SENATE Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano is advocating for a stronger environmental education framework in elementary and high school curricula to cultivate ecological awareness and responsibility among young Filipinos.

During a hearing of the Senate Finance Subcommittee E on the proposed 2027 budget of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Cayetano emphasized that combining education with strict law enforcement is vital to achieving long-term environmental sustainability.

Cayetano urged the DENR to collaborate closely with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to embed practical lessons on ecology, climate action, and conservation directly into basic and higher education instruction.

“Instilling environmental discipline in young learners early on will help build a generation that genuinely understands and values the importance of protecting our natural resources,” Cayetano noted.

The lawmaker expressed optimism that teaching children the fundamentals of environmental stewardship today will yield a lasting, positive impact on the country’s conservation efforts for generations to come.