DENR exec tapped to head ASEAN Center for Biodiversity

MANILA, Philippines - A top official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was recently appointed to head the ASEAN Center of Biodiversity (ACB) in concurrent capacity. 

The appointment of DENR Undersecretary for field operations Demetrio L. Ignacio as acting executive director for ACB was approved by the ACB Governing Board during its 14th meeting held on Aug. 26-29, 2012 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. 

In a press statement released by ACB, as acting executive director, Ignacio shall provide policy guidance and operational supervision to ACB until the appointment of a new executive director. The recruitment process is being supervised by the ASEAN Secretariat. 

Ignacio is the ASEAN senior official on the environment for the Philippines and a member of the ACB Governing Board. He has been head of many Philippine delegations to multilateral environmental agreements; presiding officer of the Pollution Adjudication Board and the National Water Resources Board; and supervising official for the water sector and international affairs. Before joining the DENR, he worked at the Philippines’ Presidential Management Staff. 

He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines, Diliman and took up post graduate studies at the University of Manchester in England, US Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., and Australian Administrative Staff College in Melbourne. He has received various awards and recognitions which include the Presidential Medal of Merit in 1998 for his exemplary performance, leadership and integrity.