(Delivered by Assistant Secretary Arleigh J. Adorable)
ASSALAMO ALAIKUM!
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES ACTING SECRETARY JIM O. SAMPULNA WANTED VERY MUCH TO JOIN US TODAY IN CELEBRATING THE MARAWI WEEK OF PEACE. HOWEVER, HE HAD A PRIOR COMMITMENT TO ATTEND, AND THUS SENDS HIS REGRETS AND APOLOGIES.
AS WE ALL KNOW, THE REHABILITATION OF MARAWI CITY IS SOMETHING VERY DEAR TO HIM.
MARAWI CITY IS ALSO CLOSE TO MY HEART. THIS WAS WHERE I EARNED MY DEGREE. THIS WAS THE STEPPING STONE OF MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN THE GOVERNMENT. SO WHEN THE DENR WAS CALLED TO BE OF SERVICE IN REBUILDING MARAWI CITY, MY HEART WAS OVERWHELMED WITH GLADNESS.
THIS PROVIDED ME THE CHANCE TO RETURN THE FAVOR TO MARAWI CITY.
WITH THAT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE ALLOW ME TO DELIVER THE SPEECH OF SECRETARY SAMPULNA FOR OUR CELEBRATION.
LET ME START WITH THIS QUOTE, “PEACE IS OUR GIFT TO EACH OTHER.”
FIVE YEARS AGO, REGARDLESS OF RELIGION AND AREA OF JURISDICTION, VARIOUS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS FROM PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS, CAME TOGETHER TO HELP REBUILD THE ISLAMIC CITY OF MARAWI.
DESPITE COUNTLESS OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES, SO MUCH HAS BEEN ACHIEVED OVER THE YEARS.
LATER ON WE REALIZED THAT THE KEY TO REBUILDING MARAWI CITY TRULY STARTS WITH PEACE IN OUR HEARTS.
MAY THIS YEARLY CELEBRATION REMIND US OF THE HORRORS OF TERRORISM, HOW IT DESTROYED LIVES, TORE FAMILIES APART, AND DEMOLISHED PROPERTIES THAT PROVIDED SHELTER AND SECURITY FOR MANY FAMILIES IN MARAWI CITY.
LET US KEEP IN MIND THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS WORKING FOR THE WELFARE OF THE MERANAW. ALLOW DEVELOPMENT AND ACCEPT PROGRESS TO SET IN. LET US ALL SHARE THE BOUNTY OF MARAWI CITY.
ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE WORKFORCE OF THE DENR, I THANK ALL AGENCIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS, AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORKED WITH US IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, LAND SURVEY, AND SOCIAL CARTOGRAPHY IN MARAWI CITY.
ALLOW ME TO SHARE SNIPPETS OF OUR EFFORTS IN CREATING A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR MARAWI CITY.
THE DENR IS MOVING FORWARD TOWARD THE COMPLETION OF AN ENGINEERED SANITARY LANDFILL UNDER THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
I AM SURE THAT YOU WILL AGREE THAT GARBAGE AND OPEN DUMPSITES NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH. A 2016 STUDY BY PORTA, ET AL. REVEALED THAT BABIES BORN IN COMMUNITIES WITHIN 2 KILOMETERS OF AN OPEN DUMPSITE WERE FOUND TO BE MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER FROM CONGENITAL DEFECTS OR LOW BIRTH WEIGHT.
THE SANITARY LANDFILL LOCATED IN BARANGAY MALIMONO AND BARANGAY KASANAYAN IN KAPAI WILL PROTECT THE HEALTH OF MERANAW CHILDREN AND GUARD YOUR GROUNDWATER AGAINST CONTAMINATION.
INSHALLAH, YOUR SANITARY LANDFILL WILL BE COMPLETED BY JUNE OR BY THE END OF JUNE.
WITHIN THIS YEAR, THE DENR WILL TURN OVER ALL DOCUMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURES, AND EQUIPMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF MARAWI CITY, AND THE OPEN DUMPSITE IN BARANGAY PAPANDAYAN WILL BE REHABILITATED AND EVENTUALLY CONVERTED TO OTHER GOOD USE.
IN LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, THE DENR DETERMINED PROPERTY OWNERSHIP IN THE MOST AFFECTED AREAS THROUGH SOCIAL CARTOGRAPHY OR “MAPPING.” OUR DATABASE IS CITED IN SECTION 5B PARAGRAPH 4 OF REPUBLIC ACT 11696 OR THE MARAWI CITY COMPENSATION ACT AS ONE OF THE INFORMATION SOURCES FOR UPDATING POST-CONFLICT NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
THESE RECORDS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE MEDIATION OF CLAIMS AND CONFLICTS FACILITATED BY THE LAND DISPUTE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE, AND PROVIDED PERMANENT SHELTER AND ALLOWED THE RECONSTRUCTION OF LAND RECORDS OF MARAWI CITY.
TODAY, THE DENR PARTICIPATES IN KATHAGOMBALAY, WHICH FACILITATES THE REBUILDING OF DAMAGED PROPERTIES WHILE ENSURING THE AUTHENTICITY OF CLAIMS. TO DATE, WE HAVE VALIDATED 3,914 PROPERTY CLAIMS, THEREBY ALLOWING OWNERS TO UNDERTAKE RECONSTRUCTION.
SO MGA BAKWIT NA KAPAKAY DUN A MAKAMBALINGAN KO MGA TOROGAN IRAN. THE “BAKWITS” CAN FINALLY GO HOME.
IN CLOSING, LET US GIVE OUR WHOLEHEARTED COMMITMENT TO BUILDING PEACE, AS STEWARDS OF THE EARTH, SO THAT WE AND THE GENERATIONS TO COME CAN LIVE AND ENJOY A SAFE, CLEAN, AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT.
DAGHANG SALAMAT.
