Group claims smoke-belching firms still operating without permit

An environmental group on Monday revealed that smoke-belching factories in the country are still operating without the required permit to operate (PTO) and environmental clearance certificate (ECC) from the Environmental Management Bureau-Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR).

“We were shocked to discover that smoke-belching factories are continuously operating in our country without the required permit to operate from EMB-DENR and even worst some of them does not possess the mandatory environmental clearance certificate,” Clean Air Philippines Movement Inc. (CAPMI) president Manuel Galvez said.