The paper analyzes the environmental impact statements (EIS) in the Philippines from 1977, the time of its inception, through 1985, near the end of the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, emphasizing all throughout on political and organizational issues. It investigates both how the EIS system was developed and how the Philippine agencies responded to it. The paper contains three main sections, the first of which is a historical analysis of Philippine environmental policy from 1977 to 1985. The second section considers organizational aspects of the National Environmental Protection Council (NEPC), the multi-agency body which played a central role in environmental impact assessment (EIA) policy development. The third main section examines NEPC’s strategies for EIA policy implementation and appraises agency compliance with the EIS system.