Scientist named DENR chief

MANILA, Philippines — An academe and known advocate of disaster risk resilience is President Marcos’ choice for environment chief.

Ma. Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga, former executive director of the Manila Observatory and technical adviser to the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, has been picked by the President to lead the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced yesterday.

“Her nomination will still be subject to the fulfillment of the required documents,” Angeles said in a statement.

Angeles said Loyzaga, as chair of the International Advisory Board of the Manila Observatory, advocated for more scientific research on climate and disaster resilience.

In its website, the Manila Observatory described itself as a Jesuit scientific research institution with research work in the fields of atmospheric and earth science in the Philippines and the Southeast Asian region.

The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, meanwhile, is an alliance of businesses that seeks to enhance the disaster management capabilities of the private sector.

The incoming environment secretary is also on the senior advisory board of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Command and General Staff College.

In a previous Facebook post, the Office of Civil Defense said Loyzaga has extensive experience and involvement in disaster risk reduction management in various organizations, including the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Global Science and Technology Advisory Group and its regional counterpart, the Asia Pacific Science and Technology Academia Advisory Group.

She was also a trustee of the Ateneo de Manila University, a member of the science department’s committee on space technology applications and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization National Commission’s Committee on Science and Technology.

In 2013, the military gave Loyzaga a special recognition for her contributions to the emergency disaster response operations during Super Typhoon Yolanda.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP), comprising large-scale metallic minerals development companies, welcomed Yulo’s nomination.

COMP said it looks forward to working with her in fulfilling President Marcos’ thrust of striking a balance between economic development and environmental protection under his administration.

“We are prepared to work with Sec. Yulo-Loyzaga in her advocacies, particularly disaster risk reduction and response, sustainable development goals and climate change protection,” COMP chairman Michael Toledo said in a statement.

“Our sector eagerly anticipates a meaningful engagement with Sec. Yulo-Loyzaga as well as the members of the government’s economic team led by Finance Sec. Benjamin Diokno, who has said that mining will be accelerated under the Marcos administration to help buttress the country’s post-pandemic recovery initiatives,” he said.

The group said it would continue to foster and promote responsible minerals development in the country.

“Sec. Yulo-Loyzaga can count on our full support in weeding out illegal miners and curtailing irresponsible mining practices, which have tarnished the reputation of our industry for so long,” Toledo said.

Cautiously optimistic

Alyansa Tigil Mina said they are cautiously optimistic with the nomination of Loyzaga as DENR secretary.

“With her experience as executive director of Manila Observatory in Ateneo de Manila University, we expect her to use and rely more on science-based analysis to decide on environmental policies and practices at the DENR,” ATM national coordinator Jaybee Garganera said.

“On the other hand, 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 EIA of projects,” he said.

If appointed, Loyzaga’s choices for undersecretaries for senior management would bare the kind and direction of environment policies that she would prioritize.

“It will be interesting to see how her science-based background will respond to the clamor of the economic team for more mining projects, that environment science says will increase our risks and vulnerabilities to climate impacts,” Garganera said.

Overall, Marcos’ choices for his Cabinet secretaries were laudable and enough to give more confidence to the business community.

“President Marcos’ appointment of technocrats and experts to Cabinet posts is a welcome development on the part of PCCI, most especially in the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Finance, National Economic Development Authority, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT),” Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) vice president for Industry Affairs Perry Ferrer said at a briefing yesterday.

Marcos’ Cabinet secretaries include Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pasua and DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy.

On Monday, Malacañang announced the nomination of Raphael Lotilla as chief of the Department of Energy (DOE).

“PCCI sends the appointed Cabinet members our most heartfelt congratulations and we assure you that our organization is looking forward to working with you,” Ferrer said.

PCCI president George Barcelon said he expects the Cabinet officials to come up with long-term plans for their respective sectors.

Meanwhile, Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said they would study rules of the Philippine Competition Commission as well as provisions of Republic Act 7638, or the law that created the DOE, to determine the legality of Lotilla’s nomination.

After Malacañang’s announcement of its nomination of Lotilla, Angeles clarified that his employment status in a company engaged in the energy sector is still being checked.

Angeles said that Lotilla is currently an independent director of Aboitiz Power and Enexor BioEnergy.

Section 8 of Republic Act 7638 states: “No officer, external auditor, accountant or legal counsel of any private company or enterprise primarily engaged in the energy industry shall be eligible for appointment as secretary within two years from his retirement, resignation or separation therefrom.”

Lotilla was DOE chief from 2005 to 2007, during the Arroyo administration. – Danessa Rivera, Catherine Talavera, Evelyn Macairan