A Message of Commitment and Collaboration from OIC Regional Executive Director Atty. Michael Drake Matias Department of Environment and Natural Resources – National Capital Region (DENR-NCR) 📍 Icons of Change Awards | PhilMarine 2025
We are pleased to share the official video message from Atty. Michael Drake Matias, Officer-in-Charge Regional Executive Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – National Capital Region (DENR-NCR), in response to the agency’s recognition at the Icons of Change Awards 2025, held in conjunction with PhilMarine 2025.
🎖 DENR-NCR has been conferred the Excellence in Urban Coastal and Waterway Rehabilitation Award, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. This distinction honors the agency’s enduring commitment to restoring and protecting Metro Manila’s urban waterways and marine corridors—an undertaking that demands both technical innovation and meaningful public engagement.
In his message, Atty. Matias reflects on the vital work being done at the intersection of urban development, environmental resilience, and inclusive governance. He highlights how DENR-NCR continues to transform national policy into community-based action through collaborative programs that rehabilitate rivers, esteros, wetlands, and urban coasts—lifelines that ultimately flow into the Manila Bay.
🔍 Beyond infrastructure and cleanup, DENR-NCR’s initiatives represent a deeper ecological vision: one that recognizes waterways not as barriers, but as connective blue spaces that link ecosystems, communities, and futures.
This award is not merely a recognition of past achievements—it is a shared call to action. It affirms the essential role of multi-sectoral cooperation in achieving our climate and marine conservation goals, and it encourages continued leadership from all levels of society.
His words are a reminder that safeguarding “life below water” begins with every community, every institution, and every decision that prioritizes our environment’s integrity.
Together, let us continue building a future where resilient ecosystems and thriving cities coexist—for the benefit of this generation and the next.
00:00On behalf of the DNR National Capital Region, we are honored to accept the Excellence in Urban, Coastal and Waterway Rehabilitation Award at the 2025 Icons of Change Awards in conjunction with Phil Marine.
00:16This recognition is a powerful affirmation of our shared mission under the leadership of the Administration which placed climate resilient and environmental sustainability at the heart of the national development, guided by the vision of the Department which is committed to delivering science-based, inclusive and system-driven solutions to the environmental challenges we face.
00:44Our programs such as the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program dubbed Battle for Manila Bay Community Centered Initiatives reflects how policy, governance and civic participation can work together to protect our natural resources and uplift the lives of urban communities.
01:06This award is meaningful because it advances Sustainable Development Goal No. 14, Life Below Water, a goal often overlooked and yet deeply affected by urbanization and climate change.
01:21In a megacity like Metro Manila, the challenges are vast but so are the opportunities to innovate and lead.
01:30By embracing integrated climate resilient approaches, we've restored waterways, improved biodiversity and enhanced public health and empowered communities.
01:41These are not one-off wins, but part of a systematic shift made possible by our partners from local government units to private sector, academe and most importantly, our citizens.
01:55As we celebrate, we also echoed the call of the UN International Year of Peace and Trust, recognizing the environmental sustainability and peace are deeply interconnected.
02:07A healthy environment supports stability, livelihood and dignity.
02:14At DNRNCR, we remain committed to the SDGs, not just through policies, but through inclusive partnership that transcends boundaries and generations.
02:26May this award serve as a reminder, real change is built in solidarity, not isolation.
02:35Together, let's continue creating a future where both people and nature thrive.
