Green Thumb holds People's Summit for the Environment

An environmental summit dubbed as "People's Summit for the Environment" was organized by the Green Thumb Coalition (GTC), of which Bantay Kita is a part of, last October 11, 2016 at the College of Saint Benilde.

The said forum was aimed for its attendees to understand the current state of the country’s environment; assess government efforts geared towards its protection; and unite around immediate and strategic calls, demands and actions.

The event was attended by National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Ernesto Pernia and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Regina Paz Lopez, and other GTC members.

DENR Secretary Lopez presented the agency's plan on shifting from a regulatory agency to a development arm of government. She shared to the audience that they are now looking at areas for development while ensuring community engagement from planning stage to implementation and also injecting development and entrepreneurial skills. She also shared that DENR will be providing funds for the implementation of these projects.

DENR has established a special arm within the department specifically to ensure collaboration between the department and civil society organizations. This is to provide a platform for engagement in implementing development projects from start to end.