Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship

02/06/2026

The value of the country’s metallic mineral production rose by 28.6 percent in the first quarter, lifted by higher gold and nickel prices despite weaker production volumes.

Data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau showed that overall mineral output reached P82.78 billion in the three-month period, from P64.35 billion last year.

The value of the country’s metallic mineral production rose by 28.6 percent in the first quarter, lifted by higher gold and nickel prices despite weaker production volumes.

01/06/2026

The environment is sending us a bill—and every Filipino is already paying for it.

We pay for it through extreme heat, stronger storms, water insecurity, environmental degradation, and growing risks to our health, livelihoods, and future.

As the Philippines observes Environment Month this June, the Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) calls on all Filipinos to recognize that environmental protection is not a choice between development and conservation. It is a prerequisite for sustainable growth, resilient communities, and a better quality of life.

The warning signs are everywhere. The record-breaking temperatures experienced across the country are not isolated events. They are reminders that the consequences of environmental neglect and climate change are becoming harder to ignore.

For too long, environmental stewardship has been treated as a secondary concern. It can no longer wait.

Protecting our environment requires action from everyone—government, business, civil society, and citizens alike. Every effort to reduce waste, conserve resources, support sustainable practices, and protect our natural ecosystems contributes to a more resilient Philippines.

This Environment Month, let us move beyond awareness and into action.

The question is no longer whether environmental degradation and climate change will affect us. They already do.

The real question is: What are we prepared to do about it?

22/05/2026

May 22 | International Day for Biological Diversity

Biodiversity Protection is Essential to Community Resilience and Sustainable Development

As biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation continue to affect communities, food systems, water security, and climate resilience across the Philippines, protecting the country’s natural resources has become an urgent national and development concern.

On the International Day for Biological Diversity, the Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) joins the global community in recognizing the importance of acting locally to protect the ecosystems that sustain life, livelihoods, and long-term economic resilience. As one of the world’s megadiverse countries, the Philippines depends heavily on healthy forests, coastal ecosystems, wetlands, watersheds, and marine resources that support communities, industries, agriculture, fisheries, and local economies.

The growing pressures of climate change, land conversion, pollution, and unsustainable resource use continue to threaten biodiversity and the ecosystem services that millions of Filipinos rely on every day. These challenges highlight the need to integrate biodiversity protection into development planning, resource management, infrastructure, and business decision-making.

PBEST supports collaborative and science-based efforts to advance the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2024–2040, including ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, stronger local environmental governance, and partnerships with LGUs, Indigenous Peoples, communities, civil society, academe, and the private sector.

As stewards of both enterprise and environment, PBEST believes that economic growth and biodiversity protection must move forward together. Responsible development requires protecting the natural systems that support food security, water availability, disaster resilience, and sustainable livelihoods for present and future generations.

Safeguarding biodiversity today is essential to building a more resilient, sustainable, and climate-ready Philippines.

19/05/2026

Rising Heat Index Highlights Need for Climate-Resilient Development

The dangerous heat index being experienced across many parts of the Philippines is a growing reminder that healthy ecosystems and green spaces are essential to the safety, wellbeing, and resilience of communities. As temperatures continue to rise, the loss of trees, degraded watersheds, and shrinking urban green spaces are making communities more vulnerable to extreme heat, water stress, flooding, and other climate-related risks.

The Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) recognizes that environmental stewardship and sustainable development must go hand in hand. Forests, watersheds, wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, and urban green spaces are not only important for biodiversity. They help regulate temperatures, protect water sources, support livelihoods and local economies, and strengthen the country’s resilience against the growing impacts of climate change.

Extreme heat is a public health, economic, and productivity issue that affects communities, workers, businesses, and critical services. Rising temperatures increase pressure on energy and water systems, disrupt livelihoods, and create additional risks for vulnerable sectors, particularly in densely populated and highly urbanized areas.

As the country continues to pursue economic growth and infrastructure development, PBEST emphasizes the importance of integrating responsible environmental stewardship into planning and decision-making. Protecting and restoring trees, watersheds, and natural ecosystems, while promoting greener and more climate-resilient communities, are essential to long-term sustainability and national resilience.

PBEST supports collaborative, science-based, and community-driven approaches that balance development with the responsible management of natural resources. Through stronger partnerships among government, businesses, communities, and civil society, the Philippines can advance development while safeguarding the ecosystems that sustain life, livelihoods, and future generations.

Investing in healthy ecosystems today is an investment toward cooler, safer, and more resilient communities for every Filipino.

15/05/2026

Treating environmental crimes as a national security and public safety concern, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has introduced a new nationwide enforcement standard aimed at strengthening investigations, arrests, and prosecution of environmental violators.

The agency said the new policy, formally known as the Environment and Natural Resources Law Enforcement Manual of Operations (ELEMO), will serve as the DENR’s primary operational standard for environmental law enforcement activities nationwide.

Treating environmental crimes as a national security and public safety concern, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has introduced a new...

11/05/2026

Climate risks are now fiscal risks, and ASEAN is rethinking how finance systems respond.

At the UNDP-led panel with DENR and DOF, finance and environment leaders pushed a shift toward climate finance that is integrated, trackable, and investment-ready, moving beyond fragmented funding and short-term fixes.

From climate budget tagging to digital tracking systems and scalable adaptation pipelines, the message was consistent: resilience has to be built into the way economies plan and spend.

Across the discussion, one direction stood out—ASEAN climate action now depends as much on how money moves as on how policies are written.

Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/4wj7rvsz

05/05/2026

23/04/2026

Today, PBEST Co-Convenor Mr. Orlando Oxales participated in a mining stakeholder meeting organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources led by Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna. The meeting was convened for the Department to present its “Unified Communication Plan” and gather insights from relevant stakeholders to strengthen coordination, enhance information dissemination, and promote a more cohesive communication strategy among stakeholders in the mining sector.

Mr. Oxales shared his insights on the dynamics of building capacity planning and executing social media campaigns. PBEST remains committed to contributing to promoting responsible mining in the Philippines.

22/04/2026

𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫-𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐮𝐞𝐯𝐚 𝐕𝐢𝐳𝐜𝐚𝐲𝐚

OceanaGold Philippines Inc. has turned over a two-storey multi-purpose building to Barangay Don Domingo Maddela in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, delivering a renewable energy-powered facility equipped with a hybrid solar system that will benefit more than 1,000 residents by supporting community meetings, livelihood programmes, youth activities and essential public services, while reducing electricity costs, minimising outages and ensuring continuous operations, in partnership with the Local Government Unit of Bayombong to align with community needs and shared management responsibility.

18/04/2026

Environmental protection and economic growth are not opposites. They rise together.

When environmental rules are weak, unclear, or slow, the cost is paid by everyone: businesses face uncertainty, communities become more vulnerable, resources are depleted, and climate risks intensify.

That is why reforms like the DENR’s Express Permitting on Wheels matter. Faster and more accessible services prove that protecting the environment and improving ease of doing business can move forward together.

PBEST calls for these reforms to be sustained and expanded through stronger implementation, transparent enforcement, and consistent standards across all sectors.

We also urge businesses to go beyond compliance and lead in environmental stewardship.

The real question is not economy or environment.

It is whether we choose growth that lasts.

A resilient, competitive, future-ready Philippines begins with strong environmental governance.