Solon urges gov’t to adopt tougher measure to address deforestation

A lawmaker today said the government should adopt tougher laws to address the
deteriorating environmental situation in the country.

In a privilege speech, Rep. Isidro Lico (Party-list, Ating KOOP) said illegal logging,
mining and other deforestation acts cause the fast balding of the country’s forest cover, resulting
in flash floods, landslides and further environmental destruction leading to deaths and damage to
property.

Lico said only four million or 13% of the country’s forest cover remains. “Seventy percent
of mangrove forests are destroyed, 40% of our watersheds seriously eroded, 50% of fisheries
overfished, degraded or polluted and 75% of coastal reefs severely damaged by destructive illegal
fishing,” Lico said.

Lico said the disappearance of Philippine forests is of great concern to environmentalists

due to the high levels of endemic species. “Nearly 46% are endemic species among the known
1,190 species of animals while among plants it is around 40%,” he said.

“The rate of deforestation in the country is among the worst in the world,” Lico said.

Citing a study of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Lico said the
country’s forest was down to only 16 million acres, one million of which are virgin forests.

Lico said because of the fast erosion of the country’s forest cover, incidents such as the
2009 and 2010 flooding in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental and Ormoc resulted in the loss of
millions of pesos in property and undetermined deaths.

According to Lico, the government does not seem to find a proper solution to this
problem. “We have passed more than sufficient environmental laws to prevent illegal logging
and deforestation of our mountains,” Lico said.

Lico said the people affected by these disasters are taxpayers who are forced to give part
of their income to the government for their protection and yet the government cannot enforce
environmental laws properly.

“Today, it is important to note that only five percent of Philippine forests are protected,”
Lico said.

Lico said aside from the poor enforcement of environmental laws, other contributory
factors to the further denudation of forests are low accessibility given to non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and inadequate information dissemination to the public.

“If we do not act on the needs of nature and comply with our obligations to preserve it,
nature’s fury might take its course sooner than we expect,” Lico said. (30) jy