An abundance of trees

On the eve of the Chinese New Year, I was awakened by the noise generated by clanging pots, loud laughter, and slammed doors. One of my neighbors had decided to celebrate the coming of the Year of the Metal Rabbit while the rest of us slumbered. I didn’t feel angry, I wasn’t even annoyed at the inconvenience her party caused. Celebrating the beginning of something new is always a good thing and I try not to begrudge others the opportunity to bring in all the luck and abundance they want by allowing them to perform the rituals they believe in.

I have the same attitude about Executive Order No. 23 issued on 1 February 2011. President Aquino signed an order imposing an indefinite moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests in the entire country. It took a lot of floods and landslides before that was issued and I have doubts if it will still do any good, considering that we have very little natural and residual forests left. The record of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in enforcing environmental laws can be considered spotty at best.

It was in 1990 or over 20 years ago when the petitioners in the landmark case of Oposa v. Factoran (G.R. No. 101083, July 30, 1993) filed an action with the Manila Regional Trial Court asking the court to order the DENR to cancel all existing timber license agreements in the country and to cease and desist from receiving, accepting, processing, renewing or approving new timber license agreements. The Supreme Court recognized that petitioners, who were then minors, could “for themselves, for others of their generation and for the succeeding generations, file a class suit. Their personality to sue in behalf of the succeeding generations can only be based on the concept of intergenerational responsibility insofar as the right to a balanced and healthful ecology is concerned.” The Court refused to dismiss the case and ordered it to be remanded to the lower court.

I never figured out what happened to the case after. I guess timber license agreements got more politically correct names like the Integrated Forest Management Agreements (IFMA), Socialized Integrated Forest Management Agreements (SIFMA), and Community-Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA) and the merry cutting of trees in natural and residual forests went on. Always, the clamor for a total log ban got loud only when we were confronted with images of dead bodies from catastrophic flooding and landslides. We conveniently forgot as soon as the sun shone again.

The conservation of our remaining natural and residual forests is just one step though. These efforts need to be coupled with restoration of our denuded and degraded forests, using indigenous trees. I just hope that the reforestation program will be taken seriously and be truly community-based. I’ve heard of expensive government programs where twigs are stuck on the ground, pictures taken, and the “reforestation” recorded as a success without a single tree being planted.

My wish for 2011 is to be able to plant (or cause the planting of ) one hundred trees. A friend has given me narra seeds to get started. In 2012, I might join my neighbor in her abundance and prosperity rituals for the Year of the Dragon. If those rituals work, that might mean I’d get to plant a thousand trees next year.

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