Groups Press Marcos Jr. to Amend DENR FOI Manual, Assert Right to Environmental Information

(Manila, September 22, 2025) Citing the urgent need for transparency on projects that affect communities and the environment, legal, policy, and advocacy group Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC) led the submission of a petition letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., calling for the amendment of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Freedom of Information (FOI) Manual. 

“The public’s right to information is vital to a functioning democracy. It empowers citizens to hold the government accountable and engage meaningfully in decision-making—especially on environmentally critical projects with lasting effects on vulnerable ecosystems and communities,” Marbel Bishop Cerilo Casicas, one of the petitioners, said.

“The current flood control issue illustrates the long-running impunity and corruption in the country. Transparency and people’s access to information ensure public scrutiny and participation. It is our right,” Casicas pointed out, citing the recent controversy on the DPWH ghost projects. 

“Regrettably, the current DENR FOI Manual runs counter to the State’s policy of full disclosure, imposing unreasonable barriers to accessing crucial information,” Casicas added. 

In the letter submitted, petitioners noted that the List of Exceptions under Annex C of DENR Administrative Order No. 2016-29 restricts access to information, particularly the data in the course of applying for an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), and other reports, including environmental impact statements (EIS), feasibility studies, technical reports, and other documents submitted for mining applications, among others. 

LRC, and other civil society organizations cited their experiences on how their partner communities, such as indigenous groups, farmers, and residents of mining-affected areas, have repeatedly been denied access to important environmental information, which compromises their ability to decide on these projects. 

“The FOI policy undermines the principles of public participation and regular consultation enshrined in the Constitution, the Philippine Environment Code, the Local Government Code, and Executive Order No. 79, s. 2012, and other relevant statutes,” Atty. Rolly Francis Peoro, LRC Direct Legal Services Coordinator, said. 

“This lack of transparency impairs our ability to make evidence-based decisions and monitor projects that may endanger our ecosystems, ultimately weakening accountability and excluding affected communities from meaningful participation,” Peoro explained. 

Signatories of the petition letter stressed that data, decisions, and actions with potential environmental impact must be governed by transparency and inclusive public engagement, and should not be concealed by restrictive policies. LRC urged Marcos Jr. to direct the DENR to urgently revise its FOI Manual to guarantee full public access to vital environmental information. 

“Amending the Freedom of Information Manual will strengthen public participation, deter corruption, and ensure accountability in the DENR. Access to timely and accurate environmental data is not a privilege, but a right. Without it, people cannot truly protect our environment from destruction and corporate abuse,” Marilou Verano said, whose organization, Ang Aroroy Ay Alagaan, has been contesting mining projects in Masbate. 

Other organizations that manifested their support for the petition include the Ateneo Human Rights Center, Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc, and Environmental Legal Assistance Center, among others. ###