ON BEHALF OF THE DENR , I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY BEST WISHES TO YOU ALL ON THE OCCASION OF YOUR 500TH YEAR AS A NATION.
IT IS TRULY AN HONOR TO CELEBRATE THE SWEDISH NATIONAL DAY WITH YOU.

I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN INVITED TO SPEAK ON HO WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO ACCELERATE AND UNLOCK THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THE GREEN TRANSITION.

THE PHILIPPINES REMAINS COMMITTED AS YOU ARE TO ACHIEVING GREEN SOCIO-ECONIC DEVELOPMENT , ONE THAT IS INCLUSIVE , RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE.

THE PHILIPPINES AND SWEDEN HAVE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF COLLABORATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR FORESTS, COASTAL AREAS AND CORAL REEFS.

AT THIS TURNING POINT OF OUR PLANET’S FUTURE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO DEEPENING OUR PARTNERSHIP AS WE WORK TOWARDS A JUST TRANSITION IN OUR RESPECTIV4E JOURNIES TOWARDS BUILDING BOTH GREEN AND BLUE ECONOMIES.

AS YOU MAY KNOW, THE PHILIPPINES IS AMONG THE WORLD’S EXPOSED AND MOST VULNERABLE COUNTRIES TO THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. AND OTHER NATURAL CALAMITIES AS WELL.

OUR CLIMATE VULNERABILITIES PERSIST DESPITE CONTRIBUTING LESS THAN HALF-A-PERCENT OF THE GLOBAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMMISSION.

WHILE WE HAVE MADE SOME GAINS IN THE PAST DECADES THAT HAVE BROUGHT US CLOSER TO MIDDLE-INCOME STATUS, WE CONTINUE TO STRIVE FOR INCLUSIVE , RESILIENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE FACE OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, CLIMATE SHIFTS, AND NATURAL- AND MAN-MADE HAZARDS.
UNDER THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION HOWEVER, WE HAVE A FIRM RESOLVE TO PRESERVE, PROTECT AND REGERATE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES SO THAT OUR NEEDS TODAY MAY BE MET IN WAYS THAT WILL SAFEGUARD THE NEEDS OF OUR FURTURE GENERATIONS AS WELL.

OUR PRESIDENT HAS SAID THE PRESERVATION OF ENVIRONMENT IS THE PROTECTION OF LIFE.

IT IS IN THIS LIGHT THAT OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH SWEDEN IS MOST SIGNIFICANT.

WE LOOK TO THIS PARTNERSHIP TO ACHIEVE THE OUTCOME(S) OF THE PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN , SPECIFICALLY TO ENHANCE ADAPTIVE CAPACITIES OF/ (FOR) RESILIENCE OF COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEMS TO NATURAL HAZARDS AND CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING: THE ADOPTION OF LOW-CARBON TECHNOLLOGIES AND PRESERVE AND ENHANCE BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM FROM RIDGE TO REEF;
CAPACITY BUILDING FOR A JUST TRANSITION OF WORKERS TOWARDS A LOW-CARBON FUTURE;

SUSTAINABLE AND SMART CONSUMPTION , PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT FOR A TRULY STRONG (?)/ ROBUST (?) ECONOMY;

RESPONSIBLE MINING, RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AND NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR ADAPTATION AND SUSTAINABLE ECO-TORUISM.

IN ADDITION TO THE PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN, A NEW COLLABORATION WILL BE SUPPORTED BY SEVERAL ENABLING POLICIES AND PLANS INCLUDING SUSTAINABLE FINANCE FRAMEWORK AND ROADMAP IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL, CLIMATE AND DISASTER RISKS MANAGEMENT LAWS

ON OUR PART< THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES HAS ACCELERATED OUR JOURNEY TOWARDS THE GREEN GTRANSITION BY ADOPTING GEO-SPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE RISK MANAGEMENT OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AND A NATURAL CAPITAL ACCOUNTING SYSTEM THAT IS PART OF OUR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE.

WE ARE COMBATTING THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY THROUGH ECOSYSTEM REHABILITATION, BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION, INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE MINING.

ALL OF THESE ARE BASED ON BEST AVIALABLE SCIENCE AND ON LOCAL AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE.

WE HAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AT THIS VERY MOMENT TO ADDRESS URGENT AND SPECIFIC CHALLENGES TO THE GREEN TRANSITION AND INCLUSIVE, RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

AND WE ARE ABLE TO FORTUNATELY PARTNER WITH SWEDEN AND THE EUROPEAN UNION FOR SHARING IN THIS VISION.

AND SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW THE PHILIPPINES, THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, HAS PARTNERED WITH THE UNION IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREENING COUNTRY PROGRAM IN THE PHILIPPINES.

WE ARE DEEPLY GRATE FOR THE GENEROUS SUPPORT THAT PRECISELY ADDRESSES MANY OF THE AREAS OF ENHANCED COLLABORATIONS I ALREADY MENTIONED.

THE BOLD LEADERSHIP AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT OF SWEDEN IN THE AREAS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION, TECHNO;OGICAL INNOVATION, MINERAL DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE ACTION ARE WHAT WE VALUE THE MOST IN THIS FRIENDSHIP.

OUR GOAL TO REACH NET ZERO CAN ONLY BE DONE BY COLLABORATION.

IT IS TRULY INSPIRING AND WORTH EMULATING.

WE IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES , LOOK FORWARD THEN TO THE STRENGHTENING AND DEEPENING OF OUR PARTNERSHIP IN THESE AREAS AS WE WORK TOWARDS A MORE JUST, INCLUSIVE AND RESILIENT GREEN TRANSITION FOR ALL.

THANK YOU. MARAMING SALAMAT.