THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME IN THE PHILIPPINES: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Daisy Jane O. Medrano, Rowela C. Pecson

Abstract


This systematic review provided a comprehensive and evidence-based synthesis of environmental crime in the Philippines. It examined the various types, underlying causes, and societal impacts of these offenses. Additionally, the review explored the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies and policymakers in the implementation of relevant environmental laws and regulations. A structured process using PRISMA 2020 was conducted across nine academic databases and two search engines. Studies were screened using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 38 studies were included in the synthesis and analyzed using a thematic descriptive approach. Risk of bias was manually conducted based on five criteria. Results revealed six primary types of environmental crimes: illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, illegal mining, pollution-related crimes, illegal exploitation of aquatic resources, and illegal tourism development within protected areas. Socioeconomic drivers such as poverty, low public awareness, and poor law enforcement, alongside policy gaps, were recurrent themes in environmental crimes. Technological tools such as pXRF and GIS were effective but underutilized, even if they showed great potential in tracing illegally traded wildlife and mapping environmental crime hotspots. Governance failures, limited environmental officers, and educational gaps are major barriers to environmental protection.

 

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environmental crime, socioeconomic factors, PRISMA 2020, law enforcement, Philippines

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v11i2.1975

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