GOOD MORNING TO OUR SPECIAL GUESTS FIRST OF ALL. WE HAVE FATHER JECK VILLARIN STILL WITH US, GOOD MORNING FATHER. WE HAVE TWO OTHER SPECIAL GUESTS, DR. EMMA AND DR. JUSTINE, BOTH COLLEAGUES FROM THE CLOSEST CITIES __ PROJECT. AND OF COURSE, MR. DENNIS SALVADOR OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE FOUNDATION AND THE PEF CREW, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

I’D LIKE TO CALL ALL OUR UNDERSECRETARIES ONE BY ONE AND ASK ALL THE REDS WHO ARE PRESENT TO STAND UP AS WELL.

FIRST, OUR UNDERSECRETARIES: MARILOU ERNI. YOU’VE JUST SEEN HER, OF COURSE. USEC JUAN MIGUEL CUNA AND USEC JOSELIN FRAGADA SA FIELD OPS, USEC CP DAVID OF THE GEOSPATIAL DATABASE OFFICE AND INTEGRATED SCIENCE, USEC JONAS LEONES, USEC ERNESTO ADOBO, USEC ANA TEH, AND OF COURSE OUR CHIEF ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION OFFICER, USEC AUGUSTO DELA PENA, AND VERY IMPORTANT USEC IGNATIUS RODRIGUEZ. GOOD MORNING PO SA INYONG LAHAT.

MAY WE HAVE ALL THE REDS STAND UP ALSO PLEASE TO BE RECOGNIZED. SINU-SINO PO ANG NANDITO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE REDS. MEDYO MALAYO PO ANG BYAHE BUT YOU MADE IT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND OF COURSE OUR BUREAU DIRECTORS ARE ALL HERE AS WELL.

WELL, I FIRST WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR ITS 37TH ANNIVERSARY.
WE HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF FULFILLING MANY RESPONSIBILITIES OVER THE YEARS. BUT THOSE OF YOU WHO HAS SAW THE FILM KANINA PO SA BAGONG PILIPINAS, PINASALITA PO AKO DOON SA ENTABLADO DURING THE BAGONG PILIPINAS LAUNCHING. ANG SABI KO PO ITO LANG PO ANG DEPARTMENT NA SAKOP NIYA ANG HANGIN, ANG GUBAT, ANG KAHAYUPAN LAHAT SA LOOB, ANG TUBIG, ANG MINA, AT ANG BASURA. LAHAT PO NASA SA ATIN IN TERMS OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS PROTECTION AND IN TERMS OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO BOTH SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. MARAMING SALAMAT PO SA INYONG SUPORTA ALL OF THIS TIME, THIS PAST TWO YEARS IN TRYING TO FULFILL OUR MISSION.

DURING MY FIRST ADDRESS TO THE DEPARTMENT, WHAT WE TRIED TO DO WAS OUTLINE. ANG GAGAWIN PO SANA NATIN IS TO ESTABLISH AND REESTABLISH AND ENRICH THE SCIENCE-BASED OR EVIDENCE-INFORMED POLICY AND ACTION NG DEPARTMENT. SO ‘YUN PO ANG GINAWA NATIN WITH THE CREATION OF THE OFFICE OF THE INTEGRATED SCIENCE. ITO PONG OFFICE NA ITO, AS I’VE MENTIONED BEFORE AY TINUTUHOG NIYA ANG LAHAT NG GAWAIN NG MGA BUREAU AT ANG SUPPORTING SERVICES NA GALING PO SA ADMIN AT LAHAT PO NG NAGSUSUPORTA NG GAWAIN NATIN.

YUNG INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, ITO PO YUNG CORE O SENTRO NG ATING GAWAIN. HINDI NA PO TAYO NAGTATRABAHO INSIDE THE DIFFERENT SILOS NA MAG-IISA. KAILANGAN KO PO TUHUG-TUHUGIN ANG TRABAHO PO NATIN.
SECONDLY, WE ASSUME THE CLIMATE-RISK LENS. ANG ALAM NIYO LANG PO ANG KLIMA AY UMAAPEKTO SA LAHAT, ESPECIALLY TO OUR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND THEIR ABILITY TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC AND INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT. SO, YUNG CLIMATE RISK LENS PO AY NAPAKAHALAGA SA TRABAHO NATIN NGAYON.
THIRDLY, ‘YUNG WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT APPROACH. SO, NAKITA NAMAN PO NIYO NA TALAGANG BUMIBISITA DITO ANG IBA’T-IBANG MGA SECRETARY. SILA RIN PO AY NAGPU-PURSUE NG WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT APPROACH. ANG NAKABISITA NA PO SA ATIN NG ILANG BESES, SI SECRETARY REX NG DSWD, SECRETARY MANNY BONOAN NG DPWH, SECRETARY FRASCO, SECRETARY BENHUR ABALOS. ALAM PO NILA NA ANG TRABAHO NG DENR AY TALAGA PONG NAGSUSUPORTA SA TRABAHO NILA. PATI PO ANG DOH AY KATRABAHO RIN PO NATIN, ESPECIALLY DOON PO SA MGA ISSUES NG WATER QUALITY AT WATER SAFETY. NAALALA NIYO NAMAN PO YUNG OIL SPILL SA MINDORO, KATRABAHO PO NATIN ANG DOH DOON.

I WILL SAY JUST VERY FEW THINGS KASI ALAM KO PO MAY ICE CREAM CART DOON SA LABAS AT MAUUBUSAN PO TAYO KUNG HINDI TAYO PUMILA NG MAAYOS. SO I HAVE JUST THREE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION PO SA INYO.

ANG ROLE NATIN SA DENR CONSISTS OF THREE DIFFERENT ROLES. TALAGA PONG 1 ROLE LANG PO ITO PERO DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS.

ANG FIRST PO AY NABANGGIT NI FATHER KANINA: KATIWALA. ANG SALITANG KATIWALA PO ANDUN PO NAKABAON ANG ISSUE OF TRUST AND CONFIDENCE AND THE CAPACITY AND THE EXPERTISE WE HAVE TO SERVE OUR PUBLIC. SO KARAPAT-DAPAT BA NA MAY TIWALA ANG ATING MGA KOMUNIDAD SA ATIN? HAVE WE SERVED AS A GOOD KATIWALA SA TING MGA COMMUNITIES? ANG TANONG KO PO DIRE-DIRETSO NA ITO. WE ARE IN CHARGE OF WATER; WE ARE IN CHARGE OF MINERALS AS I SAID EARLIER; SA FOREST, BOTH GREEN AND BLUE. KARAPAT-DAPAT BA TAYO SA CONFIDENCE NA IBINIGAY SA ATIN NG ATING MGA KATRABAHO SA GOBYERNO AT MGA COMMUNITIES PO NATIN?

ANG SECOND ROLE PO NA TALAGANG KAILANGAN NATIN I-CLAIM NGAYON AY ISANG TAGAPAGTANGGOL. WE ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO PROTECT AND DEFEND OUR ECOSYSTEMS FROM ALL THREATS WHETHER THEY BE HUMAN COMING FROM LOCAL, NATIONAL, OR EVEN FOREIGN, IBANG SECTOR NA TALAGA PONG MAY BANTA SA ATING MGA ECOSYSTEM. WE ARE IN CHARGE OF AIR QUALITY, WATER QUALITY, ANG EPR – ANG BASURA BUSTER NA SI USEC JONAS LEONES, ANG WILDLIFE NATIN, MGA LUPAIN NATIN, ANG MGA DAGAT-DAGATAN PO NATIN. ARE WE WORTHY NA TAGAPAGTANGGOL PO SA ENVIRONMENT?

ANG PANGATLO PO AND MY FINAL MESSAGE AY ANG SALITANG TANGLAW. ARE WE WORTHY TO LIGHT THE WAY PARA PO SA ATING MGA COMMUNITIES, PARA SA IBANG KATRABAHO PO NATIN SA GOBYERNO. CAN WE BE THE LIGHT AND CAN WE SHINE THE LIGHT ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, WHAT SHOULD NOT BE DONE, AND WHAT WE ALL NEED TO DO TOGETHER.
AYUN LANG PO. KATIWALA, TAGAPAGTANGGOL AT TANGLAW. LET’S ALL ASK OURSELVES THE QUESTION IN OUR 38TH YEAR KUNG MAGAGWA PO NATIN LAHAT ITO? AT MOVING FORWARD, LET’S TRY TO ALL WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE ANG MGA GOALS AND OUR TARGETS AS WELL AS THE OUTCOMES THAT WE NEED TO ACHIEVE HAVING BEEN GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY.

MARAMI PONG SALAMAT SA INYONG LAHAT.