Green Advocate 1 | Page 9

St. Scholastica’s College Sought
Technical Assistance on Environmental
Compliance
As part of the DENREnvironmental
Management
Bureau’s continuous efforts to
improve
Philippine
industries’
environmental compliance, its arm,
the Environmental Compliance
Assistance Center (ECAC) extends
its assistance to the educational
sector.
Last July 12, 2016, the St. Scholastica’s College of Manila visited the ECAC to seek
familiarization with the technical details of environmental compliance. “We know that we
needed to comply with environmental laws, rules, and regulations but we don’t know
where to start,” Sr. M. Roselita Geronimo, OSB said. Along with Ms. Mary Anne Bomles and
Ms. Edna Zablan, they shared their difficulties in the lack of awareness when it comes to
environmental compliance. St. Scholastica College of Manila was established in 1906 and
managed by the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing who also believes in the core
value of integrity of creation.
Ms. Grace Madelar, head of EMB’s ECAC moderated the discussion, starting with
the basic run down of existing environmental policies. The core of environmental
compliance is arming an institution or industry with technical knowledge of the laws,
therefore, ECAC always reiterates the importance of having a Pollution Control Officer
(PCO). Not only is it mandatory, but having one already gives them a head start with their
compliance. Also discussed are PCO requirements and their roles. Learning materials such
as Self-Monitoring Report sample, ECAC brochures, and pamphlets were also distributed.
The discussion also included a possibility of ECAC tying up with other St.
Scholastica Colleges and down the line, other universities as well that need technical
assistance regarding their environmental compliance.
The assistance ECAC offers is not limited to LGUs and MSMEs but to other sectors
as well. The aim of our office is to improve various industries’ environmental compliance in
accordance to the Philippines’ environmental laws, rules, and regulations.

© 2016 EMB ECAC All Rights Reserved

GREEN ADVOCATE SEPTEMBER 2016 | 8