EXCELLENCIES AND DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, GOOD MORNING AND CHADA MINDANAO!

I’D LIKE TO BEGIN MY MESSAGE TODAY BY SHARING A STATEMENT FROM THE PRESIDENT:

“THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THE PRESERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT IS THE PRESERVATION OF LIFE. IF WE CANNOT MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE, ALL OUR PLANS FOR THE ECONOMY, ALL OUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE WILL BE FOR NAUGHT.”

THIS ADMINISTRATION’S AGENDA, PARTICULARLY ON THE “CREATION OF GREEN JOBS BY PURSUING A GREEN AND BLUE ECONOMY AND ESTABLISHING LIVABLE AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES,” HAS GUIDED THE DENR IN ACHIEVING BETTER PATHWAYS TO:
1) FULFILL OUR MANDATE TO CONSERVE, PROTECT, MANAGE, RESTORE, AND REGENERATE OUR COUNTRY’S ENVIRONMENT AND HOPEFULLY OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AS WELL;
2) WE ALSO AIM TO MANAGE RISK AND BUILD RESILIENCE USING A RIDGE-TO-REEF APPROACH TO ENSURE THAT NO COMMUNITIES.

TODAY’S DENR MULTISTAKEHOLDER FORUM IN MINDANAO IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US TO GATHER BOTH EVIDENCE AND EXPERTISE TO SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATION’S PRIORITIES FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY, CLIMATE-RESILIENT AND INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS A JUST TRANSITION TOWARDS THE GREEN AND BLUE ECONOMY.

WE AT THE DENR FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT ADDRESSING ISSUES PERTAINING TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND OUR COUNTRY’S NATURAL RESOURCES NEEDS A COMPREHENSIVE-BASED APPROACH AND MULTISTAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS FOR EVIDENCE-INFORMED, INCLUSIVE, AND ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP IN THIS SECTOR. WE NEED CONTINUED DIALOGUES AND SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND TO BOLSTER COOPERATION THROUGH UNDERSTANDING SO THAT WE CAN OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES OF COHERENCE AND IMPLEMENTATION. AS YOU MAY KNOW, THE DENR BEGAN HOLDING THESE MULTISTAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS BECAUSE PARTNERSHIPS, WE BELIEVE, ARE KEY TO DELIVERING ON OUR COMMITMENTS SERVICE AND THE WORK THAT WE DO AT THE DEPARTMENT.

THERE ISN’T A PERFECT APPROACH OR SOLUTION TO TACKLING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES WE FACE. HOWEVER, WITH EVERYONE’S SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION, TOGETHER WE WILL BE ABLE TO CRAFT ADAPTIVE, INCLUSIVE, AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS BUILT ON THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND SOUND SCIENCE. WHILE WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR PARTNERSHIPS, WE ALSO STRIVE TO DEEPEN OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH ALL THE DENR’S DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS. WE RECOGNIZE AS WELL THE CRITICAL ROLE THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS PLAY IN BUILDING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND THE EFFICIENT USE, CONSERVATION, PROTECTION OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES.

THE MINDANAO REGION IS BLESSED WITH A RICH, COMPLEX, CULTURAL AND NATURAL HISTORY. IT IS IN THE INTERSECTION OF THIS SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY THAT BOTH RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES RELY CREATING AND BUILDING ON THESE OPPORTUNITIES, AND MITIGATING THE RISKS REQUIRES PARTNERSHIP THAT RAISE A NEW TYPE OF AGENCY BASED ON COMPETENT AND COMMITTED LEADERSHIP THAT PRIORITIZES HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL ECONOMIES, RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURES, AND UNDERPINNING ALL OF THESE, ECOSYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT HUMAN SECURITY, FOOD, WATER, ENERGY, PEACE AND EQUITY.

THE DIVERSITY IN THE MINDANAO REGION REQUIRES A HIGHLY LOCALIZED AND CONTEXTUALIZED APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION.

THE DENR IS COMMITTED TO ENSURING CONSULTATION WITH COMMUNITIES AND DIFFERENT SECTORS ARE AT THE BASIS OF THE FUNDAMENTALS, AND GROUNDWORKS THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO BECOME RESPONSIVE TO THESE VARIOUS NEEDS.

HEADED BY THE PRINCIPLE OF COMMON BUT DIFFERENTIATED RESPONSIBILITY IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, AND THE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES, WE ACKNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTAND THAT SOME BEAR MORE RESPONSIBILITIES THAN OTHERS. AND IN THAT, THOSE WHO HAVE BOTH RESOURCES AND RESPONSIBILITY WILL HAVE TO ENSURE THAT NO COMMUNITY, AND NO ECOSYSTEM IS LEFT BEHIND.

WE CAME TODAY HERE TO LISTEN AND TO LEARN FROM ALL OF YOU AND HOPEFULLY SUPPORT SOME NEW SYNERGIES THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED IN PROTECTION, RESTORATION, ENHANCEMENT, AND REGENERATION OF OUR THREATENED ECOSYSTEMS.

WHAT STRUCK ME YESTERDAY AS WE WALK THROUGH THE SMALL EXHIBIT OUTSIDE WAS HOW MANY AND HOW MUCH OF OUR WILDLIFE IS TRHEATENED AND ENDANGERED. WE HAVE FAILED TO SET TARGETS TO REMOVE THESE SPECIES FROM THEIR ENDANGERED SHADOWS. SO WE WILL BEGIN TO SET THOSE VERY COMPLETE TARGETS WITH YOUR HELP, AND WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE HOPEFULLY IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.

BEFORE I INTRODUCE OUR NEXT SPEAKER, I’D LIKE TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO A VIDEO THAT WE SHARED DURING THE MULTISTAKEHOLDER FORUM IN VISAYAS.
(PLAY BULONG NG KALIKASAN VIDEO)

TODAY’S ESTEEMED KEYNOTE SPEAKER SERVED AS COMMISSIONER OF THE BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION FROM 1998 TO 2001. AT 37 YEARS OLD, HE WAS THE YOUNGEST DEAN OF THE INSTITUTE OF LAW OF SAN SEBASTIAN COLLEGE-RECOLETOS IN MANILA WHERE HE ESTABLISHED THE SEBASTINIAN OFFICE OF LEGAL AID WHICH PROVIDES PRACTICAL AND PRO-BONO TRAINING TO LAW STUDENTS. HE GRADUATED MAGNA CUM LAUDE WHILE STUDYING MASTER OF LAWS AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK AND CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE 2ND DISTRICT OF CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ON BEHALF OF THE DENR, I AM HONORED TO WELCOME CONGRESSMAN RUFUS RODRIGUEZ.###