‘NATURE HAS VALUE’: DENR chief backs ‘natural capital’ accounting

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Environment Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla urged Western Visayas stakeholders to stay open to different approaches and conduct cost analysis before making decisions that could shape the region’s push for sustainable economic development, even as debates intensify in his home province of Antique over a proposed 7,000-hectare metallic mineral reservation in its upland towns.

Lotilla delivered the message to members and participants of Iloilo Business Club (IBC) Inc.’s event dubbed “SustainAbility 2026” on Feb. 12, 2026, according to the press release.

IBC said “SustainAbility 2026” convened leaders, innovators and changemakers for conversations on sustainability, resilience and inclusive growth.

The event featured speakers and sessions that tackled topics intended to promote economic growth, innovation, resilience and sustainable development, the release said.

Lotilla, who is from Antique province, said achieving sustainable development requires broad participation from stakeholders in Western Visayas and across the country.

At the event’s Plenary Session 2, themed “Sustainable Resource Management,” discussions focused on strategic approaches to responsible resource management and long-term growth.

During the session, Lotilla pointed to the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System Act, or the PENCAS Act (Republic Act 11995), which was institutionalized May 22, 2024.

Lotilla said the law requires the country to put a value on its natural endowments as part of sound policy and decision-making.

“The God-given resources that we have need to be valued. We need to be able to establish or identify the resources that we have,” he said.

Lotilla pointed to public preferences as a factor that can shape resource decisions, including debates involving minerals.

“In the case of mining, and mineral resources, the tendency is for some sectors to reject even knowing what is out there,” he noted.

He also cited the multistage nature of mining development, saying exploratory work – from preliminary research to feasibility studies – can take years to identify and evaluate mineral reserves with economic value.

Lotilla’s remarks come at a sensitive time for his home region as a fierce debate unfolds over a proposed 7,000-hectare metallic mineral reservation covering the upland towns of Patnongon, San Remigio, Valderrama, and Sibalom.

The Amlig Antique Alliance, a coalition of church groups and environmental defenders, has warned that the reservation overlaps with the Sibalom Natural Park and the province’s primary watershed.

The group argues that any exploration – which Lotilla noted can take years of preliminary research to identify reserves with economic value – threatens the “rice granary” of Antique and increases the risk of landslides in identified high-risk zones.

Addressing such conflicts, Lotilla advocated for a data-driven approach to determine whether one activity is more advantageous to society as a whole over another.

“We need to see what is the value, what is the mineral resource that is there, and then what kind of trees are there. At the end of the day, we will see whether one activity is more advantageous to society as a whole over some other activity,” he said.

The secretary also took aim at blanket opposition to certain technologies, noting that science and standards are constantly evolving.

“What we are after are standards. We set emission standards, and then if a particular technology is able to meet those standards, we should not reject the technology,” Lotilla argued.

He urged stakeholders to keep pace with scientific and technological change when crafting environmental policy and development choices.

“Science is forward-looking. Science is evolving, and so our mindset as stewards of the earth should also be evolving,” he added.

Lotilla reiterated that the DENR, as the government’s primary agency for managing the country’s natural resources, needs wider engagement to meet sustainability goals.

“We need your perspectives, we welcome your criticisms, but we also would want your constructive suggestions. We cannot just be forever casting blame on everyone,” he said.

The message comes as natural resource governance in Western Visayas faces renewed scrutiny, particularly in Lotilla’s home province Antique, where proposals and projects have sharpened debates over conservation, water security and mining-led development.

In the province’s upland municipalities, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Western Visayas has considered a 7,000-hectare mineral reservation covering Patnongon, San Remigio, Valderrama and Sibalom, targeting copper, gold, chromite and silver, with public hearings reported as part of the process.

While Lotilla seeks “constructive suggestions” rather than “casting blame,” the pressure on the ground in Antique continues to mount.

Opposition groups and some officials have argued the proposed area overlaps with environmentally sensitive zones, including the Sibalom Natural Park and the Sibalom River Watershed, which they say are vital to irrigation and drinking water supply.

In Caluya, Semirara Mining and Power Corp. has pursued expansion of its coal operations, with the company previously saying it expected an Environmental Compliance Certificate for its Acacia mine in the second half of 2025 and targeting production in 2026 as part of a PHP 291-billion expansion plan.

Separately, the Department of Energy has been reviewing Semirara’s coal operating contract ahead of its July 2027 expiry, with a decision expected in the first quarter of 2026.

In northern Antique, the Pandan–Ibajay road project has also drawn attention after environmental groups and local officials raised concerns about whether the road’s alignment could support future mining activity in the corridor, amid questions about a PHP 489-million gravel road project. (With a report from DENR-6)