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Monday, April 18, 2005
Arroyo urges stiffer penalties for illegal loggers in Negros
By Roberto L. Bacasong
TALABAN, Himamaylan City - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo warned illegal loggers that her administration will go after them in the government's aim to preserve the remaining forests in Negros Occidental.
Arroyo said Negros forests must be preserved and protected in reaction to the pronouncement of Charles Mosser, chairman of the board of the Mossers Group of
Companies here, that the province's forests have been denuded because of massive illegal logging activities.
Mosser told the President that despite the government's strict implementation of the Forestry Code, people are still cutting trees particularly in the southern part of the province.
Arroyo led the inauguration of the Mossers' water project here.
The President said the reforestation program is one of her top priorities and to bolster this, stiffer penalties will be meted to violators.
Arroyo encouraged Negrenses to cooperate with her program especially in the serious campaign against loggers and other forms of activities that destroy the forests.
"Rehabilitation of forests and marine sanctuaries are my priorities to encourage the coming of investors and the influx of tourists in the country," Arroyo stressed.
Environment Secretary Mike Defensor, who was with the President during her visit, on the other hand, lauded the efforts of provincial and local government officials in the effective environmental management in the province.
Unlike Iloilo and Mindanao, with reported confiscation of huge containers of hot logs, Defensor said no "big report" of illegal logging activities was made in Negros.
When asked of the status of the illegal logging cases against officials of Don Salvador Benedicto town, Defensor refused to comment but said the case is now in the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice.
"Because of the government's campaign against logging activities, the battle of the 96 cases in Negros was successful," admitted Defensor.
He, however, said that for a more effective campaign against forest destruction, the government should amend the Forestry Code of the Philippines and increase the penalties on violators.
Mosser said he wanted the denuded portion of the Negros forests to be planted with trees to become "black forests," a campaign he launched and succeeded in Germany.
Defensor approved and awarded in Nov. 3, 2004 the Mosser Environment Corporation's integrated tenurial instrument consisting a total area of 8, 923 hectares located here, in Binalbagan Isabela and Moises Padilla.
These are for the four Socialized Industrial Forest Management Agreement (SIFMA) and Integrated Forest Management Program/Agreement (IFMA) projects.
The breakdown of the project: Parcel 1 - Barangays Carabalan, Mahalang and Buenavista, all in Himamaylan, 2,508.9 has.; Parcel 2 covering barangays Amontay, Biao and Santol in Binalbagan, 4,114.6 has.; Parcel 3 in Barangay Riverside, Isabela, and Barangay Amontay in Binalbagan, 1,709.2 has.; and Parcel 4 in Montilla, Moises Padilla, 590 hectares.
Mosser said this year, the company targeted and is committed to implement the following activities: establishing of new plantation covering 694 has.; propagate 1,120 of various trees species; conduct forest protection and maintenance activities within the existing tree plantations; construct infrastructure support such as firelines 440,000 sq.m. by 10 m. wide; two units bunk house, three units lookout tower and rehabilitation of 20 kilometers dilapidated logging road; and conduct silvicultural to improve the stand pending the approval of Annual Operations Plan (AOP) for CY 2005 forwarded to Defensor per memorandum dated April 5, 2005.
Vicente Paragas, DENR executive regional director, said continuous partnership with Gov. Joseph Marañon and the mayors in the 32 towns and cities of Negros had further strengthened the campaign to curb illegal logging activities.
"Negros Occidental is one of the most active provinces in Region 6 in protecting the province's environmental concerns," Paragas said.
Aside from this, Defensor said the environment department is giving importance to the campaign on illegal fishing in Negros.
"We need to protect the marine life in this province. Just like any other countries, illegal fishing is not allowed," said Defensor.
He further said there are many environmental concerns in Negros. However, the government's program will not prosper without the participation of the local government units.
(April 18, 2005 issue)
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