30/05/2025
Dear Secretary Raphael Lotilla,,
First and foremost, I would like to extend my congratulations on your appointment as Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) . With your leadership, many of us hope for a more resolute and courageous defense of our country’s natural heritage.
I write to you with deep anguish and firm resolve regarding the worsening state of the mountains in Rizal, which are slowly vanishing before our eyes due to unabated quarrying. What was once a lush and thriving ecosystem is now scarred by destruction and left vulnerable to erosion, floods, and ecological imbalance.
The mountains are not just geological structures—they are homes to diverse flora and fauna, watersheds for surrounding communities, and spiritual sanctuaries for many Filipinos.
It is devastating to witness how greed continues to gouge out our land under the guise of development. The environmental cost of quarrying in Rizal far outweighs its economic benefits.
This must stop.
I voice my strong and unwavering support for immediate and long-term actions to put an end to mining and quarrying in ecologically sensitive areas like Rizal.
We do not need more empty promises or delayed policies. What we need is clear, decisive, and brave leadership—one that places the welfare of the environment above profit-driven interests.
Mr. Secretary, the nation is watching.
We urge you to be a true steward of the Earth. Protect our mountains.
Stop the quarrying. Let your legacy be one that our children will thank you for.
Respectfully,
Concerned Citizen and Advocate for the Environment
