THE ENVIRONMENTAL Management Bureau (EMB) XI reiterated that the upcoming public scoping is “neither a ceremony for the approval or rejection” of the proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) project.
In a statement issued on Saturday, April 4, the agency reaffirmed the procedural integrity of the public scoping process as a preliminary step in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, governed strictly by DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2017-15.
Under DAO No. 2017-15, the EIA process is designed to ensure that environmental and social safeguards are addressed before any decision is made on the issuance of an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
Public scoping provides a platform for host communities, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders to identify and raise specific concerns.
“As mandated by Section 7, the Public Scoping is the formal mechanism used to ‘determine the coverage, focus, depth, and extent of the assessment’ to be included in the EIS,” it said.
The agency stressed that the technical studies on air quality, toxic emissions, and hazardous ash, which are issues raised by advocacy groups, are not “pre-determined.”
Rather, the “depth and extent” of the matters raised are established based on the inputs gathered during the scoping.
Citing Section 7 of the order, the proponent is required to conduct FGDs and IEC activities with the identified stakeholders prior to the public scoping to ensure that the community acquires prior knowledge of the project’s basic components before attending the scoping session.
The agency emphasized that public scoping is open to all groups identified in Section 5.2 of DAO 2017-15, such as the local government units, non-government organizations, people’s organizations, the vulnerable sectors, and local institutions.
It added that the public opposition and the technical concerns raised, such as potential toxic emissions, air pollution, and hazardous ash management, are crucial components of the documentation process.
“All inputs gathered during the scoping are officially recorded and will form the basis of the Scoping Checklist, which defines the specific studies the proponent must undertake in their Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),” it said.
Matters concerning the Clean Air Act and the suitability of the technology will be “deliberately scrutinized” by a multi-disciplinary Environmental Impact Assessment Review Committee (EIARC) once the full impact study is submitted.
EMB XI stressed it remains “impartial” and is “highly” promoting public participation in handling environmental concerns in pursuit of social justice, urging all concerned groups and residents to join the upcoming public scoping.
“By following these strict protocols and principles aligned to the thrust of the DENR, we ensure that no project moves forward without a comprehensive, transparent, and science-based review that takes the community’s voice into full account,” the agency said.
To note, the environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) has voiced strong opposition to the proposed Davao City Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Incineration project, ahead of the public scoping.
In a statement on Wednesday, April 1, the group said the project is “counter-intuitive” to the city’s established circular economy goals.
The pronouncement comes as the project prepares for a critical public scoping session “to evaluate potential social and environmental impacts”, scheduled for April 15, 2026, at the Barangay Biao Escuela gym.
