Lotilla succeeds Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, who capped a three-year term marked by bold climate resilience initiatives and science-based policy reforms.
Lotilla brings with him a wealth of experience as a public servant, legal scholar, and energy policy expert.
A two-time Secretary of Energy under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the new DENR chief is credited with pushing clean energy transitions, supporting power sector reform, and contributing to international discourse on sustainable development.
He also held key roles at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), where he helped navigate complex policy environments vital to infrastructure development and resource management.
Lotilla’s intellectual roots lie in the University of the Philippines, where he has taught law since 1985 and served as UP’s vice president for public affairs from 1991 to 1996.
His advocacy for sustainable marine and coastal development, along with his credentials in environmental law, signal continuity in the DENR’s focus areas—but with a potential expansion into stronger legal and regional frameworks.
The DENR expects Lotilla—given his background in law, public policy, and sustainable development—to strengthen the department’s ongoing efforts in environmental protection, climate resilience, and resource conservation.
The task ahead: to harmonize environmental integrity with inclusive growth—through legal safeguards, cross-sectoral collaboration, and a shared vision of sustainability. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
