Wood industry fears massive losses from ban

THE country stands to lose as much as P30 billion in revolving investments and about $1 billion worth of value-added wood products exports if the government implements a logging ban.

“We call on the national government not to make sweeping actions. The cessation of wood-related operations will impact on the national government and the people who are directly and indirectly connected to the wood production business,” Philippine Wood Producers Association president Antonio Olizon said in a briefing on Thursday in Quezon City.

In a position paper, the group alleged that the proposed log ban will result in a massive lay-off of about 650,000 workers directly employed in wood production, and dislocate 1.5 million people who are indirectly employed by wood-using industries.

Olizon said the ban, if implemented, will automatically shut down the operations of legitimate wood producers and allied industries such as lumber suppliers, furniture makers and those into carpentry who are dependent on local timber.

The group also expressed concern that once the ban is implemented, the price of imported wood may rise drastically.

“The wood supply gap will hurt consumers, particularly the lower income class who might not be able to cope up with the inflating cost of wood for housing and will all the more encourage illegal logging,” said association spokesman Evaristo Narvaez Jr.

“And we don’t have the security of getting what we need from imports since log surplus countries have also imposed log export ban and quotas,” he added.

The proposed ban may also put in jeopardy export commitment for high value and high-end wood products estimated to add at least $1 billion to national coffers.

In addition, a nationwide log ban would not be in accord with the principles of Sustainable Forest Management adopted during the Rio de Janeiro Summit in 1992 and was subsequently affirmed during the Johannesburg Summit in 2001 of which the Philippines is a signatory. –Othel V. Campos, Manila Standard Today