FORT RAMON MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija, (PNA)–At least 2,300 board feet or 59 pieces of illegally cut lumbers were confiscated by authorities in Barangay Pias, General Tinio in this province Friday night.
The confiscation of the hot lumber resulted from an information received that there were illegally cut logs at the house of certain Erick Balias in said barangay.
Based on the said information, the combined elements of the Philippine Army’s 7th Infantry Division, Philippine National Police and Task Force Sagip Likas Yaman, in coordination with Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and local police, immediately proceeded to the areas where they found the illegally cut logs.
The confiscated lumbers were immediately brought to Philippine Army’s 7ID depot utilizing three 6×6 military trucks for safekeeping prior to the turn over to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for proper disposition
“The confiscation of these hot cut logs is an evidence that illegal logging is still rampant on this part of the province. Thus, they are contributing to the world wide problem on climate change.” Col Ceasar Mejico, commander of Task Force Sagip Likas Yaman (TFSLY), said.
The Task Force Sagip Likas Yaman is a special unit organized by the Phil. Army’s 7ID to protect the natural resources of the Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation (FMMR) and the unit responsible in the implementation of anti-illegal logging campaign by the national government within the FMMR area.
“I am encouraging all our stakeholders to help us preserve our natural resources here in the province of Nueva Ecija. I am also calling our local chief executives to identify other sources of livelihood for the people who engaged with these activities so that we could stop the rampant illegal logging operations on these areas,” ” Brig. Gen. Hernando Iriberri, 7ID commander. said.
“Let us protect our environment , let us work together in our fight against our common enemy– climate change,” Iriberri said