Wood producers seek more time to phase out logging activities

MANILA, Philippines – Wood producers holding industrial forest management agreements (IFMAs) or timber license agreements (TLAs) are appealing to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to give them more time for an orderly phase-out of their logging activities in natural and residual forests included in their contracts.

According to Antonio Olizon, president of the Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA), the local wood industry is in turmoil and is apprehensive about the future.

Their apprehension, Olizon said, stems from the decision of the DENR not to come out with implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for Executive Order 23 which imposed a total log ban on all natural and residual forests.

“It’s very confusing,” Olizon said. “The DENR has no plans to issue (an) IRR on EO 23.”

Olizon revealed that “our businesses are on standby pending the clear orders and clear procedures from DENR. They should have at least given our member a winding down period or a phase out period.”

He admitted that “the situation for the wood industry is not good.”

He added that they would appeal to the DENR “to allow us to haul down our logs cut prior to the EO 23 order after the DENR has taken inventory.”

Olizon assured though that PWPA members affected by DENR Memorandum 52 have removed all their logging equipment from the natural and residual forests.

The DENR has temporarily stopped the issuance of wood processing permits for sawmills, mini-sawmills and veneer and plywood plants.

All operating wood processing plants were required to submit to the Task Force on Anti-illegal Logging their source of logs or wood for the next five years, together with the corresponding supply contracts and location maps.

The order is contained in DENR Memorandum 52 which set a Feb. 28, 2011 deadline for the removal of all logging tools and equipments such as chainsaws, bulldozers and graders, from all natural and residual forests nationwide.

The Feb. 28 deadline was imposed “to ensure that no further timber harvesting shall be done following the imposition of the logging moratorium by President Aquino.”

EO 23 imposed a total log ban on all natural and residuals forests and the creation of an anti-illegal logging task force.

The pull out of all logging and cutting paraphernalia is in consonance with EO 23 issued by President Aquino on Feb. 1, 2011.

In DENR Memorandum 52, the DENR also suspended the acceptance and processing of new, as well as the renewal or extension of, integrated operations plans, annual work plans or resource use permits in all natural and residual forests. –Marianne V. Go (The Philippine Star)