DENR shuts down 13 sawmills in Region 12

Wednesday 1st of August 2012

KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato, August 1 (PIA) -- Thirteen erring sawmills in Soccsksargen Regions have been padlocked by the operatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-12 for violations of environment laws and regulations.

Dr. Adeluisa G. Siapno, Regional Executive Director (RED) of the DENR-12, said “we are now conducting a comprehensive evaluation on the operations of all holders of mini-sawmill permits to determine whether they strictly complied with all the existing DENR laws, rules and regulations pertaining to sawmilling operations.”

Of the 13 sawmills, nine are in South Cotabato, three in Cotabato City and one in Sarangani Province.

Padlocked mini-sawmills in South Cotabato were Patwoods Processing Inc. of Surallah; Emerald Industries of Koronadal City as well as the sawmills owned by Manolito Landicho, Robi Magalaman, Lilit Delizo, Nieves Landicho, Marlon Cunanan, and Donato Rivera -- all in Tupi town.

Those in Cotabato City were Amacon Mini-Sawmill and Lumberyard, Arcela Mini-Sawmill and Lumberyard, and Suralda Mini Sawmill while that in Sarangani was Phela Resources Corp. of Maitum town.

Except for Amacon Mini-Sawmill and Lumberyards, which could not present proof of legal sources of logs, all of the wood processors had expired permits.

Forrester Larry Curias, technical staff of Dir. Siapno, explained that the padlocked sawmills could resume business “once they have completed requirements and have registered with DENR” but emphasized, “they have to prove that they have enough legal sources of logs to supply their operations for at least five years.”

Earlier, DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations, Demetrio L. Ignacio, Jr. ordered the closure of all wood processing plants or sawmills without the required legitimate sources of logs for a period of at least five years.

The requirement is pursuant to Item 2.5, Section 2 of Executive Order No. 23 entitled “Declaring a Moratorium on the Cutting and Harvesting of Timber in the Natural and Residual Forests and Creating the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force” issued on February 1, 2011 by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

Item 2.5, Sec. 2 of EO 23 states: “The DENR shall close and not allow to operate all sawmills, veneer plants, and other wood processing plants who are unable to present proof of sustainable sources of legally cut logs for a period of at least five (5) years…”

During the first meeting between RED Siapno and reporters in South Cotabato and General Santos City on July 20, an official of the DENR-12 disclosed that along with the on-going confiscation of illegally cut logs and forest products, they have also stepped up monitoring of sawmills, lumber dealers and similar business against entry and use of illegally-sourced products.

A report from DENR-12 indicated that a total of 60,15 board feet of illegal lumber, flitches and other forest products -- valued at P1.28 million -- have been confiscated across Region 12 from January 1 until July 5 this year. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12/ (Mila Calungsod-Locsin-DENR 12)