How can you review for the Environmental Planning Board Exam more effectively?
Read on for specific tips on how to review for SUBJECT AREA 3 of the Environmental Planning Board Exam!
Introduction
Passing the 2018 Environmental Planning Board Exam was a big accomplishment for me!
I validated my expertise as an instructor of land use planning.
Also, I got the title I have wanted since my 3rd year of college.
And, I saved money by doing successful self review sessions!
Top resources, all in one page!
Coverage of the Environmental Planning Board Exam
Section 17 of the Environmental Planning Law (Republic Act 10587) enumerates the subject areas of the Environmental Planning Board Exam:
- #ENPEXAM SUBJECT AREA 1: History, concepts, theories and principles of environmental planning;
- #ENPEXAM SUBJECT AREA 2: Environmental planning process, methods/techniques and strategies; and;
- #ENPEXAM SUBJECT AREA 3: Environmental plan implementation, legal aspects and administration
Note: The subject areas and syllabi may be revised as the need arises to conform to changes and new developments brought about by trends in the practice of environmental planning. So always check with the Professional Regulatory Commission for updates!
In short, the Environmental Planning Board Exam covers three broad subject areas!
A successful self review starts with a review plan.
With the following tips, your review plan for the Environmental Planning Board Exam can be more effective.
The article focuses on Subject Area 3: Environmental plan implementation, legal aspects and administration.
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Description of Subject Area 3: Environmental plan implementation, legal aspects and administration
Section 16 (c) of the IRR of RA 10587 enumerates the sub-areas that #ENPEXAM Subject Area 3 “shall include, but not be limited to”
- Legal Foundations for Environmental Planning
- key/milestone laws, rules and regulations at national and sub-national levels;
- Program/Project Development, Management, and Implementation
- principles/methods/instruments in the design, appraisal, performance and results-based monitoring and evaluation;
- Planning Administration and Professional Practice
- major public sector reform measures relating to good governance,
- Public Sector Management
- budgeting, financing government projects;
- procurement processes, analysis/evaluation of proposals for public/private sector participation
Read: Frequently Asked Questions about Environmental Planning in the Philippines
My Environmental Planning Board Exam Rating
Here’s my overall rating for the 2018 Environmental Planning Board Exam.
I scored 74% in Subject Area 3, passing grade but not satisfactory.
Due to my curiosity about the ideal local government structure, I have continuously studied the Local Government Code.
My experience being part of the team who updated the Comprehensive Land Use Plan of the Municipality of Tiwi also helped.
Working for the USAID-SURGE Project also encouraged me to learn more about how Philippine cities develop because of population, functional roles and politics.
I studied about the differences in local government classifications (e.g., highly-urbanized cities vs independent cities vs component cities) way before planning to take the Environmental Planning Board Exam.
However, I have not been an employee in the local government, so admit that my knowledge may be bookish.
Read: Increase your urban planning knowledge by following these sites!
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3 Top Tips for Reviewing #ENPEXAM Subject Area 3: Environmental plan implementation, legal aspects and administration
Re-read the 1987 Constitution, Environmental Planning Act, and Local Government Code multiple times.
You can be overwhelmed by the many laws that govern environmental planning in the Philippines.
If you would prioritize, I recommend you allot much time for
- the 1987 Philippine Constitution (particularly Article X)
- the Local Government Code of 1991
- the Environmental Planning Act of 2013
These three documents contain overarching principles for Filipino Environmental Planners.
One mistake I made during my self review for the 2018 Environmental Planning Board Exam was to focus on piecemeal laws.
I should have prioritized reading and re-reading these fundamental laws.
Every Filipino should have a working knowledge of the 1987 Constitution. The Constitution outlines the rights and mandates of the State and Filipinos.
By reading and rereading the Local Government Code, you can visualize the ideal relationship between the national and local government.
Also, you can picture how local governments can maximize local autonomy through the powers and responsibilities given by Republic Act 7160.
Subject Area 3 also covers the practice of environmental planning.
Start with the updated Environmental Planning Law of 2013.
Also, imagine yourself as a full-pledged Filipino Environmental Planner.
Know your rights and responsibilities by reading the Code of Ethics and the Scope of Practice.
Review laws and frameworks by development sector.
I second the suggestion of EnP Jean Palma to study laws governing Philippine environmental planning by development sector.
In between review sessions for the Local Government Code, you can read relevant laws for housing, biodiversity, climate change, forestry and fishery.
Filipino Environmental Planners are accountable for comprehensive plans, so you may be tested for laws that cover every development sector.
I suggest you focus on laws that are unfamiliar to you.
I chose to focus on laws on procurement and biodiversity because these sectors are not my expertise.
I did not allot much time for studying laws on solid waste management and environmental impact assessment. I already took courses on these in my graduate program.
Besides legal aspects, you should also know the various frameworks that the government uses for development planning.
The Philippine Development Plan and the Urban Development and Housing Framework are two primary documents.
Analyze real-life situations against laws.
Subject Area 3 is a big advantage for board exam takers working in the national and local government.
I am sure that I missed questions on financing projects and budgetary concerns.
The Local Government Code has sections on these, but nothing beats daily working experience.
Use your self review to think of possible scenarios for projects in your local offices and departments.
As a case, government procurement processes are critical to know for Filipino environmental planners.
If you work in government, you definitely know how bids and awards of projects are supposed to work!
Just refresh your mind on the various public-private partnership arrangements.
Studying environmental laws by development sector inevitably provides you with a historical context.
Presidents, biases, and ideologies have influenced Filipino urban planning history and the laws that govern the environmental planning profession.
Conclusion
#ENPEXAM Subject Area 3 will test the environmental planner in their ideological and political knowledge of environmental planning.
In short, the “how come” of the Philippine environmental planning profession.
Laws and rules are the foundations of Filipino environmental planning.
“ Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.”
Plato
The Environmental Planning Board Exam will assess how much of proper environmental planning you know and understand.
As you review laws and rules, you may become an idealist (I did!).
“Why are we doing it this way, when the Local Government Code states otherwise?”
Hopefully, more as a Filipino Environmental Planner, knowing the letters of the law will push you to do good.
As Proverbs says, “To reject the law is to praise the wicked; to obey the law is to fight them.”
Further Reading
Do you have additional tips reviewing for passing the Environmental Planning Board Exam?
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