Atty. Antonio S. Tria

Founder

1943-2021

Former DENR (Environment) Undersecretary

Former National Pollution Commissioner (NPCC)

1991 DENR Likas Yaman Awardee

President, Philippine Environmental Industry Association (PEIA)

Atty. Tria`s expertise lies in environmental law, specifically in environmental law compliance, regulations management and policy. He is a former Commissioner of the National Pollution Control Commission, where he oversaw the enforcement of pollution laws, implementing rules and regulations.

 

In 1987 he was appointed as Assistant Secretary for Management and later Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs of the DENR. As DENR Undersecretary, he was actively involved in the preparation of important legislative proposals on the environment, many of which are now laws. He also handled the Department`s Foreign Assisted and Special Projects and was a presiding officer of the Pollution Adjudication Board. It was in his stint at the DENR when the current Environmental Impact Assessment System was developed. He also represented the country in important environmental conferences abroad, such as the Montreal Protocol on Substances which Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987), the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit 1992) in Brazil, to name a few.

In 1991, he received the Likas Yaman Award from the DENR in recognition of his exemplary career in the environment.

In addition to his work as CEO of Environmental Counselors, Inc., he also provides environmental legal consultancy to various environmental projects in both government and private sectors. He has also done various environmental policy studies on aspects such as management regulations and common treatment facilities. In 1997, Atty. Tria was accredited by the DENR as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Preparer - Team Leader. He is also adviser to the Pollution Control Association of the Philippines and is a member of the International Association for Impact Assessment.

His project involvements are as legal advisor and institutional development specialist for the Asian Development Banks` Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building for the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB) under the Metro Manila Air Quality Improvement Sector Project, the ADB`s National Resettlement Policy Enhancement and Capacity Building Project, the Social Fencing Component of the World Bank`s Second Subic Freeport Project, the World Bank and Swedish Government funded National CFC phase - out plan, as well as the preparation for the proposed Philippine Environment Code, funded by the United Nations Development Program.

Most recently, he was legal consultant for the preparation of the Procedural Manual for the recently promulgated DENR DAO 2003-30, the implementing rules of Presidential Decree 1586, otherwise known as the Philippine EIA Law, the law requiring Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs).

He is currently the president of the Philippine Environmental Industry Association, (PEIA) which is a non-stock, non-profit association of environmental service providers in the Philippines.