Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda spoke highly on Wednesday, July 13 of Ma. Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga, who was recently appointed as Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) secretary by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
"I am very deeply pleased and inspired by her appointment- another best and brightest moment for PBBM,” Salceda said in a statement.
“Toni is a dear friend and my batchmate in Ateneo. We worked on so many DRR CCA (disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation) projects making her a reliable friend of Albay especially after 'Reming' and many other disasters," the third-term congressman said.
Salceda says that he worked with Loyzaga “very closely when I was governor of Albay, delegate to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and as co-chair of the United Nations Green Climate Fund. She is the expert’s expert when it comes to climate adaptation and disaster resilience".
He hoped that the Loyzaga appointment “will bring the principles of climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and science-centered governance in natural resource management".
“I would like to highlight Toni’s prior stints over the last decade as Executive Director of the Manila Observatory and Chairperson of its International Advisory Board as well as her time as technical adviser of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation where she effectively championed scientific research on climate and disaster resilience,” Salceda added.
He bared that Yulo-Loyzaga is also part of the Philippine Armed Forces’ Senior Advisory Board at the Command and General Staff College and is a trustee for both the Ateneo de Manila and Ateneo de Naga Universities.
Salceda chaired the House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee during the previous 18th Congress.