SECRETARY LEO T. MAGNO, PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT FOR MINDANAO; THE HONORABLE LOPE K. SANTOS OF THE NATIONAL ANTI-POVERTY COMMISSION; ORLANDO BELTRAN QUEVEDO, CARDINAL; AMBASSADOR DATO ABDUL MALIK MELVIN CASTELINO OF MALAYSIA; AMBASSADOR MEGAWATI MANAN OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM; DISTINGUISHED NUMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS; EXCELLENCIES IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS; PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT; AND FELLOW GOVERNMENT WORKERS

GOOD MORNING.

I HOPE YOU WILL BEAR WITH ME AS I’VE BEEN ASKED TO SPEAK ON THE PRESERVATION OF THE PLANET, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ZERO IN ON OUR WORK HERE IN MINDANAO, SPECIFICALLY, AS WE PARTNER WITH SOME OF YOU IN THE WAYS FORWARD UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION.

MINDANAO, THE SOUTHERN GEM OF THE PHILIPPINES, IS A RICH TAPESTRY OF DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS, CULTURES, AND RESOURCES THAT DESERVE OUR UTMOST RESPECT AND PROTECTION. FROM ITS LUSH FORESTS AND VIBRANT BIODIVERSITY TO ITS ABUNDANT WATER RESOURCES AND VALUABLE MINERAL DEPOSITS, MINDANAO HOLDS THE KEY TO ECOLOGICAL BALANCE AND THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS OF OUR NATION.

THE DENR, AS THE MAIN STEWARD OF OUR ENVIRONMENT, SEEKS TO ENHANCE OUR SCIENCE- AND TECHNOLOGY-INFORMED STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE REGION THROUGH MINDA AND ITS PARTNERS IN THE AREAS OF LAND MANAGEMENT, FOREST MANAGEMENT, BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT, WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, AND RESPONSIBLE MINING. WE ARE HERE TO WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO ENSURE THAT THE NATURAL CAPITAL, THE COMMUNITIES, AND THE DIFFERENT SECTORS IN MINDANAO CAN MANAGE SUSTAINABLY FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US AS THE ABUNDANT GRACE FROM NATURE.

I WISH TO SAY THAT AT THE OUTSET OUR DIFFERENT WORK AREAS ACTUALLY INTERSECT. THEY MAY NOT BE PERCEIVED AND UNDERSTOOD IN SILOS AS EVERYTHING IS INTERCONNECTED. IN THIS ADMINISTRATION, WE ARE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE TO ACTUALLY HAVE A PRESIDENT THAT ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE IS AN INEXTRICABLE LINKAGE BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMY, CLIMATE CHANGE, POLLUTION, AND OTHER ACTIONS WE HAVE TAKEN IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT.

I BEGIN WITH FOREST.

WITHIN THE 4.9 MILLION HECTARES OF PRIORITY WATERSHED AREAS IN MINDANAO, ONLY 47 PERCENT IS ACTUALLY COVERED BY FORESTS. THROUGH REFORESTATION PROGRAMS, ANTI-ILLEGAL LOGGING CAMPAIGNS, AND COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION INITIATIVES, THE DENR IS WORKING WITH YOU ALL TO SAFEGUARD THE BIODIVERSITY AND FOREST COVER THAT SUPPORTS LIVELIHOODS OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND SECTORS THAT DEPEND ON FOREST RESOURCES FOR SUSTENANCE AND FOR THE ECONOMY.

IN THE CARAGA REGION, THE DENR IS IMPLEMENTING A FOUR-YEAR PROJECT FUNDED BY THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY (GEF) AND IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THE FAO. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SUPPORT THE REGION’S FORESTRY GOALS THROUGH COST-EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE RESTORATION OF DEGRADED FORESTS AND LANDSCAPES.

MINDANAO IS STILL CONSIDERED THE LEADING TIMBER PRODUCER IN THE COUNTRY. TO ENSURE THAT INDUSTRIAL TIMBER PRODUCERS WILL BE ABLE TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES EFFICIENTLY, REDUCE FINANCIAL RISKS, AND ENSURE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THEIR FOREST OPERATIONS, WE ARE CURRENTLY CONDUCTING A CAPITAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT ON INDUSTRIAL FORESTRY IN MINDANAO AND LOOKING INTO GAPS AND SOLUTIONS INTO THE TIMBER SUPPLY CHAIN. THIS PROJECT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AND THE FRENCH DEVELOPMENT AGENCY UNDER THE CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PROGRAM.

LIKEWISE, WE ARE ALSO ADDRESSING AND SUPPORTING THE NEED FOR VALUE-ADDING TIMBER PRODUCTION IN COMMUNITY-BASED FOREST MANAGEMENT AREAS. AN ORGANIZATION AND GROUP OF COUNTRIES CALLED AFOCO THAT WORKS TOGETHER WITH US TO HELP INCREASE FOREST COVER AND PROTECT FORESTS AROUND THE WORLD. IT IS NOW FINANCING A DENR PROJECT IN CARAGA THAT WILL PROMOTE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF TREE PLANTATIONS MANAGED BY PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATIONS NOT ONLY FOR THE GOOD OF THE ENVIRONMENT BUT ALSO TO GENERATE THE LOCAL ECONOMY. PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATIONS ARE CRITICAL IN THIS RESPECT AND WE NEED TO ACTUALLY BUILD A CAPACITY IN THIS PARTICULAR SECTOR IN ORDER FOR US TO ENSURE THAT SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMES FROM BELOW AS WELL AS ABOVE.

ON BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

IN ADDITION TO FOREST MANAGEMENT, THE DENR IS ALSO ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION BY ESTABLISHING PROTECTED AREAS, CONDUCTING BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENTS, AND IMPLEMENTING SPECIES CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. HERE, I WISH TO CITE THE EXCELLENT WORK OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE FOUNDATION THAT IS HOSTED HERE IN DAVAO AND I KNOW THAT ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS SOMEWHERE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE. MR DENNIS SALVADOR, I HOPE YOU WILL STAND UP TO BE RECOGNIZED. SO, THE WORK OF THE PEF WITH DENR AND ON ITS OWN IS GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED TOGETHER WITH PARTNERS, SUCH AS THE MOHAMED BIN ZAYED FOUNDATION. IT IS NOW RECOGNIZED GLOBALLY FOR ITS PIONEERING WORK IN BREEDING AND CONSERVATION AS WELL AS IN THE RESTORATION OF THE HISTORICAL EAGLE CORRIDOR IN THE PHILIPPINES. WE HAVE NOW PARTICIPATED IN ONE RECENT RELEASE WITH THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE FOUNDATION AND TRANSLOCATION WITH A PAIR OF EAGLES NOT IN MINDANAO BUT IN THE ISLAND OF LEYTE.

BY CONDUCTING THESE ASSESSMENTS AND IMPLEMENTING SPECIES CONSERVATION, THE DENR IS WORKING TO SAFEGUARD THE UNIQUE FLORA AND FAUNA THAT CALL MINDANAO HOME. THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 34 PROTECTED AREAS IN THIS REGION, COVERING APPROXIMATELY 1.1 MILLION HECTARES – MOST OF THESE ARE TERRESTRIAL BUT WE DO HAVE A COMBINATION OF BOTH LANDSCAPE AND SEASCAPES, INCLUDING MARINE AREAS, SUCH AS THE AREAS OF SARANGANI BAY, PUJADA BAY, AND THE ISLAND OF SIARGAO JUST TO NAME A FEW.

PROTECTED AREAS HELP ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE BY SERVING AS CARBON SINKS, CAPTURING AND STORING CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH VEGETATION AS WELL AS SOILS. THEY ALSO HELP CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS, SUPPORTING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THAT ARE CRUCIAL, SUCH AS WATER SERVICE AS AN ECOSYSTEM SERVICE FOR SOIL EROSION CONTROL AND FLOOD MANAGEMENT. THEY HELP US IN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND OF COURSE IN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION.

THE PHILIPPINES SUSTAINABLE INTERVENTIONS FOR BIODIVERSITY, OCEANS, AND LANDSCAPES OR THE SIBOL PROGRAM IN THE CARAGA REGION AND THE BIOFIN PROJECT IN ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA WILL PROVIDE ESSENTIAL RESOURCES FOR PROTECTING AND SUSTAINABLY MANAGING THE DIVERSE HABITATS AND SPECIES IN THE TWO REGIONS. THIS REGION ALSO HAS BEEN THE PILOT SITE OF THE NEW ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT TOOL CALLED SUKAT NG KALIKASAN. THIS TOOL WILL NOW BE APPLIED TO ALL THE PROTECTED AREAS IN THE COUNTRY. ANOTHER STRATEGY FOR ADDRESSING CHALLENGES TO CONSERVATION IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BIODIVERSITY CORRIDORS AND THIS FUNCTIONS LIKE A NATURAL PATHWAY THAT HELPS DIFFERENT SPECIES TO TRAVEL BETWEEN DIFFERENT AREAS AND HELPS MAINTAIN THE HEALTH AND DIVERSITY OF ECOSYSTEMS.

IN THE EASTERN MINDANAO BIODIVERSITY CORRIDOR IN THE DAVAO REGION AND CARAGA, A PROJECT FUNDED BY THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY THROUGH UNDP AIMS TO ADDRESS VARIOUS THREATS, AMONG OTHERS TO INTEGRATE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT THE NATIONAL AS WELL AS PROVINCIAL LEVELS.

ON WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, WE ARE COMMITTED TO RESPONSIBLE WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND SECURITY IN MINDANAO. HOWEVER, WATER SECURITY IS PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON FACING CHALLENGES DUE TO VARIOUS FACTORS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE. THE SOCCSKSARGEN REGION IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS, WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, DEFORESTATION, POLLUTION, AND INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE. BY PARTNERING WITH THE USAID SAFE WATER PROJECT, THE DENR AIMS TO IMPROVE WATER SECURITY FOR WATER-STRESSED COMMUNITIES AND ESTABLISHING AN ENABLING COMMUNITIES FOR WATER SECURITY THAT CAN BE UTILIZED AND BUILT UPON BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS.

WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO SUPPORT THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN INVESTMENT SUCH AS THE APO AGUA PROJECT OF THE ABOITIZ GROUP WHEREIN WE ARE HERE TO ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE THE PRIVATE SECTOR’S ROLE IN SOCIO AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.

I WISH TO STATE THAT UNDER THE CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTIONS FOR MINDANAO AND FOR THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE, MINDANAO STANDS OUT AS THE REGION THAT WILL BE MOST VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, TO EXTREME DRYNESS AS WELL AS VOUCHE OF TORRENTIAL RAINS. IN THE NATIONAL ADAPTATION PLAN, WE HAVE SHOWN THAT IN FACT THERE ARE SEVERAL PROVINCES IN MINDANAO THAT WILL BE EXPOSED TO FIVE HAZARDS: SEA LEVEL RISE, HEAT, EXTREME WEATHER, AND INCREASED INTENSITY OF TROPICAL CYCLONES IN ZAMBOANGA DEL SURE, MAGUINDANAO, SULU, ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, AND OTHERS JUST TO NAME A FEW.

WHEN IT COMES TO MINING OPERATIONS IN MINDANAO, WE ARE STEADFAST IN COMMITTING OURSELVES TO ENSURING RESPONSIBLE MINING PRACTICES THAT RESPECT BOTH THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND COMMUNITIES. METALLIC AND NONMETALLIC MINES HAVE BEEN MAPPED AND WE ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY SPEAKING TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS PARTICULAR SECTOR IN ORDER FOR US TO ENGAGE THEM BEYOND COMPLIANCE INITIATIVES IN ORDER TO COMMIT TO CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND COMMUNITY-RESPONSIVE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

DAVAO CITY, THE ISLAND GARDEN CITY OF SAMAL, AND SIARGAO ARE AMONG THE SELECTED 10 PILOT SITES WHERE THE EU’S GREEN ECONOMY PROGRAM IN THE PHILIPPINES WILL ACTUALLY BE IMPLEMENTED. HERE, WE AIM TO REDUCE WASTE GENERATION AND PLASTIC USAGE AND WE ARE ALSO IMPLEMENTING A SAFE E-WASTE MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIDO THAT PROTECTS HUMAN HEALTH, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE PROTECTION AGAINST CANCER-CAUSING ELEMENTS OF E-WASTE.

ON CLIMATE ACTION

WE DO KNOW THAT MINDANAO IS AMONG THE MOST VULNERABLE AREAS IN THE COUNTRY. THROUGH THE SMALL GRANTS PROGRAMME IN THE PHILIPPINES FUNDED BY THE UNDP AND OTHERS, WE HAVE NOW PARTNERED TO BUILD SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCE IN THE CATUBIG WATERSHED AREA IN SAMAR ISLAND, BUT ALSO SPECIFICALLY IN SIARGAO ISLAND PROTECTED LANDSCAPE AND SEASCAPE – AND ALONG THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA AS WELL.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE’RE ACTUALLY HERE TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTIVES OF PRESIDENT FERDINAND MARCOS AND HELP MINDA ON THIS FINAL PROJECT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DESCRIBE TO YOU, WHICH IS ONGOING. THE PRESIDENT HAS REQUESTED THE DENR AND THE DPWH AND WE NEED TO WORK WITH MINDA SPECIFICALLY TO EXPEDITE MINDANAO’S RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM. STUDIES ARE BEING CONDUCTED RIGHT NOW BY THE DPWH, THE DERN, AND THE DISCUSSION WITH MINDA ON SELECTING THE SPECIFIC NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, WHICH WILL BE MADE MORE RESILIENT FROM CLIMATE CHANGE DIRECTIONS AS WELL AS IN FACT PROTECTION THAT MAY BE AFFORDED IN DESIGN RATHER THAN RETRO-FITTING. WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO DESIGN CLIMATE-RESILIENT MULTIPURPOSE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE THE RELIABILITY OF ALL THE VALUES THAT WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES WHETHER THEY BE ROADS AND BRIDGES, FLOOD MITIGATION, IRRIGATION, AS WELL AS CONNECTIVITY.

SO IN CONCLUSION, THE IMPORTANCE OF MINDANAO CANNOT BE OVERSTATED IN THE SOCIOECONOMIC OF OUR COUNTRY. OUR WORK IN THESE DIFFERENT AREAS MEANS TO HELP SUSTAIN WHAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR A SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE, AND CLIMATE-RESILIENT FUTURE. TOGETHER WE HOPE TO WORK WITH YOU AND MINDA AS THE LEAD IN PAVING THE WAY FOR A MORE EQUITABLE, AND PROSPEROUS MINDANAO. LET US CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND AMPLIFY THE EFFORTS OF MINDA IN SAFEGUARDING THE NATURAL HERITAGE AND THE COMMUNITIES OF MINDANA FOR THIS GENERATION AND THE GENERATIONS YET TO COME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR SECRETARY LEO MAGNO FOR THIS INVITATION AND FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR WORK WITH YOU. MARAMING SALAMAT PO.