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[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7611, June 19, 1992 ]

AN ACT ADOPTING THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN FOR PALAWAN, CREATING THE
ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION, CONVERTING THE PALAWAN
INTEGRATED AREA DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OFFICE TO ITS SUPPORT STAFF, PROVIDING
FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. Title. – This Act shall be known as the "Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) for Palawan
Act."

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect, develop and
conserve its natural resources. Toward this end, it shall assist and support the implementation of
plans, programs and projects formulated to preserve and enhance the environment, and at the same
time pursue the socioeconomic development goals of the country.

It shall support and promote the sustainable development goals for the provinces through proper
conservation, utilization and development of natural resources to provide optimum yields on a
continuing basis. With specific reference to forest resources, the State shall pursue and implement
forest conservation and protection through the imposition of a total commercial logging ban as
hereinafter provided.

It shall also adopt the necessary measures leading to the creation of an institutional machinery
including, among others, fiscal and financial programs to ensure the effective and efficient
implementation of environmental plans, programs and projects.

It shall also promote and encourage the involvement of all sectors of society and maximize people
participation in natural resource management, conservation and protection.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms are defined as follows:

1. "Palawan" refers to the Philippine province composed of islands and

islets located 7deg47' and 12deg22' north latitude and 117deg00' and
119deg51' east longititude, generally bounded by the South China Sea
to the northwest and by the Sulu Sea to the east;

2. "Sustainable development" means the improvement in the quality of life

of the present and future generations through the complementation of
development and environmental protection activities;

3. "Natural resources" refers to life-support systems such as the sea, coral

reef, soil, lakes, rivers, streams, and forests as well as useful products
found therein such as minerals, wildlife, trees and other plants,
 including the aesthetic attributes of scenic sites that are not man-made;

4. "Tribal land areas" refers to the areas comprising both land and sea that
are traditionally occupied by the cultural minorities;

5. "Environmentally critical areas" refers to terrestrial, aquatic and marine

areas that need special protection and conservation measures as they
are ecologically fragile;

6. "Participatory processes" means the involvement of all the key sectors of

development, from the grassroots to the policy-making bodies of the
National Government, in providing the values and ideas from which
strategic development and environmental protection action can come
about;

7. "Conservation" refers to the wise use of natural resources that assures

regeneration and replenishment for continuous benefit;

8. "Ecology" refers to the life-sustaining interrelationships and interactions

of organisms with each other and with their physical surroundings;

9. "Commercial logging" refers to the cutting, felling or destruction of trees

from old growth and residual forests for the purpose of selling or
otherwise disposing of the cut or felled logs for profit;

10. "SEP" refers to the Strategic Environmental Plan discussed in Section 4

of this Act;

11. "ECAN" refers to the Environmentally Critical Areas Network as

provided in Section 7 of this Act; and

12. "EMES" refers to the Environmental Monitoring and Evaluation System

provided in Section 13 of this Act.

CHAPTER II

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN:

ADOPTION, PHILOSOPHY AND LEGAL EFFECTS

Section 4. Strategic Environmental Plan. – A comprehensive framework for the sustainable

development of Palawan compatible with protecting and enhancing the natural resources and
endangered environment of the province is hereby adopted. Such framework shall be known as the
Strategic Environmental Plan for Palawan, hereinafter referred to as SEP, and shall serve to guide the
local government of Palawan and the government agencies concerned in the formulation and
implementation of plans, programs and projects affecting said province.

Section 5. Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) Philosophy. – The SEP shall have, as its general
philosophy, the sustainable development of Palawan, which is the improvement in the quality of life of
its people in the present and future generations through the use of complementary activities of
development and conservation that protect life-support ecosystems and rehabilitate exploited areas to
allow upcoming generations to sustain development growth. It shall have the following features:

1. Ecological viability – The physical and biological cycles that maintain the
productivity of natural ecosystems must always be kept intact;

2. Social acceptability – The people themselves, through participatory

processes, should be fully committed to support sustainable
development activities by fostering equity in access to resources and
the benefits derived from them; and

3. Integrated approach – This allows for a holistic view of problems and

issues obtaining in the environment as well as opportunities for
coordination and sharing that will eventually provide the resources and
political will to actually implement and sustain SEP activities.

Section 6. Legal Effects. – The SEP shall serve as the framework to guide the government agencies
concerned in the formulation and implementation of plans, programs and projects affecting the
environment and natural resources of Palawan. It shall therefore be incorporated in the Regional
Development Plan of Region IV as part of said plan. All local governments in Palawan and the
concerned national and regional government agencies operating therein shall coordinate and align their
projects and the corresponding budgets with the projects, programs and policies of the SEP, as
administered and implemented by an administrative machinery hereinafter created.

Section 7. Environmentally Critical Areas Network (ECAN). – The SEP shall establish a graded
system of protection and development control over the whole of Palawan, including its tribal lands,
forests, mines, agricultural areas, settlement areas, small islands, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass
beds and the surrounding sea. This shall be known as the Environmentally Critical Areas Network,
hereinafter referred to as ECAN, and shall serve as the main strategy of the SEP.

The ECAN shall ensure the following:

1. Forest conservation and protection through the imposition of a total

commercial logging ban in all areas of maximum protection and in such
other restricted use zones as the Palawan Council for Sustainable
Development as hereinafter created may provide;

2. Protection of watersheds;

3. Preservation of biological diversity;

4. Protection of tribal people and the preservation of their culture;

5. Maintenance of maximum sustainable yield;

6. Protection of the rare and endangered species and their habitat;

7. Provision of areas for environmental and ecological research, education

and training; and

8. Provision of areas for tourist and recreation.

Section 8. Main Components. – The areas covered by the ECAN shall be classified into three (3) main
components:

1. Terrestrial – The terrestrial component shall consist of the mountainous

as well as ecologically important low hills and lowland areas of the
whole province. It may be further subdivided into smaller management
components;

2. Coastal/marine area – This area includes the whole coastline up to the

open sea. This is characterized by active fisheries and tourism
activities; and

3. Tribal ancestral lands – These are the areas traditionally occupied by the
cultural communities.

Section 9. Terrestrial Component: Management Scheme and Zonation. – The terrestrial component
may be further subdivided into smaller management components for a more efficient supervision.
These management components, in turn, shall each be further subdivided into the following zones:

1. Area of maximum protection or core zone – This zone shall be fully and
strictly protected and maintained free of human disruption. Included
here are all types of natural forest which include first growth forest,
residual forest and edges of intact forest, areas above one thousand
(1,000) meters elevation, peaks of mountains or other areas with very
steep gradients, and endangered habitats and habitats of endangered
and rare species. Exceptions, however, may be granted to traditional
uses of tribal communities of these areas for minimal and soft impact
gathering of forest species for ceremonial and medicinal purposes.

2. Buffer zone – This area permits regulated use and may be further
subdivided into three (3) sub-zones:

a. Restricted use area. Generally surrounds the core zone

 and provides a protective barrier. Limited and non-
consumptive activities may be allowed in this area;

b. Controlled use area. Encircles and provides the outer

barrier to the core and restricted use areas. Controlled
forest extraction, like the collecting of minor forest
products, and strictly controlled logging and mining
may be allowed; and

c. Traditional use area. Edges of intact forests where

traditional land use is already stabilized or is being
stabilized. Management and control shall be carried out
with the other supporting programs of the SEP.

3. Multiple/manipulative use area – This is the area where the landscape

has been modified for different forms of land use such as intensive
timber extraction, grazing and pastures, agriculture and infrastructure
development. Control and management shall be strictly integrated with
the other supporting programs of the SEP and other similar programs
of the Government.

Section 10. Coastal/Marine Zone. – A different and simplified scheme of management and zonation
shall be applied to this component due to its geographical characteristics, critical nature, and patterns
of resource use. Equitable access to the resource and management responsibility by the local
community shall be the underlying management philosophy of this component.

1. Core zone – This area shall be designated free from any human activity.
This includes sanctuaries for rare and endangered species, selected
coral reefs, seagrass and mangrove ecosystem reserves.

2. Multiple use zone – Aside from being the development area, this zone
also serves as the buffer zone where fishery, mariculture, recreation,
rehabilitation of small islands and mangrove ecosystem, education and
research are allowed.

Section 11. Tribal Ancestral Lands. – These areas, traditionally occupied by cultural minorities,
comprise both land and sea areas. These shall be treated in the same graded system of control and
prohibition as in the others abovementioned except for stronger emphasis in cultural considerations.
The SEP, therefore, shall define a special kind of zonation to fulfill the material and cultural needs of
the tribes using consultative processes and cultural mapping of the ancestral lands.

CHAPTER III

Section 12. Management of Resources Outside of the EcologicalIy Critical Areas. – The SEP shall
provide for the management of resource outside of the ECAN and shall include coastal resources,
resources of the catchment areas, timber and mines, development in the lowlands, and settlement
areas. It shall also provide for tourism planning.

CHAPTER IV

SUPPORT MECHANISMS

Section 13. Environmental Monitoring and Evaluation System (EMES). – In order to monitor
achievement of its goals, the SEP shall establish an Environmental Monitoring and Evaluation System
(EMES) which shall ensure a systematic and reliable means of data generation for the various
concerns of the SEP. It shall measure changes in environmental status, identify adverse
environmental trends and crisis areas, recommend solutions, assess the implementation of the SEP,
and suggest measures to make the SEP more responsible to the changing needs.

Section 14. Environmental Research. – The SEP shall provide for a system of research so that
additional information for accurate planning as well as data to solve new problems in the
implementation of the SEP shall be supplied. As such, the SEP's researches shall not be confined to
the physical and biological features of the environment, achieved through surveys, monitoring,
resource assessments and research into processes, but shall also extend to policies and
socioeconomic questions.

Section 15. Environmental Education and Extension. – The SEP shall design an environmental
information and education designed to gradually wean the people away from destructive practices and
shall recommend practical ways as an alternative.

Training programs for the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), business sector representatives,
and community leaders shall be organized. This may establish linkages between the NGOS,
community leaders, sector representatives and the staff of line agencies' development communication
or public information section and, at the same time, be used to plan out a comprehensive public
information drive.
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Simultaneously, community organizing shall be enhanced to reinforce non-formal approaches,

complementing regular environment/science courses in the school.

CHAPTER V

ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SEP

Section 16. Palawan Councilor Sustainable Development. – The governance, implementation and
policy direction of the Strategic Environmental Plan shall be exercised by the herein created Palawan
Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), hereinafter referred to as the Council, which shall be
under the Office of the President. It shall be composed of the Members of the House of
Representatives representing the Province of Palawan, the Deputy Director General of the National
Economic and Development Authority, the Undersecretary of Environment and Natural Resources, the
Undersecretary for Special Concerns of the Department of Agriculture, the Governor of Palawan, the
Mayor of Puerto Princess City, the President of the Mayor's League of Palawan, the President of the
Provincial Chapter of the Liga ng mga Barangay, the Executive Director of the Palawan Council for
Sustainable Development Staff as provided in Section 20 of this Act, and such other members from the
public or private sectors as the majority of the Council may deem necessary.

The Council shall elect, from among its members, a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman.

Section 17. Quorum. – A majority of the members of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the
conduct of business.

Section 18. Compensation. – The members of the Council shall be entitled to per diems and
allowances in accordance with existing laws in the performance of their duties and in carrying out the
business of the Council. The per diems shall be in the amount of Five hundred pesos (P5OO) for every
meeting: Provided, That the per diems collected do not exceed the equivalent of per diems for four (4)
meetings in a month.

Section 19. Powers and Functions. – In order to successfully implement the provisions of this Act, the
Council is hereby vested with the following powers and functions:

1. Formulate plans and policies as may be necessary to carry out the

provisions of this Act;

2. Coordinate with the local governments to ensure that the latter's plans,
programs and projects are aligned with the plans, programs and
policies of the SEP;

3. Call on any department, bureau, office, agency or instrumentality of the

Government, and on private entities and organizations for cooperation
and assistance in the performance of its functions;

4. Arrange, negotiate for, and accept donations, grants, gifts, loans, and
other fundings from domestic and foreign sources to carry out the
activities and purposes of the SEP;

5. Recommend to the Congress of the Philippines such matters that may

require legislation in support of the objectives of the SEP;

6. Delegate any or all of its powers and functions to its support staff, as
hereinafter provided, except those which by provisions of law cannot be
delegated;

7. Establish policies and guidelines for employment on the basis of merit,

technical competence and moral character and prescribe a
compensation and staffing pattern;
 8. Adopt, amend and rescind such rules and regulations and impose
penalties therefor for the effective implementation of the SEP and the
other provisions of this Act;

9. Enforce the provisions of this Act and other existing laws, rules and
regulations similar to or complementary with this Act;

10. Perform related functions which shall promote the development,

conservation, management, protection, and utilization of the natural
resources of Palawan; and

11. Perform such other powers and functions as may be necessary in

carrying out its functions, powers, and the provisions of this Act.

Section 20. Conversion of Palawan Integrated Area Development Project Office (PIADPO) to the
Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff. – The Palawan Integrated Area Development
Project Office, hereinafter referred to as PIADPO, is hereby converted to the Palawan Council for
Sustainable Development Staff which shall serve as the regular professional support staff of the
Council and shall provide the machinery to coordinate the policy and functions, implement programs,
and organize such services as may be required by the Council in the exercise of its functions. It shall
be independent of any other department or agency of the Government other than the herein provided
Council. All the applicable powers, functions, personnel, complement, staff, appropriations, records,
equipment, property, funds, and other assets of the PIADPO, as well as all its obligations and liabilities,
are hereby transferred to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff.

The incumbent Director of the PIADPO shall be the Executive Director of the Palawan Council for
Sustainable Development Staff and shall lead all its operations. Thereafter, the Executive Director shall
be appointed by the members of the Council. He shall also be ex officio member of the Council.

CHAPTER VI

APPROPRIATIONS AND FINAL PROVISIONS

Section 21. Appropriations. – The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be
charged to the current fiscal year appropriations of the PIADPO. Thereafter, such sums as may be
necessary shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 22. Separability Clause. – If any of the provisions of this Act shall be declared unconstitutional,
the other provisions of this Act shall remain valid.

Section 23. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 24. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved,

(Sgd.) NEPTALI A. GONZALES (Sgd.) RAMON V. MITRA

President of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives
This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was finally passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate on February 7, 1992 and February 6, 1992, respectively.
(Sgd.) ANACLETO D. BADOY, JR. (Sgd.) CAMILO L. SABIO
Secretary of the Senate Secretary General House of Representatives
Approved: June 19, 1992

(Sgd.) CORAZON C. AQUINO

President of the Philippines

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