Many lumber firms operating without permit in Region7

CEBU, Philippines - Three hundred twenty one or 67 percent of 479 wood processing plants and lumber dealing establishments in Central Visayas are operating without the necessary permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7.

DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Maximo O. Dichoso said an inventory was conducted by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (CENROs) showed that Cebu province has 81 firms with permit and 188 or 70 percent are without permit. 

In Bohol, 31 firms have permit while 50 firms or 62 percent have no permit. 

Meanwhile, Negros Oriental has a total of 108 establishments, 63 or 58 percent have no permit to operate and 45 have permits. In Siquijor, 95 percent or 20 out 21 have no permits. Earlier, Dichoso issued a notice of violation (NOV) to 321 wood processing plant operators and lumber dealers without the appropriate permit.

In a statement, Dichoso said DENR is giving operators until March 2012 to fully comply with the requirements of the forestry laws. Firms that fail to do so by this time will be closed. To recall, President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order No. 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.

Taking a cue on the dismal compliance of existing forestry laws and regulations, DENR-7 organized a series of dialogues with lumber dealers and wood processing plant operators in four provinces in the region.

The dialogue, Dichoso said, is pursued to identify certain gaps and issues on how to deal with the low level of compliance among the operators and to find acceptable solutions to the problem.

Recently, close to 150 lumber dealers and operators attended the dialogue held at Ecotech Pavillion, Lahug, Cebu City. Dichoso added that DENR-7 is willing to provide the needed support and assistance to the operators and dealers through expediting and facilitating of accepting and approving new applications and renewal, as long as the latter will respect and hold on to the established environmental regulations. — (FREEMAN)