Investigation of logs at tributaries of Agus River urged
by Rudy A. Arizala
Hereunder is the news report from The Philippine Daily Inquirer of 27 September 2005, subject-matter of my email message of 27 September 2005, wherein I respectfully suggest, if not yet done:
1. It should be investigated whether the logs at the tributaries of Agus River in General Nakar, Quezon are really still the results of the flash-floods last November 2004 or if they are newly-cut illegal logs to be floated down the Agus River.
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nvestigation of logs at tributaries of Agus River urged
by Rudy A. Arizala
Hereunder is the news report from The Philippine Daily Inquirer of 27 September 2005, subject-matter of my email message of 27 September 2005, wherein I respectfully suggest, if not yet done:
1. It should be investigated whether the logs at the tributaries of Agus River in General Nakar, Quezon are really still the results of the flash-floods last November 2004 or if they are newly-cut illegal logs to be floated down the Agus River.
2. Whether they are the logs of the flash-floods or newly-cut illegal logs, methinks they should be used in the reconstruction of homes of those victims of the flash-floods in Reina last November 2004. Also be used in the construction of classrooms in the barangays destroyed by floods and typhoons, bridges across rivers and streams so that school children in rural areas could reach their school without much difficulty especially during rainy days.
3. Deputize the armed forces as forest rangers if it is true that there are not enough forest rangers in the Sierra Madre mountains.
4. Those who cut logs should be mandated by law to engage in reforestation projects.
5. Funds for reforestation projects maybe secured from a Foundation c/o Atty. Luna-Severino at www.gubat.org Said foundation works through the auspices of the UN . It is a fund set up from the reduction of RP loans to the US. The foundation will be receiving $8.25 million over the course of 14 years from RP interest payments and its mandate is to give these funds as grants to organizations undertaking tropical forest conservation.
I have previously communicated this information to the Office of the Governor of Quezon Province, Lucena City and to Fr. Francis of ICDAI, Infanta, Quezon on 18 September 2005.
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Dumagat tribe warns of threat from drifted logs
First posted 02:20am (Mla time) Sept 27, 2005
By Delfin Mallari Jr.
Inquirer News Service
GENERAL NAKAR, QUEZON&emdash;Thousands of drifted logs are still scattered in the upper tributaries of the Agos River in the bosom of the Sierra Madre mountain ranges. This poses another threat to lowland communities, the indigenous Dumagat tribe warned.
"There are still plenty of scattered logs up there, in several tributaries of Agos river, probably still millions of board feet waiting to be collected and hauled down to assure the safety of lowlanders. We fear that those logs could roll down again and create another calamity," Bayani Azcarraga, Dumagat tribal leader, said.
The tribe members refuted the findings of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) during its recent aerial survey that what were left of the drifted logs were good only for firewood.
"Apparently, what the DENR official had seen was the long stretch of Agos River, which had been naturally cleaned up of drifted logs because of previous strong rains," said Thelma Aumentado, Dumagat tribal governor.
"What we're referring are those pile of logs along several river tributaries upstream of the river in the upper portion of the mountain."
"Those drifted logs could not be seen from the helicopter," she said.
She urged DENR officials to visit their villages to personally see the volumes of drifted logs that need to be gathered and disposed.
"We're just waiting for the documentor from our allied non-government organization to take videos and photos of the logs to support our claim," Aumentado said.
To reach the tribal villages of Sablang, Maligaya, Canaway and Pagsangahan in the bosom of Sierra Madre, one has to hike for five days, according to Azcarraga.
Last Aug. 2, Environment Secretary Michael Defensor issued a memorandum allowing the retrieval and movement of logs and wood products in Quezon and Aurora for 60 days as part of the government disaster preparedness program.
The order expires on Oct. 2.
During a dialogue with local officials, leaders of the wood-based industry and the DENR, the Dumagats pushed for the extension of the order.
"Due to severe lack of financial resources, we have yet to dispose of the millions of board feet of drifted logs still scattered around our tribal communities," according to Aumentado.
She said they need capital to cut the drifted logs, move them down through the Agos River and transport them to buyers in Manila