Photo Release

Villar wants more funds to secure protected areas: Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, presiding over the Finance Subcommittee B hearing on the proposed P24.572-billion budget of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and its attached agencies Wednesday, October 18, 2023, bats for more funding in order to safeguard the country’s protected areas. Upon learning that DENR was only getting a portion of the revenues from tenurial agreements because of certain limitations mandated by law, Villar stressed the need to use modern technology like drones and satellite imagery to monitor activities in these areas. “We want to know those laws limiting the amount (DENR) can get. We are not supposed to be responsible for expenditures of the national government. This money was meant to protect the areas where the money came from,” Villar said. In 2022, DENR remitted revenues amounting to P100 million from tenurial agreements. (Joseph B. Vidal/ Senate PRIB)