Govt firm on log ban despite dire warnings

Groups opposing President Benigno Aquino III's executive order imposing a logging moratorium on national and residual forests to stop the destruction of watersheds and rivers can take the matter up directly with the President, Malacañang said Sunday. But this early, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino is not likely to accept their argument that the log ban will cost industries billions of pesos in lost business. “They can set a meeting with the president. [But] our concern is to make sure the environment is protected first and foremost before any business decisions," Lacierda said in an interview on government-run dzRB radio. “If there are concerns for business this should be taken in full perspective," he added. He was referring to reports that the Society of Filipino Foresters Inc. had warned that the log ban can result in up to P30 billion in lost investments and the retrenchment of 650,000 workers. The group's past president Ric Umali said the log ban will also cause the escalation of prices of wood and housing units. Earlier, the Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA) said a total log ban will lead to the retrenchment of some 650,000 direct workers in the wood processing and furniture industry particularly in the countryside. In turn, this may cause serious social unrest, the group added. But Lacierda maintained the executive order imposing the log ban is part of the Aquino administration’s “inter-generational responsibility." “Kung gusto nila makipag-meeting tingnan natin ang availability ng kanyang appointment. Ito para sa kapakanan ng ating anak, ng ating kalikasan, mahalaga ito (If they want a meeting with the President we will check if his schedule permits. But this log ban is for our children, for our environment. It is important to us)," he said. He also noted that last year’s floods — blamed on denuded forests — had resulted in the deaths of dozens of people and caused damages running to the hundreds of millions of pesos. Lacierda said Aquino became “frustrated and angry" when he visited some flood-hit areas and learned that logging continued amid the tragedies. “This really incensed the President," he said. Lacierda asked environmental groups to come out in support of the executive order for the log ban. “I’m wondering where are the environmentalist groups here," he said. - KBK, GMA News Online