‘Expert’s expert’: Salceda upbeat on Yulo-Loyzaga as DENR chief

Ma. Antonia “Toni” Yulo Loyzaga (Photo from National Resilience Council website)

MANILA, Philippines — Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said on Wednesday he was “very pleased” and “inspired” by the nomination of Ma. Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“She is the expert’s expert when it comes to climate adaptation and disaster resilience,” Salceda, who represents a calamity-prone province, said in a statement.

He said he was confident that Yulo-Loyzaga would bring science-based governance to the table.

On a personal level, Salceda said: “Toni is a dear friend and my batchmate in Ateneo [de Manila]. We worked on so many DRR CCA projects making her a reliable friend of Albay esp[ecially] after [Typhoon] Reming and many other disasters. I am very deeply pleased and inspired by her appointment — another best and brightest moment for PBBM [President Bongbong Marcos].”

The initials DDR and CAA stand for, respectively, “disaster risk reduction,” and CCA is for “climate change and adaptation.”

Salceda, who used to be Albay governor, said Yulo-Loyzaga’s presence in the province made her a good friend of the people there.

“[I worked] very closely when I was governor of Albay, delegate to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and as co-chair of the United Nations Green Climate Fund,” Salceda said.

Albay has gone through several natural calamities not only due to volcanic eruptions, as it is home to the restive Mayon Volcano, but also due to typhoons, owing to its position on the east side of the country’s typhoon belt.

Several typhoons usually hit Albay and nearby provinces in the Bicol Region, making it a key area for disaster response.

In 2012, Salceda was hailed in the 134-page Asia-Pacific Disaster Report by the United Nations  Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) as one of the global champions in promoting disaster resilience in the local government level.

Salceda also noted that Yulo-Loyzaga added more experience to her portfolio in the last decade, as she was executive director of the Manila Observatory while serving as chair of its International Advisory Board.

He also mentioned that the climate change advocate used to be a technical adviser of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation — “where she effectively championed scientific research on climate and disaster resilience.”

“Yulo-Loyzaga is also part of the Philippine Armed Forces’ Senior Advisory Board at the Command and General Staff College and is a trustee for both the Ateneo de Manila and Ateneo de Naga Universities,” Salceda added.

On Tuesday, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced the nomination of Yulo-Loyzaga to the DENR, subject to the submission of other documents before her position could be formalized.

The nomination was welcomed by several pro-environment groups — Greenpeace Philippines, Masungi Georeserve Foundation, and Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan), saying that they believe Yulo-Loyzaga will take urgent action on climate change.

Even large-scale mining companies welcomed Yulo-Loyzaga’s nomination. The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) said its members would be ready to meet with Yulo-Loyzaga and strike a balance between “economic development and environmental protection.”

Meanwhile, Salceda said that he was eager to work with the new administration officials, including newly-nominated Energy Secretary Raphael “Popo” Lotilla, on how the country’s carbon policy will be shaped.

“Upon the announcement of Toni’s appointment, I talked to Popo to see how we can work together on carbon policy, especially since [Secretary of Finance] Ben [Diokno] has expressed openness to carbon taxation,” Salceda said.

“Offhand, I hope we can move forward given certain baselines: One, the Philippines has a right to cheap energy and a right to development, which I fought for during my time in the UN GCF and in the UNFCCC. Both Toni and Popo know my position very well there,” he added.

—WITH REPORTS FROM ANDY HOO (TRAINEE)

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