|
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Guv wants Arroyo to retain province's log ban
By Ben O. Tesiorna
COMPOSTELA Valley Governor Jose Caballero formally requested President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for his province to remain under total log ban despite the earlier order of its lifting in Regions 11 and 13.
In a letter to Environment Secretary Michael Defensor dated April 6, Caballero said the forest cover of Compostela Valley is at critical level "after decades of logging operations."
"During the logging boom in the 50's to 70's, the province's virgin forests had been subjected to massive concession and commercial logging operations by big logging firms without consequent reforestation," Caballero said.
The governor said that based on the recent data from the DENR, only 37,361 hectares or a mere 12 percent of the province's forestlands are left covered by the old growth forest.
He said this is the main factor why floods, erosion and landslides often hit their province.
"The worst flood that struck the province was on January 4, 2002 which inflicted damages worth P134.5 million in properties, crops, livestock, fishery resources and government infrastructures... Should forests of the surrounding mountains further go bald, the mainland is physically akin to the recently devastated lowlands of the provinces of Aurora, Quezon and Nueva Ecija," Caballero said.
The governor added that allowing logging in regions 11 and 13 only would put excessive pressure to their remaining forests. He added that the provincial government was never consulted in the decision for the lifting of the total log ban in the two regions.
Aside from Caballero, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte also declared that no logging would be allowed within the city saying he does not want Davao to become arid.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 12, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
