I.
Summary
The remaining forest in the region covers 156,476 hectares
or 8.87 percent of the total regional land area. Camarines
Sur and Catanduanes have the largest forest area of 57,187
hectares and 42,140 hectares, respectively.
The forestry subsector has the twin functions of producing
timber and minor forestry products to supply the raw
material needs of wood-based industries and of providing the
life support system for the population.
The reforestation and regeneration of denuded forest lands
provides numerous benefits such as improved vegetative
cover, stabilized slopes, carbon sequestration, and
livelihood opportunities to the communities living within
and adjacent the project area. Forests provides increased
supply of water through sustained aquifer recharge,
eco-tourism ventures on recreation and aesthetics,
exceptional supply of oxygen and soil nutrients and wildlife
maintenance. Forestry and watershed related activities seek
to achieve the objective of reducing disaster risks as
aggravated by global warming and climate change.
The programs and projects implemented in this sector in 2008
included the rehabilitation of degraded natural forests,
rehabilitation of mangroves and watersheds, promotion of
sustainable use and equitable access in the development and
management of natural resources, and the strict enforcement
of forest laws and environmental standards.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
5, in close collaboration with other national government
agencies, local government units and various NGOs and POs,
was persistent in conserving, protecting and rehabilitating
the bio-physical environment specially the forests and
watersheds and coastal and mangrove areas.
II.
Assessment
The forestry sector aims to provide continuous supply of
forest-based raw materials and to develop the non-wood and
wood-based industries. Roundwood production in 2007 was
estimated at 2,588 cubic meters (cu.m) while lumber
production was estimated at 1,868 cu.m. The other forest
products included bamboo and rattan. The production and
utilization of forest products were undertaken responsibly
and in a sustainable manner in order to support economic
growth, and to provide jobs and income to urban and rural
communities. To support the non-wood and wood-based
industries, raw materials were purchased from other regions.
The DENR continued to delineate forest boundaries to
establish specific limits of forestlands to be categorized
into production and protection (national parks and
watersheds) forest. A total of 7,735 hectares production
forests were assessed and validated. These areas were in
Forest Land Grazing Management Agreement (FLGMA) and other
special land use sites. The delineation of permanent forest
boundary lines and the classification of public land domains
were completed in the provinces of Catanduanes and Albay and
still on-going in the province of Camarines Sur. A total of
2,212.296 kilometers of forest boundary lines were
delineated in the region. This would ensure the sustainable
development, management and conservation within the
framework of watershed-based integrated forest management.
A total of 1,122 permit applications for cutting,
utilization, transport of timber and non-timber forest
products, and use of certain parcel of timberland for
production and development purposes were processed with
final action. The compliance to the terms and conditions
were strictly monitored to regulate the utilization and flow
of forest products coming in and out of a province and out
of the region including the use of forestlands.
The forest protection and IEC campaigns against illegal
logging were effective through the concerted efforts of the
LGUs, POs, PNP, Multi-Sectoral Forest Protection Committees
(MFPCs) and other civic groups. The logging ban was enforced
by DENR which resulted to the confiscation of 155.905 cu.m.
forest products in Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and
Catanduanes valued about Php 2.22 million. There were 18
vehicles, three chain saws and five circular saws
confiscated. There were nine cases filed in court for
violation of PD 705.
The major programs and projects implemented were as follows:
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Management of forestlands and forest resources through
the following: (a) assessment and validation of forest
areas and the issuance of tenurial instruments; (b)
processing of applications for cutting, utilization and
transport of non-wood and wood products; (c) monitoring
of 48 urban greening projects; and (d) maintenance and
protection of 284 kilometers roadside plantation along
the Green Philippine Highway Roadside Plantation
program.
-
Reforestation of 1,037 hectares (Upland Reforestation –
292 hectares; Mangrove Reforestation – 522 hectares;
Assisted Natural Regeneration – 223 hectares). The 491
hectares reforested areas in Masbate, Sorsogon and
Catanduanes and 650 hectares in the Bicol River Basin
were also maintained and protected.
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In Camarines Sur, the provincial government maintained
1.85 hectares of jatropha nurseries and 200.37 hectares
jatropha plantation in 10 municipalities. A 28-hectare
abaca nursery was also maintained in the municipalities
of Caramoan and Presentation.
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Forest protection and law enforcement through ground
surveillance and patrol works in identified hotspot
forest areas, establishment of choke points,
adjudication of criminal and administrative cases for
perpetrators of illegal activities, and information and
education campaign.
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Establishment of 38-hectare community-based forest
plantations in Catanduanes, Sorsogon and Masbate.
These agro-forestry farms were planted with forest trees
and agricultural crops. The tree species were narra,
gmelina and mahogany inter-cropped with various crops
such as abaca, cacao, calamansi, mango, squash, okra
etc.
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Characterization of two priority watershed areas. These
were Tubugan River Watershed (7,269 hectares) in
Sorsogon and Bito River Watershed (4,023 hectares) in
Masbate. The characterization involved the documentation
of the watershed area in terms of its biophysical and
socio-economic features.
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Implementation of the Bicol River Basin Watershed
Management Project (BRBWMP). The project traverses the
provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Albay
with a total drainage area of 317,389 hectares. It will
improve natural resources management through promotion
of coordinated and sustainable demand-driven activities
in a river basin concept. It has four components,
namely: Watershed Management and Development (WMD),
Irrigation Modernization (IM), Flood and Hazard
Mitigation (FHM) and Institutional Development (ID) with
DENR, National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as
implementing agencies.
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Under the Watershed Management and Development (WMD)
component, 1,211 hectares of denuded areas (1,016
hectares upland forests, 45 hectares mangrove, 50
hectares denuded forest lands through assisted natural
regeneration (ANR), and 100 hectares agro forestry
farms) were established/planted and developed. A
382-cubic meter of gabion and check dams, 800 linear
meters of eco-blocks and 4 units of small water
impounding system (SWIS) were established and
constructed along the degraded river banks within the
Bicol River Basin watershed area . These were 2007
targets achieved in CY 2008.
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For the 2008 targets implemented in the same year,
1,643.4 hectares were reforested, 431 hectares developed
for agro forestry and 725.9 hectares of denuded forest
rehabilitated through the assisted natural regeneration
(ANR).
-
Production of 518,698 seedlings in support to Trees for
Life Project. These were distributed to government
agencies, LGUS, NGOs, other private organizations and
the general public for tree planting activities. Some
were also utilized in the maintenance and replanting for
the Trees for Life project and Green Philippine Highway
roadside plantations.
-
Maintenance of the Regional Nursery at DENR 5 Regional
Office in support to the Green Philippine Program (GPP)-Trees
for Life project. A total of 80,000 seedlings were
produced.
Other projects implemented were the Community Based Forest
Management-CARP Project (162 hectares), Sabang Watershed
Rehabilitation Project (5,750 hectares), Ragay Upland
Development Project (87.60 hectares), GPP-Trees for Life
Project that produced 8,447,771 seedlings and planted
5,014.08 hectares and 101.547 kilometres riverbanks/road
networks.
