MANILA, Philippines — A day after Hollywood A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio expressed his support for the protection of the country's Masungi Georeserve, local celebrities followed suit.

"Thank you. The people depending on our environment are our most vulnerable sectors who haven't been given enough of a voice to protect the natural resources that they love and rely on," said actress Arci Muñoz.

"Thank you so much for this awareness and call (@leonardodicaprio). Such a noble endeavor; it's a pity that we Filipinos ourselves are not even aware of this. Thank you. I will definitely share this," actor John Arcilla wrote.

Broadcast journalist Karen Davila commented, "Thank you (@leonardodicaprio) and Bravo (@masungigeoreserve) for keeping on! Amazing to see the world stand with the brave work you do!" Anne Curtis posted on X (previously Twitter) to express her support for Masungi. "We must protect (@MasungiGeo) I have yet to visit but have been meaning to go!" Even before DiCaprio, there was actress-singer-composer Nadine Lustre, whom the Masungi Georeserve named as its honorary park ranger and environmentalist, as she offered her statement of support as early as April, saying, "We cannot remain passive. We must take decisive action to safeguard Masungi, a leader in global conservation efforts."

"Your active involvement and support are essential in this battle. Join us in the fight to preserve Masungi's rightful place in our natural world. Together, we can secure a sustainable future." she said.

SB19's Justin De Dios joined the voices of support, saying in Filipino that "Masungi is not only a testament to the beauty of nature, but also the power of young people. By supporting it, we are helping to protect the amazing landscape, and of course the biodiversity here." DiCaprio in a post on his Instagram account called to protect the Philippines' Masungi Georeserve.

In his post on Thursday, the 49-year-old narrated how Masungi was illegally deforested in the late 1990s.

"Masungi is a lush montane rainforest landscape outside of Manila, the bustling capital of the Philippines. In the late 1990s, much of Masungi was illegally deforested." he wrote.

He called out to the Department of Environment and Natural Resource (DENR), saying that the success of Masungi "is in jeopardy" because the DENR "threatens to cancel the agreement that protects this area from prolific land grabbing activities." DiCaprio asked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. "to intervene and continue to protect Masungi." DENR, however, stood firm, saying on its official Facebook page that while it "appreciates the statements of concern for the Philippine environment from international celebrities who are distinguished in their respective fields, no one is exempt from the law." The DENR is moving to cancel its 2017 memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. (MGFI) that had been put in charge to manage the reserve by, according to its post on X, "implementing some of the strictest and most sustainable visitor protocols and carrying capacities in the country," and reaffirming that it is "not a resort." The MoA, which was signed by the late Environment secretary Gina Lopez, was declared void "ab initio," or invalid from the start, by the DENR.