Deforestation in the Philippines

The government regularly granted logging concessions of less than ten years. Since it takes 30–35 years for a second-growth forest to mature, loggers had no incentive to replant. Compounding the error, flat royalties encouraged the loggers to remove only the most valuable species. A horrendous 40 percent of the harvestable lumber never left the forests, but, having been damaged in the logging, rotted or was burned in place. The unsurprising result of these and related policies is that out of 17 million hectares of closed forests that flourished early in the century, only 1.2 million remain today.Attribution of deforestation to population pressure or agricultural expansion was found not to be backed by existing evidence in a 1992 study. Subsequent research has shown that intensification of existing farmers and improved off-farm income reduced forest pressure. However, in some parts of the country forest encroachment still happens due to high demand for vegetables. ===Mining and logging=== Mining and logging are major causes of deforestation in the Philippines. Mining operations have cleared large areas of forest land and has led to water contamination, ecological destruction, loss of livelihood, and loss of biodiversity. Republic Act 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act, allows mining operations to clear trees and relocate Indigenous and local communities. The law allows foreign-owned companies to engage in mining activities. According to environmental group Alyansa Tigil Mina, the law "legitimizes the plunder of our national patrimony," and that the "situation will only worsen if ChaCha prospers and transnational corporations are allowed to act with impunity." Illegal logging occurs in the Philippines and intensifies flood damage in some areas. Deforestation caused by mining or logging has been linked to such environmental disasters as the Ormoc tragedy and the Ondoy disaster. During the flood control corruption scandal, environmental groups pushed for the passage of an anti-dynasty law as well as a law requiring firms to disclose contracts and beneficial owners, noting links between political dynasties and mining companies. Alyansa Tigil Mina said that mining companies will break environmental laws when these firms are owned by politicians. === Land conversion === Deforestation is also caused by land conversion for corporate agriculture, cash crops, real estate, and infrastructure. IBON Foundation cites as an example the one million hectares allocated for palm oil plantations in Mindanao, as well as Build, Build, Build infrastructure projects that will destroy forests, water sources, farms, and livelihoods, and displace local communities. ===Natural disasters=== Destructive typhoons in the Philippines, such as Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013, also cause deforestation and defoliation. ==Conservation== Executive Order 23 was signed in February 2011 banning logging throughout the country. New mining agreements were banned in 2012 to protect the environment, though existing mines were allowed to continue operations. A nationwide ban on open-pit mining was put in place in 2017. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Gina Lopez suspended permits for 26 mining operations that violated environmental rules. However, the ban on open-pit and other mining operations was lifted in 2021. In response to these environmental challenges, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has listed a number of different plant species that can be planted nationwide to promote urban greening and reforestation. According to the Philippine Guidebook on Plant Species Suitable for Urban Greening, these include native species such as Pakpak-Lauin (Bird’s Nest Fern), Anahaw, Manila Palm, Kapa-kapa, and others. In addition, some non-native species can also be planted because of local adaptation and no longer possess invasive characteristics that negatively affect human well-being and property. Native and non-native plants are recommended for their capability to adapt to local conditions, contribute to biodiversity, and support ecological restoration. === Reforestation === ==== Government policies ==== In June 1977, President Ferdinand Marcos signed a law requiring the planting of one tree every month for five consecutive years by every citizen of the Philippines. The law was repealed by President Corazon Aquino in July 1987, through Executive Order 287, which states that the planting of trees "can be achieved without the compulsion and the penalties for non-compliance therewith as set forth in the Decree". President Benigno Aquino III established the National Greening Program (NGP) with the signing of *Executive Order No. 26* on February 24, 2011. The program aims to increase the country's forest cover in 1.5 e6ha of land with 1.5 billion trees from 2011 to 2016. In 2015, the program was expanded to cover all remaining unproductive, denuded and degraded forestlands and its period of implementation extended from 2016 to 2028. In September 2012, President Benigno Aquino III signed a law requiring all able-bodied citizens of the Philippines, who are at least 12 years of age, to plant one tree every year. There is no provision in the law to enforce and monitor compliance to this requirement. In June 2020, the DENR started allowing a "family approach" under the National Greening Program, permitting families to establish forest plantations composed of timber and non-timber species, which include bamboo and rattan. ==== Tree planting activities ==== There are tree-planting initiatives conducted in various parts of the country. On March 8, 2012, 1,009,029 mangrove trees were planted within one hour by a team achieved by the joint efforts of Governor Lray Villafuerte of the El Verde Movement and the people of San Rafael of Ragay, Camarines Sur. On September 26, 2014, the Philippines broke the Guinness World Record for the "Most trees planted simultaneously (multiple locations)", wherein 2,294,629 trees were planted in 29 locations throughout the country by 122,168 participants in an event organized by TreeVolution: Greening MindaNOW (Philippines). Trees planted during the event included rubber, cacao, coffee, timber, mahogany trees, as well as various fruit trees and other species native to the country. === Proposed legislation === In May 2019, the House of Representatives of the Philippines has approved *House Bill 8728*, or the "Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act," principally authored by Magdalo Party-List Representative Gary Alejano and Cavite 2nd District Representative Strike Revilla, requiring all graduating elementary, high school, and college students to plant at least 10 trees each before they can graduate. A similar Senate bill was filed but not passed. House Bill 5240, or the National Land Use Act, and House Bill 9088, or the Sustainable Forest Management Act, were approved in the House of Representatives to address deforestation, land use conversion, and other environmental issues. The counterpart bills in the Senate stalled in the committee on the environment. Environmental groups have called for a review the Philippine Mining Act, the Fisheries Code, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, and the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act to ensure responsible environmental and natural resources management. Environmental groups have also called for the passage of a People's Mining Law and an Environmental Defender's Law. == Activism == Local governments, Indigenous communities, and nongovernmental organizations conduct campaigns against destructive practices such as logging and mining. Organizations include Alyansa Tigil Mina and Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment. === Threats to environmentalists === The killing of environmental activists has been allegedly linked to mining companies. According to human rights group Global Witness, a third of land defenders killed in the Philippines from 2012 to 2024 are anti-mining activists. ==See also== * Environmental issues in the Philippines * Luzon rainforest * Oposa v. Factoran ==References== ==Further reading== * * ==External links== * [Philippines Forests](https://rainforests.mongabay.com/20philippines.htm) at Mongabay * [Illegal logging in the Phililpines](https://web.archive.org/web/20120219142414/http://www.illegal-logging.info/approach.php?a_id=88) * [The Lost Forest](https://web.archive.org/web/20101231111807/http://www.fieldmuseum.org/vanishing_treasures/Deforestation_1.htm) at Fieldmuseum.org [[Category:Environmental issues in the Philippines]] [[Category:Deforestation by region|Philippines]] [[Category:Forestry in the Philippines]]