Gov’t urged to adopt forest management plan

To ensure that Philippine forests will remain sustainable for both present and future generations, a senator on Friday urged the government to adopt a forest management plan to conserve its resources. (Photo: Iqbal Osman/Flcikr)

MANILA—To ensure that Philippine forests will remain sustainable for both present and future generations, a senator on Friday urged the government to adopt a forest management plan to conserve its resources.

Sen. Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, said the plan could be based on the rational allocation of forestland uses and promotion of land use practices.

Legarda said that existing forest resources should also be protected while denuded areas should be developed to promote food production activities.

“We must ensure that our forests meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs. We can only do so if we manage our forests sustainably,” Legarda said.

The senator, who is also a staunch environmentalist, has included these proposals in Senate Bill No. 402, the proposed Sustainable Forest Management Act.

Her measure seeks to establish a plan for sustainable forest management guided by several principles, principally through community-based forest management (CBFM) and watershed as the basic forestland management unit.

The CBFM strategy is providing access rights and responsibilities to forest resident families, local communities, and indigenous peoples to undertake the management of appropriate forestland resources on a sustainable basis.