Guv's vending ban along forest's highway defied

BILAR, BOHOL, Philippines  – Vending of tourist’s souvenir items along the national highway traversing the Bilar-Loboc man-made forest has been going on, in the presence of some policemen, despite the ban imposed by Governor Edgar Chatto.

One of the vendors told The Freeman they just do it for a living, while another admitted they have no permit from Loboc town authorities to do their trading here. They further admitted that they came from Loboc while the policemen who guarded the forest’s highway are personnel of Bilar town police.

One of the policemen denied having secured only the vendors, saying they were detailed here to guard the tourists or the highway famous for its quick-view-stopover or picture-taking at the man-made forest.

Nestor Canda, provincial environment and natural resource officer (PENRO), told The Freeman that vending here has been banned in some of the stopover portions at the man-made forest by the governor.

He said he stood firm with the governor’s directive to prohibit all forms of trading along the highway traversing the forest for environmental reasons. When there’s trading here, the next thing to happen is that a lot of vendors will flock the area, which is very fragile, he said.

Lack of space especially when tourist vans and busses start to make stopovers will likely complicate the matter, said Canda, adding that if he has his way the dropping-by craze by motorists carrying tourists must be totally prohibited to make environmental protection efforts effective.

Canda said his office has been concerned over the “plan” of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) for Loboc watershed “to consent to” vending here because this would be a defiance of the governor’s order.

Even if the plan is not final yet, this matter would look bad to both sides because protecting the environment must be done strictly if Bohol wants to preserve what is left of it.

Canda however was confident this will be resolved with the help and cooperation of the local government units concerned.

Loboc town Mayor Leon Calipusan, in a separate interview, said the DENR has the jurisdiction over the area, and the LGU may assist what is best for the forest. He hinted however that it “may be all right” to allow vending at the area for as long as the DENR approves it.

He said that some of the vendors were not from Loboc and they acted on their own without permit. He also confirmed his police force sometimes patrol the area but some of them were from Bilar town.

Man-made and natural forest within Loboc watershed area has been deemed by conservationists as having contributed to about 40 percent forest cover within the watershed’s jurisdiction.  (FREEMAN)