By LEANDER C. DOMINGO
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (August 24)—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) has told two mining companies to immediately turn over all cut logs or harvested timber to the department for safekeeping.
Gwendolyn Bambalan, DENR-Region 2 executive director, said the cut logs and harvested timber by mining companies in Cagayan Valley must all be properly stockpiled in a safe location to preserve their economic value.
“These logs can be donated to the Department of Education for school building construction and other government agencies and local government units,” Bambalan added.
To monitor the status of logs cut by mining firms, she and Mario Ancheta, Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 2 director, conducted site visits and initiated discussions with OceanaGold Philippines Inc. in Didipio village in Kasibu town and FCF Minerals Corporation in Quezon town, both in Nueva Vizcaya.
She said OceanaGold and FCF presented during the mining visit their compliance with the tree-cutting permits’ terms and conditions that include seedlings replacement for every tree cut.
With this, Bambalan urged DENR-Region 2 officials in Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya to strictly monitor the compliance of mining companies with the terms and conditions of the tree-cutting permits issued to them by the agency.
She also ordered the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources and Community Environment and Natural Resources officers having jurisdiction over the mining sites to conduct regular assessment of the companies’ compliance with the terms and conditions of the special tree-cutting and earth-balling permits issued to them.
Bambalan explained that mining companies have been required by the DENR to replace each tree to be cut or affected with 100 seedlings of indigenous species and to rehabilitate two hectares in every hectare of mined-out areas.
“This will be their contribution to the National Greening Program and climate-change initiatives of the government,” she said.
“The planted seedlings will be maintained by the permittee for three years with a survival rate of at least 80 percent,” Bambalan added.