By CYRUS M. GARDE
BACOLOD City — Authorities have confiscated about 500 cut pieces of lawaan trees in the municipality of Hinobaan.
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) chief Andres Untal said the seized wood were about 1,000 cubic meters (stères).
Untal said some of them were 50 years old but majority were century-old. He said they could be loaded in 100 cargo trucks, with each truck accommodating 5,000 board feet.
He said the illegally cut lumber were found on Wednesday piled beside the houses of four people in barangays Bacuyangan and Culipapa.
According to the house owners, the wood were sourced from Brgy. Damutan, Untal said.
Untal refused to name the suspects pending his report to Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr.
Elements of PENRO and the police were currently guarding the lumber.
Untal said the trees may have been cut two years ago and kept first before they were brought down from the mountains.
Lawaan wood is commonly used as hulls of boats.
Untal said Brgy. Damutan has a virgin forest that had never been reached by illegal loggers.
Hinobaan is rich in forest products. It was once the lumber source of Insular Lumber Company, which ceased to operate 50 years ago.
Meanwhile, Untal said rampant forest poaching has also been reported in Brgy. Camalanda-an, Cauayan. He said his office is validating the report.
Aside from lawaan, among the targets of illegal loggers are mahogany and gmelina./PN
