Illegal loggers raiding Manipis again

CEBU, Philippines - Because of the absence of environmental vanguards, illegal logging in the mountain barangay of Manipis, Talisay City, has become rampant again.

Very recently, Manipis barangay chief Joselito Laurente confiscated a multicab loaded with illegally cut “hambabawod,” which is good material for export-quality furniture.

Manipis is about 15 kilometers from the city proper, of which the common means of transportation is the motorcycle-for-hire or “habal-habal.”

Laurente has appealed to Supt. Henry Binas, chief of Talisay City police, to send some of his men to help barangay tanods guard the entire timberland of Manipis.

The city through the office of Mayor Socrates Fernandez has established the task force for the protection of the timberland in Manipis. The task force has however deployed only one vanguard to his barangay, he said.

This timberland, as declared by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, is part of the 2,000 hectare protected area which also includes the neighboring Minglanilla town and Toledo City.

Laurente is worried about the balding forest because this could trigger landslides. Manipis has already been declared by the City Disaster Coordinating Council as one of the flood-prone areas of Talisay.

In June 2008, Manipis Elementary School’s old riprap structure gave up resulting to soil and boulders cascading down the school, and that classes had to be suspended. The incident was caused by non-stop rains caused by typhoon Frank.

Illegal logging activities are common in Manipis, said Laurente.

Even farmers, who are supposed to be stewards of this timberland, a public domain, are reportedly cutting the supposed protected trees and selling these.

In February last year, two suspected illegal loggers were captured by members of the city police after being allegedly caught red handed with more than 200 Mahogany timbers and 15 sacks of charcoal, burned Mahogany, in sitio Campinsa of the barangay.

The fast balding forest is also home to the city’s watershed, of which most of its water supply comes from. (THE FREEMAN)