TO OUR MOST REVERED CHIEF JUSTICE DIOSDADO PERALTA,  //  ESTEEMED JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT,  //  DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,  //  COLLEAGUES IN THE GOVERNMENT,  //  GOOD MORNING.  //

ON BEHALF OF THE DENR AND THE REST OF THE MEMBER AGENCIES,  //  WE CALL OURSELVES THE MANDAMUS AGENCIES, OFFICES,  //  AND ORGANIZATIONS OF THE MANILA BAY TASK FORCE,  //  ALLOW ME TO THANK YOU AND EXPRESS OUR DEEP APPRECIATION  //  FOR YOUR INTEREST ON THE REHABILITATION OF MANILA BAY,  // AND TO SEE FOR YOURSELVES  THE COMPLIANCE OF YOUR DIRECTIVE TO US ON THE REHABILITATION OF MANILA BAY, OUR COUNTRY’S JEWEL AND HISTORIC ICON,  // THE MANILA BAY.

TODAY,  //  WE ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT THE FRUITS OF OUR COMMITMENT AND CONTINUOUS COLLABORATION WITH THE MANDAMUS AGENCIES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS.  //  WE ARE HONORED TO BE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO SHOWCASE WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR  //  AND TO PRESENT WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED TO DO MORE FOR THE BAY.  //

THE TASK OF REHABILITATING MANILA BAY,  //   DAUNTING AS IT MAY SEEM,  //  IS SOMETHING THAT IS LONG OVERDUE.  //  REMEMBER THAT IN 2008,  //   THE SUPREME COURT,  //  ISSUED A WRIT OF CONTINUING MANDAMUS THAT ORDERED 13 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO CLEAN UP THE MANILA BAY  //  AND RESTORE ITS WATER QUALITY TO A LEVEL FIT FOR SWIMMING AND BATHING.  //

MOMENTUM WAS GAINED IN MOVING FORWARD  //  WHEN NO LESS THAN OUR PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE ORDERED ITS REHABILITATION.  //

AS A STRATEGY,  //  WE ARE CLEANING UP NOT JUST THE BAY BUT THE SOURCES OF TRASH UPSTREAM.  //  THE CLEAN-UP IS A CONTINUING AND SUSTAINED ACTIVITY  //  WHERE COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS ARE MADE INTEGRAL PARTS OF THESE EFFORTS.  //

THE CLEAN-UP IS COUPLED WITH CULTURE AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE COMMUNICATION INTERVENTIONS.  //

THIS IS BECAUSE WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT REFORMING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR TOWARDS RESPONSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL CITIZENSHIP  //  AND INSTITUTIONALIZING CULTURAL REFORMS  //  ARE THE KEY INGREDIENTS IN MAKING THE REHABILITATION SUCCESSFUL.  //

DESPITE THE LIMITED MOVEMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS WE NEEDED TO OBSERVE DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC,  //  WE WERE STILL ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH MUCH FOR OUR BATTLE FOR MANILA BAY.  //  IN A NUTSHELL,  //  OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE,  //  AMONG OTHERS,  //  EMPLOYING GEO-ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS,  //  BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECT,  //  DREDGING AND DESILTING ACTIVITIES,  //  AND CONSTRUCTION OF SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT.  //

IN THE DAYS TO COME,  //  WE WILL SEE THE COMPLETION OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SEWAGE INTERCEPTOR AND COMMUNAL SEPTIC TANK  //   SPECIFICALLY IN THE PROBLEMATIC AREA, THE BASECO AREA.  //

FOR REASONS OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY,  //  WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OPENLY SHARING WITH THE PUBLIC EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE DOING.  //

AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED,  //  THERE ARE STORIES PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSPAPERS,  //   WEBSITES,  //  AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ABOUT THE REHABILITATION.  //

EVEN HOW GOVERNMENT FUNDS WERE SPENT FOR THE REHABILITATION PROGRAM HAS BEEN PLACED IN SCRUTINY.  //  ARE WE BOTHERED?  //  CERTAINLY NOT.  //  FOR AS LONG AS WE ARE PERFORMING OUR DUTIES RIGHT,  //  WE NEED NOT WORRY.

FOR NOW,  //  WE WILL CONTINUE OUR BATTLE FOR MANILA BAY.  //  WITH COLLECTIVE EFFORTS,  //  TASKS ARE DONE WITH RELATIVE EASE.  //  THE WISDOM THAT WILL BE SHARED BY OUR HONORABLE GUESTS IN THIS EVENT  //  WOULD MOST CERTAINLY HELP US IN UNDERTAKING THIS REHABILITATION EFFORTS  //  WHICH IS FAR FROM OVER.  //

WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO DO AND MORE PARTNERSHIPS TO FORGE.  //

ANG LAHAT NG ITO AY GINAWAGA NAMIN  //  DAHIL NANINIWALA KAMING,  //   IKAW,  //  AKO,  //  TAYO ANG KALIKASAN.  //  MARAMING SALAMAT PO AT MABUHAY!  //