Message: 29th Library Information Services Month

I am honored to be invited as Keynote Speaker in today’s Opening Ceremonies for the 29th Library and Information Services, or LIS, Month. During the session break of Congress, I went to Germany along with officials from the National Book Development Board to lead the Philippine contingent in this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, the world’s largest and most important trade fair for the book publishing industry. An average of more than 7,000 exhibitors and 200,000 visitors visit the annual five-day trade fair. Fortunately for us, and through our hard work and sheer determination, the Philippines made its debut in 2015 after a 15-year absence from the book fair.

Speech: Introduction to Piña Seda

Traditional textiles are ties that bind. It links the past to the present and brings together cultures, which, no matter how diverse, has a commonality.

Traditional textiles bring together industries, communities, and people. A fabric or a garment is a synergy among workers and artisans. It is a product of diligence, hard work, and passion.

Privilege Speech: The Global Commission on Adaptation’s Flagship Report “Adapt Now: A Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience”

“People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!”

These are few of the gripping words spoken by the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, addressing the United Nations Climate Action Summit on Monday.

Co-Sponsorship Speech: Joint Resolution Extending the Availability of the 2019 Appropriations for MOOE and CO to December 31, 2020

Co Sponsorship of Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda
On Committee Report No. 30
House Joint Resolution No. 19: Extending the Availability of the 2019 Appropriations for Maintenance And Other Operating Expenses and Capital Outlay to December 31, 2020
25 September 2019 | Plenary Hall
 
Mr. Speaker,
 
I wish to thank the House Committee on Appropriations for taking the time to consider House Joint Resolution No. 9, which seeks to extend the availability of the 2019 appropriations for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) and Capital Outlay (CO) […]

Message: UP Resilience Institute Building Groundbreaking Ceremony

This very occasion that we are marking today, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Resilience Institute, is an example of how slow the budget cycle can take.  We have long enacted the budget for this project, yet we are witnessing the actual physical manifestation of the implementation of this very important project only today.  But discourse on this perennial concern can be had at another time, for today is a joyous occasion.