Department Memorandum Order No. 2025-01: Updated Guidelines for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Process of Projects Applying for an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) within Protected Areas and/or Ramsar Sites, including the Verde Island Passage Marine Corridor (VIPMC), Amending Certain Provisions of DENR Memorandum Order Nos. 2023-01 and 2023-04.

This DENR Department Memorandum Order updates and streamlines Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures for projects seeking an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) within protected areas, Ramsar sites, and the Verde Island Passage Marine Corridor, in line with ease-of-doing-business and biodiversity integration policies. It clarifies that ECC applications must follow existing the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) rules, removes the requirement for a separate Biodiversity Management Bureau clearance, and shifts key review and scoping approvals to the Environmental Management Bureau. The Order strengthens disclosure and safeguard requirements for proponents, enhances coordination among DENR offices for projects in and around environmentally sensitive areas, and refines endorsement and review processes, while taking immediate effect and superseding inconsistent prior issuances.