PPT - Environment & Development Class Presentation w/ current status/intro & eneral issues w/o charts, and conclusion/solutions

1. Philippines
ENVIRONMENT & DEVELOPMENT

2. SECTION 16 ARTICLE II, 1987
PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION
“The state shall protect and advance the right
of the people to a balanced and healthful
ecology in accord with the rhythm and
harmony of nature.”

3. The State of the Philippine
Environment
THE Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands with only 300,000 square
kilometers of land inhabited by some 80 million people.
the Philippines has 220 million hectares of territorial seas that contain the most
biologically rich marine life in the world . (by the Sulawesi Marine Triangle)
the Philippines is the richest store of fish, corals, and other marine life in the entire
world!
The Philippines is one of the 18 mega-diverse countries globally. On a per unit area
basis, the country is said to be the most diverse.
It ranks 25th worldwide in the total number of amphibian, bird, mammal, reptile,
and vascular plant species with 10,127 terrestrial species (CEC Phils, 2012).
the Philippine environment is in a critical state – legal and illegal logging threaten its
remaining 800,000 hectares of forest cover, unnecessary mining activities are in act;
and illegal fishing

4. The State of the Philippine
Environment
Philippines does not only contain high levels of biodiversity, it is also rich in
natural resources.
Philippines is considered to be 5th mineralized country in the world, the 3rd
country in terms of gold reserves, 4th in copper and 5th in nickel. Total
value of resources could reach around $840 billion to $1 trillion. These
reserves could be used to support national industrialization and agricultural
modernization if properly regulated and developed (CEC Phils, 2012).
In 2008, the Philippines was the 6th top fish producing country in the world
with its total production of 4.97 million metric tons of fish, crustaceans,
mollusks, and aquatic plants. This constitutes 3.12% of the total world
production of 159.1 million metric tons (CEC Phils, 2012).
The country has a variety of renewable and non- renewable energy sources
which can lessen dependence on fuel imports. Oil reserve estimates exclude
potential reserves in Mindanao, Mindoro, the Visayan Sea and the Spratlys.

5. The State of the Philippine
Environment
Agriculture is still the backbone of the Philippine economy and prime
source of livelihood of Filipinos. About 70% of population belong to the
peasantry.
Data from the World bank recorded that the Percent of area(s) of
agricultural land in the Philippines were :
 39.6% during 2008,
 40.1% during 2009,
 40.2% during 2010, &
 40.6% during the year 2011.

6. Issues regarding the
Philippine Environment
Overfishing and destructive fishing
Fishers in the Philippines are increasingly coming home with pitiful
catches. Of a number of factors which have led to this situation, one
stands out: over-fishing in many areas. According to the Asian
Development Bank (ADB), there has been a drop of 90% in the
quantity of marine organisms that can be trawled in some traditional
fishing areas of the Philippines.
This isn’t just a question of declining fish stocks and biodiversity, but
also of social impacts and economic losses. Mismanagement of
fisheries resources is estimated to cost US$ 420 million annually in
lost revenues.
At the root of the overfishing problem is weak fisheries
management, ineffective policies and poor enforcement of fishery
laws.

7. Issues regarding the
Philippine Environment
Coastal infrastructure development
Coastal zone development has been particularly damaging to the
Philippines’ marine environment, especially to coral reefs, mangroves,
and sea grasses.
As populations have increased, so have their needs for construction
materials and living space. Excavation, dredging, and coastal conversion
to accommodate coastal development have seen corals being extracted
for reclamation and construction, especially in coastal villages.
Mangroves have particularly suffered from coastal development,
notably at the hands of the aquaculture industry. In the Philippines,
aquaculture has reduced mangrove stands to only 36% of 1900 levels.
Around 40 % of the country's total coral area is in poor condition.

8. Issues regarding the
Philippine Environment
Deforestation
The Philippines has the second lowest forest coverage in Southeast Asia
next to Singapore.
After decades of deforestation, which has left about 3% of the original
cover, forests continue to be under threat from agriculture and
urbanization, illegal logging and forest fires.
Sustained forest loss in the Philippines is causing severe soil erosion, and is
threatening the country’s rich biodiversity. This is particularly worrying as
many of the Philippines’ species, which depend on these forests, are
endemic (they cannot be found anywhere else in the world). For example,
of 180 native terrestrial mammal species here, about 61% are endemic.
Inconsistent laws, inadequate regulations, weak enforcement and lack of
funding are making forest conservation a major challenge.

9. Issues regarding the
Philippine Environment
Pollution
Only about 10% of sewage in the Philippines is treated or disposed of in
an environmentally sound manner. The rest goes back to nature –
usually the sea.
In this context of poor waste treatment and high population growth,
water pollution is a growing problem for the country’s groundwater,
rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. Polluting industrial material is also found
in abandoned mining areas, with mercury pollution affecting water
bodies in these areas.
These problems are unfolding in a context of poor planning, and weak
management and enforcement of regulations.

10. FRAMEWORK
Philippine Development Plan:
2011-2016
Improved conservation, protection and rehabilitation of natural
resources
Improved environmental quality for a cleaner and healthier
environment
Enhanced resilience of natural systems and improved adaptive
capacities of human to cope with environmental hazards including
climate related risks

11. Sources:
http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/philippines/environm
ental_problems__in_philippines/
BirdLife. Red Data Book - Threatened Birds of Asia. Accessed July 11th,
2007.
World Bank. Philippines Environment. Accessed July 11th, 2007.
WWF. 2004. The Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion - Cradle of
Life. Accessed July 11th, 2007.
http://www.slideshare.net/arangkadaph/state-of-the-philippine-
environment

12. Sources:
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
http://www.kalikasan.net/features/2013/05/08/2012-review-
environmental-issues-and-struggles-made-news
http://www.ecologyasia.com/news-archives/2003/dec-03/manila-
bulletin_031216_1.htm
http://tagaloglang.com/The-Philippines/Economy/agriculture-forestry-
fishing-and-industry.html