The POPs Issue and Effects to Human Health

THE INDUSTRIAL ECOWATCH PROGRAM

What is the Industrial EcoWatch program?

The Industrial EcoWatch program is a public disclosure program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Implemented under DENR Administrative Order 98-51 series of 1998, the program aims to promote mandatory self-monitoring and compliance among industries by encouraging pollution reduction beyond compliance through public recognition and praise, and creating incentives for industrial compliance to environmental laws.

How does the EcoWatch program work?

The EcoWatch program makes use of color codes to rate the environmental performance of industries. There are six color codes namely Gold, Silver, Green, Blue, Red and Black.

Industries are rated Gold or Silver for environmental efforts that go beyond legal requirements. Other ratings include Green or Blue for sufficient efforts to comply with DENR standards, Red for insufficient effort to abide by environmental regulations and Black for companies that make no effort to improve their compliance.

For the initial implementation, water quality is monitored and the parameters for consideration are: Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS).

Companies are also given administrative incentives for participating in the program. Those firms with ratings of Gold, Silver and Green are allowed to submit quarterly Self-Monitoring Reports (SMRs) on an annual basis while those with Blue ratings are allowed to submit their SMRs semi-annually. Further, the Ecowatch Rating system will be one of the criteria in giving rewards under the Clean Water Act (Sec. 2.5).

What industries are monitored under the program?

The DENR identified priority sectors for the national implementation of the program. This includes the sugar central and refinery plants; beverage plants; pulp and paper plants; cement plants; meat and fish processing plants; beer, softdrinks, soy sauce and condiments manufacturing plants; mall/commercial establishments; and chicken dressing plants.

What agencies are involved?

All regional offices of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) are mandated to conduct their ratings, while the EMB Central Office will integrate the overall results of the rating evaluation and then publish them in two newspapers of national circulation.

When will the Revised Industrial EcoWatch program be launched?

This year, the DENR will expand the program and include the monitoring of air quality. The full implementation of the program will be re-launched on April 22, 2008. The result of the 2007 ratings will be disclosed on June 2008, while the result of the ratings of the expanded program implemented this 2008 will be disclosed on 2009.