Benguet town wants control over forests

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—The capital town of Benguet province intends to manage all of its communal forests, which are under the supervision of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The municipal council approved a resolution on Aug. 23 urging the DENR to devolve the management of communal forests in the villages of Puguis, Shilan, Alapang and Alno.

The local government has a forest management plan, which designates parts of the forests that could be developed into coffee plantations and ecotourism sites, “and areas that will be strictly off limits” to settlements, said Councilor Guiller Galwan, who sponsored the resolution.

The Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160) empowers local governments to take on bigger responsibilities in the management of its territories, he said.

The resolution cites Section 17 of the law which states: “Local government units shall endeavor to be self-reliant, and shall continue exercising the powers and discharging the duties and functions currently vested upon them. They shall also discharge the functions and responsibilities of national agencies and offices devolved to them pursuant to this Code.”

The DENR can grant local governments these functions through the agency’s Administrative Order No. 30, issued on June 30, 1992, Galwan said.

The DENR is reviewing La Trinidad’s request, and has yet to issue a statement. Kimberlie Quitasol, Inquirer Northern Luzon