New requirement for forest areas mulled

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) plans to impose an environmental and social rehabilitation program requirement on existing and prospective Industrial Forest Management Agreements (IFMA).

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Horacio C. Ramos said this is similar to the Social Development Management Program (SDMP) requirement already imposed on Mineral Processing and Sharing Agreements (MPSA).

Ramos hopes to be able to put the environment and social rehab program requirement to IFMAs in place before his stint at the DENR ends.

An environmental and social rehab program will ensure that forestry areas/plantations would be restored and rehabilitated after their commercial life is over, Ramos said.

Likewise, IFMA holders should also be obligated to put in place social programs that would address the needs of the local communities or indigenous people in the affected areas covered by the IFMA.

DENR undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio said the guidelines for the environmental and social rehab program are now being drawn up.

If allowed by law, he said the program would be imposed even on existing IFMA holders and for all IFMAs issued in the future.

According to data from the Forest Management Bureau, there are some 15.8 million hectares of forest lands of which 15.05 million hectares are classified forest land and 755,009 hectares are unclassified forest lands.

Of the 15.05 million hectares classified forest lands — 10.056 million hectares are established timberlands; 3.27 million hectares are established forest reserves; only 1.34 million hectares are national parks; around 126, 130 hectares are civil reservations; 165,946 hectares are military reservations and 91,077 hectares are fishponds.