The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is considering imposing administrative sanctions on projects and contractors operating without proper environmental permits.
During the Project Transform Colloquium in Pasay City on Wednesday, Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla stressed the importance of strict compliance with environmental laws to prevent flooding and other climate-related risks.
“As you know, the President (Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) has, in fact, been visiting project sites themselves and is taking action. So ours is supportive of this monitoring activity and definitely this will result in a more effective way of exacting accountability for these projects,” Lotilla said.
DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones said the agency may file administrative cases under Presidential Decree 1586, which mandates environmental impact assessments for all development projects. Violators may face fines of up to PHP50,000 per violation, but Leones emphasized that the bigger concern is the damage caused by non-compliant infrastructure.
“Many flood control structures were completed long ago, but without proper clearance, they end up worsening flooding instead of solving it,” Leones said.
Lotilla added that the DENR is monitoring projects via satellite to track incomplete or non-existent flood control projects and is coordinating with the Office of the President for accountability.
He also noted that local government units (LGUs) play a key role as the first line of defense, since they issue building permits and enforce zoning rules.
Lotilla urged closer coordination among national agencies, LGUs, and communities to ensure infrastructure projects comply with environmental regulations and support, rather than harm, resilience efforts.
