CENRO GUINOBATAN INTENSIFIES FOREST PROTECTION AND ANTI-ILLEGAL LOGGING CAMPAIGN

The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Guinobatan headed by OIC, CENR Officer Narisol C. Divina through its Monitoring and Enforcement Section (MES) led by Forester III Madelyn D. Moral intensifies its forest protection and anti-illegal logging campaign, which resulted to the apprehension of 935.68 board feet of undocumented timber products and two (2) units of unregistered chainsaw at Barangays Bacong and Maonon, Ligao City and Barangay Bongoran, Oas, Albay on January 6 to 7, 2022, respectively.

 

The Team was able to recover five (5) pieces of abandoned White Lauan (Shorea contorta) lumber and flitches with a volume of 136 board feet in Barangay Maonon, Ligao City while conducting LAWIN patrolling on January 6, 2022. On the way back to the office, another stockpile of 12 pieces Rain Tree (Samanea saman) lumber and flitches with a volume of 120 board feet were recovered at Barangay Bacong, Ligao City.

 

The LAWIN is a strategy for intensive environmental law enforcement against timber poachers and environmental violators under the Lawin Forest and Biodiversity Protection System (LFBPS).

 

On January 7, 2022, the same Team was immediately deployed to Barangay Bongoran, Oas, Albay a following report from a concerned citizen regarding an alleged illegal tree cutting in a private lot in the said barangay. Fifteen (15) pieces of Guyod lumber with a volume of 120 board feet and one (1) unit of unregistered chainsaw with Serial No. 271869115 were recovered.

 

Moreover, another illegal tree cutting incident was spotted in the same barangay which led to the apprehension of one (1) Bangkal (Nauclea orientalis) round log with a volume of 1.32 cubic meters or 559.68 board feet and one (1) unit chainsaw without serial number.

 

Upon proper inventory and documentation, the apprehended forest products were put under custody of the respective Barangay Local Government Units for safekeeping pending proper disposition. The chainsaws were put under custody of the CENRO Guinobatan.

 

Meanwhile, the offenders who were all caught in flagrante delicto were brought to the Oas Municipal Police Station for filing of the appropriate legal charges for violation of Section 77 of Presidential Decree 705, otherwise known as the Revised Forestry Code, as amended, which prohibits possession of timber or other forest products without license, and the Republic Act No. 9175, otherwise known as the Chainsaw Act of 2002, which regulates the ownership, possession, sale, importation and use of chainsaws in the country.

 

CENRO Divina commended the hard work of the Enforcement Team and the active participation of the public in the intensification of forest protection and anti-illegal logging campaign of the DENR. Meanwhile, PENR Officer Engr. Jerry R. Arena emphasized the importance of continuously strengthening the Department’s information, education and communication campaign in mobilizing the citizenry towards environmental protection. He also reiterated to observe utmost diligence in the conduct of field operations especially that the threats of the pandemic still persist.###