DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 30 July) – President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed geologist Mario Luis Jacinto as Undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and director of the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau (MGB).
Presidential Directive No. 002 on July 26 designated Jacinto, a former chief of the regional and later city environment and natural resources office, and development planning consultant of then mayor Duterte, as MGB director in a concurrent capacity.
PD 002 also gave Jacinto, a 1977 graduate of BS Geology at the University of the Philippines, the “authority and supervision over the organization and operations of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) for the purpose of overseeing the effective and successful implementation of the programs, activities and projects.”
Jacinto was also tasked to assist Environment Secretary Gina Lopez “by ensuring that all actions pertaining to permits, clearances, certificates, personnel recruitment, movements, and appointments relating to MGB and EMB functions that are authorized to be signed, issued by or delegated to the DENR Secretary, are thoroughly reviewed and evaluated by his office of consideration and final disposition of the DENR Secretary.”
He served as geologist and senior geologist at the Bureau of Mines regional office for Mindanao in Surigao City from 1977 to 1983 while serving also as Acting Mineral District Officer in the Bureau of Mines’ Mineral District Office No. 2 in Cagayan de Oro City from 1980 to 1982, and Mineral Operations Officer in the Surigao Office from May 1983 to 1987.
Jacinto was Regional Technical Director of the MGB in Region XI (Davao region) from September 1987 to March 1990 and Regional Executive Director of the DENR from April 1990 to October 1992.
Between 1995 and 2016, Jacinto served in various capacities in the city government, as Consultant on Research and Planning from July to December 1995; City Environment and Natural Resources Officer from January 1996 to May 1998; Deputy Managing Director of the Davao Integrated Development Program (DIDP) from October 1999 to April 2001; Consultant on Research and Planning from July 2001 to February 2002; City Planning and Development Coordinator (CPDC) from February 2002 to June 2010; Consultant on Development and Planning from July 2010 to June 2013; City Planning and Development Coordinator from July 2013 to April 2014 and Consultant on Research and Planning from May 2014 to June 2016.
In the private sector, Jacinto served as Project Consultant of the APMC Anoling Gold Project-MINEXPLO Group in Davao City and Agusan del Sur from November 1992 to June 1994; Technical Consultant, Inventory of Mining Tenements-Delta Mining Corporation in Region XI from January to June 1993; Consultant and Deputy Team Leader, Region X ENR-SECAL –RRM Program / ACIPhil Consultants, Inc. from March 1993 to February 1995.
He was also Consultant of the Bango Gold Project / AROMAC Minerals Corporation Compostela in Compostela Valley from May 1994 to December 2000; Consultant-Negotiation of Agreements Davao Projects, Placer Pacific (Phils) Limited in Davao City, Davao Region from June to December 1998; Management Consultant, Mainit Gold Project-Luram Lead Mines, Mainit, Nabunturan, Compostela Valley from June 1998 to September 1999; Senior Consultant- Environment, Infrastructure and Utilities, MinPhil International Consultants, Inc. for the Preparation of the Comprehensive Development Plan of the Island Garden City of Samal from August to September 1999. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)