P-Noy urged: Make tree-cutting ban total

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – President Benigno Aquino III was urged by officials here to expand the tree-cutting moratorium to make it a total prohibition.

Aquino, on Feb. 1, 2011 issued 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.”

           

But Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary AnalizaTeh clarified that only tree cutting permits covering naturally grown trees within public forest or timberland are being suspended and that the suspension does not cover the following: naturally grown trees within private or titled property; planted trees within public forest or timberland and private lands; and tree cutting activities covered by exemptions provided in an earlier memorandum.

           

Councilor IsabeloCosalan Jr., in a resolution said allowing such exemptions would “render as futile the efforts of the national and local governments to re-green and ecologically revitalize the City of Baguio.”

           

He said the order should instead be expanded into a “total moratorium on tree cutting, harvesting or earthballing, particularly and specifically, in the City of Baguio, except for those trees that directly pose immediate and imminent danger to life and property.”

           

Cosalan noted that in support to the National Greening Program as enunciated by Executive Order No. 26, series of 2011, the city council approved Resolution No. 243, series of 2011 noting among others that “the City of Baguio popular for its pine trees and lush vegetations needs to address its dwindling green patches, which continue to give way to concrete structures and other related forms of development to sustain its vision on ‘a breathtaking City of Pines, a living stage of culture and arts in harmony with nature….’”

The national government for its par recognized the effect of over development to the ecological character of the City of Baguio and thus issued an Urgent Memorandum from the President dated 26 March 2012 to the Secretaries of the DENR, DILG, DOT and DOJ for the purpose of developing a Comprehensive Plan to preserve Baguio and Boracay as vital national assets.

He said the objectives of these issuances can only be achieved if the total moratorium on tree cutting is implemented.

Cosalan’s proposal will be discussed by the city council soon.