates 278 SCRA 154 (1997)

*ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)

*PD 1586 (June 11, 1978), *Presidential Proclamation 2146 (1979, 1981), *(For
the EIA process, please visit www.eia.emb.gov.ph)
+Cases: RP vs. City of Davao 388 SCRA 691 (2002)
+Bangus Fry Fisherfolk Vs. Lanzanas RR No. 131442 (July 10,2003)

*POLLUTION CONTROL

*Clean Air Act RA 8749 (1999); *Clean Water Act RA 9275 (2004); *Ecological
Solid Waste Management Act RA 9003 (2001); *Toxic Substances Control Act RA
6969 (1990)
SUPPLEMENTAL/ADDITIONAL READINGS: (1) “Noise: Sick of Sound ?” MT 6 & 7
October 2018; (2) “Rainwater: An insufficiently recognized resource ?” MT 28 July
2018; (3) “Plastic wastes: Improving approach, changing behavior ?” MT 15 June
2019;

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*CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

*National Integrated Protected Areas Act (RA 7586) (1992); *Wildlife Act (RA
9147) (2001); *Fisheries Code (RA 8550+ (1998); *Mineral Resources
Conservation Act (RA 7942) (1995); *Forestry Reform Code (PD 705) (1975);
*Indigenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA) (RA 8371) (1997).

*CLIMATE CHANGE/ENERGY LAW

*Climate Change Act (RA 9729) (2009); *Renewable Energy Act (RA 915)
(2008); *Biofuels Act (RA 9367) (2006); *Rainwater Collection Facilities and
Spring Water Collection Law (RA 6716) (1989); *National Disaster Risk
Reduction Management Coordinating Council (RA 10121) (2010)

For further readings:

+“ Rethinking climate change and health of nature” Manila Times, 27 March

2021
+“Climate refugees: A global problem” Manila Times 31 October 2020
+ “New energy in ASEAN” Manila Times 26 November 2017
+“New course to steer: Wetlands in the legal agenda for disaster resilience”
Bedan Review May 2019 Vol VII
+“Seeking freshwater in times of climate change crisis,” Manila Times, 30 April
2016, p.5

*IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

*ASEAN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

+“An Asean identity” Manila Times 22 March 2014

*Introduction to ASEAN (i.e. as a regional aggrupation, “Asean Way,” (Asean

environment program, Asean structural organization)

+Supplemental Readings:

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+“Changing concept of sovereignty over natural resources,” Manila Times, 6 July
2013
+“Common sovereignty over transboundary natural resources, MT 29 June 20
+“The Asean Way: Toward flexible engagement ?” Manila Times 15 January 2022
+“Asean diplomacy put to the test: The challenge of Covid-19” 14 March 2020
+“Alarming online wildlife trade in Asean” MT 10 Oct 20

* * Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (2002)

* *Asean Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of
the Mekong River Basin (1995)

Readings:
+ “ Asean water security concerns: Focus on the Mekong River” MT 23 July 2022
+“Rethinking dams for development vis-à-vis Asean shared waters” MT 23
November 2019

+ADDITIONAL RFEADINGS: (1) “Asean transboundary protected areas: Directions”

MT 16 Feb 2019; (2) “Asean green lungs: Heritage parks: MT 16 April 2019; (3)
“Asean Environment: wetlands for disaster resilience” Manila Times 27 May 2017

* *Asean Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response”

(ADMER) 2009
+“Legal strategy for disaster resilience in Asean” MT 28 Sept 2019

*ASEAN environmental security

+“Asean Sea Region: sea of constraint or sea of environmental
cooperation ?”Manila Times, March 11, 2017

*International Environmental Law

Cases:
+Trail Smelter Arbitration (UK v Canada) 33 & 35 American Journal of
Environmental Law
+Corfu Channel Case (UK v Albania) 1949 ICJ 4

*ENVIRONMENTAL LAW PRINCIPLES

The Proposed Global Pact for the Environment (2017)
+“Legal Planet – A Global Green Pact ?” Manila Times 5 Aug 2017
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 +“An aspiration: Formal UN recognition of the right to a healthy environment”
MT 6 June 2020

UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982

Part XII (Protection and Preservation of the Marine Environment)
+High seas treaty on allocating fish across jurisdictions.” (MT) 1 June 2022
+ “Kalayaan’ in the West Philippine Sea: The Story” Manila Times 31 July 2021

*International Environmental Organizations

UN, UNESCO, WHO, ILO, ICJ, UNEP, UNDP, WMO, IMO, UNESCAP, IAEA, etc

MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS:

*UN Framework Convention on Climate Change ((UNFCC) (1992)
*Paris Agreement (on reduction of greenhouse gas emission) (2015)

Readings:
+“Climate diplomacy: Action in critical times” Manila Times 17 July 2021
+“ From Paris to Glasgow – Science matters” Manila Times 9 October 2021
+ “In times of food scarcity: Revisiting genetically modified crops (MT) 7
May2022
+”Agricultural chemicals in Asian rice paddy wetlands (MT) 25 June 2022
+”Global chemical intensification” (MT) 11 September 2021

*World Heritage Convention (WHC); *Ramsar Convention on Wetlands,

*Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), *Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES); * Rotterdam Convention on the
Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and
Pesticides in International Trade; *Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Chemicals (POPs); *Minamata Convention on Mercury

*UNEP Guidelines on Compliance with and Enforcement of Multilateral

Environmental Agreements (MEAs)

** ARMED CONFLICT AND THE ENVIRONMENT

+“Armed Conflict and the Environment: Legal Perspectives,” Philippine Law
Journal (UP), Vol.8, No.3, February 2007
+“Global security crisis: War or pandemic ?” MT 28 March 2020
+“Biological weapons convention vs. bioterrorism” MT 25 April 2020
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 +“Conflict pollution: Toxic remnants of war” Manila Times 6 February
2021
+”Putin: Genius, a brilliant mind, or simply an enigma ?”MT 28 May
2022

**PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL COURT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

+“A World Tribunal to Protect the Environment ? Premises, Opportunities,

Obstacles,” Philippine Law Journal (UP), Vol.79, No.4., February 2005.

+“Ecocide as international crime,” Manila Times, 15 May 2021