MANILA - Miners said they are 'cautiously optimistic' with the appointment of Roy Cimatu as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

In a Facebook post, Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol said President Rodrigo Duterte introduced Cimatu as new Environment chief.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines said in a statement that it hoped that Cimatu's appointment "finally answers our long-held call for a DENR secretary who has a balanced appreciation for environmental protection and natural resources management."

Cimatu, a former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, will be taking over the DENR from Gina Lopez, who was rejected by the Commission on Appointments last week.

The Chamber of Mines, which had actively campaigned against the confirmation of Lopez, said it looked forward to working with Cimatu.

Duterte appointed Cimatu on April 23 as a special envoy to help overseas Filipino worker refugees.

Cimatu briefly served as AFP chief in 2002, during the government of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

-- with a report from Reuters