May 28, 2021, Cebu City, Cebu — “The people should be considered as part of the management system since all areas within forestlands should be managed by those interested. They can be qualified if they have interest not only for personal gains but to protect certain forest land areas as necessary” said SFFI National Council President Tommy Valdez during his presentation in the “SFM Bill Rollout and Consultation Forum for Central Visayas Region on May 28, 2021 at the Cebu Parklane International Hotel, Lahug, Cebu City.
Forester Charlie Fabre, OIC – Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services of DENR 7, welcomed the 53 participants to the event (virtually and face-to-face) representing organizations namely CVAARRDEC, Cebu Technological University- Barili Campus, Bohol Island State University-Bilar Campus, Energy Development Corporation, DENR R7, CENRO Tagbilaran, SFFI BOHOL CHAPTER, Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) – Cebu, DENR 7 – PENRO Cebu, DENR-PENRO Bohol, Matimco Inc., Forest Sustainability Lab, DENR-7, Negros Or. Chapter, PLGU-BEMO Bohol, DENR 7 Negros Oriental Chapter, Visayas State University, DENR-PENRO, Negros Oriental, DENR-CENRO Argao, Cebu, 1Forestry, Office of Cong. Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon, RSCIG, DENR 7, and Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) – One to Tree.
Former DENR Undersecretary Renato De Rueda shared his sentiments with regards to the production of timber products where ordinary people cannot cut their own tree plantation even if the primary reason is for raw materials used by families or furniture business ventures. “It is quite confusing why forestry lacks media attention and appreciation especially now with climate change issues. We need engagement with the media people to formulate news so that they and the viewers would understand that once you plant in a protection forest land area, the intention is to protect the resources therein, while in a production forest land, the goal is to sustainably harvest in the future,” explains USec De Rueda.
Region 7 or Central Visayas has 524,908 hectares of forest lands situated in its four provinces: Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor. Meanwhile, forest cover is down to 79,487 hectares or just 15% despite the moratorium issued under Executive Order No. 23: Declaring a Moratorium on the Cutting and Harvesting of Timber in the Natural and Residual Forests and Creating the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force.
“Environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economic viability are equally important aspects to the success of SFM. One cannot play importance over the other,” commented Mr. Nenito Bandigan Jr. of Matimco. Forester Valdez related that the bill shall provide for a certification system to ensure that those three elements are included in all FMU or forest management unit development plans to be detailed and clarified in the corresponding implementing rules and regulations (IRR).
Atty. Kim Li, Cong. Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon, suggested writing a letter to Senators Bong Revilla, Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Vicente Sotto, and majority leader Miguel Zubiri to push for the hearing since it is still pending in the Senate. She said it would be better if it will be endorsed as a priority bill by the President so that the progress of the bill would be fast. “Congresswoman Lolypop assures everyone of her full support to the SFM Bill and commits to doing her part in sending letters of support to the Senate and even to the President”, added Atty. Li. Forester Valdez replied by thanking the Office of Congresswoman Lolypop Ouano- Dizon and mentions that part of the Rollout is to seek stakeholder support by sending letters of appeal to the Senators on the passage of the Bill. In fact, some people’s organizations and NGOs have already started theirs as proclaimed during the previous Rollout in CARAGA Region.
The next rollout is scheduled for Eastern Visayas Region.
