The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Northern Luzon vowed to strengthen forest protection effort and combat illegal logging activities in the area.
The Regional Executive Directors in the Ilocos, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Cagayan Valley Region, for a starter, is eyeing to establish inter-region monitoring checkpoints to monitor illegal transport of natural resources coming from the adjoining regions.
The plan to establish the joint checkpoints is a result of the tripartite agreement signed earlier in La Union by DENR Regional Executive Directors Crizaldy Barcelo of Region 1, Gwendolyn Bambalan of Region 2, and Ralph Pablo of CAR “to unify and streamline efforts toward achieving overall conservation and protection of the environment and natural resources.”
In a news statement, Bambalan said the joint stationary and mobile checkpoints will address the problems on the illegal transport of forest products, wildlife, and illegally extracted, removed, and transported minerals/mineral by-products and other natural resources.
“We have to strengthen the guard and stop the cutting at the source. We also need to strictly monitor and check the destination,” the DENR Cagayan Valley chief added.
She said the Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) monitoring checkpoints would be stationed in strategic locations near the forest conservation areas, protected areas, and development areas.
“While we are advancing our National Greening Program, it is also important that we protect the standing trees from being cut,” Director Pablo said in his message.
Under the draft operational guidelines, the assigned personnel at the checkpoints shall operate the monitoring station on a seven-day and 24-hour basis. They shall flag down all suspicious vehicles loaded with forest products, minerals/ores and wildlife passing through the stations for inspection through lawful means.
They shall also apprehend all vehicles and load of forest products, minerals/ores and/or wildlife with no proper document/permit to support shipment.
To effectively implement ENR laws, the team leaders and all personnel to be assigned at the checkpoints will undergo skills enhancement training.
The guidelines also state that the host Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) shall solicit the support of the law enforcement agencies and local government units covering the monitoring stations.
During the virtual meeting facilitated by Region 2 Enforcement Chief Joel Daquioag, the concerned CENROs presented the feasibility, logistic needs and resources adjacent to the proposed monitoring checkpoints, including environmental threats.