ENTATIVES
VED

Peces
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) RECE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )

First Regular Session )

REGISTRATION UNIT
INDEX SERVICE

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

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

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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 approval of this bill is earnestly
sought.

faen Yee, Lehn,


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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B.No.__ 2848

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. — It 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:


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(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
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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 (P500,000.00) but not more than Five million pesos (P
5,000,000.00) 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.


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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. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect upon its

publication in at least two (2) newspapers of national circulation.

Approved,