President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order (EO) No. 23 last February 1 for the country to adapt to climate change. EO 23 is a moratorium on cutting and harvesting of timber in natural and residual forests, and created the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force.
But, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) clarified that it is only an indefinite moratorium for undocumented and illegally transported logs, not a total log ban. Once the apprehended wood processing plants comply with the requirements, they may resume operations.
The moratorium does not have a definite time span. But logging operations may continue in areas certified by the DENR. Only harvesting of timber from natural and residual forests, where trees are indigenous, is prohibited.
Dr. Rita Fe Cordova, DENR environment and natural resources information officer, said that following the Presidential Decree No. 705, or revised forestry code of the Philippines, planted species are allowed to be cut and transported, such as gmelina, rubber, falcatta while prohibited are hardwood species coming from natural forests such as lauan and narra.
In the Davao region, 155 wood processing plants (WPP) were shut down by the DENR last March and confiscated equipment, such as chainsaws to ensure the stoppage of operations. Even if the timber is harvested from privately planted trees, the supplier should obtain a certification from the DENR.
For those who had cut down trees before the issuance of EO 23, their logs were validated and counted showing the number of that were cut before the moratorium. So far, confiscated illegally transported wood were valued at P1.2 million. “These were illegally transported and undocumented wood products,” Cordova said.
Drivers of confiscated trucks with illegal logs, she said, abandoned their trucks, making it difficult for authorities to trace the supplier and the processing plant. With only the trucks’ plate numbers to help them track the culprit, she continued, it turned out that some of them were only rented, making it more difficult to discover to which WPP the logs were supposed to be delivered. Earlier, Cordova mentioned that six trucks were confiscated in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte.
Out of the total in the region, only 15 WPP have resumed operations after submitting their five-year supply contract with their supplier of woods, showing that they were not from natural and residual forests, and that they had had sustainable supply in the last five years.
These 15 WPPs are: ALSONS Talaingod Multi-Purpose Coop (ATEMCO), Boholano Lumber and Construction Supply, Lagang Merchandise, SCM Woodcraft & Furniture Shop, Consolidated Plywood Industries Incorporated (CPII), BNC Enterprises, Davao Panels Enterprises, Jojimcee Woodcraft, Torremonia Enterprises, B’nwan Wood Treatment Services and Sales, HS Boxes and Pallet Makers, I Neo Enterprises, Althea Wood Resource, JRL Lumber, and Sig Furniture and Woodcraft.
Further, 28 more WPPs will soon resume operations upon the completion of three signatories, Cordova told Edge Davao. These WPPs are: C. Alcantara & Sons, Inc., Chaverson Wood Industries, Forever Richsons Trading Corp., Mintrade Corporation, Mindanao Omega Industries, Peter Helen Wood Industry, Tagum PPMC Wood Veneer, Tagum Trio Lumber Corp., Veneering Master Woodphil Corp., Sindangan Wood Industries, Smart Plywood Industries, Inc., Superior Timber & Construction Supply, Baganga Plywood Corporation, Cateel Veneers Enterprises, SMWPI Wood Products, Inc., Ango Wood Industries, Lambajon Mini-Sawmill, BA Woodcraft & Furniture Shop III, BA Woodcraft & Furniture Shop I, Orient Wood Industries Co., Inc., Ango Wood Industries, Davao Panels Enterprises, Igangon Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Southern Isle Agri-Wood Dev. Industries Inc., Aquarius Mini-Sawmill and Mini-Veneer, Roviul Woodcraft and Furniture, RR Waste Mini-sawmill, and Gazeroma Manufacturing Plant, Inc..
Tagum City
The DENR and Department of Education (DepEd) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) allowing the DepEd to use unclaimed confiscated logs for school buildings and chairs.
Last April 1, 105 confiscated logs from the municipality of Talaingod, Davao del Norte, were turned over by the provincial DENR to the DepEd-Schools Division and the government of Tagum City. The local government has taken the responsibility to fabricate school materials out of the confiscated logs at the city’s motorpool, Tipaz. The finished products will be distributed to 31 public elementary schools in the city.
The logs were received by Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy and Jose M. Baldonado, DepEd assistant schools division superintendent, from officers-in-charge of the province and city environment and natural resources ffices, Marcia G. Isip and Antonio Inguillo, respectively.
Community’s role
Every year, some 1,900 hectares of natural and residual forests are lost due to cutting of indigenous trees. Since the issuance of EO 23, the regional DENR has monitored 73 barangays believed to be major sources of illegal timber. In Compostela Valley, there are 30 barangays monitored; 19 in Davao Oriental; 11 in Davao del Sur; 10 in Davao City; and three in Davao del Norte.
Cordova said there were cases when only concerned citizens texted the DENR that they had witnessed transporting of logs aboard enclosed vehicles/vans in Maco. Sometimes, from the forest, illegal loggers create their own trailway, even bridges, or sometimes float the logs down river.
“The community has the important role of protecting the natural forest and curbing illegal logging,” she said.
Meanwhile, the DENR recently employed some 200 forest rangers from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Army, Multi-Sectoral Forest Protection Committee (MFPC), non-government organizations, local government units, people’s organizations and tribal leaders. To be deployed in all forested areas in the region, the forest rangers will cover a total of 461,182.77 hectares.
