The Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR) was created by virtue of City Ordinance No. 272, dated October 11, 2005, “an ordinance renaming the Office of the City Public Services to ‘Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR)’, and absorbing the Environment and Natural Resources Services Division of the Office of the City Agriculturist into its organizational set-up and prescribing its powers, duties and responsibilities, and amending certain sections of Ordinance No. 387, series of 1990”.

City Ordinance No. 272 was enacted pursuant to Section 76 of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, which states that “every local government unit shall design and implement its own organizational structure and staffing pattern taking into consideration its service requirements and financial capability, subject to the minimum standards and guidelines prescribed by the Civil Service Commission”.

The Local Government Code of 1991 directs the Local Government Unit (LGU) to share with the national government the responsibility in the enhancement of the right of people to a balanced ecology within the LGU’s territorial jurisdiction. It also covers the responsibility of the LGU to adopt adequate measures to protect the environment and conserve land, mineral, marine, forest and other resources.

The OCENR headed by the City Environment and Natural Resources Officer is responsible for the formulation of measures and development of plans and strategies relative to environment and natural resources. It shall also be the duty of the office to be in the front line of the delivery of services concerning the environment and natural resources especially in the renewal and rehabilitation of the environment during and in the aftermath of man-made and natural calamities. The implementation of the ecological solid waste management system in the city also falls part of the office’s responsibility.