By Paulo Loreto Lim

In a final push for confirmation by the Commission on Appointments, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Gina Lopez recently said the work conducted at her current post are striving towards doing “the right thing.”
“I’m taking the opportunity to do the right thing because that opportunity may not come again,” she insisted. “If nothing is done now to preserve the country’s environment and natural resources, it will not be done ever.”
During her final confirmation hearing, she discussed her campaign against mining companies in violation with environmental regulations, along with reorganization at the agency.
On a recent visit to Sipalay City, where the number of unemployed increased after the closure of the Maricalum Mining Corporation site, she suggested local workers become entrepreneurs, discussing livelihood programs and sharing related stories from her previous profession, managing director for the ABS-CBN Foundation, a non-profit, non-government organization.
Sipalay City Mayor Oscar Montilla, Jr. emphasized, however, the immediate necessity for jobs.
“We cannot cope with the volume of laborers,” he explained.
The DENR secretary also proposed a number of reforms within the agency, including title reform, revising emission standards, introducing new fees for special use agreement protected areas, the creation of the Philippine Forest Certification System, among other items.
During her tenure at DENR, Lopez has ordered the closure of 22 mines and the suspension of four operations, along with proposals to scrap 75 mineral production sharing agreements./WDJ