By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday administered the oath of office to Undersecretary Juan Miguel Cuna as Acting Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) during a ceremony at Malacañan Palace in Manila.
Cuna’s appointment was first announced by Malacañang on Feb. 27, following the reassignment of his predecessor, Raphael Lotilla, as Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See.
Before his new designation, Cuna served as DENR undersecretary from July 2017 to Feb. 2026 and as assistant secretary from 2008 to 2017.
In a formal turnover ceremony in Quezon City earlier Friday, Cuna pledged to put premium on the review and improvement of internal processes to ensure that environmental governance supports sustainability and economic development.
Cuna earned his Master’s degree in Public Management at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in the United States of America.
He finished his Bachelor of Laws from Ateneo Law School, and Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies from the University of the Philippines, Manila.
Cuna also served as city councilor of Manila’s 5th District from 2001 to 2007 and earlier held the post of director of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office at the Office of the President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001.
Before entering higher public service, he worked as a Local Legislative Staff Officer V at the Manila City Council in 1995.
Aside from his government career, Cuna has also served as a law professor at the Arellano Law Foundation. (PNA)
