Policies on Energy Efficient and Environmentally Sound Technologies aquatic animals stupefied, disabled or killed by means of dynamite or other explosive or toxic substances. Other laws enacted prohibit trawl fishing in areas that are less than seven fathoms deep (RA 3048 of 1961), exploration of bangus fry (RA 3586 of 1963), and electro-fishing in freshwater areas (RA 6451 of 1972). In the forestry sector, laws on reforestation and afforestation were passed such as RA 115 of 1947 and RA 737 of 1952 that provide for the reforestation and afforestation of denuded areas within public forestlands. Establishment of municipal and city forests, tree parks, and watersheds was encouraged, as embodied in RA 5752 of 1969. In 1949, the Petroleum Act was enacted to promote the development of petroleum resources in the country. Article 24 thereof includes, as one among the general obligation of a concessionaire, the institution of measures to avoid hazards to life, health, and property and prevent pollution of air, land and water. The landmark wildlife conservation measures passed during this period were RA 826 of 1952 (providing the creation of the Commission of Parks and Wildlife whose main purpose is the development, maintenance, and conservation of national parks, national monuments and wildlife), RA 1086 of 1954 (calling for stricter enforcement of the prohibition against the killing of the tamaraw), and RA 6147 of 1970 (declaring the Philippine Eagle as a protected bird in the country). The enactment of RA 3931 in 1964 added a new dimension to environmental policy. The law is the first legal declaration that pollution control is a major environmental policy to be pursued by the state. The economic situation of the country at this period was characterized by the establishment of manufacturing and industrial firms especially in urbanizing areas, which began in the 1950s. 1.3 Period from 1972 to the present This period saw the emergence of organic laws that defined environmental management as a major policy of the state. The trend was caused by the 1972 Stockholm UN Conference on the Human Environment that brought to the attention of the global community the urgent need to incorporate environmental concerns in the overall concept of development. The laws promulgated from 1972-1986 comprise the main body of environmental laws that are being implemented. These include the Pollution Control Law (PD 984), Philippine Environmental Policy (PD 1151), Philippine Environment Code (PD 1152) and the establishment of the Environmental Impact Statement System (PD 1586). Laws pertaining to the natural resources sector promulgated during this period involve the streamlining of organizational structures and updating of existing laws, e.g., Forestry Reform Code (PD 389 as revised by PD 705), Mineral Resources Development Decree of 1974 (PD 463), among others. Alan S. Cajes
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