A young girl at work at a charcoal making factory in Divisoria, Manila. - Website photo
By ANALIZA S MACATANGAY
NAGA CITY: CamSur Provincial Environment and Natural Resource Office
(Penro) has intensified its campaign against the hauling and conveyance of wood
charcoal from the province.
CamSur Penro chief Atty Arnel Rodriguez said that he has already
directed community ENROs in the cities of Iriga and Naga monitor and prevent
the transport of charcoal out of the province without the Certificate of
Verification (COVs).
He has also notified the ENROs in the municipalities of Goa and Sipocot
to strictly require the drivers or conveyors of the charcoal to present a COV
to transport the charcoal.
ENROs were also advised not to issue a transport permit without the
clearance coming from the DENR regional office.
Transporting wood charcoal without necessary clearances is a clear
violation of DENR Administrative Order 32, issued in 1997.
The indiscriminate cutting of trees in the forest is being attributed
to the high charcoal demand in the region and in the neighboring provinces.
This in turn, feeds the members of the community to cut the trees even
in their tender years just to make a living. If the cutting of trees to make
charcoal woods persists, our forests will soon lost its cover.
This will make
our areas prone to flooding and landslides.
Pursuant to this, a DENR officer can confiscate the tools, implements,
and conveyances used in the transport of any paraphernalia that could have been
used to illegally cut trees and the making of wood charcoal.
DENR, meanwhile, has scheduled visits to various establishments
directly involved in the buying and selling of charcoal, including the
identification of the place where the charcoal originated.
“Aside from the stern and continuous reminder that we are sending to
our DENR officers, we will also be conducting visits to various sites where
there are reported cases of wood charcoal making.
“We will also check on the vehicles being used to transport the
merchandise. If a violation is evident, the jeepney or the vehicle used to
conduct an illegal activity will be impounded,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez added that they are also closely coordinating with terminal
operators in the province where the charcoal are allegedly being delivered.
They have also strengthened coordination with the Philippine National
Police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
Just recently, the group was able to confiscate more than 500 sacks of
charcoal in the province on separate operations.
The towns of Tinambac, Calabanga, Pasacao, San Fernando, and Minalabac
are considered wood charcoal hotspots where there are rampant production and
selling of the said commodity. – PIA5
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