Presidential Decree No. 3931(Philippines)
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Presidential Decree No. 3931 series of 1964 as amended by Presidential Decree No. 984 series of 1976

Year of Enactment and Implementation PD 3931, enacted 1964, implemented 1964
PD 984, enacted 1976, Implemented 1978
Purpose TO prevent, abate and control pollution of water, air and land for the more effective utilization of the resources
Control Area Nationwide
Overview
  • Industrial development began to accelerate in the early sixties, however, pollution became a concomitant problem, particularly in the Greater Manila Area.
  • Republic Act No. 3931 was signed into law on June 18, 1964 to create the National Water and Air Pollution Control Commission to implement that State’s environmental policy to maintain a reasonable standard for the air and water quality of the country
  • Twelve years later, confronted with the growing menace of environmental pollution, the Government decided to revise Republic Act. No. 3931, and issued Presidential Decree No. 984 on August 18, 1976, to make the National Pollution Control Commission more effective and efficient in the discharge of its functions and more responsive to the demands of the times occasioned by the accelerative phase of the country’s industrialization program.
  • Under R.A. 3931, the Commission was a multi-headed agency. It was headed by a Chairman in ex-officio capacity with two full-time Commissioners, a lawyer and a sanitary engineer, and four other part-time Commissioners, who were representatives of the Department of Health, the Depart of Agriculture and Natural Resources and from industry and the science and technology community.
  • Industry was represented by the Philippine Chamber of Industries and the science and technology sector, by the Council of Technology and Allied Services of the Philippines. The latter two representatives were appointed by the President of the Philippines. The Commissioners meeting en banc acted as the policy-making body of the Commission. It met regularly twice a month, and in special sessions as often as necessary. The Commission was originally under the Office of the President until it was transferred to the National Science Development Board under the Integrated Reorganization Plan, which was decreed by President Marcos immediately after the declaration of Martial Law on September 21, 194.
  • On August 18, 1976, R.A 3931 was revised by P.D. 984 reorganizing the Commission from a multi-headed to a single-headed agency and transferring it from the NSDB to the Office of the President.
Features
  • Creation of the National Pollution Control Commission under the Office of the President to be headed by one full-time Commissioner and two full-time Deputy Commissioner, one is responsible for standard setting and the other one is responsible for enforcement.
  • Creation of Inter-Agency Advisory Council attached to the Commission composed of representative from different government agencies and headed by the Commissioner.
  • Organization of the Commission: the Commission shall have Water Pollution Control Division, Air Pollution Control Division, Research and Development Division, Legal Division and Administrative Division.
  • Establishment of Regional Offices
  • Powers and Functions of the Commission
    • Determine the location and magnitude of pollution
    • Develop comprehensive multi-year and annual reports
    • Set-up effluent, stream, ambient and emission standards and promulgate rules and regulations
  • Public hearing prior to issuance or promulgation of order or decision regarding the discharger of sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes into air, water and land resources
  • Appeal to Courts
    • Any decision of the Commission, in the absence of an appeal therefrom as herein provided, shall be final 15 days after the date of notification, and judicial review thereof shall be permitted only after any party claiming to be aggrieved thereby has exhausted the remedies before the Commission. The Commission shall be deemed to be a party to any judicial action involving any decision.
  • Court Review
    • Any decision of the Commission upon any disputed matter may be reviewed both upon the law and the facts of the case by the Court of Appeals.
  • Execution of Decision
    • Any decision or order by the Commission, after the same has become final and executory, shall be enforced and executed in the same manner as decisions of Courts of First Instance, and the Commission shall have the power to issued to the city or provincial sheriff or duly constituted authorities whom it may appoint, such writs of execution as may be necessary for the enforcement of the decision of order in any person who shall fail or refuse to comply with such decision, order, or writ, after being required to do so shall, upon application by the Commission, be punished by the proper court for contempt.
  • Prohibitions
    • No person shall throw, run, drain, or otherwise dispose into any of the water, air, and/or land resources of the Philippines, or cause, permit, suffer to thrown, run, drain, allow to seep or otherwise dispose thereto any organic or inorganic matter any substance in gaseous or liquid form that shall cause pollution thereof.
  • Penalties
    • Any person found violating or failure to comply with any other decision or regulation of the Commission for the control and abatement of pollution shall pay a fine P5000 a day during which such violation or default continues; and the commission is hereby authorized to impose the fine after due notice and hearing.
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