The Priority Chemicals List is a list of existing and new chemicals that are determined to pose unreasonable risks to public health, workplace, and the environment by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Currently, the PCL contains 47 kinds of chemicals that are usually regarded as bio-accumulative, highly toxic, and persistent.
Users, importers, and manufacturers of PCL chemicals are required to apply for a PCL Compliance Certificate from DENR-EMB. However the corresponding regulatory compliance requirements of PCL chemical has posed significant limitations on scientific research in the Philippines to the extent that the scientific community has been appealing for compliance exemptions for chemicals used in research. In late 2017, DENR-EMB published Memorandum Circular 2017-007 and stipulated that facilities that use PCL chemicals solely as standard solutions or as reagents in laboratory analysis are not required to secure the corresponding PCL Compliance Certificate under DAO 2007-23.
For other users, importers, manufacturers, and distributors of PCL chemicals, the following requirements should also be met in addition to the application of PCL Compliance Certificate:
Completion and submission to the DENR-EMB central office of an annual report on or before Jan 31st;
Completion and submission to the DENR-EMB regional office of a hazardous wastes registration form;
Registration and annual report must be in a form prescribed by the Department and accompanied with the payment of prescribed fees.
