DENR no longer issuing tree cutting permits

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will no longer issue tree-cutting permits to preserve the remaining vegetative cover of the country. Instead, proponents will be issued tree balling permits instead so they can transplant the trees in other areas, DENR Secretary Jose Atienza Jr. said. “We are making it clear that we will not allow any cutting down of trees to give way to any development project anywhere in the country, even those covered by environmental compliance certificates (ECCs), mining permits or any other construction and development permits for that matter," Atienza said in a statement. From now on, he said project developers and proponents must design their projects in accordance with the position of the trees in the area. If clearing the area could not be avoided, Atienza said the affected trees shall be transferred to other areas through tree-balling. During a recent consultation meeting, Atienza proposed a reduction in the number of days allotted for the processing of ECC and certificate of non-coverage (CNC) by removing the unnecessary requirements blocking investments into the country. He also announced the strengthening of the DENR’s capability in monitoring environmental compliance of projects by securing the active participation of NGOs, people'" organizations and other stakeholders in multipartite monitoring teams that will be established for each project. The Philippines has a land area of 30 million hectares. But the DENR’s Forest Management Bureau said that while close to 16 million hectares of the land is categorized as forest land, only 7.2 million hectares remain actual forested areas as of 2003. The DENR defines forests as areas measuring at least one-half hectare, where canopies of trees cover a minimum 10 percent of the territory concerned and where trees are least five meters high. The DENR and Environmental Science for Social Change, Inc. have also previously said that the remaining hectares of primary forests have already been “heavily degraded." It said that land use conversion, illegal logging, the slash-and-burn farming practice or kaingin, pests and diseases as well as forest fire as among causes of forest depletion.- with Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV