A forester, armed with only an ax, joins an inspection of seized logs illegally cut from the Sierra Madre. (File photo from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources)
MANILA, Philippines — Proposals to establish an agency to safeguard the Sierra Madre mountain range have been criticized for focusing more on developing rather than protecting the area from degradation.
The House Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization conducted a hearing on Tuesday on the proposals for the agency, which were a common part of House Bills No. 1214 and No. 1972.
HB No. 1214, which was authored by Isabela Rep. Faustino Dy IV, calls for the creation of the Sierra Madre Conservation and Development Authority.
HB No. 1972, which was authored by Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Nograles, calls for the creation of a Sierra Madre Development Authority.
Emelita Lingat, an officer of the Bulacan Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO), said that the proposed agencies would be more focused on scrutinizing development projects for agriculture, industry, commerce, and recreation.
She said protection of the Sierra Madre, not development, should take priority as the mountain range acts as a defensive wall for cyclones hitting Luzon.
“We recognize that it’s important to review the impact of the development projects in the Sierra Madre. However, reviewing proposed development projects should not be the only priority. It should focus more on providing conservation and protection measures and strategies that will support the rehabilitation of the Sierra Madre as Luzon’s defense against strong winds,” Lingat said.
She suggested that, aside from creating an agency to take care of the mountain range, the entire Sierra Madre should also be declared a protected area.
The Sierra Madre extends 540 kilometers across Luzon, from CayaganValley in the north to Quezon province in the south.
The largest protected area in the country lies along the Sierra Madre, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. But it only covers a portion of Cagayan Valley, particularly the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park which sits over eastern Isabela province.
“It would be a stronger protection measure to establish the Sierra Madre as a protected area since the bill also aims to enhance the protection of the Sierra Madre region from illegal logging and timber poaching,” Lingat said.
Also, she suggested that the proposed agency work closely with DENR in securing the forest and in apprehending anyone who would violate the rules covering protected areas, such as those who would engage in illegal logging and mining.
“We also would like to recommend the addition of a provision stating that the Sierra Madre Development Authority will work with the DENR, for the implementation of the forest protection measures including the deployment of forest guards and the confiscation of forest products illegally cut, harvested, or collected from the Sierra Madre region,” Lingat said.
“The DENR shall adjudicate the offense and dispose (of) the confiscated items to the appropriate procedures under existing laws, rules, and regulations,” she added.
Both bills, which were consolidated into one during Tuesday’s hearing, also call for a thorough survey of the geographic status of the Sierra Madre and its other potentials for harnessing energy, ecotourism, and ecological supplies.
The proposed agency would also be allowed collect regulatory fees for any activity on the mountains.
Proposals to protect the Sierra Madre got a fresh push after Super Typhoon Karding and Severe Tropical Storm Paeng recently hit Luzon. Environmentalists noted that the mountain range cut down considerably the extent of damage caused by those cyclones.
They then urged the government to give the mountain range greater protection due to its huge contributions to ecology and disaster resilience.