CEED REACTIVE : On The Appointment Of DENR Acting Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna

journal.com.ph · Mar 2, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Atty. Avril De Torres, Deputy Executive Director, Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED)Worsening ecological degradation and the escalating impacts of the climate crisis place Filipinos at the very frontlines of environmental harm. At this critical moment, what is most needed is a drastic shift in environmental governance—from a framework that enables the continued exploitation of natural resources, to one that actively restores degraded ecosystems and safeguards ecological integrity where it remains intact. Acting Secretary Cuna assumes leadership of the DENR in this decisive period.A new leadership has the opportunity to usher in this much-needed transformation. However, given Acting Secretary Cuna’s long tenure within the DENR, we share the concerns of many that his leadership may perpetuate the status quo. Maintaining the status quo would mean failing to fully uphold the DENR’s mandate, not only to protect the environment, but most importantly, to protect the Filipino people whose lives and livelihoods depend on ecological stability.CEED stands with civic movements across the country in engaging the DENR under its new leadership with vigilance and accountability. Acting Secretary Cuna’s years of service mean he has been part of policies and decisions that have raised serious concerns in the past—from the promotion of extractive industries to the permitting of polluting fossil fuel projects. His appointment as acting chief now carries heightened responsibility. He has to decisively steer the department toward genuine environmental protection, ecosystem restoration, and climate resilience for communities across the Philippines.