FOREST HISTORY, FOREST POLICIES, AND FOREST GOVERNANCE/ADMINISTRATION

DATE/PERIOD MILESTONE REMARKS

18th Century Forestry profession started in Germany Growing and protecting trees for purposes
of their employers
Forestry as a science started to flourish in Germany after
the Thirty Years War
1768 1st Forestry school was establish in lisneburg, Germany
1898 Formal forestry education began in North America Cornell University offered a 4-year degree
program
1906 1st Forestry chair was established at Yale Yale University College of Forestry

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF FORESTRY (Spanish Regime)

DATE/PERIOD MILESTONE REMARKS

1863 Forest service in the Philippines formally started in June 1st Chief Forester was Forest Engr. Juan
1863 with the establishment of the Inspection General Gonzales Valdez assisted by 4 Ayundantes
de Montes under the Direccion General Administracion de Montes (assistant foresters)
Civil
September 3 The forestry services was allowed by the superior Civil Government to intervene in all matters
1863 pertaining to cutting, extracting timber, resins etc, and to open up virgin lands to give concessions over
mountain lands and transact business related to lands and forests.
February 1874 The government authorized the free use of timber under the gratuitous licence.
November 30 The Royal Decree promulgated in Spain approved the definite Forest Laws and Regulations for the
1894 Philippine Forest Service, which was drafted by “Ministro de Ultimar” . The regulations contained 138
articles under nine titles.
August 13 1898 The Land Law of the Philippine Islands was created to designate, inventory and mark the
limits/boundary of the forest belonging to the state, which shall constitute the forest zones.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF FORESTRY (American Regime)

DATE/PERIOD MILESTONE
1900 The “Inspection” was renamed into Forestry Bureau by the US Military Governor in the Philippines
with the issuance of General Order No. 50 Captain George P. Ahern, of the 96th U.S. Infantry, was
named as its first Director.
September 6, The Forestry Bureau was change to Bureau of Forestry and was placed under the newly created
1901 Department of Interior By virtue of Act No.222
1910 The establishment of the Foresters training School in Los Baños gave opportunity to Filipinos to
Filipinos be trained and educated with forestry science.
November 18, The Department of Interior was abolished and transferred all its functions and authority to the
1916 Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR). It took “direct executive control, direction,
and suspension of the Bureau of Agriculture , Bureau of Forestry, Bureau of Lands, Bureau of Science
and the Weather Bureau and all matters concerning hunting fisheries, sponges and other sea products.
January 1,1937 Filipinization of the country’s forest service by appointing Forester Florencio R. Tamesis as Director of
 Bureau of forestry.
June 8, 1939 Jurisdiction by the Bureau of Forestry over pasture areas and grazing lands was provided under
Commonwealth Act. 452.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF FORESTRY (1950 – 1980s)

DATE/PERIOD MILESTONE
1957 The Bureau of Forestry was separated from the College of Forestry as provided by the Reorganization
Plan 30-A. The Forest Products Institute was created from the merger of the Forest Products Section of
the Bureau of Forestry by virtue of Reorganization Plan No. 77.
June 18, 1960 The Reforestation Administration was created to reforest and afforest bare and denuded forest land
specially critical watersheds by virtue of Republic Act No. 2706.
November 1, The Bureau of Forest Development (BFD) was created by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1 wherein
1972 the Bureau of Forestry, the Parks and Wildlife Office and the Reforestation Administration were
merged.
December 18, The Forest Research Institute (FORI) was created with the Forest Research Division of the Bureau of
1974 Forest Development as a nucleus, by virtue of PD No. 607. It is now known as Ecosystems Research and
development Bureau (ERDB) under EO 192.
May 19, 1975 The Bureau of Forest Development (BFD) was formally organized as a result of a merger of the Bureau
of Forestry, Parks and Wildlife Office, Reforestation Administration and the Southern Cebu
Reforestation Project as provide in the Presidential Decree No. 705 revising PD 389 (otherwise known
as the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines”

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF FORESTRY (Japanese Regime)

DATE/PERIOD MILESTONE
July 1, 1941 The functions of Division of Forest Fauna and Grazing was returned to the Bureau of Forestry and those
of the Division of Zoology to the Bureau of Science under the reorganization plan of the Fish and Game
Administration under the Department of Agriculture and Commerce and was renamed as Division of
Fisheries.
January 30, The office became Bureau of Forestry and Forestry and Fishery under the Ministry of Agriculture and
1942 Commerce by virtue of administrative Order No. 1 as approve by the Commander – in –chief of the
Imperial Forces in the Philippines.
February 1945 After the Second World War, the Bureau of Forestry was reopened with Foresters Carlos Sulit as officer
In Charge to continue the management of the country’s resources.
April 24, 1945 The Bureau of forestry was reconstituted with five (5) divisions and 44 district and 44 district offices.
The responsibilities of the Bureau soon expanded requiring the creation of additional functional
divisions divisions and units in the central office and in the field.