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Local government

Nationwide Crackdown on Illegal Logging and Quarrying After Devastating Typhoons

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Philippines has faced a barrage of destructive floods due to successive typhoons, leaving at least 73 people dead and causing widespread devastation, including damage to agriculture and infrastructure worth P12.8 billion. In response, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal logging and quarrying, emphasizing the need for a whole-of-society approach to protect the country's remaining forests and prevent further disasters.

Key Takeaways:

  • The DILG has directed all local governments and the Philippine National Police to stop illegal logging and quarrying in their areas and to plant trees to restore the country's forest cover.
  • The nationwide crackdown aims to protect the environment and prevent further disasters, with Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano stressing that "we are creating and causing more disasters" by failing to protect the environment.
  • Biodiversity experts and environmentalists have called for the restoration and conservation of the Philippines' existing forests as a core part of the country's disaster risk reduction plans.
  • The House committee on agriculture and food will begin its investigation into the massive flooding in Cagayan, Isabela, and other parts of Luzon, with the aim of establishing facts that could lead to corrective actions and long-term solutions to floods and other disasters.
  • Local governments and PNP units have been directed to reactivate anti-illegal logging task forces, set up checkpoints, and arrest illegal loggers for violations of the Forestry Code of the Philippines and of Republic Act No. 9175, or the Chainsaw Act of 2002.
  • The DILG has also urged local governments to field more forest guards and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to send more foresters and engage local communities and civil society groups in reforestation programs.

Statistics:

  • At least 73 people were killed as a result of Typhoon Ulysses, which pounded the country more than a week ago.
  • The damage to agriculture and infrastructure is estimated at P12.8 billion.
  • The National Greening Program aims to restore and conserve the country's remaining forests, with the involvement of local communities and civil society groups.
  • The Forestry Code of the Philippines and Republic Act No. 9175, or the Chainsaw Act of 2002, will be strictly enforced to prevent illegal logging and quarrying.
  • The House committee on agriculture and food investigation will invite officials of the National Irrigation Administration and local officials of Cagayan and Isabela to attend its hearing.

Sources:

  • The Philippine Daily Inquirer report on October 26, 2020, quoting Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano.
  • The Philippine Daily Inquirer report on October 27, 2020, quoting Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
  • The Philippine Daily Inquirer report on October 26, 2020, citing House Resolution No. 1345 filed by Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy.

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