DENR Isabela Chief backs EO 23 ‘Logging Moratorium’ by racquel m. caldez

ILAGAN, Isabela – DENR Isabela Chief William C. Savella expressed full support over President Benigno Aquino III’s issuance of Executive Order (EO) 23 on logging moratorium all over the country.

With these executive order, Savella strongly believed and agree with President Aquino’s declaration of the directive prohibiting for an indefinite period the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests (indigenous trees, not planted by man) and creating the anti-illegal logging task force in which the country’s chief executive signed on February 1 of this year.

“It is a good move for the Aquino Administration to protect the remaining forest cover”, Savella further said.

Environment workers said the directive emphasized that the country has been a witnessed to the changing climate conditions brought about by the La Nina phenomenon.

They divulged that the destructive effects are worsened due to the continuous denudation of forest zones attributed by the extreme illegal logging activities in some areas in the country.

DENR Regional Executive Director Benjamin Tumaliuan of Cagayan Valley urged the field offices to adhere with the instructions relative to Executive Order 23.

The DENR shall suspend the acceptance and processing of new and renewal/extension of Integrated Operations Plan and Annual Work Plan/Resource Use Plan Permits; suspend the cutting and harvesting operations of all existing tenure holders and permittees; suspend the acceptance and processing of new and renewal application for Wood Processing Plant Permits (sawmill, mini sawmill, veneer and plywood plants); suspend the issuance of transport documents for all logs cut and harvested in natural and residual forests prior to the issuance of EO 23 and transport thereof shall be allowed ONLY after proper inventory and upon CLEARANCE by Undersecretary for Field Operations Atty. Ernesto Adobo, Jr ; supervise the conduct of timber inventory of all logs cut and harvested and supervise immediate pull out of logging/cutting and hauling equipment from the areas programmed for logging operations in the natural and residual forests.

Usec Adobo directed the Regional Executive Directors to implement the aforementioned instructions pending review and evaluation of all existing Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA), Socialized Integrated Forest Management Agreement (SIFMA), Community-Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA).