By Benjamin Cuaresma
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Residents of southern Marinduque no longer need to travel nearly 60 kilometers to access government environmental services following the opening of a new Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Express Satellite Office in the municipality of Torrijos.
The satellite office, located on the second floor of the Old Municipal Building in Poblacion, Torrijos, was established through a partnership between the DENR Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO)-Marinduque and the Torrijos municipal government.
DENR officials said the facility is intended to make essential environmental and land-related services more accessible to residents of Torrijos and neighboring towns in southern Marinduque, eliminating the need for a 1.5- to 2-hour trip to the PENRO office in Boac.
The agency said the initiative will significantly reduce travel time and transportation expenses for clients seeking permits, land applications, and other environmental transactions.
The satellite office will operate every Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., offering a range of frontline services. These include processing applications for tree-cutting permits, chainsaw permits, water permits, and local transport permits for forest products and wildlife.
The office will also receive applications for residential, agricultural, and special free patents, while providing assistance on matters involving the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), and other technical services under the DENR.
Officials said the establishment of the satellite office reflects the agency’s continuing effort to decentralize government services and improve public access to environmental programs in remote communities.
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