Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga reiterated her call for a just transition to a low-carbon economy.
She said the shift must protect workers and communities while creating green jobs and a sustainable future.
“As we celebrate Earth Day, we must be reminded that the journey to clean energy must be grounded on collective action. We must ensure that in this quest for resilient, inclusive, and sustainable development, there must be no one and no ecosystem left behind,” Loyzaga said last week.
She issued the reminder during Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22 as a global event dedicated to raising awareness about environmental protection and sustainability.
Loyzaga also called on all Filipinos to take an active role in shaping a cleaner and greener future.
Loyzaga stressed in a statement that environmental protection and climate action begin with collective responsibility.
“Earth Day offers a moment to reflect on the responsibilities we share—as Filipinos, and as stewards of a fragile planet,” she said.
“This year’s theme, ‘Our Planet, Our Power,’ speaks to a profound truth: that we hold the power to shape a future anchored on clean, renewable energy,” she added.
Loyzaga noted that the Philippines is home to vast natural wealth, with over 30 million hectares of land, 220 million hectares of vibrant marine waters, and more than 56,000 species on land and sea.
However, she said Filipinos have a duty to protect and use these natural resources wisely, especially as the country transitions to an inherent complex use of renewable energy.
“It is linked to the sustainable use of our natural resources: our waters for hydropower, heat from our earth for geothermal energy, the wind and sun for other sources of alternative clean energy, but the use of these energy resources is not without cost,” Loyzaga said. PNA
