MISSION DIRECTOR OF USAID-SIBOL MR. RYAN WASHBURN; COUNTRY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL – PHILIPPINES MR. ENRIQUE A. NUNEZ; THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION;

THE FOUNDER OF THE MEAD FOUNDATION, MR. BEN MEAD; DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES UNDERSECRETARY FOR ENFORCEMENT BENITO ANTONIO DE LEON; BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT BUREAU DIRECTOR NATIVIDAD BERNARDINO; BMB ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AMELITA ORTIZ;

FRIENDS AND PARTNERS FROM THE CONSERVATION GROUPS; LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES; COLLEAGUES; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

TODAY, WE CELEBRATE WORLD WILDLIFE DAY 2022 WITH THE THEME: “RECOVERING KEY SPECIES FOR ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION.”

HUMAN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS POACHING, THE ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE, POLLUTION, AND THE DESTRUCTION OF HABITATS, THREATEN BIODIVERSITY BOTH IN THE PHILIPPINES AND GLOBALLY.

AT PRESENT, THERE ARE MORE THAN 40,000 SPECIES OF FLORA AND FAUNA WORLDWIDE THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION. IN THE PHILIPPINES ALONE, THE DENR IN 2019 HAD LISTED A TOTAL OF 1,106 THREATENED FAUNA SPECIES.

THE LIST OF THREATENED FLORA WAS ALSO UPDATED AND NOW INCLUDES 984 SPECIES. THESE NUMBERS SHOW WHY THE PHILIPPINES REMAINS A BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT. AMID OUR REMARKABLY HIGH NUMBER OF SPECIES — MUCH OF WHICH ARE ENDEMIC — OUR COUNTRY HAS A VERY HIGH RATE OF HUMAN-INDUCED HABITAT DESTRUCTION.

OTHER COUNTRIES WITH MEGA-DIVERSE ECOSYSTEMS, LIKE INDONESIA, MEXICO, PERU, AND BRAZIL ALSO FACE BIODIVERSITY LOSS.

THESE THREATS TO WILDLIFE IMPERIL THE DELICATE ECOLOGICAL BALANCE THAT ENABLES OUR ECOSYSTEMS TO SUPPORT LIFE. AS HUMANS, WE BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY.

THE DENR HAS IMPLEMENTED MAJOR PROGRAMS FOR BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT WHICH INCLUDE PROTECTED AREA DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT; MANAGEMENT OF COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES; AND PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION OF WILDLIFE.
WE HAVE ENHANCED EFFORTS IN MOBILIZING LAW ENFORCEMENT UNITS, ESTABLISHING AND MANAGING CRITICAL HABITATS, AND CONSERVING THREATENED WILDLIFE SPECIES. WE HAVE BEEN PARTNERING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

IN MAY 2021, WE SIGNED A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN IMPLEMENTING THEIR SUSTAINABLE INTERVENTIONS FOR BIODIVERSITY, OCEANS, AND LANDSCAPES OR SIBOL PROJECT, TO IMPROVE OUR COUNTRY’S NATURAL RESOURCES GOVERNANCE.

SADLY, MANY OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PATROLLERS ALSO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES. IN RESPONSE, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PROTECTION SERVICE.

WE CONDUCTED A SPECIAL COURSE ON ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM SEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER 2021, MAINLY, TO UPGRADE THE CAPABILITIES OF OUR FRONTLINERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. BY EFFECTIVELY APPREHENDING AND PROSECUTING ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES LIKE POACHING AND ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADING, WE CAN BETTER PROTECT BIODIVERSITY.
LEGAL PROTECTION ALONG WITH NATIONWIDE CONSERVATION EFFORTS HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR THE RESTORATION OF KEY SPECIES IN OUR ECOSYSTEMS.

OUR TAMARAW POPULATION HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED SINCE THE EARLY 2000S, THANKS TO UNIFIED CONSERVATION EFFORTS. POPULATIONS OF ICONIC SPECIES SUCH AS THE GIANT GOLDEN CROWNED FLYING FOX, THE DUGONG, AND THE PHILIPPINE COCKATOO HAVE BEEN GROWING IN KEY AREAS AS WELL.

HOWEVER, MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE. NOTABLY, WE NEED EVERYONE’S HELP IN VIGOROUSLY PUSHING FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE REVISED WILDLIFE RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION ACT WHICH HAS REMAINED PENDING IN THE SENATE.

THIS SEEKS TO TO EXPAND THE PROTECTION AND COVERAGE OF REPUBLIC ACT 9147 OR THE WILDLIFE RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION ACT OF 2001. THE REVISED LAW ALSO HOPES TO STRENGTHEN AND IMPROVE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM AND INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION TO COMBAT ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE AND EVENTUALLY COME UP WITH STRONGER AND MORE DYNAMIC RESPONSE AGAINST TRANSNATIONAL CRIME.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE MUST CONTINUE PARTNERING WITH VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS AND RAISING AWARENESS AMONG LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND EMPOWERING THEM.

THIS WAY, RESPONDING TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WILL BECOME MORE SYSTEMATIC, WITH HANDS WORKING FROM THE INTERNATIONAL DOWN TO THE LOCAL LEVEL IN PROTECTING KEY SPECIES. LET US REALIGN OUR RESOURCES TO THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSERVATION TARGETS.

THIS YEAR’S WORLD WILDLIFE DAY CELEBRATION IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RE-ENERGIZE EFFORTS TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT BIODIVERSITY. TOGETHER, LET US RESTORE THE RICHNESS IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HERITAGE.

MARAMING SALAMAT PO AT MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT!