DENR plans to resume issuance of ECCs for reclamation projects

DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said he will resume the issuance of environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) for reclamation projects earlier suspended by his predecessor, saying reclamation projects are permitted under law.

“It’s in the law isn’t it? So they are allowed,” Mr. Cimatu told reporters on Wednesday following his first Commission on Appointments (CA) hearing at the Senate which will resume next week.

The current secretary-designate’s position represents a reversal of the policy implemented by his predecessor, Regina Paz L. Lopez, who declined to issue ECCs for such projects.

Under Executive Order (EO) 672 which lays out the responsibilities of the DENR and the Philippine Reclamation Authority ( PRA) in the approval and implementation of reclamation projects, no reclamation works shall commence without an ECC from the DENR.

“The PRA shall closely monitor and supervise the implementation of the reclamation projects while the DENR shall monitor and enforce strict compliance with the terms and conditions of ECC for the reclamation project,” the EO states.

The PRA has noted that the DENR under Ms. Lopez failed to act on pending reclamation ECC applications, listing 96 projects in various stages of the evaluation and approval process.

Reclamation projects have been opposed by environmental groups who deem them highly damaging to coastal areas while threatening the livelihoods of fisherfolk.

Meanwhile, the CA suspended its hearing on Mr. Cimatu’s interim appointment, with one commission member saying the volume of questions require the scheduling of further hearings.

“It’s just a suspension of the session because there are other members of the commission who want to ask questions. It’s not a deferment, just a suspension of the hearing,” Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan II said.

The Assistant Majority Floor Leader, Sen. Vicente C. Sotto III, said that he is “optimistic” about Mr. Cimatu’s confirmation.

“I am still optimistic but we may need additional hearings,” he said.

Mr. Cimatu, a former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, assumed the top post at the DENR in May after the CA declined to confirm his predecessor, Ms. Lopez.

“I have been asked by the Commission on Appointments to come back for another sitting. I understand there are some members of the Commission who would like to clarify certain issues and manifest some concerns regarding our work at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” Mr. Cimatu said in a DENR statement on Wednesday.

“This is the way democracy works. I welcome the opportunity to clear things. I look forward to answering all issues responsibly. I hope after that sitting that the Commission will finally confirm my appointment as DENR Secretary,” he added.