By Marie Tonette Grace Marticio
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Eastern Visayas has intensified its crackdown on lumber dealers with expired licenses.
Last Monday, a complaint was lodged before the prosecutor’s office of Borongan City, Eastern Samar, against Perfecto Arago, a resident of Barangay Songco in Borongan for possessing over P1 million worth of undocumented lauaan, yakal and narra lumber and furniture.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The undocumented items were seized on Oct. 31 through a search warrant issued by Judge Nathaniel Baldono.
Earlier, DENR Regional Director Crizaldy Barcelo said that as of the first quarter of 2018, all 31 lumberyards in the region had expired permits.
"Lumberyards with expired permits in the region are not allowed to sell nor display lumber," he said.
Without an existing wood processing plant in the region, no lumber dealer permit would be distributed. A lumber dealer permit is only valid for one year, with specified supplier and volume of lumber supplies allowed.
It was also learned that the supply of lumber in the region has dropped because it will take years before private plantations are can harvest fully grown trees.
Even the government’s National Greening Program (NGP) cannot not boost the harvest because it only started in 2011.
"Kapag may WPP na, may log supply agreement din from private plantations. Then the lumber dealers will get wood from processing plants na kanilang ibebenta," Barcelo said.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The undocumented items were seized on Oct. 31 through a search warrant issued by Judge Nathaniel Baldono.
Earlier, DENR Regional Director Crizaldy Barcelo said that as of the first quarter of 2018, all 31 lumberyards in the region had expired permits.
"Lumberyards with expired permits in the region are not allowed to sell nor display lumber," he said.
Without an existing wood processing plant in the region, no lumber dealer permit would be distributed. A lumber dealer permit is only valid for one year, with specified supplier and volume of lumber supplies allowed.
It was also learned that the supply of lumber in the region has dropped because it will take years before private plantations are can harvest fully grown trees.
Even the government’s National Greening Program (NGP) cannot not boost the harvest because it only started in 2011.
"Kapag may WPP na, may log supply agreement din from private plantations. Then the lumber dealers will get wood from processing plants na kanilang ibebenta," Barcelo said.