FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
FIRST REGULAR SESSION 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to prohibit logging operations of any kind in any forest, timber land, 
forest reserve or watershed for the next twenty-five (25) years. 
Deforestation is the c;aversion of forested areas to non-forest land use such as arable 
land, urban use, logged area or wasteland. Historically, this meant conversion to grassland or to 
its artificial counterpart, grainfields; however, the industrial revolution added urbanization. 
Generally this removal or destruction of significant areas of forest cover has resulted in a 
degraded environment with reduced biodiversity. In developing countries, massive 
deforestation is ongoing and is shaping climate and geography. 
In the Philippines, forest resources have continued to dissipate through the years. The 
volume of forest resources from trees was measured at 907 million cubic meters at the start of 
1988, uut it decreased rapidly so that in 1994, stocks reached a low of 611 million cubic meters. 
As of year 2000, the leading cause of forest disturbance is illegal cutting, with a total of 
4,920 hectares of land destroyed, the highest incidence since the 1990s. There were two major 
causes in the decline of stocks of forest resources during the period 1988 to 1994. The country 
lost resources worth P48.6 billion to harvesting and other logging activities, while the 
conversion of forestland to non-forest use accounted for P20.4 billion in losses. Also 
contributing to the decline in stocks were forestAi<es, accounting for P439.7 million, and the 
natural death of trees (stand mortality) which accounted for P5.9 billion. Demand for 
agricultural land is one of the main reasons that forests continue to be erased at the rate of 13 
million hectares a year. By 2005, forests were estimated at 47 % of the total land, from 51 in 1990. 
Deforestation accounts for 18 percent of the carbon dioxide produced each year, which 
are causing global warming and aIso poses risks to forests via increased fires and the spread of 
pests. Deforestation likewise has caused massive flooding and landslides all over the country, 
which has caused countless lives. 
There is an urgent need to stop deforestation in the country, which from 1990 until 2000, 
is at the rate of 1.4%., the highest among the Southeast Asian Nations together with Myanmar 
with the same rate. The benefits of ensuring the sustainable growth and development of our 
forest resource and the richness of our biodiversity are boundless and cannot be compensated 
by commercial progress. 
To ensure faithful compliance, this proposed measure penalizes any person violates the 
total log ban. 
In review of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
+. 
LOREN LEGARDA 
Senator 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
FIRST REGULAR SESSION 
1 
S E N A T E  
S. B. No. 73 
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda 
u
v
 
AN ACT 
TOTALLY BANNING LOGGING OPERATIONS FOR THE NEXT TWENTY-FIVE 
YEARS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SEC. 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared a Policy of the State to 
prohibit logging operations of any kind in any forest, timber land, forest reserve or 
watershed for the next twenty-five (25) years. 
SEC. 2. Prohibited Acts.- 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 
trees grown in legitimate commercial tree farms. 
SEC. 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 Philippinec; In addition, it shall be made to pay a fine of not less than 
Five hundred thousand pesos ( eq /0(P,=)500,000.00) But not more than Five million 
pesos ( eq /0(P,=)5,000,000.00) at the disrection of the Court. The Chairman and/ or 
the Chief Executive Officer or any other officer of the company 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 disrection of the Court. Aliens who violate this 
law shall be deported after their sentences shall have been served. 
SEC. 4. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid, the 
remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall remain in force and 
effect. 
SEC. 5. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders and 
their implementing rules, inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 6. Efectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,