Secretary Raphael Lotilla has formally taken over as the new head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), succeeding Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga in a turnover ceremony held Monday.
Lotilla, a legal and policy expert with a long track record in government and academia, is expected to steer the agency toward deeper climate resilience, resource conservation, and environmental protection. His background in sustainable development and public governance is seen as a reinforcement of the DENR’s current priorities.
The former Energy Secretary under both Presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Lotilla emphasized the role of regulation in addressing market failures in sectors critical to national development. Speaking last Friday before stepping down from the Department of Energy (DOE), Lotilla reflected on challenges in energy distribution, noting that privatization alone has not resolved long-standing infrastructure issues.
“The government is trying to make sure that we can intervene effectively,” Lotilla said, advocating for regulation not as a barrier, but as a tool to ensure private sector accountability in public services.
As he transitions to leading the DENR, Lotilla’s emphasis on regulatory balance and institutional oversight signals a continued push for policy reforms that address both environmental sustainability and systemic inefficiencies.
