Newly appointed Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla formally took over the leadership of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Monday in a ceremony held in Quezon City.

In his speech, Lotilla extended his gratitude to outgoing Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga and acknowledged her efforts in steering science-based policy reforms and advancing climate resilience programs that benefited vulnerable communities across the country.

“I take on this responsibility of working with you in the task that lies ahead of us for the country and our people,” he said.

Loyzaga said the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. are clear, primarily to build on the strength that the DENR has accumulated over the past three years, and in the past.

The turnover ceremony marked a symbolic passing of the torch from Loyzaga to Lotilla.

“Today marks a milestone in the journey of this organization towards ensuring that it is fit for purpose, one that is focused on science-informed environmental stewardship from ridge to reef to shelf, in order to help build an inclusive and resilient nation,” Loyzaga said in her speech.

“It is in this light that I am both humbled and honored to be respectfully turning over not only a green, but a blue DENR, one that has worked hard to break down silos and work together to provide clean air and water, minerals for energy, industry, and infrastructure, and lands for development whilst conserving, protecting, enhancing our forests and waters, and their biodiversity as the web of life that sustains us all.”

DENR PHOTO