SAN JOSE, Antique – To avert further damage in Antique’s protected forests due to rampant cutting of trees, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Antique provincial office has cancelled all chainsaw permits in the province.
The Provincial ENR Office (PENRO) disclosed that a substantial number of trees were cut down using chainsaws in Barangay Inyawan, Libertad, Antique, a protected area covered by the Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park (NPPNP).
This was discovered when DENR conducted a patrol and monitoring activity. The area was converted into a kaingin (slash-and-burn farming) site and later planted with agricultural crops such as ginger and other root crops.
The monitoring report showed that the affected area was about 0.25 hectares and fell within the Strict Protection Zone of the NPPNP.
PENRO chief Andres Untal said unscrupulous individuals have taken advantage of the quarantine restrictions in the past months to extract and exploit the natural resources of the province.
He issued a memorandum cancelling all the chainsaw permits effective Oct. 19 while investigation of the incident was ongoing.
The Community ENR offices (CENRO) in Culasi and Belison towns were also directed to submit a list of all chainsaw permit holders in their areas.
Republic Act 9175 or The Chainsaw Act prohibits the unlawful use of chainsaw and may put one in jail from six years to eighth years or a fine of not less than P 30,000 but not more than P50,000 if found guilty.
The renewal and re-acquisition of the chainsaw permit will be recommended by the CENRO after they have submitted details of the permittee qualifications and this will be subjected for review and approval of the PENR Officer.
Information Officer Mavi Mental of DENR-Antique emphasized that the illegal cutting of trees and deliberate kaingin has a direct impact on the state of environment of the province.
It can be noted that Deputy Speaker and Antique’s Lone District Cong. Loren Legarda is working on House Bill 632 to declare northern Antique as protected seascape and landscape areas located in the municipalities of Libertad, Pandan, Sebaste, Culasi and Tibiao, and also be declared as an ecotourism zone to encourage the responsible and sustainable use as well as for the preservation and conservation of the natural resources.
With this, Untal appealed to all Antiqueños to help in the campaign to stop the illegal chainsaw operation. (PIA-Antique, DENR/PN)
