DENR Southern Leyte Declares No Issuance of Tree-Cutting Permit

TITLE: No tree-cutting permit issued in Southern Leyte -- DENR

Source:

By: Bong Pedalino, Press Release

Philippine Information Agency

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte -- February 9, 2011 -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) provincial office here declared that no tree-cutting permit was issued in any place in Southern Leyte.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO)Ricardo Tomol made this statement when Philippine Information Agency (PIA) called for updates regarding the ban imposed by President Benigno Aquino III on logging operations.

It can be recalled that last week, President Aquino signed Executive Order No. 23 imposing a moratorium on the cutting of trees nationwide, in the light of last month's killer floods and landslides caused by successive days of non-stop rains.

Tomol said the President’s order for tree-cutting ban was directed at preserving natural and residual forests, but his agency is still awaiting the guidelines of EO 23 for specific details and instructions.

Still, in Southern Leyte province, no permits were issued for these areas, in accordance with an earlier law initiated by Cong. Roger Mercado which was similar in nature to the President’s EO 23, said Tomol.

What was issued permits are only for Community-based Forestry Management (CBFM) programs, and these involved planted trees in titled, private lots.

Under the CBFM arrangement, natural grown trees in private, titled lots are allowed to be cut, but in EO 23 such arrangement is no longer allowed, Tomol said. (PIA-Southern Leyte)

Complete URL: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=16116