Republir of the Philippines
House of Representatives

NINETEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

C65”
nose pri. noLG65

Introduced by Rep. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma
Lone District of Nueva Vizcaya

AN ACT TOTALLY BANNING LOGGING OPERATIONS FOR THE NEXT TWENTY-FIVE
YEARS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippines is among the countries that are losing their forest cover fast, ranking 4th in
the world’s top 10 most threatened forest hotspots according to Conservation International. Data
from the DENR-Forest Management Bureau in 2010 show that combined reforestation efforts by the
government and the private sector are not enough to arrest the rapid deforestation. Previous
administrations had been weak in compelling timber license holders to fulfill their obligation of
reforesting concession areas. If the deforestation rate of 157,400 hectares per year continues, the
country’s remaining forest cover will be wiped out in less than 40 years.

According to the “Status of Philippine Forests" report of the Philippine Tropical Forest
Conservation Foundation, Inc. (2015), “Forests also have key ecosystem functions that are vital to a
healthy environment. These include water and air purification; collection of water in catchment areas
and watersheds, and soil conservation to help support a variety of plants. Forest cover and vegetation
help prevent soil erosion by keeping soils intact. They moderate floods, drought and extremes in
temperature. Forests also play a major role in climate change mitigation as forests are a major carbon
sink. Forest resources provide the basis for many cultures, particularly of indigenous groups whose
lives are closely interwoven with forest resources. Belief systems are governed by spirits found in
mountains, trees, lakes and other facets of nature; and rituals are performed as part of traditional
natural resource management activities. In the Philippines, approximately 30 percent of the
population, including some twelve to fifteen million indigenous peoples, depend on forests for their
survival, and their cultures revolve around their interactions within their natural environment (DENR
2009).”

Halting deforestation is more than planting trees. For as long as commercial logging
continues, all efforts that are meant to stop deforestation are bound to fail, The persistence of any
form of logging in our forests, plus the threats of more disasters brought by climate change will show
that it is high time for a log ban and a massive reforestation effort

This bill seeks to impose a total log ban in forests, timberland, forest reserves and watersheds
for the next twenty-five (25) years to allow all efforts to save our remaining forests and to ensure the
successful reforestation of the badly denuded areas.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought

LUISA LLOREN CUARESMA


Republic of the Philippines
House of Represeututines

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1665

Introduced by Rep. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma
Lone District of Nueva Vizcaya

AN ACT TOTALLY BANNING LOGGING OPERATIONS FOR THE NEXT TWENTY-FIVE
YEARS

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. — \t is the obligation of the State to protect the remaining
forest cover areas of the country not only to prevent flash floods and hazardous flooding but also to
preserve biodiversity, protect threatened habitats and sanctuaries of endangered and rare species, and
allow natural regeneration of residual forests and development of plantation forests. Towards this end,
the State shall prohibit logging operations of any kind in any forest, timber land, forest reserve or
watershed for the next twenty-five (25) years

SECTION 2. Prohibited Acts. - The following shall be prohibited under this Act:

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to cut, fell or destroy any tree standing on any forest,
timber land, forest reserve or watershed within the next twenty-five (25) years from the
approval of this Act. This prohibition shall not apply to trees grown in legitimate
commercial tree farms,

(b) Cutting of trees grown in private lands shall only be allowed upon a certification, citing the
purpose for such, issued by the DENR,

(c) The DENR is henceforth hereby prohibited from issuing logging contracts/agreements in
all natural and residual forests, such as Integrated Forest Management Agreements (IFMA),
Socialized Integrated Forest Management Agreements (SIFMA), Community-Based Forest
Management Agreement (CBFMA) and other agreements/contracts with logging
components in natural and residual forests, It shall review/evaluate all existing IFMAs,
SIFMAs, CBFMAs and other forestry agreement/contracts and immediately
terminate/cancel the agreements of those who have violated the terms and conditions of
their contracts/agreements as well as existing forest laws, rules and regulations. The same
cancellation/termination shall also apply if holders thereof engage in logging activities in
any natural or residual forest or abet the commission of the same; Moreover, the DENR
shall close and not allow to operate all sawmills, veneer plants and other wood processing
plants that are unable to present proof of sustainable sources of legally cut logs for a period
of at least five (5) years within one month from the effectivity of this act

SECTION 3. Penalties. - Any person who violates this Act shall be punished by
imprisonment of not less than five (5) years but not more than ten (10) years


Any juridical entity that violates this Act shall forfeit its license or permit to do business in the
Philippines. In addition, it shall be made to pay a fine of not less than Five hundred thousand pesos (P
500,000.00) but not more than Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) at the discretion of the Court. The
Chairman and/or the Chief Executive Officer or any other officer of the company or government
agency responsible for the violation of this law shall be imprisoned for a period of not less than five (5)
years but not more than ten (10) years also at the discretion of the Court. Aliens who violate this law
shall be deported after their sentences shall have been served

SECTION 4. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, rules
and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SECTION 5. Effectivit
newspapers of national circulation

This Act shall take effect upon its publication in at least two (2)

Approved,