Philippines

Initially established as a supporting body for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in 1987, the Philippine Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) became a line bureau with its own offices and independent enforcement authority in 2002. It is the national authority responsible for pollution prevention and control, and environmental impact assessment.

West Bengal establishes compliance assistance center based on experience from the Philippines, Thailand and U.S.

Challenge

LLDA launched virtual compliance assistance centers targeting hog farms and slaughterhouses in April 2008.

Challenge

During May 24-27, 2011, the AECEN Environmental Compliance Assistance Center Task Force composed of officials from India, Thailand and the Philippines met in Hong Kong and Bangkok to develop a toolkit on establishing environmental compliance assistance centers. During a meeting in Hong Kong, the Task Force met with officials from the Government of Hong Kong to exchange discussions related to establishment, operation and management of compliance assistance centers.

On May 25-28, 2011, the Philippine Supreme Court and the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) hosted officials of the Indonesian Supreme Court and other relevant institutions for an observational program in Manila and Pampanga aimed at strengthening judicial capacity and court systems for handling environmental cases in Indonesia.