2005 REVISED SYLLABI FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER LICENSURE EXAMINATION

PREAMBLE

1. The following syllabi are intended to guide examinees in the preparation for the
Environmental Planner Licensure Examination. In general, they cover areas in
which the examinees are expected to have knowledge, technical skills,
decision-making skills, and competencies when they start to practice the
environmental planning profession.

2. The examinees are generally tested on:

a. Basic skills, including research (ability to employ methods of data collection/

analysis); critical thinking skills (ability to make comprehensive analysis/
evaluation of environment and portion thereof); fundamental design skills
(ability to apply organizational/ spatial/ structural principles to the conception
of space in the environment; and collaborative skills (ability to identify/
assume divergent roles while working as member of a planning team; and
b. Understanding of the following: Physical design and the way in which cities
work; history and theories of environmental planning; data on present/future
needs (e.g., population, employment, etc.); plans and the process by which
they are developed; local/regional/national governments and their
programs/processes for making political decisions; and legal/administrative
aspects in the practice of environmental planning.

3. The general coverage of the examination is divided into three major subject
areas with their corresponding weights and reflect the physical, social,
economic, planning law and administration and special planning aspects as
provided for in PD 1308:

a. History, Concepts, Theories, and Principles of Environmental

Planning - 20
b. Environmental Planning Processes, Methods and Strategies - 45
c. Environmental Plan Implementation and Legal Aspects - 35

4. Each subject area includes its nature and scope and specific topics/sub-topics.
A list of suggested references is also included in the syllabi.
5. These syllabi are made available to all recognized schools of Environmental
Planning in the country, the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP),
and other concerned entities.

AREA 1 - HISTORY, CONCEPTS, THEORIES AND PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL

PLANNING

A. Nature and Scope

1. The basic factors that have influenced the development of cities and regions
2. Urban and regional planning concepts, theories and methods
B. Topics

1. Political/ Geographical/ Legal settings: Definition, scope and characteristics

2. Evolution, goals, concepts and principles/ theories of planning

2.1 History/ goals of planning
2.2 Foundations of planning
2.3 Nature and types of planning
x National, regional, local level
x Economic, social and physical
x Short, medium and long term
x Macro and micro
x Strategic vis--vis indicative
x Comprehensive vis--vis incremental

3. City growth and spatial planning theories

3.1 Patterns of human settlements
3.2 City image, urban forms and functions
3.3 City growth theories and urban ecological processes
3.4 Urbanization: issues and trends
3.5 Planning and development of cities and urban areas

4. Regional planning and development

4.1 Rationale/ delineation
4.2 Analysis/ objectives/ targets
4.3 Characteristics of regional/ local governments
4.4 Policies and strategies
4.5 Intra- and inter-regional development issues

AREA II ENVIRONEMENTAL PLANNING PROCESSES, TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES

A. Nature and Scope

1. Planning Processes, including problem/ opportunity, definition, goal setting,

policy formulation, generating alternative strategies, programming, etc.

2. Planning analyses

3. Approaches/ methodologies for plan preparation, including framework plan,

development plan, Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), strategic plan,
structure plan, action plan, master plan, sector plan, etc.

4. Plan testing, evaluation, selection

B. Topics

1. Overview of the planning processes

2. Planning tools and techniques
3. Demographics
4. Information systems (GIS, MIS, etc.)/ Mapping technologies
 5. Sectoral planning
5.1 Social sector (education, health, housing, social welfare, etc.)
5.2 Economic sector (agriculture, fisheries, forestry, industry, tourism, etc.
5.3 Infrastructure and Utilities
5.4 Energy
5.5 Natural resources

6. Land use planning

6.1 Land classification/ reclassification
6.2 Land allocation/ utilization
6.3 Development controls and initiatives

7. Area development planning

7.1 Site planning and urban design
7.2 Cultural heritage planning
7.3 Urban renewal, redevelopment, regeneration, revitalization
7.4 Integrated area or integrated rural development (IAD OR IRD)
7.5 New towns and other spatial districts (agro/ eco villages)
7.6 Industrial estates/ economic zones development
7.7 Watershed/ river basis, coastal and waterfront development
7.8 Protected Areas

AREA III ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, LEGAL ASPECTS AND

ADMINISTRATION

A. Nature and Scope

1. Plan implementation and enforcement

2. Administrative and institutional aspects of plan implementation
3. Project planning and development, monitoring and evaluation

B. Topics

1. Planning administration and professional practice

1.1 Government machinery for planning
1.2 Code of ethics, legal obligations/ responsibilities
1.3 Public interest and social justice
1.4 Government procurement policy
1.5 Preparation of contract documents

2. Project planning, management and implementation

2.1 Project cycle management approach
2.2 Project monitoring/ evaluation
2.3 Logical framework analysis/ tools for project planning design/
management
2.4 Feasibility studies

3. Financing and budgeting systems

3.1 Local taxation and revenue generation
3.2 Resource allocation
3.3 Financial requirements/ capital improvement program
3.4 Private financing initiatives (e.g., BOT)
3.5 Comprehensive investment programming system
 4. Legal foundations for environmental planning practice
4.1 Government and legal system
4.2 Relevant provisions of the 1987 Constitution
4.3 General environmental laws
x Philippine Environmental Policy
x Philippine Environment Code
x EIA System
x Pollution Control Law
4.4 Civil Code provisions (Property Law)
4.5 Laws related to land, air, water
x Network of Integrated Protected Areas System Law
x Agrarian Reform Law
x Clean Air Act
x Solid Waste Management Act
x Indigenous Peoples Rights Act
4.6 Human habitat
x Sanitation Code
x Human settlements, land use and zoning laws
x Cultural heritage laws
4.7 Local Governance
x Constitutional provisions
x Local Government Code
x Powers and responsibilities of local officials relating to
environmental management

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Listed below is a list of selected references to serve as guide in preparing for the
examination in each of the subject areas. It is expected that the examinee would
obtain the latest edition of these references. He/she is also expected to review other
references, documents from government agencies, PIEP documents and other
materials on Environmental Planning.

Books, Journals, Documents

Asian Development Bank. Project quality: An Agenda for Action: Proceedings of the
Regional Workshop on Improving Project Quality (28 November 10
December, Manila, Philippines, 1994)

Babbie, Earl. The Basic of Social Research (New York: Wadsworth Publishing Co.
200 2)

Barker, Judy L. Evaluating the Impact of Development Projects on Poverty: A

Handbook for Practitioners. (Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2000)

Bayne, Patricia. Generating Alternatives, a Neglected Dimension in Planning

Theory. Town Planning Review, Vol. 66. No. 3, 1995, pp 303-320

Chapin, Stuart, Jr. Urban Land Use Planning, (Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press,
197 2)
Davis, Kenneth P. Land Use (New York: McGraw Hill Book Co., 1976)

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) A sourcebook of

Sustainable Development Indicators: Integrated Environment Management
(IEMSD) Program, 1998. IEMSD Programme Sustainable Development Series,
1997]

Gabriel, Roth. The Private Provision of Public Services in Developing Countries (New
York: Oxford University Press, 1987)

Gallion, Arthur B. and s. Eisner. The Urban Pattern, City Planning and Design (New
York: John wiley & Sons, 1964)

Greed, Clara. Introducing Town Planning (new Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1992)

Greenberg, Broadman and Vining Weimer. Cost Benefit Analysis: Concepts and
Practice (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: prentice Hall, 1998)

Hall, Peter. Urban and Regional Planning (New York: Penguin Books, 1974)

Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

o Guidelines for the Formulation/ Revision of Comprehensive Land Use plan,
1977 (10 volumes)
o National Urban Development and Housing Framework (1993 1998)
o Town Planning Guidelines (10 volumes)

Interagency Committee on Local Planning Program. Guidelines for the Formulation

of Provincial Physical Framework Plan, 1991.

Kaiser, Edward J., David R. Godschalk, f. stuart Chapin, Jr. Urban Land Use Planning
(Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1995)

Livermash, R. (ed.) Valuing the Global Environment: Actions and Investmentsfor 21st
Century (Global Environment Facility, 1998)

Lovejoy, Derek, ed. Land Use and Landscape Planning (New York: Barnes and
Noble, 1973)

Lynch, Kevin. Site Planning (Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1972)

Lyon, John G. and Jack MacCarthy. Wetland Environmental Applications of GIS,

199 5.

McGee, T. G. The Urbanization process: The Third World Explanations in Search of

Theory (London: Bell, 1971)

McHarg, Ian. Design with Nature (garden City, New York: Nature History press, 1979)

Mumford Lewis. The City in History: Its Origins, Its transformation and Its Prospects
(London: Harcourt Brace & Co., 1961)
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

o Guidebook on Municipal Comprehensive Land use Planning

o Project Development Manual, 1984

Oposa, Antonio A. A Legal Arsenal for the Philippine Environment (The Philippine
Islands: Batas Kalikasan, 2002)

Philippine Council for Sustainable Development. Philippine Agenda 21: A national

Agenda for Sustainable Development (Manila: PCSD, 1997)

Sample, V. Alarie (ed.). Remote Sensing and GIS in Ecosystem Management

(Washington DC: Island press, 1994)

Schman, P. Environmental Planning: The Conservation and Development of

Biophysical Resources, 2000

Stein, Jay M. ed. Classic Readings in Urban Planning (New York: McGraw- Hill, 1995

The World Bank. Expanding the Measure of Wealth: Indicators of environmentally

sustainable Development: Environmentally Sustainable Development Studies
and Monographs Series. No 17 (Washington DC, The World Bank, 1997)

Titenberg, Tom. Environmental Economics and Policies (Cambridge, Mass: Addison-

Wesley, 1998)

______________. Environment and Natural Resources Economics (Cambridge, Mass:

Harper Collin College Publishers, 1998)

UN World Commission on Environmental Planning and Development. Our Common

Future, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987)

Valdez, Joseph and Michael Bamberger. Monitoring and Evaluating Social

Programs in Developing Countries: A Handbook for Policy Makers, Managers
and Researchers (Washington DC: The World Bank, 1994)

Legal Issuances

Republic Acts

R A 472 6 Defining Condominium and Establishing Requirements for

Creation
R A 655 2 Providing Protection to Buyers of Real Estate in Installment
Payments
R A 665 7 Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law
R A 707 6 Peoples small scale Mining Act
R A 716 0 Local Government Code of 1991
R A 727 9 Urban Development and Housing Act
R A 758 6 National Integrated Protected Areas System
R A 783 5 Comprehensive & Integrated Shelter Financing Act of 1994
R A 837 1 Indigenous Peoples Rights Act
R A 843 5 Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act
R A 855 0 Fisheries Code of 1998
R A 874 2 Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999
R A 898 1 PRC Modernization Law
R A 900 4 Solid Waste Management Act
R A 158 6 Environmental Impact System

Executive Orders

EO 71 Devolving Powers of HLURB to Approve Subdivision Plans to Cities

and Municipalities
EO 72 Comprehensive Land Use Plans of LGUs
EO 214 Land Conversion in Industrial Zones and Eco-tourism Sites
EO 648 Reorganizing the Human Settlements Regulatory Commission

Presidential Decrees

PD 953 Requiring Planting of Trees in Certain Places

PD 957 Subdivision and Condominium Buyers Protective Decree
PD 1216 Defining Open spaces in Residential Subdivisions
PD 1308 Regulating the Practice of Environmental Planning in the
Philippines
PD 1344 Empowering NHA to Issue Writ of Executive and Enforcement
Under PD 957
PD 1516 Urban Land Reform Law

Batas Pambansa

B P 22 0 Standards and technical Requirements fo r Economic &

Socialized Housing Projects

Administrative order
DAR AO Guidelines on Agricultural Land Conversion
20