THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it will seek a budget of P26.1 billion in 2026, up 7%, to address priorities like climate change and reforestation.
It told the House appropriations committee that funding wish-list includes P20.5 billion for the DENR central office, P3.3 billion for the Environmental Management Bureau, P1.8 billion for the Mines and Geoscience Bureau, P1.9 billion for the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, P294 million for the National Water Resources Board, and P149 million for the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development.
The DENR said its areas of focus next year include climate risk, regreening forests, preserving biodiversity, water security, air quality, and sustainable mining.
The DENR also targeted 4,164 barangays for assistance in establishing materials recovery facilities and 72 local government units to be assessed on their waste management practices.
The DENR also hopes to generate P577 million in fees and charges from agreements to develop and manage protected areas.
It will seek to further develop a Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) Information System to improve the process of assigning value to natural resources. The NCA is a component of the National Adaptation Plan 2023-2050. — Andre Christopher H. Alampay
