SFLMA and the Future of Environmental Asset Governance in the Philippines
I. Introduction The implementation of the Sustainable Forest Land Management Agreement (SFLMA) under DENR Administrative Order No. 2025-22 marks a ...
Read ArticleEnvironmental Governance
Natural capital, environmental regulation, climate risk, quarrying, uplands, flooding, and ecological accountability.
Search Articles
On the Integration of the PENCAS Act in Current CLUP Approvals
Today, Gus Agosto, a licensed Environmental Planner , sent his formal reply to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), s...
Read ArticleMonterrazas and the Tragedy of the Commons
Why System Thinking Requires Stricter Development Standards Recent public discussions have reflected different perspectives on the Monterrazas deve...
Read ArticleNatural Capital Accounting and the Apo Quarry Case
The recent tax dispute between the Province of Cebu and Apo Land and Quarry Corporation (ALQC) has highlighted the legal limits of provincial taxat...
Read ArticleBeyond the Apo Tax Settlement: What the Case Reveals About Quarry Governance in Cebu
Every day in Cebu, the equivalent of 500 dump trucks of limestone leaves the province’s quarry sites. Over a year, that amounts to roughly 3.6 mill...
Read ArticleAn Open Letter to the Honorable Members of the Cebu Provincial Board
I have written an open letter to the Honorable Members of the Provincial Board of Cebu to share an economic perspective on the province’s mineral a...
Read Article“We Got No Answers”: How a Regulated Landfill Killed 36 People—and No One Could Explain Why
When the Binaliw landfill collapsed on January 8, killing at least 36 people , the tragedy did not end with the recovery of bodies. It deepened whe...
Read ArticleWhy Cebu City Must Revisit Its 2025 CLUP: Lessons from the Binaliw Upland Landfill
The collapse of the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City has been explained away in familiar terms. It has been called an accident. An operational failure...
Read ArticleWhy the Issuance of the PENCAS IRR Is a Win for Lawful and Sustainable Planning
The recent issuance of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) Act ...
Read ArticleA Welcome Pause — But One That Exposes a Deeper Contradiction
The recent announcement of a moratorium on upland development is, at first glance, a welcome development. It signals an overdue recognition that wh...
Read Article