The no-nonsense effort
is consistent with the management direction “From the Ridges to the
Reefs” which was launched during the assumption of Regional Executive
Director Primitivo C. Galinato, Jr. as the DENR regional chief on
November 10, 2009.
Consistent with the
said direction, RED Galinato and the different sectoral services, line
bureaus and Provincial and Community Environment and Natural Resources
Offices have implemented the management strategies for the protection
of the environment and conservation of natural resources.
On March 24, 2010, RED
Galinato called the 121 Forest Rangers to a summit and exhorted them
to consolidate their forces in combating illegal activities in the
forest. The forest rangers were formed into a regional association to
organize, strengthen and harmonize their forces. Quick Response Teams
were also created to operate in their respective jurisdictions and
merge forces if needed. Days after the summit on
April 14, 2010, the Quick Response Teams from CENROS Albuera, Palo
and Baybay all in
Leyte had joint
operations and confiscated motorcycles loaded with contraband lumber
in Capoocan, Leyte.
The perpetrators:
RicRic Seblante et. al. coming from the towns of Capoocan and Carigara,
Leyte were all jailed in Carigiara. Criminal complaints were filed
against them before the Municipal Trial Court of Carigara for
violation of P.D. 705, the Forestry Code of the Philippines.
In a separate report,
Forest Management Service Regional Technical Director Felipe S. Calub
disclosed that 57 confiscation events of a total of 127 cubic meters
of lumber valued at P1.3 million were conducted by the Quick Response
Teams from the different field offices throughout the region from
January to June of this year.
Recently, the DENR has
also received an order from Regional Trial Court, Branch 36 of
Carigara, Leyte ordering the disposition of a seized motorboat, two
boat keels and illegally sourced lauan lumber, as it meted a penalty
to Santiago Villamor and Joseph Villamor from San Miguel, Leyte who
have been found violating the forestry code.
After through
investigation, the DENR has also caused the suspension of its own
employee, Armando Doque who had issued rattan transport permit beyond
his authority.
“We may be hard in
implementing the one strike policy in dealing with our own employees
who do not do their job properly. On the other hand, we give due
recognition and reward to our best performing employees. On June 28,
during the culmination program of the Environment Month, the DENR gave
recognition to 12 employees and 36 retirees for giving important
contributions to the DENR’s thrust and programs. The DENR had also
given recognition to 13 partners from the private sector, local
government units and the media for their untiring support to the DENR.
Forest protection and law enforcement is a tough job that we also
need the help of our partners from other sectors in dealing with the
perpetrators of the forest and doing forest development programs”, RED
Galinato said.
The DENR is also
imposing the stringent policy of not giving expired lumber dealers,
renewal of their license to operate if they cannot assure a legitimate
source of lumber which they can trade. These can come from existing
private plantation in and outside Region 8. “The applicant lumber
dealer cannot just show us papers but we have to validate whether they
have existing legitimate source of lumber supply”. Galinato added.
Another strategy is
seeking the involvement of the people’s organizations under the
Community Based Forest Management Program in forest management, they
being the actual occupants of the forest areas. “We will be calling
these POs to a summit this coming July 22 to 23 to discuss with them
the best strategies for the development and protection of forest
areas, Galinato quipped.
The management
direction “From the Ridges to the Reefs” is consistent with one of the
current priority thrust of DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje on forest
protection and development for productivity. This direction considers
that the forestlands should be amply protected as anything that
happens in the forest would certainly affect the balance of the
lowland including the marine and coastal areas.
