DENR donates over P1 million seized forest products to DepEd

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources- 7 has donated over P1 million worth of confiscated forest products to the Department of Education.

DENR-7 executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo said a total of 65,870.30 board feet or 155.35 cubic meters of confiscated forest products with an estimated value of P1,119,795.10 have been donated by them to DepEd. The products are free from all liens and encumbrances and with no cases filed in court.

Most of these products are mahogany, gmelina, bagalunga, makaasim, molave, narra, teak, sangilo and acacia lumbers. Montejo said that the donation is in line with standing policy of DENR Secretary Ramon JP Paje to exhaust all means possible to speed up the adjudication procedures of illegally sourced and transported forest products to have them donated to DepEd.

Montejo said that these forest products were seized because of the absence of the necessary documents and requirements during transport.

DepEd will use the donated lumbers in the construction of various public school buildings or the manufacture of office fixtures, desks and tables. As indicated in the Deed of Donation, a certificate of completion of any DepEd project, signed by the Project Engineer supported with photographs and an itemized list of forest products used in the project should be submitted to DENR.

Likewise, an auditor from the Commission on Audit will be invited to witness the turnover for documentation and proper accounting purposes.

The province of Bohol received the most number of the donated forest products with 50,795.20 board feet or 77.11 percent, followed by Negros Oriental with 11,117.28 board feet or 16.88 percent. Cebu and Siquijor obtained 2,997.68 and 960.14 board feet, respectively.

Montejo said that DENR is conducting a continuous inventory of seized forest products to identify which are up for donation so that these could be useful as construction inputs for school buildings, desks and tables.

Montejo said additional forest products totaling to 22,092.30 board feet or 52.10 cubic meters are also up for donation in the coming months.  (FREEMAN)