Manual for environmental partnerships finalized

The Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has come up with a procedural manual to operationalize DENR Administrative Order 2003-14, otherwise known as the Philippine Environmental Partnership Program (PEPP). The manual will serve as a useful tool in providing guidelines to existing and potential PEPP industry-partners.

The PEPP is a DENR partnership program with industries and other environment-related agencies to support industrial self-regulation towards improved-environmental performance.

To date, the partnership mechanism caters to 14 pilot industries through their associations with a total of 76 participating establishments. These industry associations which have forged environmental consent agreements (Econas) with the DENR are Cebu Furniture Industry Foundation, Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, Semi-Conductor and Electronic Industries of the Philippines, Pulp and Paper Industry Association of the Philippines, Philippine Sugar Millers’ Association, Center for Alcohol Research and Development Foundation, Tuna Canning Association of Gen. Santos City, Boracay Foundation Inc., Polystyrene Packaging Council of the Phils., QSR Management Link Association, Philippine Association of Paint Manufacturers, Inc., Croplife Philippines, Slaughterhouse Operators’ Association of the Philippines, and Samahan sa Pilipinas ng mga Industriyang Kimika.

Econas entail the preparation of an environmental management plan (EMP) by the partner-industry association. The EMP sets goaLs for the future and proposes a stepwise environmental improvement program. Furthermore, the EMP for the industry associations serves as a guide for individual establishment-specific EMPs.

The PEPP Procedural and Reference Manual was endorsed by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) to EMB Director Julian Amador. The turnover ceremony of the PEPP Procedural and Reference Manual was held recently at the EMB Air Quality Management Training Center, DENR Compound, Visayas Avenue, Quezon City.

The preparation of the PEPP manual is a joint undertaking of EMB-DENR, through its PEPP Self-Regulation Management and Coordinating Unit and the Environment Committee of MAP, with support from the US-Asia Environment Program (US-AEP). – Benny Enriquez