Zambo archbishop seeks lifting of log ban

Zamboanga Archbishop Carmelo D.F. Morelos endorsed recently to President Arroyo the lifting of the suspension of legitimate logging activities in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

The policy of the government in suspending all cutting permits across the country irrespective of their kind of tenured instruments has greatly affected the existing forest management agreements in the province.

Morelos explained that the forest management agreements of Sirawai Plywood and Lumber Corp. and the Sodaco Agricultural Corp. exemplify the best managed and properly protected forests in the country as evidenced by the biggest patch of solid forest in peninsula.

These areas considered as models on how our forests should be efficiently managed, as the bishop attest to the firms’ gargantuan job in implementing and maintaining forestry programs which provide jobs and other civic and social activities for communities.

The bishop sought the assistance of the President, citing the need to lift or allow these responsible forest managers to continue their operations so they can perform their legitimate task in helping the economy and the people at large.

The growing concern, he said, is that because of the adverse effects of the suspension of cutting operations in these well managed forest in Zamboanga Peninsula, the ordinary worker and their dependents are now generally insecure about their future. Even enrollment in schools in the area has dropped considerably because of the temporary unemployment of hundreds of workers.

Legitimate logging activities throughout the country have been suspended for several months now due to the natural calamities that befell the provinces of Quezon and Nueva Ecija brought about by heavy rains and landslides.