Marcos picks Toni Yulo-Loyzaga to lead DENR
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 5:13 p.m.) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. picked disaster resilience expert Ma. Antonia 'Toni' Yulo-Loyzaga to lead the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles confirmed Tuesday the nomination of Yulo-Loyzaga.
Yulo-Loyzaga is the president of the National Resilience Council, which commits to building a resilient Philippines using science and technology-based public-private partnerships.
She was also a former executive director of research institute Manila Observatory.
According to Cruz-Angeles, the nomination of Yulo-Gonzaga "will still be subject to the fulfilment of required documents."
Days before he stepped down from office, President Rodrigo Duterte named Joselin Marcus Fragada as the officer-in-charge of the DENR. He replaced Jim Sampulna who was also appointed in a caretaker capacity.
Last month, various organizations said the next environment secretary should bring transformative changes to the agency mandated to manage the country’s natural resources and ensure a healthful ecology for Filipinos.
"More than being a regulator or bureaucrat, the environment secretary must be a fierce, progressive, and passionate champion of the conservation of forests and biodiversity, the protection of environment defenders, and the enforcement of environmental laws, over and above the interests of a few," they said.
‘Best’ choice
Yulo-Loyzaga will inherit the task of protecting and conserving the country’s rich ecosystem and natural resources threatened by illegal activities and development projects.
Restoring and protecting nature is one of the best strategies to tackle climate change.
As an archipelagic nation, the Philippines is one the most vulnerable countries to climate change impacts such as strong cyclones, flooding and sea level rise, which disproportionately affect the poor.
Tony La Viña, associate director for climate policy and international relations of Manila Observatory, lauded the nomination of Yulo-Loyzaga, calling her the best choice for the position.
"She combines a strong grounding in the natural and social sciences with an understanding of the business sector and urban poor communities in urban and rural areas, and sustainable development challenges," La Viña said.
Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment is hopeful that the prospective environment secretary will take urgent climate action based on the global frameworks and standards on disaster risk reduction and climate resilience.
But Alyansa Tigil Mina said it welcomes the appointment of Yulo-Loyzaga with cautious optimism.
"This is her first political appointment and she might face serious challenges in facing the vested corporate interests that want to influence DENR policies, especially on mining and [Environmental Impact Assessments] of projects," ATM national coordinator Jaybee Garganera said.
In 2017, the powerful Commission on Appointments rejected the ad interim appointment of environment chief Gina Lopez.
Lopez, who died in August 2019, was considered a champion of environmental conservation.
Environment and its defenders at risk
The Duterte administration prides itself in rehabilitating Boracay island and cleaning up Manila Bay. But it was criticized for creating an artificial white sand beach made from crushed dolomite rocks, which scientists and groups called an expensive and temporary effort that will not solve the bay's problems.
Groups also criticized the administration for greenlighting projects that will harm the environment and communities such as the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan, the Kaliwa Dam in Quezon province, and the Pasig River Expressway in the capital region.
In December 2021, the Duterte government lifted the nationwide ban on open-pit mining in a bid to bring more money into the Philippines after the economic slowdown brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also lifted a nine-year-old ban on new mining agreements in April of the same year.
Kalikasan PNE urged Yulo-Loyzaga to stand against various policy reversals on mining undertaken by the previous administration, and impose an omnibus moratorium on all extractive and destructive projects that have not undergone honest-to-goodness environmental due diligence.
Green groups fear that the vilification of and attacks against climate and environmental activists will worsen under the new administration. The Philippines has been consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous countries for environmental and land defenders.
"She must stand with the indigenous people, small farmers, park rangers, sea wardens, and active citizens who have suffered harassment, red-tagging, and deadly attacks for standing up for the environment," Kalikasan PNE said.
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