CALABARZON

1,713 board feet of illegal lumber and 225 sacks of charcoal confiscated

Wednesday 11th of July 2012

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, July 11 (PIA) -- The community environment and natural resources office (CENRO) has reported the confiscation of 1,713 board feet of lumber composed of red lauan, batino, santol and other common hardwood species and 225 sacks of charcoal.

Provincial Anti-Illegal Task Force and CENRO with the help of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and office of the Governor of Laguna joined forces in this operation.

The confiscated lumber and charcoal, including the vehicles, are now in custody of CENRO located at Barangay Lalakay under CENR Officer Emiliano S. Leviste.

"We cannot do it alone without the help of PNP even if the operation is initiated by DENR," Leviste said adding that, even though the confiscated illegal items were handled by the traders already, without the necessary permits, what they did is still illegal.

“The CENRO is continuing its information education campaign (IEC) for the community to know about illegal logging and charcoal making,” said Leviste.

“The main purpose of what they do is survival, there is no livelihood program in most communities that’s why the people don’t have a choice but to use the resources in front of them,” Leviste said.

Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission or from a protected area; the cutting of protected species; or the extraction of timber in excess of agreed limits.

Illegalities may also occur during transport, such as illegal processing and export; fraudulent declaration to customs; and avoidance of taxes and other charges.

Illegal logging negatively impacts the economic and ecological systems of optimal forest management. It robs national and subnational governments, forest owners and local communities of significant revenues and benefits, damages forest ecosystems, distorts timber markets and forest resource assessments and acts as a disincentive to sustainable forest management.

Meanwhile, charcoal making can increase the levels of Carbon Dioxide (CO²) in the earth’s atmosphere that create a greenhouse effect. The earth’s atmosphere was designed as a protective blanket to keep the earth warm however, excess greenhouse gasses have added to that blanket making the earth warmer. (CPG/Grace Bondad-Nicolas, PIA4A)