The Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Wednesday welcomed the approval of its P24.17-billion budget for 2019.
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said the Senate’s approval of the DENR’s 2019 budget would allow the agency to deliver on the priority programs and projects for the protection of the environment, and the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s rich natural resources.
“We can finalize and carry out our 2019 plans, policies and activities to realize our mandate of improving the lives of Filipinos, while protecting and conserving our rich biodiversity for present and future generations,” he said.
Last Monday, senators approved the DENR budget.
The lawmakers commended DENR and Cimatu for showing “sheer political will” in carrying out the closure and rehabilitation of Boracay and the plan to rehabilitate other ecotourism sites.
For 2019, Cimatu said they have allotted P5.072 billion, or almost 21 per cent of its total budget, to forest and watershed management through the e-national greening program, while almost P890 million have been earmarked to intensify its activities on forest protection and to fight illegal logging.
He added that they are also setting aside more than three percent, or P732 million, to carry out its activities in protected area development and wildlife protection and conservation.
Other priority areas include improvement of land administration and management with almost P400 million; scaling up of coastal and marine ecosystems with P267.69 million; and cleanup of Manila Bay with P80 million.
The DENR’s proposed budget for 2019 is almost 3 percent lower than the P24.91 billion budget for the agency in the General Appropriations Act for 2018.