Toni Yulo-Loyzaga

Maria Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga is the current secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), a position she was appointed to by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in July 2022.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Ateneo de Manila University and her master’s degree in government from Georgetown University in the United States.

Loyzaga is known for her extensive work in climate disaster resilience, having served as executive director of scientific research institution Manila Observatory from 2007 to 2016. Before her stint at the DENR, she served as president of the National Resilience Council, a science and technology-based public-private partnership focused on the implementation of key international agreements such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Sustainable Development Goals, and Paris Climate Agreement.

At the start of her term, Loyzaga wanted the environment department to be open to inputs from civil society and to implement and support “science-based” and “evidence-informed” policies.

This resolve would be tested by the Oriental Mindoro oil spill, among the biggest environmental crises of the Marcos administration, where Loyzaga was criticized for being an “absent” department head. Groups had also called for her resignation for her supposed inability to directly engage with communities affected by environmentally destructive projects.