We laud the recent decision by President Bongbong Marcos Jr. to name erstwhile Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Juan Miguel “Mitch” Cuna as the new head of the agency, succeeding the newly-appointed envoy to the Vatican, Raphael Lotilla.

DENR is close to our hearts. Before we vied for an elective local government post, we had the privilege of being initiated into public service through this agency. After a brief stint at the Pollution Adjudication Board in 2005, we were named DENR Representative to the Board of the National Transmission Corporation. At the same time, we were designated executive director of the secretariat of the National Solid Waste Management Commission.

After that, we were sworn in as assistant secretary for the environment. Our last appointive post at a DENR-related agency was as general manager of the Laguna Lake Development Authority.

Our stint at the DENR taught us the importance of collaboration between the national government and local government units, as well as between the different agencies of the national government. We learned that it is a “must” for national government agencies to engage in dialogue and listen to grassroots communities.

Here, the application of the principle that “the left hand must know what the right hand is doing” is crucial. Failure to apply it could lead to the botched implementation of policies and programs.

This is one of the reasons we were elated by the President's decision to appoint Secretary Mitch to the top DENR post. We believe that, given his experience, expertise, and advocacies, Secretary Mitch will ensure that collaboration between his agency and local government units will reach new heights.

After all, local governments must have a special place in the heart of the new DENR head.

We were on the way out of the DENR to assume an elective post when Secretary Mitch first joined the DENR. Before he did, he was already a twice-elected councilor representing the fifth district of the city of Manila.

As a councilor, he was among those who batted for the institution of the “water code” for the city of Manila. The ordinance, which he was the principal author of, provided protection for the city's municipal waters, a move that underscored his interest in the management and conservation of vital natural resources.

Secretary Mitch was, at one time, the head of the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB). In this post, he would continue his commitment to the high standards of environmental protection he began while at the Manila City Council.

While the EMB head, Secretary Mitch, was responsible for setting the environmental quality standards for water, air, pollution, and noise. He also oversaw the formulation and implementation of regulations governing the disposal of solid waste and toxic and hazardous substances. All these concerns directly affect the quality of life in local communities.

With Secretary Mitch at the helm of the DENR, we believe these concerns will be among his top priorities.

Appointing an “insider” to the top DENR post was a wise move by the President. Not only does Secretary Mitch possess a valuable local community perspective, but he also brings institutional memory and hands-on experience with the workings of national government agencies.

Being the son of one of the country’s most revered public relations icons, the late Elpi Cuna, is sure to be gifted with exceptional abilities to communicate with the public and to listen to the aspirations of our local communities.

We wish Secretary Mitch all the best as he puts his hands on the steering wheel of this crucial agency.

We wish the same for Ambassador Lotilla.

We hope that the Vatican assignment would not be the last post he would be named to. He has been one of the most respected appointive officials in government. Low-key and humble, he is known to be a person of sterling integrity.

Those who know him speak highly of his simple lifestyle and dedication to work. Stories about how he chose to live in simple accommodations within the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, despite his first appointment as Energy Secretary, continue to make the rounds, cementing his reputation as a man of outstanding character.

We are confident he will find his appointment as envoy to the Holy See an important highlight of his career in public service.

(The author is a Doctor of Medicine, an entrepreneur and the mayor of Antipolo City, former Rizal governor, and DENR assistant secretary, LLDA general manager. Email: [email protected])