Pia's environment committee hears bills
requiring environment education in schools

The Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources will conduct its initial public hearing today on proposed measures aiming to address the lack of environmental awareness among Filipinos, especially the youth, which has contributed to the declining state of the Philippine environment.

Senator Pia Cayetano, who chairs the committee, said the hearing will take up the following measures: Senate Bills 959 and 986 authored by Senate President Manny Villar, SB 1097 by Sen. Loren Legarda, SB 476 by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and SB 766 authored by Cayetano herself.

All five bills aim to raise awareness on the status of our environment among elementary, high school and National Service Training Program (NSTP) students in college and vocational courses.

Cayetano's SB 766 ( "Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2007") mandates the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to come up with an environmental education curriculum suited for each school level.

The lady senator pointed out that the state of the environment continues to worsen despite the passage of landmark laws on the environment in the last decade.

"Despite the passage of several environment laws like the Solid Waste Management Act, the Clean Air Act, the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act and the Clean Water Act, there seems to be a low level of awareness especially among the youth regarding the state of our environment and the need to protect it as embodied in these laws," she stressed.

The celebration of "World Environment Day" every June 5 was also included in the bill to advance environmental awareness.