# House Plenary: Budget Funding Manifestations - September 30, 2026

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1XUtgIEBm8

AI-assisted working draft. AI can make errors. Always check quotations, names, rulings, and other consequential details against the official video.

**[00:54:31.360] Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu** (asr-000000-insert-3271360)  
Madam Speaker, with leave of the House, I move to open the privilege hour.

**[00:54:36.080] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000000-insert-3276080)  
Is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The motion is approved. The privilege hour is now open. Majority Leader.

**[00:54:43.300] Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu** (asr-000000-insert-3283300)  
Madam Speaker, I move to recognize Representative Emigdio Tanjuatco III of the Second District of Rizal for his privilege speech.

**[00:54:51.680] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000000-insert-3291680)  
Is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The motion is approved. The honorable representative from the Second District of Rizal, Dino Tanjuatco III, is hereby recognized.

**[00:55:03.500] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-3303500)  
Madam Speaker, distinguished colleagues, I rise today on a matter of personal and collective privilege and on the occasion of the Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month, or MANAMO, which we observe throughout September by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 316.

**[01:03:28.000] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-3808000)  
Despite that, the sea sustains millions of Filipinos. In 2024, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources recorded approximately 2.6 million registered fisherfolk in our country. And while fisherfolk poverty has declined over the years, the latest BFAR profile reports that 27.4% of fisherfolk were still living in poverty in 2023.

**[01:04:18.400] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-3858400)  
And there is another number we cannot ignore. In 2025, Philippine fisheries production fell to approximately 3.96 million metric tons, a decline of 2.5% from 2024. More concerning, marine municipal fisheries production fell by 6.7%. These are the waters where many of our small-scale fishermen make their living. Behind every percentage point are boats returning with smaller catches, families facing higher costs and communities becoming increasingly vulnerable. That is why maritime governance is not simply about sovereignty. It is about food security. When our fishing grounds deteriorate, the consequence eventually reaches every Filipino, even those who live hundreds of kilometers from the coast. It reaches us in the price of fish in our markets. It reaches us in our dependence on imports. And it reaches the poorest Filipino families first.

**[01:06:10.600] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-3970600)  
Our young scientists leave because there are too few research vessels, laboratories, grants, and opportunities for them for for them here.

**[01:09:11.400] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-4151400)  
Third, we must make a serious national investment in marine science. A country cannot govern what it does not understand. We need more oceanographers, marine biologists, hydrographers, fishery scientists, engineers, climate scientists, maritime lawyers, and researchers. We need research vessels. We need laboratories. We need sustained funding for ocean mapping, hydrographic surveys, marine scientific research, and bioprospecting. And we need government to listen to Filipino scientists when it makes maritime policy. Our maritime domain should never be better understood by others than ourselves.

**[01:09:56.500] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-4196500)  
Fourth, we must put our fisherfolk and coastal communities at the center of maritime governance. For a fisherman, sovereignty is not an abstract principle. Sovereignty becomes real when he can fish safely, when there are still fish to catch, when illegal fishing is stopped, when he has access to cold storage, ports, financing, technology, and markets, when government vessels can assist him in distress, and when his children can see a future in the community where they were born. We cannot speak loudly about defending our seas while neglecting the Filipinos whose lives depend upon them.

**[01:10:36.700] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-4236700)  
Fifth, we must build national maritime capability. Our Navy and Coast Guard must have the vessel, surveillance systems, communications, infrastructure, personnel, and logistics necessary to perform their functions. But maritime capability goes far beyond defense. It also means modern ports, a competitive ship building and repair industry, reliable inter island transportation, search and rescue, fisheries enforcement, marine environmental protection, hydrographic capability, disaster response, and importantly, maritime domain awareness. The ability to know what is happening in our waters, understand its implications and respond effectively because we cannot govern what we cannot see.

**[01:15:38.880] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-4538880)  
Let us translate maritime consciousness into legislation, into appropriations, into oversight, into science and research, into ships and ports, into protection and opportunities for our fisherfolk, into sustainable industries and decent jobs, into education for our children, and into a long-term national maritime strategy that transcends administrations and recognizes the Philippines for what it has always been: a maritime and archipelagic nation. We have drawn the legal boundaries of our maritime zones. Now we must give meaning to what lies within them. We have asserted our rights under international law. Now we must build the capacity to exercise those rights. We have told the world that these waters matter to us. Now we must demonstrate through our laws, our budgets, our institutions, and our actions how much they matter. Because maritime consciousness ultimately begins with one simple realization: the sea is not merely around us. The sea is part of us. It feeds us. It connects us. It carries our commerce. It protects our communities. It shapes our climate. It holds our history. And within it lies a great part of our future.

**[01:17:12.880] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-4632880)  
Let these words not merely describe what we aspire to do as a nation. Let them define the Philippines we choose to build.

**[01:17:27.200] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000000-insert-4647200)  
Majority Leader.

**[01:17:28.640] Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu** (asr-000000-insert-4648640)  
Madam Speaker.

**[01:17:34.320] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000000-insert-4654320)  
The Honorable Rufus Rodriguez is recognized.

**[01:17:36.340] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-4656340)  
I would like to request, Mr. Speaker, if the Honorable Gentleman from Rizal, our former chairman of the Committee on Revision of Laws, of which he very much shepherded well, and we have many, many successes in that particular committee, would answer to some interventions from this representation.

**[01:18:01.360] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-4681360)  
Madam Speaker, yes, Madam Speaker.

**[01:18:04.080] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000000-insert-4684080)  
Please proceed, Representative Rodriguez.

**[01:34:55.000] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-5695000)  
Let's go now to the rights. The second part of your speech talks about the fisherfolk. In our country, there are 2,600,000 members of the fisherfolk sector. Don't you agree with that? 2.6 million.

**[01:35:15.400] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-5715400)  
Yes, Madame Speaker. Uh the figure cited by the distinguished colleague from Kagayand Oro is uh correct.

**[01:35:24.600] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-5724600)  
Yes, because precisely we discussed that in the department of agriculture budget that we have the 2.6 million fisher folk and more than uh 7 to 9 million farmers. Now the our fisher fox is the backbone of our food security in this country. Correct. It is one of the backbones of food security for our country.

**[01:35:54.600] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-5754600)  
Yes, Madam Speaker. I think it is the what it should be a the one of the major uh backbone or the the major backbone of our economy considering that we are a marine and archipelagic nation.

**[01:36:08.400] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-5768400)  
And would the distinguished colleague know the poverty incidence of our fisherfolk? How much is the percentage of fisherfolk below the poverty line?

**[01:36:22.360] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-5782360)  
Well, Madam Speaker, as of 2023, 27.4% of fisherfolk were below the poverty line.

**[01:36:30.000] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-5790000)  
It is about 30.3%. Probably I have a later figure: 30.2 or 4%, 3.4%. 30.4% are poor, very poor, in spite of the fact that we are an archipelagic country with a lot of waters and fishing grounds. Imagine, almost one-third of our fisherfolk are under the poverty threshold. That is why we laud our distinguished colleague for coming out with this maritime awareness speech. And would you know the problems facing our fisherfolk today? If you can just mention three of the very threatening conditions to our fisherfolk, which have a poverty [unclear] of 30%.

**[01:37:30.060] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-5850060)  
Madam Speaker, one would be security: when our fisherfolk go out to fish, they do not know what will be their future when it comes to intrusions by other countries, specifically China.

**[01:37:46.800] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-5866800)  
China.

**[01:37:48.000] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-5868000)  
Second, Madam Speaker, is the supply because of the intrusions made by intrusive countries. Our coral reefs, which are the bread basket of our marine life, have been compromised and have deteriorated and lowered the supply of fish. And lastly, it would be the unpredictability, Madam Speaker, of their future. I think these are the three main concerns that should be addressed by this chamber and by other government agencies.

**[01:38:33.760] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-5913760)  
Thank you, distinguished colleague. Madam Speaker, yes, these are three important factors why we have a fisherfolk sector that is becoming poorer and poorer. And three other factors have been attributed by the World Bank and number one is intrusion of commercial fishing. big fisher folks because of that wrong decision of the Supreme Court which says that the rights of Fisher the Fisher folk on the 15 kilometers municipal waters is not absolute only preferential and therefore in a certain case that went to the Supreme Court the Supreme Court allowed commercial B vessels big big fleets of fishing boats entering the 15 kilometer municipal waters. What does our distinguished colleague say about this commercial intrusion into the domain of our fisher folk in the 15 kilometers municipal waters as granted to them by the fisheries code of the Philippines?

**[01:40:01.680] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-6001680)  
Madam Speaker, I think that should be revisited, reevaluated again. It is uh the net effect of that uh of that ruling uh greatly compromises the conditions uh or the status of our fisher folk. Uh right now uh to begin with the capabilities of our of our fisher folk to be able to maximize their daily catch is already compromised by lack of equipment, lack of uh funding. And then if you have a uh policy or a ruling that will allow intrusions by commercial fishers then the more their condition will be uh compromised. So I think the uh the the statement of the distinguished gentleman from Kagayanoro is correct that uh there is a flaw in that uh decision.

**[01:41:03.680] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-6063680)  
Thank you, Chair.

**[01:41:05.200] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-6065200)  
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Now, I filed a bill that will now, instead of preferential treatment and preferential fishing by our fisher folk in the coastal municipalities and cities. I filed a bill that it will now be exclusive because precisely many of our fisher folk on the shorelines of municipalities and cities throughout the country depend on this municipal waters. So if we allow commercial fishing fleets to dislodge them and get the fish production then we have a big problem. Would the honorable or of course a former chairman of the committee on revision of laws uh would you care to uh co-author that bill to make it uh a uh not preferential right but exclusive right of our fisher folk to fish in the 15 kilometers municipal water.

**[01:42:13.500] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-6133500)  
Madame Speaker, I will consider it both an honor and a privilege to co-author the bill of the distinguished gentleman from Kagayondor.

**[01:42:20.300] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-6140300)  
Thank you very much, Mr. Madam Speaker. Then the second one, the second important factor why fish production has decreased is according to the World Bank climate change. Because of climate change especially the El Nino oxygen levels of the sea and the waters are brought down and this says this this will decrease food production. So does the uh distinguished colleague agree that we should have measures to protect our fisher folk and give support for them because of the incoming El Nino phenomenon.

**[01:43:06.000] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-6186000)  
Yes. Uh Madame Speaker, I cannot agree more with the statement of the distinguished gentleman from Kraoro that because of climate change, I think there's there should be a priority into uh coming out with policies and uh uh uh programs to deal with the uh oncoming uh onslaught of uh El Nino because um if I'm not mistaken, right now southern American countries are already feeling the the hit of El Nino and if the uh predictions of our government agencies are correct I think by the first quarter of next year we will feel the brunt of El Nino. So uh the uh distinguished gentleman from Kagendor is correct in uh in his statement madame speaker. Thank you distinguished colleague.

**[01:43:56.560] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-6236560)  
Thank you, distinguished colleague. And finally, international agencies concerned with food security has stated that the third problem facing our country today aside from commercial incursion, the big vessels incursion in the municipal waters. Aside from the climate change effect on the water's oxygen level become low affecting our fishes. The third one is we call resource degradation and these are one we have now a problem of coastal reclamation. When you reclaim you listen the seas near the shorelines affects the fish in the construction of this uh coastal uh reclamation. Second, there is now some seabed quarrying uh that will also kill our fish and of course illegal fishing. So, do you does the gentleman agree that we should have policies to prevent coastal destructive reclamation, seabed quarrying affecting our fishes and illegal illegal fishing?

**[01:45:22.400] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-6322400)  
Madam Speaker, I perfectly agree, Madam Speaker.

**[01:45:25.360] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-6325360)  
Thank you. And therefore, finally, Madam Speaker, to be able to have a department which will take care of our fisherfolk, this particular presentation with the Honorable Brian Poe, we have filed a bill to create the department. This will not be anymore BFAR, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. We now have a bill approved by the committee that we will create a department, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Why? Because precisely they have to be given the budget, one, for regulation against coastal degradation, seabed quarrying, illegal fishing, to be able to plan for El Ni?o, and to prevent commercial intrusion.

**[01:46:31.280] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-6391280)  
May we know whether the distinguished sponsor will also sponsor, become one of the leading sponsors, as a fellow lawyer and one of the best lawyers in our country? We will therefore have a Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources because, as stated by the honorable colleague, [unclear] we have 7,641 islands in an archipelago with so much internal waters and the West Philippine Sea. Would our distinguished colleague join us in the creation of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources?

**[01:47:28.600] Rep. Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III** (asr-000000-insert-6448600)  
Madam Speaker, I will consider it an honor to be in the company of the Honorable Rufus Rodriguez in sponsoring the bill.

**[01:47:36.200] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-6456200)  
With that, Mr. Madam Speaker, I thank again and I congratulate the honorable representative Dino Tanatko of Rizal for his excellent answers. All the answers were correct. And regarding my particular questions and interpolations, excellent, all excellent answers because he's a learned man of the law. And so therefore with that I would like again madame chair to congratulate the honorable Dino Tanatco. Thank you very much Madam Speaker.

**[01:48:16.720] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000000-insert-6496720)  
Majority Leader.

**[01:48:18.960] Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu** (asr-000000-insert-6498960)  
Madam Speaker, I move that we refer the speech of the Honorable Emigdio Tanjuatco III with its interpellation to the Committee on Rules for its appropriate action.

**[01:48:29.920] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000000-insert-6509920)  
Is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The speech of the Honorable Tanjuatco, including its interpellations or manifestations, is hereby referred to the Committee on Rules for its appropriate action. Majority Leader.

**[01:48:42.000] Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu** (asr-000000-insert-6522000)  
Madam Speaker, I move that we extend the privilege hour for another 30 minutes.

**[01:48:47.200] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000000-insert-6527200)  
Is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The motion is approved. The privilege hour is extended for another 30 minutes. Majority Leader.

**[01:48:55.300] Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu** (asr-000000-insert-6535300)  
Madam Speaker, I move that we recognize the Honorable Christopher Sheen Gonzalez from the Lone District of Eastern Samar for his interpellation.

**[01:49:05.280] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000000-insert-6545280)  
Is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The motion is approved. The representative from the Lone District of Eastern Samar, Christopher Sheen Gonzalez, is hereby recognized for his privilege speech.

**[01:49:20.960] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000000-insert-6560960)  
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, I rise to speak about a small town, yet immense in historical weight and significance. A town whose name has traveled far beyond our shores.

**[02:12:46.800] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000000-insert-7966800)  
Madam Speaker, thank you, my dear colleagues.

**[02:13:00.480] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000000-insert-7980480)  
The Honorable Rufus Rodriguez is recognized.

**[02:13:02.160] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-7982160)  
I wish to ask our distinguished representative from the Lone District of Eastern Samar, the Honorable Sheen Gonzalez, if he is willing to accept some interpellations from this representation.

**[02:13:19.040] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000000-insert-7999040)  
Yes, Madam Speaker. It is my honor to be interpellated by my ninong, Congressman Rufus Rodriguez.

**[02:13:27.600] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000000-insert-8007600)  
That is one of the reasons why I am interpellating.

**[02:13:30.160] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000000-insert-8010160)  
Please proceed, Representative Rodriguez.

**[02:20:25.000] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000001)  
Madam Speaker,

**[02:20:26.660] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000001-split-2)  
I would suggest Madam Speaker that the Honorable Gentleman from Samar will be able to get already an architect of note and to be able to make plans already. And I will help, certainly being Vice Chair of the Committee on Appropriations.

**[02:20:47.220] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000002)  
I will do that.

**[02:20:48.030] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000002-split-2)  
Try to have this included in our budget, under the budget of the Department of Tourism, so that we will already start the construction of this very worthy edifice called the war memorial, first, for heritage, culture and history, so that our children, our children's children will know that there is a place

**[02:21:17.220] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000003)  
in the Philippines called Balangiga, Eastern Samar, where in spite of the fact that the Americans were having long firearms, the people of Balangiga attacked them with bolos.

**[02:21:31.780] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000004)  
Yeah, that's right, Madam Speaker.

**[02:21:34.300] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000005)  
So fighting it out against formidable odds, but won, particularly in that particular Balangiga fight for freedom.

**[02:21:45.960] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000006)  
The problem is that the Americans, after the death of 54 of them, you know, they said General Jacob Howling Wilderness Smith.

**[02:21:58.440] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000007)  
And this general said, kill and burn.

**[02:22:04.380] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000008)  
See?

**[02:22:05.520] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000009)  
And many hundreds were killed by Howling Wilderness Smith.

**[02:22:11.220] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000010)  
And he was investigated by the U.S. Congress.

**[02:22:15.960] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000011)  
Because of this Balangiga Massacre.

**[02:22:19.820] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000012)  
From Balangiga Bells, we now have the Balangiga Massacre led by General Jacob Smith of the Howling Wilderness.

**[02:22:30.200] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000013)  
He made Eastern Samar a Howling Wilderness.

**[02:22:35.000] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000014)  
Why Howling?

**[02:22:35.720] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000015)  
Because of the cries of the Eastern Samarrenos who were killed by this General Smith.

**[02:22:43.680] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000016)  
And so going back to that.

**[02:22:45.960] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000017)  
I support that particular venture, and if we're able to get the figure for how much budget is needed,

**[02:22:54.960] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000018)  
I am going to make sure that I will work with our committee chair, [unclear].

**[02:23:02.240] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000019)  
Thank you very much for that, Madam Speaker.

**[02:23:03.620] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000020)  
That we will give many response from Congressman Shin Gonzales.

**[02:23:08.300] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000021)  
Thank you so much.

**[02:23:09.580] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000022)  
Maraming salamat po, Madam Speaker.

**[02:23:11.920] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000023)  
In addition...

**[02:23:12.960] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000023-insert-8592960)  
Po, sa sinabi po ni Congressman Rufus, sinunog pa po, nasunog pa rin yung simbahan, yung ginamit nilang warning, yung kampana, yung lugar na iyon, sinunog by the Americans.

**[02:23:29.360] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000023-insert-8609360)  
But you have to be friends with them now.

**[02:23:30.560] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000023-insert-8610560)  
But we are friends, of course. At malaki ang bagay, malaking bagay para sa Pilipinas kung ito po ay mabibigyan ng pansin sa Balangiga. Maraming salamat po, Kong Rufus, sa suporta. Siguro, [unclear] ang pagkakaibigan ng Pilipinas at ang Amerika.

**[02:23:51.440] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000023-insert-8631440)  
Thank you. So we urge Speaker [unclear], Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations [unclear], to be able to support and help in the establishment of the Philippine-American War Memorial in Balangiga.

**[02:31:36.880] Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez** (asr-000023-insert-9096880)  
Madam Speaker, I wish to again congratulate the Honorable Sheen Gonzalez for a very worthy historical, educational privilege speech, taking into account the need to recognize our heroes in Eastern Samar, Balangiga, and the places in Palapag, Guiuan and Homonhon. Once again, thank you, Madam Speaker. Congratulations, Congressman Gonzalez.

**[02:32:09.360] Rep. Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales** (asr-000023-insert-9129360)  
Salamat, Congressman Rufus. Thank you.

**[02:32:12.800] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000023-insert-9132800)  
Majority Leader.

**[02:32:14.000] Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu** (asr-000023-insert-9134000)  
Madam Speaker, I move that we refer the speech, with its interpellation, of the Honorable Christopher Sheen Gonzalez to the Committee on Rules for its appropriate action.

**[02:32:24.160] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000023-insert-9144160)  
Is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The motion is approved. The speech of the Honorable Christopher Sheen Gonzalez, as well as its interpellations, will be referred to the Committee on Rules. Majority Leader.

**[02:33:42.000] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000023-insert-9222000)  
Majority Leader.

**[02:33:43.000] Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu** (asr-000023-insert-9223000)  
Madam Speaker, I move that we extend the privilege hour for another 30 minutes.

**[02:33:48.320] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000023-insert-9228320)  
Is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The motion is approved. The privilege hour is extended for another 30 minutes. Majority Leader.

**[02:33:58.200] Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu** (asr-000023-insert-9238200)  
Madam Speaker, I move that we recognize the Honorable Brian Poe from FPJ Panday Bayan Partylist for his privilege speech.

**[02:34:09.680] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000023-insert-9249680)  
Is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The motion is approved. The Honorable Representative Brian Poe of the FPJ Panday Bayan Partylist is recognized for his privilege speech.

**[02:34:22.320] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000023-insert-9262320)  
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, distinguished colleagues, mga kababayan, FPJ Youth here today, I stand before you not just as a legislator but as a Filipino grieving for a piece of our heritage that is slipping through our fingers.

**[02:38:10.000] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000024)  
We cannot talk about the Tamaraw without talking about the heroes who stand between them and extinction.

**[02:38:16.960] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000025)  
Our Bantay Tamaraw Rangers from the Tamaraw Conservation Program or TCP

**[02:38:23.680] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000026)  
and the indigenous Mangyan tribes like the Taubuid

**[02:38:28.300] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000027)  
who share the ancestral domain with these creatures.

**[02:38:34.720] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000028)  
These rangers patrol up to 75,000 hectares of landscape

**[02:38:39.420] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000029)  
They track the dense kogon grasses, monitor the genetic bottlenecks

**[02:38:45.820] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000030)  
and face off against armed poachers.

**[02:38:49.120] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000031)  
Pero anong binibigay natin sa kanila?

**[02:38:52.000] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000032)  
Their program is chronically underfunded.

**[02:38:55.920] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000033)  
During the pandemic, their meager budgets were slashed

**[02:38:58.820] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000034)  
which greatly impacted their job security.

**[02:39:02.780] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000035)  
Our rangers are walking the mountains with broken shoes

**[02:39:06.700] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000036)  
risking their lives, sometimes even going hungry.

**[02:39:09.420] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000037)  
The real endangered species here are the Bantay Tamaraw Rangers themselves

**[02:39:15.840] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000038)  
underpaid, underfunded, and left to fight armed poachers with empty stomachs.

**[02:39:23.300] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000039)  
Madam Speaker, we have a clear roadmap.

**[02:39:27.040] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000040)  
Under the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan or PBSAP 2024-2040

**[02:39:35.580] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000041)  
under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,

**[02:39:39.420] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000042)  
Biodiversity Management Bureau, or DENR-BMB,

**[02:39:44.660] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000043)  
an estimated amount of 92.8 billion per year in funding is required

**[02:39:51.660] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000044)  
for biodiversity conservation in this country.

**[02:39:55.780] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000045)  
However, for fiscal year 2026, the DENR-BMB is only working under a limited budget of 308 million.

**[02:40:05.500] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000046)  
This is a great setback for the fulfillment

**[02:40:09.420] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000048)  
of the PBSAP.

**[02:40:12.020] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000049)  
Along with the PBSAP is the Tamaraw Conservation Management Action Plan, or TOMAP,

**[02:40:18.880] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000050)  
which aims to increase the count to 2,000 Tamaraos by the year 2050.

**[02:40:25.100] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000051)  
However, these plans on paper cannot stop bullets.

**[02:40:29.180] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000052)  
Plans on paper cannot stop bulldozers.

**[02:40:32.680] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000053)  
This is an urgent call to the DENR and to my fellow legislators

**[02:40:37.400] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000054)  
and to every Filipino.

**[02:40:39.420] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000055)  
Dalaw Turo and IEC campaigns are doing their best to educate the youth.

**[02:40:46.160] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000056)  
But they need our legislative teeth and budgetary muscle.

**[02:40:50.940] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000057)  
Madam Speaker, this is the core of the animal welfare advocacy,

**[02:40:56.740] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000058)  
protecting what is innately Filipino beyond humanity and in practice of it.

**[02:41:02.840] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000059)  
Let us build a legacy for the benefit of current and future generations

**[02:41:10.300] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000061)  
Iligtas natin ang Tamaraw.

**[02:41:13.220] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000062)  
natin ang gubat ng Mindoro.

**[02:41:17.560] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000063)  
Let it not be written in history

**[02:41:20.440] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000064)  
that the generation that had the tools to save the Tamaraw

**[02:41:25.560] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000065)  
was the generation that watched it die.

**[02:41:30.160] Rep. Brian Poe** (asr-000065-insert-9690160)  
Thank you, Madam Speaker, and my colleagues.

**[02:41:34.960] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000065-insert-9694960)  
Majority Leader.

**[02:41:37.920] Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu** (asr-000065-insert-9697920)  
Madam Speaker, I move to refer the speech of the Honorable Brian Poe to the Committee on Rules for its appropriate action.

**[02:41:46.640] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000065-insert-9706640)  
Is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The motion is approved. The speech of the Honorable Brian Poe is referred to the Committee on Rules. Majority Leader.

**[02:41:57.360] Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu** (asr-000065-insert-9717360)  
Madam Speaker, there being no other member who wishes to avail of the privilege hour, I move that we terminate the privilege hour.

**[02:42:05.440] Deputy Speaker Mercedes K. Alvarez** (asr-000065-insert-9725440)  
Is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The motion is approved. The privilege hour is closed. Majority Leader.