CLOSING REMARKS

Undersecretary Ramon J. Paje

DENR, Philippines
In behalf of Secretary Cerilles, I would like to congratulate all the participants for your
successful contribution to this historic conference. We believe to our minds that this is a historic
conference because of the resounding support to the position of the government in this country to
implement sustainable forest management. As you know, there is now a serious on-going debate
in the Philippines whether to implement sustainable forestry or to implement a total logging ban.
It is heartwarming that the presentations and discussions during the past three days only showed
that there is indeed enough mechanism, enough approaches to make management of forestry
sustainable.
We have taken the position of sustainable forest management rather than total log ban because
we agree with you. We believe the solution is to produce timber. The solution is to plant and not
to ban harvesting. If we have enough plantation, if we have enough wood then we can harvest. It
is an endowment from God. It was given to us basically as a renewable resource for us to
harvest. If we don't harvest it if we have enough, nature will take it away anyway.
This particular conference is a resounding support to that particular position. We still maintain in
this country that we can make forestry sustainable and we believe that banning harvesting is
basically to the term of the civil society a "nimbi" which is the ":not in my backyard" concept.
You do not want to use wood from this country but you want to use the wood of Indonesia, of
Africa, Malaysia, New Zealand and other countries.
The same concept applies to mining when you want to ban mining in this country but you
continue to use mining products because you cannot survive for one day without using anything
out of it. Still, you want to ban mining. Why? Because you believe it's polluted and not
sustainable but you want to use the cement of other countries, the gold of other countries, the
metal of other countries. So in the global sense, that is also "not in my backyard" concept.
To make your country sustainable you have to produce your own timber and we believe we can
do it. There was a very good advertisement in this country with the concept "save the forest, use
steel". That advertisement was so beautifully prepared that it even won an award. But to my
mind, that is the dumbest advertisement that I ever viewed. I started to attack it and asked the
people who prepared it to withdraw that advertisement. Thankfully, they did. Why? I argued that
producing wood is more sustainable than producing steel. What do you do when you produce
one cu. m. of steel? You have to excavate, destroy the surface, destroy the flora and fauna and
then you have to emit tons of carbon dioxide in the process. But when you produce one cu.m of
wood, you just plant new trees and wait for a while. The trees will sequester carbon dioxide in
the process of growing. It is very clean and is renewable. That is why I believe that plantation
forestry for sustainability of wood supply and of course for biodiversity is the solution to the
needs of this region.
Again, I would like to extend my congratulations to all the participants for your contribution in
this very successful conference. I also thank and congratulate ITTO, the FAO and the Secretariat,
in particular Ms. Mayumi Quintos for a wonderful job. As a host, I would like to extend my
apologies to everyone if we have committed any inconvenience to all of you during your stay in
this country especially with the political situation in this country. If it has added color in your
stay, we are also willing to get credit for it but if it has caused inconvenience to you, I would like
to extend my utmost apologies in behalf of my Department and my boss Secretary Cerilles.
Again, thank you very much and good afternoon.

Source: http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/ac781e/AC781E13.htm

INSPIRATIONAL SPEECH
Tiffany Grace Uy
UP Diliman, Summa Cum Laude
Esteemed guest speaker, Dr. Rhodora Azanza, beloved teachers, alumni, parents and most
especially my beloved friends, a blessed morning to you all.
The very first thing I want to say is, Thank you. Not only is speaking to the 2015 class of
brilliantly intelligent minds seated before me an immense privilege and honor, but also the
nervousness and profuse sweating have given me a natural glow that enables me to shine like the
lights of the sun despite last night's sleeplessness from worrying about today.
Yes, for today, the 26th of June 2015 marks a milestone. The celebration of years of hard work,
intellect and pursuit culminating in the graduation of about a hundred students from Biology,
each of whom are ready to come out of their pupa, spread their wings, and fly.
And believe you me, I have spent many an hour racking my brains, reading books and even
researching to look for some "sossy" anecdote or old philosopher's tale with which I can relate
the journey that has been, and with which I could help fill in the five whole minutes that I am
required to speak with you today.
But perhaps there is no such anecdote or tale that can really illustrate the awesome adventure that
has been B.S. Biology.
At least, as best as can the theory of evolution by natural selection of Charles Darwin, which, to
take from Theodosius Dobzhansky, nothing in biology would make sense without.
Indeed the theory proposes that phenotypic variation exists among individuals. And I have to say
that Biology houses some of the queerest creatures I have perhaps met in my life. This group
includes the fiercely academic, amusingly humorous, musically gifted, sports maniacs, politically
active, and remarkably talented.
And the group of varied individuals in our population has been brutally tested for fitness with the
mind boggling questions from our professors and the complex labyrinthine examinations that
really pull the spirits out of our bodies.
Each enrollment, we have been tested for muscular strength, in running and lining up for our
classes.
In lab, we have alternatively been tested for strength and heart to be able to dissect and scrutinize
the icky body of a living cockroach without vomiting.
Everyday we are tested for the ability to cram copious amounts of information in a couple of
minutes before exams.
To write 10 to 15 page-long formal reports before its due date at the 59th minute of 11. And of
course to stay conscious for hours without a single wink of sleep.
To be able to survive we had to adapt. Maybe not in the scientific sense of the concept, since that
would necessitate grounds of giving birth to the mutated forms. Some of which were mutated for
advanced phenotypes.
But rather, we learned to adapt to the varying conditions of our wilderness by the means of
cultural adaptation. We have worked together, cried together, consoled each other and reveled in
joy together. Most notably upon the completion and binding of our thick, freshly scented thesis
manuscripts and posted it on Facebook and tagged each other.
At the same time we have butted heads with each other, inquired into our curiosities, debated the
sciences, and challenged each other. In the process, polishing each other into the sparkly
diamonds I see today.

Now we have come to this point called graduation. You, who gathered here today are the few
selected. You embody academic excellence and honor. And the capability to make remarkable
achievements for our nation.
You have great prospects gearing towards success and likely stability. But the new wilderness we
are entering which we like to call the new world poses far greater tests of fitness.
The state of our nation is rough. A quarter of our population fall below the poverty line. And this
is with the adjusted standards to bolster the ratings of politicians.
Several million people in the Philippines are unemployed, making us a country that's among the
lowest in the ASEAN.
Deep inequities exists between access to public resources that leave many of our brethren to
succumb to illness and die without ever having received healthcare.
Moreover, our political situation is highly volatile. And despite all the high marks, achievements
and accomplishments under our belt, we come to the stark realization that there are many things
that school has not prepared us for.
The problems our country faces are real extensive. And several generations of ambitious
individuals have gone before us and yet the problems still persist.
How do we even begin to solve the problems of a nation? Is it even possible?
Here, perhaps we can glean some wisdom from our biology which has never ceased to amaze
me. It's the limitless of human potential that we've served in the evolution of life.
This is evidenced by the record-breaking feats of humanity, the complex institutional systems we
crafted, the ground-breaking technological advancements we developed, enabling our relatively
young species to be changing the face of a multi-billion year old universe.
And we cannot even fully understand the mystery, complexity and awesomeness of the human
life. I believe that there is limitless potential in each and every brilliant mind seated before me.
Your minds, when inspired by imaginations unbound by glass ceilings. When inflamed with
courage to tackle real societal problems and when grounded and motivated by an inherent love
for our country and our people can make the crafting of the sustainable and stable future for our
nation, not just possible but rather inevitable.
Beloved friends, as we set out into the enigmatic wilderness of life, my wish for you and for our
country is that you harness the limitless and evolutionary power towards building a sustainable
and fair nation. After all, a life motivated by service is the most meaningful.
So, may you keep learning, keep believing and keep evolving. Congratulations to the graduates
of 2015. Thank you and a wonderful morning to all.

Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/511838/lifestyle/full-text-of-summa-cumlaude-tiffany-grace-uy-s-recognition-day-speech-at-up-diliman-s-college-ofscience#sthash.cfTNrd17.dpuf