19 May 2025, 10:00 – 12:00 (GMT+8)
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity Headquarters
Los Baños, Laguna
OPENING MESSAGE
Ms. Clarissa C. Arida
Acting Executive Director, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
To our esteemed guests:
- Atty. Jonas Leones, Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and ASOEN Chair;
- Mr. Marcial Amaro, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the DENR and concurrent Director, Biodiversity Management Bureau;
- For. Roberto P. Cereno, Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs, UP Los Baños;
- Dr. Mercedita A. Sombilla, Director, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA);
- Dr. Jerome L. Montemayor, Incoming Executive Director of the ACB;
- Excellencies from the Diplomatic Corps from the ASEAN Member States, members of the press,
- Dear ACB Colleagues and DENR officials, friends of biodiversity,
A very pleasant morning to all of you!
It is with great honour and pleasure that I welcome all of you to this momentous occasion, the oath-taking ceremony of the new Executive Director of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, Dr. Jerome Montemayor. Welcome ED Jerome!
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity has been at the forefront in safeguarding the ASEAN region’s valuable natural wealth. We have built partnerships and collaborated closely with the ASEAN Member States and our development and dialogue partners to advance our essential yet challenging mandate.
We have made great strides in supporting and working with the AMS to address biodiversity challenges. We were able to push for the development of the ASEAN Biodiversity Plan as we navigate our way to the realisation of global biodiversity goals and targets.
The ACB’s designation as one of the technical and scientific cooperation support centres (TSCs) for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM GBF) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a milestone achievement and a daunting role as well. In this new role, the ACB promotes and facilitates demand-driven technical and scientific cooperation and technology transfer among Parties to the CBD. This enables the Parties and relevant organisations to use science, technology, and innovation effectively to support the global biodiversity targets by 2030.
We also have exciting developments supporting our flagship programmes in ASEAN:
- On the Conservation of Wetlands and Migratory Waterbirds in the ASEAN Region under the ASEAN Flyway Network Initiative – ACB’s partnership and support from the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund, and more recently with the Government of New Zealand, have enhanced capacities of our flyway site managers and develop strategies for effective awareness raising on the value of wetlands and flyways sites.
- On the Conservation and Restoration of Wetlands and Peatlands under the EnCORE WETLANDS Project supported by the UK Green Transition Fund and Palladium Group under the UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (or the UK PACT Programme) – we have successfully conducted in the past two weeks, national inception workshops in Malaysia and the Philippines, in Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary and Maludam National Park in Kuching.
- We also have promising partnerships with the Governments of India, France, Norway and the AMS, in accordance with the ACB’s priority programmes, projects, and activities.
As we gather here today, two exciting opportunities are happening:
- The ACB’s participation in the World Expo Osaka, Japan. In partnership with the ASEAN Secretariat and with support from Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, we are able to promote the mystical charm of Southeast Asia’s natural wealth and the variety of species found in the region through the ASEAN Forest Wall inside the ASEAN Pavilion.
- The Appraisal Mission by KfW (German Development Bank) for the Small Grants Programme Phase III of ACB in support of the AHP Programme. With earmarked funding from the EU, the Mission is visiting the Philippines and Cambodia to finalise the EU Action Document based on the recent Feasibility Study conducted by the GITEC Consulting Group. The SGP III will build on the gains and lessons from the successful SGP projects in Indonesia, Myanmar and Viet Nam.
Several activities are also in the pipeline with potential links with other TSCs from Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific Island Countries such as: the Sub-regional capacity-building workshop on Target 3 (Conservation of Land, Waters, and Seas) of the KM GBF for East and Southeast Asia scheduled in June 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand; the regional workshop for Asia-Pacific on monitoring and reporting on ecosystem restoration for KM GBF Target 2 in Manila this coming August 2025, and the 8th ASEAN Heritage Parks Conference in in Viet Nam slated in November 2025. The ACB is also set to convene in Manila the first International Conference on Heritage Parks (ICHP) in October, in partnership with the DFA, DENR and the Colombo Plan to uphold biodiversity conservation, cultural heritage preservation, and climate adaptation.
More importantly, the ACB, as the sole ASEAN centre in the Philippines, looks forward to its ASEAN Chairship in 2026, supporting the DENR to amplify our voice to the global community and emphasising the need for a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach to conserving biodiversity as a fundamental step to sustainable development in the ASEAN region.
Under the guidance and vision of our new Executive Director, we are confident that this is the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for us at the ACB. This year also marks the 20th year of the ACB, another significant milestone for the Centre and for the region. We look forward to more significant wins, not only for the ACB and the AMS, but ultimately for ASEAN biodiversity.
With that, we welcome you, Dr. Montemayor to the ACB and ASEAN family!
Mabuhay at magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat!. – End
