#GlobalGreen: DENR-EMB grants VSU, component campuses Environmental Compliance Certificates

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) granted Visayas State University (VSU) and its component campuses Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs) on April 21, 2026 after a month-long preparation and processing of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the university.

This certification covers various infrastructure developments across VSU. For VSU Main, VSU Villaba (VSUV), VSU Tolosa (VSUT), and VSU Isabel (VSUI), all proposed infrastructure projects in the Land Use Development and Infrastructure Plan (LUDIP) 2025-2034 were included. For VSU Alangalang (VSUA), only projects proposed for 2027 and 2028 were accounted for.

Projects covered by the ECC comprised multimillion, priority projects for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 General Appropriations Act (GAA) funding such as the three-storey academic building with integrated parking and landscaped grounds at the VSU Main, the two-storey academic building with smart classrooms and laboratory rooms for the VSUV Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science, the two-storey Engineering Laboratory Building at VSUI, the Marine Multi-species Hatchery Building at VSUT, and the two-storey academic building for Environmental Science at VSUA.

Earlier this year, the university, through the Planning Office, applied for an ECC for both the Digital Learning Center and the College of Medicine Building. The application was, however, denied with advice from the DENR-EMB to apply for an ECC for the entire campus instead. 

The LUDIP Technical Working Group provided the data for the EIA form which needed to be filled out to obtain the ECC, a certification required for proposed infrastructure projects for national government funding in 2027 onwards. This documentary requirement, coupled with instructions on how to go about the EIP, was confirmed after a meeting between State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the region and the office of EMB Regional Office 8 Regional Director, Engr. Alex D. Jimenez, last March 10, 2026, at the request of the Philippine Association for State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) in Eastern Visayas.

“On our end, we will also need to monitor our projects to ensure the sustainability of the campus. We will also have to acquire a discharge permit for our solid and water waste,” said Director for Planning, Mr. Toni Marc L. Dargantes, in an email to the University Integrated Media and Public Affairs (UIMPA).

“The granting of the ECC means that our infrastructure projects have very little or acceptable negative environmental impacts,” he added.

Mr. Dargantes, Director of Planning, led the team that facilitated the processing of the ECC for VSU and its component campuses. The team consisted of Planning Officer, Jimbo Posas, Pollution Control Officer, Engr. Girlina P. Gogo and the heads of Campus Planning and Development across the component campuses, Engr. Shemer Parami of VSUV, Engr. Eleujane Earl C. Abarca of VSUI, Rojelle Clarize Piamonte of VSUT, and Engr. Donna V. Pagliawan of VSUA. 

“With this milestone, VSU not only positions itself as a leader in infrastructure readiness but also reinforces its identity as an institution deeply committed to sustainable practices and global standards,” Dr. Glenn G. Pajares, Vice President for Planning and Development, told UIMPA. 

He further disclosed that in the coming years all infrastructure projects in VSU will comply with green and sustainable building codes, both local and international, with the present ECC representing a first step toward greater environmental sustainability.

This article is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; and SDG 13: Climate Action.

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