Environmental Compliance Certificate is not a permit to operate

Dear PAO,
My sister, an overseas Filipino worker, is planning to build a resort on her property. She is aware of the various environmental regulations and permits we need to secure. One important requirement relayed to us is the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), which we are willing to comply. Since my sister will be investing her hard-earned money into this project, she is eager to start accepting clients as soon as possible to recover her investment quickly. She asks whether the resort can start operating immediately once the ECC is issued.
Lonte

Dear Lonte,
The requirement of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for a certain project is specifically provided under Section 4 of Presidential Decree 1586, which provides:

«The President of the Philippines may, on his own initiative or upon recommendation of the National Environmental Protection Council, by proclamation declare certain projects, undertakings or areas in the country as environmentally critical. No person, partnership or corporation shall undertake or operate any such declared environmentally critical project or area without first securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate issued by the President or his duly authorized representative. xxx.»
There is a need to balance socio-economic development and environmental protection; hence, the project proponent has to conduct studies required by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) depending on the classification of the project. One purpose of such study or assessment is to determine the negative impact of the project on the environment. A positive determination would result in the issuance of an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the process that involves evaluating and predicting the likely impacts of a project (including cumulative impacts) on the environment during construction, commissioning, operation and abandonment. It also includes designing appropriate preventive, mitigating and enhancement measures addressing these consequences to protect the environment and the community's welfare (Glossary, Revised Procedural