The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Cagayan Valley welcomed recently Director Gwendolyn C. Bambalan as its new Regional Executive Director (RED).

Director Bambalan took over the leadership from Atty. Antonio A. Abawag who is designated as OIC, RED of DENR in the Bicol Region.

The virtual change of command was held on June 16, 2020 officiated via Zoom application by Undersecretary for Field Operations, Enforcement and Muslim Affairs Jim O. Sampulna.

Undersecretary Sampulna appealed to all DENR Region 2 employees to support RED Bambalan as he asked the latter to give her utmost affection to the employees. He also enjoined them to focus in one direction and to the priority programs of the Department.

In her acceptance speech, RED Bambalan announced her policy direction to strengthen the priority programs of the DENR under the leadership of Secretary Roy A. Cimatu. “But we will do some refocusing of our efforts where it is most critical and impactful to the people of Region 2,” she emphasized.

The new Cagayan Valley environment chief stressed out participatory governance within and outside the DENR. She also enjoined the DENR employees to “always adhere to the core values of Discipline, Excellence, Nobility and Responsibility.”

“As a civil servant, it has been my advocacy also to influence DENR colleagues and fellow civil servants to become E-CHAMPS (Excellence, Collaboration, Honesty, Accountability, Managing Ability, Participation and Simple Living).”

Director Bambalan is designated by virtue of Special Order No. 2020-191 issued by Secretary Cimatu on June 5.

Prior to her assignment in Region 2, Director Bambalan was the Assistant Regional Director for Management Services in DENR National Capital Region. From 2015-2018, she also assumed the post as Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services in Region 1 where she was a regional winner of the Civil Service Commission’s Pagasa Award.

Before the implementation of the Rationalization Program of the Department, the lady director served as Regional Technical Director for Protected Area, Wildlife and Coastal Zone Management in MIMAROPA from 2012 to 2015.

The regional environment chief held the designation as Officer-In-Charge, Finance and Administrative Division at the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) for seven years. She is a Doctor of Public Administration graduate from the University of the Philippines–Diliman.

Director Bambalan first joined the DENR in 1981 as Agronomist in the then Bureau of Forest Development (BFD). In 1985, she became the Project Development Coordinator under the Integrated Social Forestry Division of the BFD.

The lady director is a champion of gender responsiveness and equality in the organization and program implementation with decades of active involvement in community forestry all over the country.

She is the board secretary of the DENR Association of Career Executives, member of the National Union of Career Executives, president of the Save Coconut Foundation, Incorporated, and faculty in-charge at the University of the Philippines Open University.

A Director III by position, Director Bambalan is a Career Executive Service Eligible.#