DENR to apply 'social fencing' tack to curb forest guards' slays

Manila, Philippines - Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje said they would apply the “social fencing” strategy tapping local communities, to help curb the spate of killings of forest guards in the country.

“Our proposal is that we utilize communities, the local government units and we will do some ‘social fencing’ to be vigilant and protect forests. They themselves can act as forest protectors,” he said.

“The participating communities will in turn benefit from the government’s conditional cash transfer program,” he added.

This developed after Elpidio Malinao, a forest guard deployed at the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems in Bay, Laguna, was shot dead last Monday.

Among the tasks of the center, a unit of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, is to protect Mt. Makiling.

Malinao was gunned down shortly after attending a court hearing on a case he filed against illegal settlers in the area.

Paje said President Aquino has given orders for the DENR, Department of National Defense, Department of the Interior and Local Government, the police and the military to come up with concrete solutions and actions on this matter.