Article 75p. 75

ADMINISTRATIVE CODE AND LAW OF PUBLIC OFFICERS TEXT AND RULES

SECTION 3. Guidelines for Implementation . — In the

discharge of its responsibility the Department shall be

guided by the following objectives:

(1) Assure the availability and sustainability of the

country's natural resources through judicious use and

systematic

restoration

or

replacement,

whenever

possible;

(2) Increase the productivity of natural resources in

order to meet the demands for the products from forest,

mineral,

land

and

water

resources

of

a

growing

population;

(3) Enhance the contribution of natural resources for

achieving national economic and social development;

(4) Promote equitable access to natural resources by

the different sectors of the population; and

(5)

Conserve

specific terrestrial and marine areas

representative of the Philippine natural and cultural

heritage for present and future generations.

SECTION

4.

Powers

and

Functions .

—

The

Department shall:

(1) Advise the President and the Congress on the

enactment

of

laws

relative

to

the

exploration,

development, use, regulation and conservation of the

country's natural resources and the control of pollution;

(2)

Formulate,

implement

and

supervise

the

implementation of the government's policies, plans, and

programs pertaining to the management, conservation,

development, use and replenishment of the country's

natural resources;

(3) Promulgate rules and regulations in accordance

with

law

governing

the

exploration,

development,

conservation, extraction, disposition, use and such other

commercial activities tending to cause the depletion and

degradation of our natural resources;

(4) Exercise supervision and control over forest lands,

alienable and disposable public lands, mineral resources

and, in the process of exercising such control, impose

appropriate taxes, fees, charges, rentals and any such

form of levy and collect such revenues for the exploration,

development, utilization or gathering of such resources;

(5)

Undertake

the

exploration,

assessment,

classification

and

inventory

of

the

country's natural

resources, using ground surveys, remote sensing and

complementary technologies;

(6) Promote proper and mutual consultation with the

private sector on matters involving natural resources

exploration, development, use and conservation;

(7) Undertake geological surveys of the whole country

including its territorial waters;

(8) Issue licenses and permits for activities related to

the use and development of aquatic resources, treasure

hunting, salvaging of sunken vessels and other similar

activities;

(9) Establish policies and implement programs for the:

(a) Accelerated inventory, survey and classification of

lands, forest and mineral resources, using appropriate

technology, to be able to come up with a more accurate

assessment of resource quality and quantity;

(b) Equitable distribution of natural resources through

the

judicious

administration,

regulation,

utilization,

development and conservation of public lands, forest,

water

and

mineral

resources

(including

mineral

reservation areas), that would benefit a greater number

of Filipinos;

(c) Promotion, development and expansion of natural

resource-based industries;

(d)

Preservation

of

cultural

and

natural

heritage

through wildlife conservation and segregation of national

parks and other protected areas;

(e) Maintenance of a wholesome natural environment

by enforcing environmental protection laws; and

(f) Encouragement of greater people participation and

private initiative in rural resource management;

(10) Promulgate rules and regulations necessary to:

(a)

Accelerate

cadastral

and emancipation patent

surveys, land use planning and public land titling;

(b) Harness forest resources in a sustainable manner,

to

assist

rural

development,

support

forest-based

industries, and provide raw materials to meet increasing

demands, at the same time keeping adequate reserves

for environmental stability;

(c) Expedite mineral resources surveys, promote the

production of metallic and non-metallic minerals and

encourage mineral marketing;

(d) Assure conservation and judicious and sustainable

development of aquatic resources.

(11)

Assess,

review

and

provide

direction

to,

in

coordination

with

concerned

government

agencies,

energy research and development programs, including

identification of sources of energy and determination of

their commercial feasibility for development;

(12) Regulate the development, disposition, extraction,

exploration and use of the country's forest, land, water

and mineral resources;

(13)

Assume

responsibility

for

the

assessment,

development,

protection, licensing and regulation as

provided for by law, where applicable, of all energy and

natural

resources;

the

regulation

and monitoring of

service contractors, licensees, lessees, and permit for the

extraction, exploration, development and use of natural

resources products; the implementation of programs and

measures with the end in view of promoting close

collaboration between the government and the private

sector;

the

effective

and

efficient

classification

and

sub-classification of lands of the public domain; and the

enforcement of natural resources and environmental

laws, rules and regulations;

(14) Promulgate rules, regulations and guidelines on

the

issuance

of

licenses,

permits, concessions, lease

agreements and such other privileges concerning the

development, exploration and utilization of the country's

marine, freshwater, and brackish water and over all

aquatic resources of the country and shall continue to

oversee,

supervise

and

police

our natural resources;

cancel or cause to cancel such privileges upon failure,

non-compliance or violations of any regulation, order, and

for all other causes which are in furtherance of the

conservation of natural resources and supportive of the

national interest;

(15) Exercise exclusive jurisdiction on the management

and disposition of all lands of the public domain and

serve as the sole agency responsible for classification,

sub-classification,

surveying

and

titling

of

lands

in

consultation with appropriate agencies;

(16)

Implement

measures

for

the

regulation

and

supervision of the processing of forest products, grading

and inspection of lumber and other forest products and

monitoring of the movement of timber and other forest

products;

(17) Promulgate rules and regulations for the control of

water, air and land pollution;

(18) Promulgate ambient and effluent standards for

water and air quality including the allowable levels of

other pollutants and radiations;

(19) Promulgate policies, rules and regulations for the

conservation

of the country's genetic resources and

biological diversity, and endangered habitats;

(20)

Formulate

an

integrated,

multi-sectoral,

and

multi-disciplinary National Conservation Strategy, which

© Compiled by RGL

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