Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources

The secretary of environment and natural resources (Filipino: Kalihim ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman) is the head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines.

Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines
Kalihim ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman
Official seal of the cabinet department
Incumbent Raphael P.M. Lotilla since May 23, 2025
Style	Mr. Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Member of	The Cabinet
Reports to	The president
Seat	Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Appointer	The president with the consent of the Commission on Appointments
Term length	No fixed term
Inaugural holder	Galicano Apacible
Formation	January 1, 1917
Website	www.denr.gov.ph

Functions

The following are the functions of a secretary:^[1]

• Advise the president on matters under a department's jurisdiction;
• Establish the policies and standards for a department's operation;
• Promulgate rules and regulations;
• Promulgate administrative issuances;
• Exercise disciplinary powers over officers and employees under a secretary;
• Appoint officers and employees in a department;
• Exercise jurisdiction over a department's bureaus, offices, agencies and corporations;
• Delegate authority to officers and employees;
• Perform other functions provided by law.

List

Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources (1917–1933)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Governor-General
1		Galicano Apacible (1864–1949) [2][3]	January 11, 1917	October 31, 1921	Francis Burton Harrison
					Charles Yeater
					Leonard Wood
2		Rafael Corpus (1880–1960) [3][4]	November 2, 1921	July 17, 1923
–		Silverio Apostol Acting [5]	July 18, 1923	September 6, 1928
					Eugene Allen Gilmore
					Henry L. Stimson
3		Rafael Alunan Sr. (1885–1947) [6]	September 6, 1928	January 1, 1933
					Eugene Allen Gilmore
					Dwight F. Davis
					George C. Butte
					Theodore Roosevelt Jr.

Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources (1947–1974)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
4		Mariano Garchitorena (1898–1961)	July 1, 1947	September 1, 1948	Manuel Roxas
					Elpidio Quirino
5		Placido Mapa [7]	September 21, 1948	September 14, 1950
6		Fernando Lopez[a] (1904–1993) [7][8][9]	September 14, 1950	May 26, 1953
–		Placido Mapa Acting [10]	May 26, 1953	December 29, 1953
7		Salvador Araneta (1902–1982) [11]	March 10, 1954	August 13, 1955	Ramon Magsaysay
8		Juan Rodriguez	August 18, 1954	March 3, 1960
					Carlos P. Garcia
9		Cesar Fortich	March 3, 1960	September 15, 1961
–		Jose Locsin (1891–1977) Acting	September 15, 1961	December 30, 1961
10		Benjamin Gozon	1962	1963	Diosdado Macapagal
11		Jose Feliciano	1963	1965
(6)		Fernando Lopez[a] (1904–1993) [12]	December 30, 1965	January 15, 1971	Ferdinand Marcos
12		Arturo Tanco Jr. [12]	January 15, 1971	May 17, 1974

Secretary of Natural Resources (1974–1978)

President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 461 on May 17, 1974, creating the Department of Natural Resources from the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.^[13]

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
13		Jose Leido Jr.	May 17, 1974	June 2, 1978	Ferdinand Marcos

Minister of Natural Resources (1978–1987)

President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1397 on June 2, 1978, converting all departments into ministries headed by ministers.^[14]

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
(13)		Jose Leido Jr.	June 2, 1978	July 26, 1981	Ferdinand Marcos
14		Teodoro Peña	July 27, 1981	June 30, 1984
15		Rodolfo del Rosario	July 18, 1984	February 25, 1986
16		Ernesto Maceda (1935–2016)	February 25, 1986	December 1, 1986	Corazon Aquino
17		Carlos Dominguez III (born 1945)	December 2, 1986	January 30, 1987

Minister of Environment, Energy and Natural Resources (1987)

President Corazon Aquino issued Executive Order No. 131 on January 30, 1987, renaming the Ministry of Natural Resources as the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Natural Resources.^[15]

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
(17)		Carlos Dominguez III (born 1945)	January 30, 1987	February 11, 1987	Corazon Aquino

Secretary of Environment, Energy and Natural Resources (1987)

President Corazon Aquino issued Administrative Order No. 15 on February 11, 1987, converting all ministries into departments headed by secretaries.^[16]

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
(17)		Carlos Dominguez III (born 1945)	February 11, 1987	March 9, 1987	Corazon Aquino
18		Jun Factoran (1943–2020)	March 10, 1987	June 10, 1987

Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (from 1987)

President Corazon Aquino issued Executive Order No. 192 on June 10, 1987, renaming the Department of Environment, Energy and Natural Resources as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.^[1]

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
(18)		Jun Factoran (1943–2020)	June 10, 1987	June 30, 1992	Corazon Aquino
–		Ricardo Umali Acting [17]	July 1, 1992	August 31, 1992	Fidel V. Ramos
19		Angel Alcala (1929–2023)	September 8, 1992	June 30, 1995
20		Victor Ramos	July 1, 1995	June 30, 1998
21		Antonio Cerilles (born 1948)	June 30, 1998	January 25, 2001	Joseph Estrada
					Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
–		Joemari Gerochi Acting	January 25, 2001	March 28, 2001
22		Heherson Alvarez (1939–2020)	March 29, 2001	December 13, 2002
23		Elisea Gozun	December 13, 2002	August 31, 2004
24		Mike Defensor (born 1969)	August 31, 2004	February 15, 2006
25		Angelo Reyes (1945–2011)	February 15, 2006	July 31, 2007
26		Lito Atienza (born 1941)	July 31, 2007	December 28, 2009
–		Eleazar Quinto Acting	January 4, 2010	February 12, 2010
–		Horacio Ramos Acting	February 12, 2010	June 30, 2010
27		Ramón Paje (born 1960) [18]	June 30, 2010	June 30, 2016	Benigno Aquino III
–		Gina Lopez (1953–2019) Interim [19][20]	June 30, 2016	May 3, 2017	Rodrigo Duterte
28		Roy Cimatu (born 1946) [21]	May 8, 2017	February 18, 2022
–		Jim Sampulna Acting [22]	February 18, 2022	June 22, 2022
–		Joselin Marcus Fragada Officer in Charge [22]	June 22, 2022	June 30, 2022
–		Ernesto Adobo Jr. Officer in Charge	June 30, 2022	July 12, 2022	Bongbong Marcos
29		Toni Yulo-Loyzaga	July 12, 2022	May 22, 2025
30		Raphael Lotilla (born 1958) Interim	May 23, 2025	Incumbent

Notes

1. In concurrent capacity as the Vice President.