by Alan Salces Cajes, PhD
In recent months, numerous business establishments in Batuan, Bohol—including tourist inns, cafés, and small resorts—have received Notices of Violation (NOVs) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for operating without the required Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs) under the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System. This situation has underscored the need for better understanding of environmental regulations among local enterprises and the importance of integrating compliance into municipal governance. This paper seeks to put this issue into context by explaining the value of the EIA process as both a legal requirement and a tool for sustainable, hazard-resilient development in a municipality exposed to flooding, landslides, and ground shaking.
The paper proposes practical solutions to address the widespread non-compliance. It recommends that instead of each establishment pursuing separate ECCs, Batuan’s clustered tourism businesses adopt a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) approach—preparing a shared environmental study and management plan coordinated by the Municipal Government through the MENRO, in partnership with EMB Region VII and local business associations. This collective compliance model would reduce costs, simplify monitoring, and strengthen environmental governance, transforming the current challenge into an opportunity for green, inclusive, and sustainable tourism development in Batuan.
