WELCOME REMARKS
FROM THE MAYOR, CITY OF BUTUAN
Mayor: Leonides Theresa B. Plaza

Message quoted by her representative: Vice Mayor Angelo Calo

Vice Mayor Calo stressed that RED Benjamin T. Tumaliuan and CENRO Rosendo A. Asunto had been working closely with the City of Butuan and had provided substantial assistance through projects and programs on environmental concerns.

He also informed that the Mayor is at Manila for a co-equally important meeting to attend to.

Quoted Message:

"It is a great honor and pleasure for me to be here, in behalf of the city government and the people of Butuan to welcome all of you to our historic city.

A very special welcome to our very special guest Secretary Elisea G. Gozun of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the undersecretaries and assistant secretaries who are also present today.

This is truly a singular event for the City to play host to the Provincial and City Environment and Natural Resources Officers of Mindanao, as well as the top management of DENR. We take pride in your presence here, and are happy that you have given this activity this kind of importance. This goes to show how much value you put into the management of the natural resources of Mindanao for the interest and welfare of the entire country.

Thank you for your effort in coming here to see for yourselves how our projects on environment preservation and management has fared in the Mindanao region.

Our City Government has always been at the forefront of environment initiatives. Rest assured that Butuan City will support your endeavours to preserve our natural resources.

I wish you success in all the activities that you are going to undertake in the next few days. Let me assure you that your welcome extend to the next times you will be visiting our city.

If you can take the time, while your are here, may I invite you also to visit some historic spots chronicling our rich past and diverse culture, especially the Buod Shrine and Eco-park Clonal Macrosomatic Nursery.

Secretary Gozun, ladies and gentlemen, once again, I bid you most welcome! Madiyaw nga pagkani."

Vice-Mayor Calo expressed the City’s deep gratitude to Secretary Gozun, RED Tumaliuan and CENRO Asunto for forging a tri-partite agreement for the realization of the Macro-somatic nursery. He also made mention on the voluminous cubic meters being donated by DENR through CENRO Asunto and RED Tumaliuan. He thanked to the Secretary for the seized illegal logs donated to the Balanghayan Butuan, a Gawad Kalinga inspired Shelter Program of the City Government, which is initiated by the Couples for Christ.