MR. PRESIDENT, THANK YOU FOR GRACING THIS OCCASSION.

IT IS MY HONOR AND PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THIS CELEBRATION OF THE 31ST ANNIVERSARY ON THE CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

HERE WE ARE TODAY, TO CELEBRATE THE PAST, TO RISE UP TO CURRENT EXPECTATIONS, AND TO BRACE FOR THE FUTURE.

WE COMPLETED OUR 30TH YEAR ON A HIGH NOTE, BY EXCEEDING MOST OF OUR TARGETS IN 2017.

OUR PRESIDENT HAS SPOKEN OUT ON MINING, WARNING MINING COMPANIES TO SHAPE UP. THROUGH THE MINING INDUSTRY COORDINATING COUNCIL, WE HAVE BEEN REVIEWING THE MINE CLOSURE AND SUSPENSION ORDERS ISSUED EARLIER BY SECRETARY GINA LOPEZ, WITH THE HELP OF THIRD-PARTY EXPERTS FROM THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND THE DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY OF THE PHILIPPINES, BASED ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, LEGAL AND TECHNICAL CRITERIA. WE EXPECT THE RESULTS OF THE REVIEW TO BE AVAILABLE FOR DISCLOSURE BY JULY.

MR. PRESIDENT, WE WILL BE COMING OUT WITH A PROPOSED POLICY REINVENTING MINING THAT WILL SPREAD THE BENEFITS FOR THE PEOPLE WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY.
ALLOW ME ALSO TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SUPPORT COMING FROM THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH THAT HELPED US IN FULFILLING OUR MANDATE IN PRESERVING AND PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT.

THANK YOU, SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA, FOR YOUR HELP IN AREA CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECTS ESPECIALLY IN SIBALOM NATURAL PARK AND ANTIQUE’S MALANDOG RIVER.

WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO DOCUMENT 12 PROTECTED AREAS AROUND THE COUNTRY IN HIGH DEFINITION VIDEOS. THESE DOCUMENTARIES WERE AIRED IN COMMERCIAL TELEVISION STATION AND SAW EXPOSURE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD.

THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF CONGRESSWOMAN JOSEPHINE SATO, WE HAVE PURSUED THE DRAFT BILL AND PROPOSED EXECUTIVE ORDER ON STRENGTHENING THE NATIONAL POLICY ON WEALTH GENERATION FROM ACCESS, BENEFIT-SHARING AND UTILIZATION OF PHILIPPINE GENETIC RESOURCES.

THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, FOR SIGNING REPUBLIC ACT 11038 OR THE EXPANDED NATIONAL INTEGRATED PROTECTED AREAS SYSTEM ACT OF 2018, WHICH WILL ENSURE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT AND DECLARATION OF OTHER PROTECTED AREAS IN THE COUNTRY. THE E-NIPAS LAW HAS ADDED 94 ADDITIONAL LEGISLATED PROTECTED AREAS ALL OVER THE PHILIPPINES AND ENSURED BETTER CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION MEASURES OF OUR PROTECTED AREAS.

OUR APPRECIATION GOES TO SENATOR LEGARDA AND CONGRESSWOMAN SATO FOR AUTHORING R.A. 11038. AND TO MANY OTHER FRIENDS IN THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN OUR ADVOCACY OF PROTECTING AND CONSERVING THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY.

IN OUR DRIVE AGAINST ILLEGAL LOGGING, THE DENR LATER WILL TURN OVER THE DEED OF DONATION OF MORE THAN 870 THOUSAND BOARD FEET OF LUMBER TO HELP IN THE REBUILDING OF MARAWI THROUGH SECRETARY EDUARDO DEL ROSARIO OF TASK FORCE BANGON MARAWI.

WHILE WE PURSUE CULPRITS OF ILLEGAL LOGGING ACTIVITIES, WE ALSO CONTINOUSLY ADDRESS THE EXTREME DEGRADATION OF THE COUNTRY’S FORESTS.

WE HAVE SCORED SUCCESSES IN OUR REFORESTATION PROGRAM COUPLED WITH FOREST PROTECTION. FROM JULY 2016 TO JUNE 15 2018, AROUND 554 MILLION SEEDLINGS OF DIFFERENT SPECIES OF MANGROVE, FUELWOOD AND FOREST TREES WERE PLANTED NATIONWIDE COVERING 462,114 HECTARES.

THESE ARE VERIFIABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT ARE COMPLETE WITH COORDINATES AND GEO-TAGGED PHOTOS THAT MAY ANYTIME BE VIEWED IN THE NGP WEBSITE. IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE COUNTRY’S REMAINING FORESTS, WE HAVE INTENSIFIED FOREST PROTECTION EFFORTS BY ADOPTING THE LAWIN FOREST AND BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION SYSTEM TO MONITOR FOREST CONDITIONS.

LAWIN IS A MODERN MONITORING TOOL THAT TRACKS AND RECORDS THREATS AND OBSERVATIONS IN FORESTS. WE NOW HAVE MORE THAN 3,000 TRAINED FOREST PATROLLERS USING THE LAWIN SYSTEM.

WE WOULD NOT HAVE ACHIEVED OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE AREA OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE GOOD SENATOR, CYNTHIA VILLAR.

OUR PROFOUND APPRECIATION GOES TO SENATOR VILLAR FOR FUNDING MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITIES AND HER PROJECT ON PLASTIC RECYCLING FACILITIES, WHICH CONVERT PLASTIC WASTES INTO DURABLE SCHOOL CHAIRS THAT LAST. IN THIS WAY, WE AVOID PLASTICS ENDING UP IN DUMPSITES.

WE ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EFFORTS OF THE METROPOLITAN MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN CLEANING UP THE RIVERS AND ESTEROS AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE EXTENDED TO US.

JUST RECENTLY, THE DENR AND THE NATIONAL WATER RESOURCES BOARD RAIDED PEPSI COLA BOTTLING COMPANY IN LAS PINAS, WHERE WE SHUT DOWN THEIR ILLEGAL DEEPWELLS.

THEY WERE ALSO SLAPPED WITH MORE THAN 11-MILLION PESOS AS PENALTY FOR EXTRACTING DEEPWELL WATER WITHOUT PERMIT. THIS IS A STRONG INDICATION OF OUR SERIOUSNESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LAWS ON WATER.

THERE WAS ONE OTHER MISUSE OF A NOTABLE NATURAL RESOURCE THAT OUR PRESIDENT RAGED AGAINST EARLIER: THE GOBBLING UP OF LAGUNA LAKE BY OPERATORS OF BIG FISHPENS AND BY ENCROACHERS, THEREBY IMPAIRING THE LIVELIHOOD OF SMALL FISHERMEN.

WE HAVE ALSO ACTED ON THIS, THROUGH THE LAGUNA LAKE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, AND WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES, THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE, AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF TAGUIG CITY.

JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, WE ORDERED THE SHUTDOWN OF TWO CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING OF WASTE MATERIALS AND GARBAGE IN A SHORELAND AREA IN TAGUIG CITY. THE ILLEGAL RECLAMATION AND BACKFILLING ACTIVITIES HAVE ALREADY EXCEEDED THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE LAKE. WE CANNOT AND WILL NOT ALLOW THIS!

THE ONE BLEMISH, TOWARDS THE END OF OUR 30TH YEAR, WAS BORACAY, WHICH NO LESS THAN OUR PRESIDENT, RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE, DEPLORED LAST FEBRUARY AS HAVING DETERIORATED FROM A GLOBAL ECOTOURISM DESTINATION TO A CESSPOOL.
THE DENR IS NOW LEADING EFFORTS TO REHABILITATE BORACAY AND WE ARE ON TARGET.

WE ARE RUSHING TO COMPLETE THE JOB WITHIN THE SIX MONTH PERIOD GIVEN TO US BY THE PRESIDENT. PEOPLE ARE REQUESTING FOR A 1 YEAR CLOSURE WITH A 64 PERCENT APPROVAL RATING ON THE SWS SURVEY. BUT WE WILL STICK TO THE PLAN AND, AGAIN, WE ARE ON TARGET.

WE WILL BE ABLE TO OPEN BORACAY AGAIN AND TAKE PRIDE IN BRINGING BACK THE ISLAND TO ITS FORMER GLORY.

REST ASSURED THAT WE ARE NOT JUST SOLVING THE BORACAY PROBLEM BUT THE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PRESIDENT’S EFFORT.

WHILE WE VIGOROUSLY PURSUE REHABILITATION EFFORTS IN BORACAY, WE ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY INTENSIFYING OUR WATCH OVER OTHER ECOTOURISM HOTSPOTS, LIKE PANGLAO ISLAND IN BOHOL, PUERTO GALERA IN ORIENTAL MINDORO, EL NIDO AND CORON, IN PALAWAN, AND SIARGAO, IN SURIGAO DEL NORTE.

WE EXPECT TO BE ISSUED OTHER CHALLENGES BY OUR PRESIDENT.

TO ME, THESE CHALLENGES ARE MARCHING ORDERS TO BE CARRIED OUT. THEY ARE ALSO OUR AUTHORITY TO BECOME MORE AGGRESSIVE IN ENFORCING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS, WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF OUR CONSTITUTION.

WE ARE INDEED FORTUNATE TO HAVE A LEADER WHO IS VERY MUCH PROTECTIVE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, AND WHO INSISTS THAT WE, THE FILIPINO PEOPLE, BE THEIR FOREMOST BENEFICIARIES.

AGAIN, MR. PRESIDENT, MARAMING SALAMAT SA PAGMAMAHAL SA BAYAN.

WELCOME TO THE CELEBRATION OF THE DENR’S 31ST ANNIVERSARY. ENJOY THE DAY, AND TAKE PRIDE IN OUR COLLECTIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

IKAW, AKO, TAYO ANG KALIKASAN !

MABUHAY!

(PAUSE)

EXCUSE ME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MR. PRESIDENT, ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU OUR GIFT TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.
(BORACAY VIDEO)

(AFTER SHOWING OF BORACAY VIDEO)

MR. PRESIDENT, THE DENR IS INDEED GRATEFUL. FEW MONTHS AGO, AFTER YOU GAVE ME THE ORDER TO REHABILITATE AND RESTORE BORACAY TO ITS PRISTINE STATE, AS A PREMIERE TOURIST DESTINATION, I IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED BY DIRECTING ALL MY DENR PERSONNEL TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS TASK OF REHABILITATION.

ALL THE REGIONS OF LUZON, VISAYAS AND MINDANAO SENT THEIR PERSONNEL ON ROTATION BASIS TO BORACAY TO SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE ON WATER QUALITY, LAND AND TIMBERLAND MANAGEMENT, WETLAND AND BIODIVERSITY AND RESEARCH ON CARRYING CAPACITY, AND GEOHAZARD MAPPING AND DETECTION OF HIDDEN EXHAUST PIPES THROUGH THIER CUTTING EDGE EQUIPMENT.

SIR, SOME OF THEM ARE HERE, FROM MINDANAO, FROM THE REGIONS IN VISAYAS AND LUZON, TO PERSONALLY SEE YOU. MOST OF THEM ARE SEEING YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME.

MR. PRESIDENT, MAY I PRESENT TO YOU THE MEN AND WOMEN BEHIND THE REHABILITATION EFFORTS IN BORACAY.

THE MEN AND WOMEN FROM MINDANAO…
THE MEN AND WOMEN FROM VISAYAS…
THE MEN AND WOMEN FROM LUZON… ####