Mutual Legal Assistance Agreements (MLATs)with the People’s Republic Of China And The United Kingdom

March 6, 2012

Mr. President, Distinguished Colleagues:
I have the honor to seek approval of Senate Resolution No. 732 under Committee Report No. 130, entitled “Resolution Concurring in the Ratification of the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Republic of the Philippines and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” and Senate Resolution No. 734 under Committee Report No. 132, entitled “Resolution Concurring in the Ratification of the Treaty between the Republic of the Philippines and the […]

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AHON: A Hope in Restoring the Disappearing Philippine Natural Tourism Destinations

March 2, 2012

Allow me to thank the University of Santo Tomas for inviting me in this assembly.
The Philippines is home to a rich biodiversity. It boasts of a plethora of flora and fauna from the mountaintops down to the deepest seas, spread out in the 7,107 islands of the country. About 15.8 million hectares of land, or more than half of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares, are classified as forestland ; around 3,000 tree species, as well […]

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Launch of Coastal Cities at Risk (CCaR) Project

March 1, 2012

Allow me to thank the Manila Observatory and the Ateneo de Manila University for inviting me to join you in the launch of the Coastal Cities at Risk Project.
An estimated 2.8 billion people, or more than 40% of the total global population, are living in coastal cities.
If we consider locations that are less than 9 meters above sea level, so called “low elevation coastal zones,” then roughly one in every 10 person in the world lives in these […]

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Environmental Planning Act of 2012

February 28, 2012

In this era when the severity and frequency of natural hazards and extreme weather events are unpredictable, rural development and urban planning have become even more critical. We have witnessed whole villages being swept away by enormous floods and various infrastructure crumbling during strong earthquakes.
It is unfortunate that it is only after disasters strike that we realize how badly we have abused our natural resources; that we have failed to faithfully pursue sustainable, adaptable and resilient development.
The development […]

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The Future that We Want for Mindanao

February 18, 2012

Two months after Mindanao endured tropical storm Sendong’s whiplash of death and destruction, a critical opportunity is presented before us – the opportunity to learn from the painful lessons of the disaster, to build back a better Mindanao and to make the right choices for our people.
It is on this note that I am pleased to be part of this important initiative, a laudable show of political unity and resolve for disaster risk reduction.
I wish to congratulate my […]

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