October 13, 2011
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen:
It is my distinct pleasure to speak before you today in this important National Indigenous Peoples Cultural Summit.
Today, we take pride in our cultural rootedness and recognize the people whose lives take us through many centuries of struggle to protect the land we live in, preserve the virtues we uphold and bring us back to who we are.
Our indigenous peoples have shaped our story as a Filipino people- our music, arts and dance, our native knowledge and […]
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October 12, 2011
Mr. President,
The observance of the International Day for Disaster Reduction comes at a time when the grave effects of climate change and disasters increasingly strike all over the world. And today, we urge governments to “Step Up for Disaster Risk Reduction”.
The Philippines has consistently gone up in global rankings on, unfortunately and alarmingly, climate vulnerability. In 2009, the Philippines was number 12 most at risk from cyclones, floods, earthquakes and landslides based on the Mortality Risk Index by […]
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October 5, 2011
Mr. President,
Images of disaster filled our minds in the past week as typhoons Pedring and Quiel wrought havoc in various parts of the country and destroyed millions-worth of infrastructure including school buildings. In fact, for typhoon Pedring alone, 315 school buildings were damaged with estimated cost placed at P146.8-million.[1]
Thousands of children who went back to their schools after the typhoons were welcomed by damaged classrooms . But one strong image stands tall-the teacher. She has to go business […]
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