DAVAO CITY—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 11 is pushing for a stronger partnership with local government units (LGUs) and communities in their fight against illegal logging.
Newly installed DENR 11 Regional Director Ruth M. Tawantawan urged all her field officials to further strengthen their partnership with the LGU and communities to help them in their campaign against any environment destruction.
Tawantawan said the LGU and community are the ones who can give assistance when it comes to implementing the department’s programs and projects, such as their fight against illegal logging and any environmental destruction.
Tawantawan assumed as DENR 11 regional director on February 6 and immediately talked to her field officials to be vigilant in stopping illegal logging activities in their respective areas.
This order is also in line with the present administration’s plan to implement a total log ban in the country.
The DENR right now has intensified its campaign against illegal logging in Davao Oriental, where they seized tons of logs in different areas of the province.
On February 10 the DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) of Baganga seized 16 pieces of Dipterocarp flitches, with a volume of 485 board feet, 2017 in Sitio Palo 8, Barangay Salingcomot.
The success of the operation was not possible without the reports coming from concerned local residents in the area.
On February 8, 23 pieces of Mancono logbolts were found abandoned by the personnel of Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) of Davao Oriental and Cenro of Lupon along a mining road in Sitio Trinidad Chapter, Barangay Maputi, Banaybanay, Davao Oriental.
Based on their initial investigation, the team could not establish the owner of the logbolts, since nobody was around during the apprehension.
The logbolts were manually hauled by hired laborers to the rented Saddam truck and deposited it at Puntalinao or Pintatagan Checkpoint in Banaybanay for safekeeping.
On February 7 Penro and Cenro Mati City, along with the 28th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, were able to apprehend illegally cut forest products, in Matayam, Macambol.
A total of 138 pieces of mixed dipterocarp species with an aggregate volume of 2,766.66 board feet or 6.51 cubic meters were retrieved in the area, with estimated value of P82,819.