scal space is very tight… The DENR is in charge of 15 million hectares of classied forest lands. We are also in charge of so many thousands of hectares of coastal areas,” Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Y. Loyzaga said in a press conference during the Mindanao leg of the DENR’s 2023 multi-stakeholder forum in Cagayan de Oro City.
The DENR has a budget of P23.29 billion this year, based on the 2023 General Appropriations Act signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Dec. 16. The department’s 2023 budget is lower than the P25.4 billion allocated in 2022. “It is a combination of legislation, some budgeting innovation in terms of the government and bringing in the different stakeholders to do their share in working with us in terms of the preservation, conservation, restoration, and regeneration,” Ms. Loyzaga said.During the forum, Ateneo de Davao University President Joel E. Tabora underscored the role of the DENR in balancing environmental protection with economic development through resource management.
“They should make sure that society and the planet are not killed by the vicious technocratic paradigm driving the economy. They must be guided by voices of people on the ground, in local government units or in the regions,” he added.