Fr. Reyes starts forest protection drive

CEBU, Philippines – Running priest, Father Robert Reyes has shifted gear in his environmental advocacy. He is now into climbing mountains to campaign against cutting of trees everywhere in the country.

In Negros Oriental, Reyes on Sunday launched Takbundokan to save Mount Talinis from further denudation and degradation, as he urged mountain climbers to bring and plant tree seedlings whenever they go to Cuernos de Negros where Talinis is located.

The running priest enjoined participants in the "Save Mt. Talinis" environment forum at Saint Paul University in Dumaguete City to make noise and start complaining against illegal activities in Mt Talinis, like what he did in Pangasinan, Cavite, Cebu and other areas, where he told politicians not to cut trees.

"Our ancestors told us to always ask permission when we go and whatever we do in the forests, because the forest itself is mysterious, it is spiritual and that something might happen if we don't respect the animals, the trees, the water, the streams and even inhabitants in the forests," said the priest.

Reyes lamented that people now do not anymore ask permission before they cut trees, even with existing ordinances and laws; they shoot birds, bats and wild animals without permission as well as look for minerals.

"The Department of Environment and Natural Resources would normally say no to cutting of trees but, somewhere along the way, you'll get surprised when permits are issued," Reyes said.

Even DENR officials were also surprised to hear cutting of trees and mining have been going on. "This is the problem with Mt. Talinis. We must save this and DENR is supposed to do its task and everybody by forming organizations to defend Mt Talinis," he said.

Reyes said people are killing trees because "they are being blinded by personal gains. They look at century old trees as a big peso sign. We no longer see what God wants us to see, but mountains that are being mined, trees that are being cut, mountains that are being drilled for geothermal power."