HAPPY 34TH ANNIVERSARY TO ALL MEMBERS OF OUR BIG DENR FAMILY!
MASAYA AKO NA MALAMAN NA HALOS LAHAT NG MGA EMPLEYADO AT OPISYAL NG DENR AY NARIRITO, MULA DITO SA CENTRAL OFFICE  HANGGANG SA ATING MGA CENRO.

AFTER AROUND 15 MONTHS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC THAT GREATLY DISRUPTED OUR MOMENTUM,  WHO WOULD THINK THAT WE HAVE ANYTHING TO CELEBRATE? BUT WE DO,  AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS TO CELEBRATE OUR ANNIVERSARY.
OUR AIR IS CLEANER, WELL WITHIN THE STANDARDS FOR PM10 AND PM2.5.  OF THE 43 PRIORITY RIVERS THAT WE MONITORED IN 2020, CLOSE TO 75% MET THE WATER QUALITY STANDARD FOR BIOLOGICAL OXYGEN DEMAND.

UNDER PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE’S TERM, WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO CLOSE 100% // THE ILLEGALLY OPERATING DUMPSITES IN THE COUNTRY —  A CHALLENGE THAT 3 PRESIDENTS BEFORE HIM FAILED TO MEET // AS REQUIRED BY THE ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2000.

HINDI BIRO ANG ACCOMPLISHMENT NA ITO! THE CLOSURE OF 335 ILLEGAL DUMPSITES IN THE PHILIPPINES IS A VICTORY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE DENR.

IN RELATION TO THIS, THE DENR THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT BUREAU /FACILITATED THE FORMATION OF THE COALITION OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROVIDERS, THE FIRST IN THE HISTORY OF DENR TO BE ABLE TO GATHER ALL THESE SANITARY LANDFILL OPERATORS,  FOR A BETTER SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE COUNTRY.

SALAMAT SA ATING MGA EMPLEYADO AT OPISYAL NA NAGPURSIGE  UPANG MATUGUNAN ANG SOLID WASTE PROBLEM NG BANSA,  LALUNA SA ATING PAMBANSANG BASURERO NA SI USEC BENNY ANTIPORDA.

BORACAY ISLAND IS NOW BETTER THAN EVER,  AFTER THE REHABILITATION THAT WE WERE ENTRUSTED TO LEAD. WE MOVED HEAVEN AND EARTH TO BRING BACK THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF THE ISLAND  BY EFFORTS THAT INCLUDED RECOVERY OF BEACH EASEMENT,  DEMOLITION OF STRUCTURES THAT ENCROACH ON THE EASEMENT,  IMPROVEMENT OF THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL ROAD,  CONSTRUCTION OF DRAINAGE TO ADDRESS FLOODING,  AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE SEAWATER QUALITY.

WITH THESE, I COMMEND THE UNTIRING ACTIONS OF GM NATY BERNARDINO  AND THE OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES BEHIND THE BORACAY INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE SECRETARIAT HEADED BY USEC JUN ADOBO.

MEANWHILE, THE RESTORATION OF MANILA BAY TO ITS HISTORIC GLORY IS PROGRESSING WELL.

WATER QUALITY IN THE MANILA BAYWALK AND BASECO BEACH AREAS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED  WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SOLAR-POWERED SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT;  THE CONTINUOUS CLEANUP OF WATERWAYS DRAINING INTO THE BAY,  SUCH AS THE TULLAHAN-TINAJEROS RIVER SYSTEM,  WHERE DREDGING CONTINUES;  AND THE INSTALLATION OF MORE THAN 20 TRASH TRAPS IN DIFFERENT AREAS.

THANK YOU FOR THE HARDWORK OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN // AND THE MANILA BAY TASK FORCE WHEREIN USEC JONAS LEONES IS ON TOP OF IT.

DENR WAS ONCE AGAIN TASKED TO CHAIR AND OVERSEE ANOTHER IMPORTANT UNDERTAKING BY OUR PRESIDENT –  THE BUILD BACK BETTER TASK FORCE. TF BBB HAS BEEN RELENTLESS IN PURSUING ACTIVITIES FOR HARD HIT AREAS DURING TYPHOONS ROLLY AND ULYSSES –  THE MARIKINA, CAGAYAN VALLEY, AND BICOL.

DREDGING ACTIVITIES IN THE RIVER SYSTEMS AND BAMBOO PLANTING FOR RIVER BANK STABILIZATION WENT FULL BLAST  EVEN AMID THE CURRENT PANDEMIC. MY GRATITUDE TO THE SUPPORT EXTENDED BY OUR DENR FAMILY IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, REGIONS 2 AND 5,  TO ALL OUR CONCERNED ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND UNDERSECRETARIES AND THOSE WHO ACT AS THE TF BBB SECRETARIAT UNDER USEC ANNA TEH.

THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE MANY HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE PAST YEAR.  FOR THESE, AGAIN, I THANK EVERY MEMBER OF THE ENTIRE DENR FAMILY THAT INCLUDES OUR REGIONAL OFFICES,  BUREAUS,  ATTACHED AGENCIES,  PENROS, CENROS.  THE CREDIT GOES ALL AROUND.

OUR WORK IS FAR FROM OVER AND WE HAVE A LOT MORE TO DO AND GAINS TO SUSTAIN.  WE NEED MORE STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION TO MAKE OUR WORK MORE MEANINGFUL.  I KNOW THAT WE CANNOT PLEASE EVERYBODY  BUT LET US NOT BE DISCOURAGED;  RATHER, LET US KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

ALTHOUGH WE HAVE A LOT OF PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND A GROWING NUMBER OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES CHAMPIONS,  LET US STILL BROADEN MORE PEOPLE’S PERSPECTIVE  AND MAKE THEM APPRECIATE OUR REHABILITATION EFFORTS NOT JUST IN METRO MANILA  BUT ALSO IN THE REGIONS.

ITO ANG CHALLENGE KO SA INYO LALO NA SA ATING REGIONAL OR FIELD OFFICES. BUMABA KAYO SA GRASSROOTS, COMMUNICATE,  AND INVOLVE MORE PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES IN OUR PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS.

FOR INSTANCE, MAKE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AWARE THAT WE HAVE FOREST GUARDS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES  WHO PUT THEIR HEALTH AND LIVES AT STAKE DEFENDING OUR ENVIRONMENT.  WE HAVE A GROWING NUMBER OF FALLEN ENVIRONMENTAL HEROES.

THIS IS HOW SERIOUS WE DO OUR JOBS HERE AT DENR.  BUT I HOPE,  AND PRAY,  NA WALA NANG MAWAWALANG BUHAY DAHIL SA PAGTATANGGOL SA KALIKASAN.

LET MORE PEOPLE KNOW HOW FAR WE HAVE GONE IN OUR ENHANCED NATIONAL GREENING PROGRAM AND OTHER DENR PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED IN THE FIELD THAT RESULTED IN COMMUNITIES’ LIVES GETTING BETTER.

WE HAVE GROWING PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITIES,  LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS,  THE PRIVATE SECTOR,  AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS,  IN OUR PURSUIT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. THESE ARE PARTNERSHIPS THAT TESTIFY TO THE GROWING PUBLIC TRUST AND CONFIDENCE  THAT WE HAVE BEEN EARNING.

FOR AS LONG AS WE DO OUR JOBS AS BEST AS WE CAN,  AND SERVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR PEOPLE IN KEEPING WITH DEMOCRACY,  WE CAN  AND SHOULD HOLD OUR HEADS UP HIGH. TAKE PRIDE IN BEING MEMBERS OF THE DENR FAMILY!

AT HINDI RIN AKO MAGSASAWANG SABIHIN NA,  THE BEST PEOPLE ARE HERE AT THE DENR.  SALAMAT SA PATULOY NA PAGPUPUNYAGI NG LAHAT PARA SA KALIKASAN.

ON THIS NOTE,  I THANK AND COMMEND YOU ALL FOR DELIVERING VERY GOOD RESULTS DESPITE THE PANDEMIC.  AS WE MARCH ON TO OUR 35TH YEAR,LET US CONTINUE TO WORK AND EXCEL AS A TEAM.

LET US W ORK TOGETHER TOWARD A BETTER AND CLEANER ENVIRONMENT  AND RICHER NATURAL RESOURCES FOR OUR COUNTRY –  SAPAGKAT IKAW, AKO,  TAYO ANG KALIKASAN!

AGAIN,  HAPPY 34TH ANNIVERSARY TO US ALL!