Businesses now required to have environmental sustainability plan

CEBU, Philippines — Over 38,000 businesses in the city risk the non-renewal of their business permits if they don’t submit a duly-notarized Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (ESAP) to the city.

Cebu City’s Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) urged business establishments to comply with environmental laws and ordinance or risk losing their permits next year come renewal of business permits.

The city government can now penalize businesses who refuse to comply with environmental policies following the passage of City Ordinance 2754 or the amended Sustainable Development Ordinance starting January of 2025.

Under the new ordinance, businesses are mandated to an ESAP to the city.

The ESAP is the city’s version of the Environmental Compliance Certificate that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources issues to establishments whose operations impact the surrounding community and ecosystem.

CCENRO’s legal officer Atty. Klive Eric Ravanes explained that the City Council amended CO 2243 in order to give CCENRO the enforcement power to go after business establishments that blatantly violate the city’s environmental policies including those stated in their ESAP.

“Kani man gung ESAP, promise man gud ni siya. Ni-promise ka nga imong sundon ang mga environmental laws dinhi sa Cebu City,” Ravanes said through the city’s Sugbuanon channel.

The said ordinance will be enforced by CCENRO alongside the Business Permit and Licensing Office.

Aside from checking if the business permit applicant has complied with the ESAP, CCENRO is also given the mandate to inspect establishments and check if these are compliant with environmental laws and ordinances.

Inspectors are to check for compliances when it comes to solid waste and septage management, proper wastewater disposal, and vector control, among others.

Business establishments that refuse to allow any CCENRO personnel to enter its premises and inspect the business establishment in the implementation of this ordinance will be penalized.

Aside from that, under the new ordinance, business permit owners can also be penalized if they fail to display the certificate of compliance in a conspicuous area in the establishment or present the owner’s copy of the ESAP application form during the inspection, and for failure to comply with any of the mandatory provisions of the ESAP.

First-time violators will get a ?2,000 fine while subsequent violations will be fined up to ?5,000, get possible jail time, or have their business permits revoked.

A compromise penalty fee of ?1,000 to the city within 15 days upon the issuance of a citation ticket is also to be imposed.

Ravanes appealed to business permit holders to follow the city’s environmental laws, including implementing the city’s Segregation at Source policy, to avoid getting penalized while also urging business permit holders to comply with the conditions stated in their ESAP to avoid problems later. (CEBU NEWS)