Deforestation in the Philippines

Jo Ann P. Jocson LlB 2C

October 10, 2013

DEFORESTATION It is defined as the cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in a forested area. Deforestation is clearing Earths forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land.

The Causes

Slash-and-Burn

A method sometimes used by shifting cultivators to create short term yields from marginal soils.

Agricultural and Livestock Grazing

Urban Sprawl

Mining

Climate Change and Food Insecurity

Source: The World Bank

Other Effects of Deforestation

70 % of Earths land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroy their homes.

Flood

Applicable Laws

Act No. 2711 of 1917 restricts the entry to forests only for forest use. Denudation obviously is not for forest use. FAO No. 16-1 of 1941, issued by Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce Benigno S. Aquino to the Bureau of Forestry, to implement Act No. 2711. It prohibits inside forest reserves, among others, exploitation and prospecting work for mineral deposits under the Mining Law, or digging up or removing of any mineral deposits, stone, earth, rock, or quarrying of stone. Sole exception: mining claims before February 1935 under Act No. 4268, all now lapsed.

Republic Act No. 3092 of 1961, amending Act No. 2711, requires congressional legislation for every reclassification of forests into mineral reserves. Congress has not delegated this power to the executive branch.

PD No. 705 of 1975, the Forestry Reform Code, revises land-use laws. It declares: No land of the public domain 18% in slope or over shall be classified as alienable and disposable... Lands 18% in slope or over that have already been declared as alienable or disposable shall be reverted to the classification of forestlands. Sole exception: lands previously titled, or occupied for 30 years.

Mining Act of 1995

Areas Open to Mining Operations Subject to any existing rights or reservations and prior agreements of all parties, all mineral resources in public or private lands, including timber or forestlands as defined in existing laws, shall be open to mineral agreements or financial or technical assistance applications.

Presidential Decree 1559 of 1978 amends P.D. 705. Section 69 states:

Unlawful occupation or destruction of forest lands - Any person who enters or occupies or possesses ... for his own private use or for others any forestland or grazing land without authority under a license agreement, lease, license or permit ... or in any manner destroys such forest land ... or causes any damage to the timber stand and other products and forest growth found therein, or who assists, aids or abets any other person to do so ... shall upon conviction, be fined in an amount of not less than P500 nor more than P20,000, and imprisoned for not less than six months nor more than two years for each such offense. In case the offender is a government official or employee, he shall, in addition to the above penalties, be deemed automatically dismissed from office and permanently disqualified from holding any elective or appointive position.

Executive Order No. 23 (Declaring a Moratorium

on the Cutting and Harvesting of Timber in the National and Residual Forests and Creating the AntiIllegal Logging Task Force) to impose a total log ban throughout the country.

No new logging permits will be issued and cutting of trees will no longer be allowed in natural and residual forests. It also mandates the creation of a national task force against illegal logging that will have regional counterparts.

Conclusions

More studies are required and needed to rehabilitate the forests. Laws need stricter implementation because even government employees easily find ways to circumvent them. Rehabilitation takes a couple of decades to be fully realized so, for now, tight prohibition is needed.

Recommendations

Stricter implementation

The quickest solution to deforestation would simply be to stop cutting down trees.
Plant more trees.