New DENR bureau director named

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes has designated noted forester Marcial Amaro Jr. as director of the Los Baños, Laguna-based Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (DENR-ERDB).

Amaro replaced DENR Undersecretary Manuel Gerochi, who served on a concurrent capacity as head of ERDB when its previous director, Dr. Agustin Piñol retired.

Reyes also named Dr. Leuvina Micosa-Tandug as ERDB assistant director.

Before being named ERDB head, Amaro was officer-in-charge assistant secretary for forestry at the DENR. He had also been director of the DENR-Forest Management Bureau (FMB), director of DENR’s Policy Studies Service, chief of staff of the DENR Office of the Undersectretary for Planning, head of the Philippine Environmental Governance project, and Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO). Amaro holds a BS in Forestry degree from the UP Los Baños-College of Forestry and Natural Resources (1981), graduate diploma in Agricultural Economics from the University of New England in Australia (1989), and Master of Public Management from the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) (1999).— RAF