SONA 2026
SONA 2026 Page 4 of 9
Yakap clinics surge from 119 to over 4,000, now reaching 96% of Philippine cities and municipalities
The number of Yakap primary care clinics has surged from just 119 before the Marcos administration to more than 4,000 today, with the program now reaching 96% of all Philippine cities and municipalities, newly appointed Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) President and CEO Beverly…
New Health chief says PH must address heart disease, HIV, and mental health all at once under triple disease burden
The Philippines faces a unique triple burden of disease that requires the health system to simultaneously address lifestyle illnesses, lingering infectious diseases, and modern-society conditions including mental health problems, newly appointed Health Secretary Edwin Mercado said Saturday.…
New Health chief says DOH, PhilHealth to operate under ‘Unified National Agenda’ or UNA for Health
Newly appointed Health Secretary Edwin Mercado revealed Saturday that the Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will no longer operate as two separate agencies but will merge their roadmaps under a single Unified National Agenda for Health, or UNA…
DENR’s 2,000-strong Estero Rangers clean waterways every day
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has deployed over 2,000 Estero Rangers who clean waterways across Metro Manila and nearby regions every day, but some residents continue to dump garbage into the same waterways being cleaned—with impunity, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel…
Marcos administration secures €60M EU Green Economy Program grant for circular economy, climate action
The Marcos administration has secured a €60 million grant from the European Commission under the Green Economy Programme for the Philippines, covering circular economy, waste and plastic reduction, renewable energy, and climate change mitigation—one of the major international environmental…
DENR Express brings government to the people, issues on-the-spot permits and services to all 17 regions monthly
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has launched a mobile outreach program called DENR Express five months ago, sending teams from all 17 regional offices to rotate across provinces every month—with help desks that issue permits and clearances on the spot for residents who…
About 89% of LGUs now have approved Solid Waste Management Plans, with DENR pushing for full compliance
About 89% of local government units across the Philippines now have Solid Waste Management Plans approved by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), a significant increase from previous years, but Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Director Michael Drake Matias said they are…
After 25 years of solid waste challenges, PH now moving toward waste-to-energy technology under Marcos admin
Twenty-five years after the Philippines passed its landmark solid waste management law, the country is now moving toward waste-to-energy technology as a complementary solution to its persistent garbage crisis, with a bill already approved by the House of Representatives and now being deliberated…
Environmental Compliance Certificates now processed digitally under Marcos administration
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has moved the processing of Environmental Compliance Certificates and other environmental permits to fully online platforms under the Marcos administration, reducing face-to-face transactions and human discretion in the approval process, EMB Director…
Rising gold and copper prices across the world driving significant gains in Philippine mining sector: DENR
Rising international prices for gold and copper are driving significant gains in the Philippine mining sector, pushing the industry’s contribution to gross domestic product past 1% in the first quarter of 2024, even without the opening of major new mining operations under the Marcos…
Philippine forest cover improving under Marcos administration: DENR
Philippine forest cover is improving under the Marcos administration, with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources expecting its next national forest cover analysis to show an increase of almost 2% across the country, Forest Management Bureau (FMB) Assistant Director Ray Thomas…
Tree planting not enough: DENR refocuses forest rehab on headwaters, mountain peaks to protect water supply
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has shifted the focus of its forest rehabilitation programs to headwaters and mountain peaks—the source of water that feeds downstream farming communities—rather than concentrating planting efforts in lowland areas that are easier to reach…
DENR’s mobile one-stop shop aims to bring small-scale miners into the formal economy
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has launched a mobile one-stop shop that brings permitting and registration services directly to small-scale mining communities, as part of a push to formalize a sector that remains largely outside the regulated economy despite its…
Companies legally responsible for their own plastic waste under Extended Producer Responsibility law
Companies that produce plastic products are now legally responsible for managing their own plastic waste under the Extended Producer Responsibility law, ending a decades-long arrangement where local governments bore the sole burden of solid waste management, DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones said…
Marcos administration now requires mining companies to fund rehabilitation before they are allowed to dig
Mining companies in the Philippines must now set aside a dedicated rehabilitation fund from the very start of their operations—not just submit a plan—before they are granted a permit to begin digging, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said Saturday. Cuna made the statement in an interview on…