Undertake awareness-raising and visibility activities
Regarding awareness raising and visibility campaign, the Project has been continuing with the implementation of the Communication and Visibility Plan to highlight the Project in meetings, webinars, website, social media, and news articles (See Annex 35). As mentioned earlier, six articles were posted at the Project website and re-posted simultaneously at the SFFI FB account that has accumulated 3,873 followers as of report writing. Postings in the SFFI FB account include DENR Policy updates and related information for added activity and visibility.
In addition to Project targets, the SFFI, during the February 3, 2021 Technical Working Group on Wood (TWGW) Virtual meeting, has received recommendations on the SFM Bill Version 6 (which is the version agreed during the Strategic Planning Workshop conducted with stakeholders: DENR, FMB, CSOs and forestry experts on November 22, 2019) through the SWOT analysis conducted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Please note that the initial result of the same SWOT analysis was discussed during the meeting between SFFI and FMB on November 27, 2020, which became the basis for enhancing the substitute bill. During the said TWGW meeting, the SWOT analysis was presented by USAID (See Annex 36) with the following recommendations on Second Growth Forests:
For Forest Production Area: Second Growth Forest
1. State owns the forests; can establish a permanent production area
2. Solely Manages the production forest
a. Accountable, Authority and Responsible (not its partners)
b. Prepares the selective logging IAOP and CDMP
c. Selects its partners (transparent based on criteria)
d. Monitors and supervises operations (road maintenance, logging, etc.)
e. Select partners with full integration capability (finished products including NTFPs)
f. Solely culpable for any violation committed by its partner
g. Term with partner is continuing (with conditions)
3. Incentives for the integrated operation that produces jobs, businesses, taxes, etc. --review forest charges encourage investments
The SFFI, during its submission in December 2019, supported the inclusion of second-growth forests among forest production zones in the submitted version of the SFM Bill to the HCNR. The same is the case in the Senate Bill filed by Senator Pia Cayetano through Senate Bill 284. Unfortunately, the provision on second growth was included among protection areas in the Substitute Bill 8179 that can impact the way the SFM Bill will be implemented if approve as it is. The enhanced version of the HB 8179 proposes that second growth forests be part of the forest production zone with application of science-based strategies. Nevertheless, as raised during the February 3 TWGW meeting, all the three recommendations are captured in the Substitute Bill via identification of forest production zones and forest protection zones, the forest management unit (FMU) system, and incentives.
For Forest Production Area: Tree Plantation
1. Full deregulation (no form of permit involved between establishment to harvesting/transporting
2. Area is a permanent plantation area
3. State prepares the FS and plantation plan (species matching, market acceptability, workability to meet market requirements, etc.)
4. State offers a one-stop-shop process of securing the tenure agreement (ECC, business permit, clearances, etc.)
5. Sharing scheme (production or financials) is in favor of investor partner.
6. State benefits in the form of taxes, jobs, wood supply, downstream businesses, etc.
7. State selects a partner with capability for full business integration.
8. State provides R and D to develop quality plantation species (local and exotic), integrated pest management, product engineering, etc.).
9. State identifies local supply chain to meet the needs of processing plants (adhesives, tools, preservation, machines, etc.)
As clarified during the TWGW meeting, items 1, 2, and 3, are areas in the Substitute Bill 8179 that will be clarified in the implementing rules and regulations (IRR). On the other hand, items 4 to 9 are believed to be sufficiently captured in the Bill and can be detailed further in the IRR should the SFM Bill gets enacted.
In addition to these, the SFFI, as previously mentioned, recommends for the inclusion of a provision on forest industrial economic zone (FIEZ) to increase viability of wood production, promote investments, localize opportunities, create jobs, support wood and downstream industries, and contribute in the country’s economic recovery due the COVID-19 pandemic.