COTABATO CITY -- Illegal logging activities in 20 forest areas in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are now considered under control according to the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy (MENRE) following the conduct of heightened checkpoints and entrapment operations in the region. 

Sobair Macabinta, MENRE's chief forest management specialist, said that with their continues efforts in tracing illegal activities and educating residents of unlawful collection of forest products, they observed an increase in the number of reports received by their office.

Since 2020, MENRE has apprehended 18,770 board feet of illegal forest products such as flitches, planks of timber cut from a tree trunk.

The municipalities declared as controlled areas include Lapid-Lapid, Bongao and Tandobanak, Sibutu in Tawi-Tawi.

Macabinta cautioned individuals about the sanctions once caught for illegal logging. For P22,000 or higher worth of forest products, convicted individual may be sentenced from 18 to 20 years of imprisonment. 

He cited poverty due to lack of livelihood initiatives in far-flung areas as the main reason why a lot of people in the area are into these illegal activities.

“Poverty is one of the major causes we identified that triggers people around the area to engage in illegal forest activities,” Macabinta said.

To address the problem, the MENRE sealed a joint effort with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MFAR) in providing vegetable seeds and technical assistance to encourage residents in the critical areas to have food and income source.

Across the region, reforestation program is being implemented especially in areas where illegal logging activities were recorded. Individual offenders are required to participate in tree planting activities led by the Ministry.

Under the MENRE’s Natural Resources Enforcement and Regulatory Program, Minister Abdulraof Macacua has encouraged forest rangers, environmental report officers and the Bangsamoro people to participate and contribute in their efforts to reduce crimes against nature to preserve the forests for the future generation. (Allan Biwang Jr/With reports from Jab Marohom, MENRE-BARMM)