Jun Ariolo N. AquirreNabas, Aklan – Rampant timber poaching and illegalkaingin (slash-and-burn) activities in thejurisdiction of Nabas, Aklan, destroying the forestsof the Protected Area of the NW Panay Peninsula havebeen identified by Forest Rangers of the internationalfunded Philippine Endemic Species Conservation Project(PESCP) based in nearby Pandan, Antique, in tightcooperation with Officers of the Department ofEnvironment and Natural Resources (DENR), Kalibo,Aklan.
Timber poaching: In the forest of Bgy Tagororoc,Nabas, the Forest Rangers of PESCP during their routinely executed forest monitoring activities on March 08/09, 2007, found timber poaching going oninside the forest of the Protected Area, and informedthe DENR Kalibo.
An immediately arranged on-the-groundinvestigation through Officers of the DENR Kalibo,revealed that ca. 55 cubic meter of timber has beenproduced by illegally cutting down naturally grownlaua-an trees some of them older than 100 years.
Since then the Forest Rangers of PESCP found moresites inside the Protected Area of Tagororoc wherenaturally grown native trees have been cut downillegally. Including all cutting sites found until now the estimated total of illegally cut timber amounts toca. 1.7 million Peso.
The Executive Director of DENR Region VI, LormelynEstrada Claudio, when PESCP reported the case to her,ordered immediate and thorough investigation of theseillegal acts.
It was gathered that the PESCP suspects that some of the illegally cut lumber has been transported to nearby Boracay Island for sale to be used forconstructions of establishments in the said resortisland.
“This is another serious step towards the destructionof the forest of the Protected Area of the NorthwestPanay Peninsula, and we, PESCP, are convinced thatthis is the result of having politicians who do not show any political will to protect the forest in theProtected Area – a task force “Anak-Talon” created already three years ago for the protection of the forest cannot operate because until now the Mayors ofPandan, Libertad, Buruanga, Malay and Nabas refuse to make available the necessary small funds they promised for the task force three years ago.
Such huge numberof lumber to be chainsawed needs weeks and can only bedone undisturbed because the authorities (Mayor,MENRO, Brgy Cptn, Police) do not care and/or do not make the effort needed to spot and to stop suchillegal activities.
Since PESCP reported the illegallogging in Tagororoc PESCP has set up a permanentForest Ranger camp at the cutting site to ensure thatthe illegalists cannot haul away these forestproducts.
Until today none of the authorities from town hall Nabas have shown any interest in that case.Are they afraid to lose voters when acting againstthese illegal activities? The question must be askedwhy the MENRO of Nabas is totally indifferent aboutthat case – which falls in his mandate as MENRO.
The ordinary people living in Tagororoc are all well aware about these ongoing illegal activities, only the authorities seem to know nothing as usual,” Kuenzel said.
Illegal Slash-and-burn: In March 28, 2005, ForestRangers of PESCP found a ca.3-5 ha area of illegalslash-and-burn inside the Protected Area of Nabas, andreported this to the authorities of Nabas and to theDENR Kalibo.
PESCP Forest Rangers visited the saidkaingin area again 2 times - last in February 2007 and reported it again to the authorities.
Until today theDENR Kalibo was not able to stop these illegalactivities. From the concerned authorities in townhall Nabas nothing has been done to stop these illegalactivities either – do the authorities in Nabastolerate the destruction of the forest of the Protected Area not to lose the votes of theillegalists for the coming election ?
“Some of the officials of Nabas but first of all theMENRO and the Mayor must be deeply ashamed if there isany dignity being left with them what we doubtregarding the illegal activities going on undisturbedduring years by the authorities.
It is the people inpower who are allowing (knowingly or just beingignorant) the destruction of the environment, therebydestroying the future of their own children - this is disgusting,” Kuenzel said.
In case that the politicians in power continue to ignore illegal logging and illegal slash-and-burn inside the Protected Area of the Nortwest PanayPeninsula to always the same shortsighted advantage –to win the next election, as they did during the last years, this forest will be destroyed within few years time resulting in water shortage for house holds and for the rice fields, and in killing the fisheriesresources in the coastal areas by over-siltation through erosion.
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