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Monday, October 17, 2005
Davao Oriental town opposes revival of logging
By Ben O. Tesiorna and Stella A. Estremera
DAVAO CITY -- The Municipal Government of Baganga, Davao Oriental is demanding an investigation into the sudden revival of a timber license agreement (TLA) that has been suspended for the last 19 years.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Director Edilberto S. Buiser, in a press statement, said the environment secretary has not granted any logging concession but only lifted the suspension of the logging license of Matuguina Integrated Wood Products Inc.
Matuguina's logging license covers some 65,000 hectares, including the remaining forests of Bangaga, Manay, and Caraga.
The license was suspended by then Ministry of Natural Resources in 1986 due to poor performance in its reforestation projects.
But Environment Secretary Michael Defensor revived the license, in a memorandum to DENR 11 officials dated June 7 this year.
Matuguina's license, which was suspended for the last 19 years, will expire on April 15, 2008.
Buiser said the license belongs to Matuguina and has not been transferred to Top Lite Lumber Co. as earlier alleged by newspaper reports.
Earlier reports said a 50,000-hectare concession of Matuguina in Davao del Norte had been transferred to Top Lite Lumber Co., allegedly owned by a certain Johnny Chua who happens to be a friend of Defensor.
The DENR regional director also said that Defensor was correct when he said the company's operation remains suspended, even after the lifting of the license's suspension, simply because the company's logging operation has not started yet.
"The word 'operation' is very specific and categorical so as to be construed as actually harvesting timber. This activity mentioned is in truth and in fact not yet performed by MIWPI (Matuguina). The logging operation remains suspended up to this time," Buiser added in his statement.
The Municipal Council expressed its concern "about the sustainability and security in the protection and utilization of the natural resources of the municipality," in a resolution signed by Baganga Vice Mayor Cecilio.
The council agreed with the claims of environmentalists and the lumads (tribesmen) in Davao Oriental that the lifting of Matuguina license's suspension was done by Defensor without consultation.
Local government officials and leaders of lumads (indigenous peoples) in the three towns earlier questioned Defensor's action, saying it was done without consultation.
Buiser, meanwhile, said the Davao Region is one of two regions in the country where logging suspension was lifted. The other is in the Caraga Region.
He assured that the eventual operation of Matuguina, meaning its actual logging of areas, would only be allowed after the submission of a new Integrated Operations Plan.
"This Integrated Operations Plan shall be subjected to tedious process of technical evaluation, review, scrutiny and validation by the field offices concerned," the statement said.
"Most importantly, this process would also involve the imposition of conditions necessary to pass upon the operations, i.e. securing the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), public consultations, Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC), LGU endorsements from the barangays up to the provincial level, etc.," the statement added.
Buiser, however, failed to answer allegations that DENR personnel are preparing Matuguina's operational plan. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(October 17, 2005 issue)
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