SC commits to enhancing judicial remedies for environmental laws

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court (SC) has vowed to sustain its alliance with its global counterparts in enhancing modern judicial remedies for the protection and preservation of the environment.

The SC through Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh participated in the five-day meeting of jurists and legal and techni- cal experts on environment protection held last month in New York City.

During the meeting, the participants launched the Model Forest Act Initiative (MFAI), a global initiative to draft a Model Forest Act to guide in the enactment of legislation that will not only protect forests but also ensure their development and growth for future generations.

In a statement, the SC said the meeting was organized by the Asian Development Bank, in cooperation with the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment (GJIE), the United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Jurist Association (WJA).

It explained that GJIE is a global task force composed of actively sitting judges organized to ensure judicial in-

WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANT. Photo shows (from left to right) Pagsanjan Laguna Mayor Cesar Areza, Climate Change Commission Comm. Albert Dela Cruz Sr., and Philippine Globe Energy Development Corporation Mike Camacho in the formal opening of the Wasteto-Energy plant in Pagsanjan, Laguna. The plant was established through a public-private partnership initiative on proper management and disposal of waste in the local community.

Norman Cruz