Author Topic: Total Log Ban in Philippines Not Clear?  (Read 733 times)

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Total Log Ban in Philippines Not Clear?
« on: February 13, 2011, 07:32:23 AM »
Cebu’s creative industries are seeking clear and transparent guidelines and information before government agencies implement Executive Order (EO) 23, which declared an indefinite log ban all over the country.

In a position paper, the creative industries — composed of the furniture, gifts, toys and home décor, fashion accessories and garments sectors — cited potential problems that may arise once the order is implemented.

They pointed out that the order could lead to an immediate increase in the cost of raw materials due to a perceived shortage of supply; that it could promote harassment and extortion activities at checkpoints even if their logs are sourced from legitimate sources; and that it could create multi-dimensional interpretations of its provisions.

Last Feb. 3, President Benigno S. Aquino III signed EO 23 declaring a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests and creating the anti-illegal logging task force.

It is meant to protect the environment and prevent further destruction from natural disasters.

A budget of P10 million was approved as the seed fund for the creation of an anti-illegal logging task force, which will be headed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The Cebu creative industries, which comprise around 225 exporters that employ about 500,000 laborers, said that while the EO 23 addresses the “old problem of the wanton destruction and denudation of our forest resources by illegal loggers,” they are concerned about the potential adverse effects of the log ban.

“We pray that in order to eliminate ambiguities in the implementation of EO 23, clear and transparent guidelines should be issued and disseminated to all implementing agencies before implementation of the ban,” the sector said.

They appealed that all existing forestry agreements and contracts under the Industrial Tree Plantation (ITP) project be allowed to continue, as these are in the mandatory list of the investment priorities plan.

The exporters also appealed that the government specify clearly the land classification — for instance, what are standard and natural or residual forests. EO 23 provides that forestry agreements shall be cancelled if permit holders engage in logging activities in any natural or residual forest, although previous policies allow the harvesting in residual forests covered by forestry agreements, if these forests are not located in protected areas, watershed reservations or areas above 1,000 meters above sea level and slopes above 50 percent.

Lastly, the exporters asked whether or not the ban will be applied on new holders of forestry agreements.

“We realize that retroactive application of the logging ban on any natural or residual forest would result in the termination of many existing forestry agreements and contracts, and holders of these contracts are still guided by old policies. They are just about to reap the fruits of the IFMA (a 25-year agreement), which may not happen if EO 23 is not implemented appropriately,” the exporters said.

Philexport Cebu, the umbrella organization of all export sectors of Cebu, also noted that early this year, a focused group discussion was conducted in Cebu by an international non-government organization (NGO) called TFT and the local office of Phildansk, on the “tighter implementation” of a law against unlawful trafficking of wildlife.

Philexport Cebu said that exporters were informed that among the guidelines of the Lacey Act is a certification system, which will be implemented to trace the source of wood products in order to ensure that these do not come from illegal suppliers.

The exporters said they are hoping their concerns will be considered, since the poor implementation of the ban might affect the export sector that is still recovering from a two-year recession that hit major developed economies and export markets. (PNA)
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