Environment

DENR Secretary Juan Miguel “Mitch” Cuna is boosting local governments’ capacity against rising climate threats—including floods, landslides, and wildfires—by expanding use of the Provincial Climate Risk Diagnostic (PCRD) Tool. Designed for evidence-based planning aligned with national climate goals, the tool helps provinces assess hazards, vulnerability, and risks to communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems, while guiding priority investments and long-term strategies up to 2050. Flexible for all data readiness levels, it also supports nature-based solutions like mangrove restoration.

Coastal communities in Candon City, Ilocos Sur have shifted from poaching endangered pawikan eggs for ₱30 each to guarding nests and hatchlings. The Philippines hosts five globally threatened sea turtle species—all on the IUCN Red List, with hawksbills classified as Critically Endangered. Habitat loss, illegal harvesting, bycatch, pollution, and climate change continue to threaten their survival.

A Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis), one of the country’s most threatened mammals, was safely handed over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) on September 3, 2026, following its discovery by a resident in Barangay Galicia 3, Mendez, Cav

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna has ordered scaled-up use of science and technology across all field and enforcement units to boost forest and watershed protection, directly supporting corporate operations, infrastructure planning, and regulatory compliance nationwide.

Aboitiz Foundation and GCash have partnered on the CarbonPH x GForest Project, a five-year initiative to restore 1,200 hectares of forest and coastal areas in Balamban, Cebu, planting one million trees while reviving ecosystems, supporting communities, and strengthening climate resilience.