DILG orders ‘crackdown’ vs illegal logging, mining after Luzon floods

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has ordered a crackdown against illegal loggers and illegal miners in the wake of the recent massive floods that submerged parts of Luzon due to typhoons.

In the Laging Handa online press briefing on Saturday,  DILG spokesman and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año ordered Philippine National Police chief Gen. Debold Sinas to go after illegal miners and loggers in the areas that were most affected by floods.

“Si Secretary Año po ay nagbigay ng kautusan kay General Debold Sinas, ang pinuno ng Philippine National Police na mag-crackdown sa lahat ng uri ng illegal logging at illegal mining sa mga lugar na nasalanta ng bagyo partikular sa Cagayan, Isabela kahit na po sa Kabikulan dahil ito ang sinasabing dahilan [nung] unprecendented widespread flooding,” Malaya said.

(Secretary Año has given an order to General Debold Sinas, chief of the Philippine National Police to have a crackdown against illegal logging and illegal mining to those affected by the typhoon particularly in Cagayan, Isabel and in the Bicol region because of the widespread flooding.)

“So ibig sabihin, in addition nga po dito sa war on drugs, sa ating war on criminality, kasama na rin po sa isa sa mga priorities ng PNP ay ang war on illegal logging,” Malaya added.

(This means that in addition to the war on drugs and war on criminality, one of the priorities of the PNP is the war on illegal logging.)

CITY UNDER WATER In this photo taken on Nov. 14, downtown Tuguegarao City, the provincial capital of Cagayan and regional center of Cagayan Valley, is flooded as the Cagayan River swells. —DAVID TE/Contributor

It was on Nov. 1 when Super Typhoon Rolly, known to be the strongest tropical cyclone in the world, battered parts of Southern Luzon.

On Nov. 12, Typhoon Ulysses brought heavy rains and massive floods in Central and Southern Luzon, including Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, parts of the Cagayan Valley, particularly Cagayan and Isabela, made headlines after massive floods inundated the provinces caused by rains dumped by Ulysses, as well as water released from the Magat Dam.

And as part of the crackdown, Malaya said Año has strengthened a program for local government units to encourage its constituents to plant trees.

“Ang goal po nito ay makapagtanim ng 200 million trees at ang target po ni Secretary Año na masimulan itong programa next year,” Malaya said.

(The goal here is to plant 200 million trees, and the target of Secretary Año is to roll this out next year.)

“Maglalabas ng memorandum circulars at department orders ang DILG para hikayatin ang malawakang tree planting in support of the national greening program mula sa barangay hangggang sa pinakamataaas na antas,” he added.

(The DILG will release memorandum circulars and department orders to encourage tree planting in support of the  national greening program from the barangay to the highest official.)

/MUF