Provincial Releases

Hot lumber seized in Bulacan

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Central Luzon recently conducted an anti-illegal logging operation in Bulacan that resulted in the confiscation of 22,000 board feet of illegally sourced lumber in a lumberyard in the town of Baliuag. The seized lumber worth Php 1.2 million consisted of premium species mostly Dipterocarps.

In a separate operation, combined operatives of the National Bureau (NBI) environmental crime division and the DENR, confiscated 56,000 board feet of illegally sourced lumber of premium hardwood species worth Php3.2 million in a warehouse allegedly owned by a certain Ricky Yu. The wood species include narra, kamagong, tindalo, tanguile, yakal, mayapis and Benguet pine.

The DENR and NBI are now filing charges against Yu and his four Filipino accomplices identified as Andy Binos, Roberto Bonaobra, Ernesto Vasquez Jr., and Jerry Belgica for violating forestry laws. If found guilty, they may face a maximum of 20 years imprisonment.

The crackdown on illegal logging activities also led to a series of raids on establishments selling hot lumber including those located in a village in Guagua town in Pampanga. ###

 

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DENR SEIZES ILLEGALLY CUT LUMBER IN N. ECIJA

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) seizes about 6,000 board feet of illegally sourced lumber of premium hardwood species worth more than a million pesos in Nueva Ecija. DENR, along with the Philippine Army (PA) and Philippine National Police (PNP), raided a one-hectare compound in Barangay Langla in Jaen town through a search warrant issued by Judge Celso Baguio of Gapan City. According to DENR Central Luzon Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno, Jr., premium species of yakal, lauan, and molave were found inside the compound without necessary documents. These species, which are included in the logging ban, were illegally sourced from the remaining natural forest in the Sierra Madre mountain range.

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DENR MIMAROPA donates lumber to Recto Bank fishermen

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu ordered the donation of assorted pieces of hardwood to the 22 crewmen of F/V GEM VER for the repair of their fishing boats damaged in the collision incident in Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea on June 9.

In his directive to Department of Environment and Natural Resources MIMAROPA (Region 4B) Regional Executive Director (RED) Henry Adornado, Cimatu instructed the donation of 379 pieces or 3,084 board feet of confiscated lumber to the fishermen involved in the incident. Felix Dela Torre and Junel Insigne received the lumber on behalf of the affected fishermen. The men are all residents of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

DENR Region 4B, through its regular forest patrol and monitoring, has collected confiscated lumber that may be used for construction purposes.

“We are glad that we are able to make use of confiscated forest products to help our fellowmen,” said RED Adornado. “Nature indeed has its way of helping people start anew,” he added.

 The donation of confiscated lumber to the F/V GEM VER crewmen was facilitated by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office in Occidental Mindoro and the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in San Jose. ###

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DENR underscores the role of children in protecting the ocean

Some 60 children, with ages ranging from four to 12 years old actively participated in a series of environmental education activities organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here to enhance their knowledge on the importance of protecting marine waters and become active partners in environmental conservation, environment officials said recently.

According to Rizza Villar, chief of the coastal and marine office of the DENR Central Luzon, the event was part of the 2019 Month of the Ocean (MOO) celebration with the theme “Free the sea from marine debris”, which underscores the impact of improper waste management on marine life and ecosystems.

She said the children learned about and experienced proper solid waste management through environmental games. They also competed in an eco-quiz bee and poster- making contest, where they tested their knowledge on marine ecosystems, she added.

Minerva Martinez, chief of the conservation and development division (CDD) stressed the important role of kids in the protection of the ocean and other water bodies.

“As kids, you may think that you are too small to make a big difference in cleaning up our oceans, but I am here to tell you differently. Your voices can be loud enough to free our oceans from plastic and save our marine life from the harmful effects of pollution in the water," she pointed out.

MOO is annually celebrated on the month of May by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 57 issued in 1999 to raise public awareness on the protection of marine waters from degradation. ###

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DENR starts rehab of Apagonan River in Aparri

More than 300 volunteers showed up and took part in the clean-up of the Apagonanriver in Aparri, Cagayan on Monday, June 17, 2019, marking the start of the river’s rehabilitation.

Addressing the participants, DENR Region 2 Executive Director Atty. Antonio Abawagurged the local officials to pass ordinances supporting the rehabilitation of the 18-kilometer Apagonan River.

This, even as he warned businesses and residents to comply with environmental laws, or face the consequences of their non-compliance.

“I’m giving the business establishments and households along the riverbank six months to comply with environmental laws, particularly the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and Clean Water Act. Otherwise, we will issue notice of violations and file cases against those discharging their waste directly into the river,” Abawag said.

The regional environment chief has ordered the officials of  PENR Office- Cagayan to meet with the barangay officials to brief them on the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the Philippine Clean Water Act to remind them of their roles and responsibilities under said laws.  He also instructed the provincial head to attend the Sangguniang Bayan sessions.

In July 2018, the DENR launched the RIVERS for Life Award, a nationwide search that will give recognition to individuals and institutions for their efforts in the conservation and protection of rivers.

Classified as Class C, the Apagonan River covers 10 barangays of Aparri.  

According to PENRO Ismael Manaligod, the Apagonan River is a breeding ground of both freshwater and marine species as it is connected to the estuary of the Cagayan River and the Babuyan Sea.

During the occasion, acting Mayor RiaCapiñahas committed to pass ordinances for the strict implementation of the solid waste management law.

“The rehabilitation of our Apagonan River is important, being one of the primary sources of income of the people of Aparri,” Capiña said.

A total of 102 sacks of solid waste were collected by the volunteers, representing different government agencies, non-government organizations, business sector, media and DENR employees.###

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