PASAY CITY –  In a landmark move poised to reshape the landscape of Philippine forest conservation and economic development, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through its Forest Management Bureau (FMB), officially launched the Sustainable Forest Land Management Agreement (SFLMA) on June 26, 2025, in Pasay City. This comprehensive new instrument is designed to streamline forest management processes, signaling a new era of sustainable forest management that judiciously prioritizes both economic growth and ecological health.

The SFLMA stands as a testament to the government’s unwavering commitment to the sustainable management of the country’s forest lands. It achieves this by harmonizing various existing guidelines, procedures, and requirements for forest-related tenure instruments, thereby creating a more efficient, transparent, and accessible pathway for all stakeholders in the forestry sector.

During the launch, Secretary Lotilla emphasized the SFLMA’s potential to foster investments, increase forest productivity, conserve biodiversity, and strengthen climate resilience through diversified, sustainable forest use and a multiple-use strategy. In a particularly resonant statement, Secretary Lotilla declared, “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙁𝙇𝙈𝘼 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩-𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨.  𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨.”

The SFLMA’s official launch was spearheaded by Atty. Ray Thomas F. Kabigtig, Assistant Director of the FMB. The event also featured a crucial presentation on Potential Investment Areas (PIAs) by Usec. Carlos Primo C. David, DENR Undersecretary for Integrated Environment. Further solidifying commitment, Ms. Ana Margarita Hontiveros-Malvar (Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. and Aboitiz Foundation) and Atty. Leo de Castro (Managing Director, Dacon Corporation) delivered messages of strong support, collectively underscoring the vital role of private sector engagement.

A key highlight was the focus on encouraging investment and collaboration in sustainable forest management initiatives, particularly emphasizing areas covered by the Forests for Life (FFL): 5 Million Trees by 2028 Program and designated Potential Investment Areas (PIAs). The DENR FMB also presented the FFL Online Portal, a digital platform designed to promote transparency and efficient information-sharing.  

The launch drew a diverse and engaged audience, composed of dedicated representatives from the DENR Central Office, various DENR Regional Offices, National Government Agencies (NGAs), academe, Local Government Units (LGUs), key players from the private sector, existing tenure holders, and members of the media, all eager to witness this pivotal moment in environmental governance.