Wood producers seek review of logging moratorium

MANILA, Philippines - Wood producers are urging Malacañang to review the standing moratorium on logging operations in natural and residual forests, saying this is causing illegal loggers to get in the way of legitimate logging businesses.

The Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA) cited Executive Order 23, which suspended of logging in natural and residual forests on Feb. 1, 2011.

“They have legally taken our job of providing the market with logs,” said PWPA executive director Leonardo Angeles in a briefing yesterday.

Angeles said since the EO was issued, the DENR his not reviewed any forestry agreements and contracts including the Integrated Forest Management Agreements (IFMAs) of the PWPA members. He said the agency also failed to immediately stop the operations of those who violated forestry laws.

“So the next logical and just action to do is to lift the logging moratorium, or the temporary logging suspension, on those who have no violation and for them to continue their operations under their contracts,” said Angeles.

He said PWPA had repeatedly sent formal communication both to Malacañang and the DENR, but their concerns have not been addressed.

“Because the logging moratorium continues to stop legitimate logging and because of the demand for wood, a basic need of the Filipinos, the illegal loggers have taken over the wood supply chain; which means EO 23 punishes the legal but favors the illegal in the wood trade,” said Angeles.

PWPA director Aristeo Puyat said that even before the issuance of the moratorium, the local logging industry was only supplying 800,000 to one million cubic meters.

The country’s total wood requirement is more than three million cubic meters. Of this, 800,000 to one million cubic meters is supplied by the local industry; 1.5 million cubic meters is imported and 1.2 million cubic meters come from undocumented sources. 

Puyat said the volume of timber combing from undocumented sources is rising significantly.

He said that since the moratorium was imposed, 60,000 employees in the sector have lost their jobs.

Angeles said that Davao and the CARAGA areas in particular, are now hotspots of illegal logging.

The PWPA, he said, was not consulted on the issuance of Executive Order No. 23.

“Otherwise, it could have pointed out its serious implications on employment and livelihood of the people; on exposing the vulnerability of the forests to illegal logging; and on the peace and order situation in rural communities,” he said.