Check for pest infestation, too, Paje orders forest guards

MANILA, Philippines - Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje has ordered forest guards to be on the lookout for signs of damage in trees due to insect or fungi infestation while doing their forest surveillance duties.

“The gains we have posted thus far in the National Greening Program (NGP) has prompted a wide range of responses to include the hiring of more forest guards and ensuring the efficiency in monitoring the health of our forests through the activation of an early-warning-surveillance systems against incidence or potential outbreaks of pest infestation in our forests,” Paje said.

He said the NGP’s target of covering 1.5 million hectares by 2016 is to grow healthy trees and not just to plant seedlings. 

Paje issued Administrative Order 2012-05 directing every Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) with forests under its jurisdiction to designate a Forest Surveillance and Monitoring Officer (FSMO).

“The FSMO shall conduct regular forest inspection activities in his/her area of jurisdiction and coordinate with the forest tenure holders, private plantation owners, protected area supervisors, or indigenous peoples groups, and local communities,” the order stated.

Paje said the forest-pest-watch duties of forest guards form part of CENRO’s regular forest protection activities “with or without infestation.”

In 1985, a forest pest  called “jumping lice” wrought havoc in Ipil-Ipil tree  plantations in the uplands.  

Other forest pests include the beehole borer, which attacks the acacia, yemane and gmelina arborea; the six-spined engraver beetle or ipis beetle which feed on the  Benguet pine; shoot borer on mahogany; varicose borer on  bagras; and teak defoliator and teak skeletonizer on teak.