May 25, 2006 · Posted in: Environment Watch
Logging: Then and now
“LOGGING shouldn’t be taking place at the Sierra Madre at all — it’s rape of the first degree.” Peter Walpole, currently executive director of Environment Science for Social Change, was quoted saying these words in a PCIJ report published in 1990. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered a stop to all logging activities in the country in 2004, but activists and residents claim that logging continues in the Sierra Madre to this day.
While Walpole’s position on logging has not changed, his organization’s statement on the Aurora-Quezon-Nueva Ecija disaster in 2004 — that a log ban will not prevent a recurrence of the disaster — reflects the complexity of the situation. In a 1993 PCIJ documentary, Howie Severino found that while commercial loggers were largely responsible for the problems faced by residents of logging communities in Quezon, Nueva Ecija, and Leyte, the residents themselves were not entirely blameless.
Watch the documentary by clicking on “play” below. Or click on the links to watch it on YouTube. You may wish to press the “pause” button while waiting for the videos to load.
Logging in the Philippines 1
File size: 15.6 MB
Length: 09:58.29
Logging in the Philippines 2
File size: 10.6 MB
Length: 06:48.02
15 Responses to Logging: Then and now
mikekcohen
May 25th, 2006 at 7:59 pm
H i Guys-
Just a technical note; try chopping it into shorter segments of under 5mins each four clipos.. Youtube seems to take forever to load when the clips are over 5mins long.
Good stuff though… still waiting for part II to download 15 mins na!
(he-he)
Theres another service for video blogging better – I’ll look up the link and post it; its a pay service – not much though -like $599 a year for 10GB supporting 50 to 100 viewers at a time.
Just an idea.
mike
mikekcohen
May 25th, 2006 at 8:29 pm
Another- techie note- it played fine in youtube no lag or delay I was only able to get the first one to run above from here though.
chers-
oh both are great…
mkc
Rizalist
May 25th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
On the regulatory side, one of the biggest problems is the DENR–it performs two contradictory roles: protecting the environment and promoting the use of natural resources. Same situation as in the U.S. with their old Dept. of the Interior…until Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency as a separate department. But we also need to wrap our brains around how to exploit our natural resources of forests, minerals and seas, responsibly, and not just call for a total ban on all economic activity that impacts the environment, as the Bishops seem to be doing with the mining act.
scud_1975
May 26th, 2006 at 11:01 am
PCIJ, baka pwede ko rin ilapit sa inyo at nang maimbestigahan din ang tunay na nangyari sa DENR Adminstrative Order 17 (DAO 17) – Delineation and Delimitation of Municipal Waters. Maganda sanang programa ito ng gobyerno taong 2004, inatasang ang aming opisina (NAMRIA) sa pagsusukat at pagtatalaga ng mga “boundaries” sa dagat na mga lalawigan sa Pilipinas. Kasama na rin dito ang survey sa 15km Municipal Waters na hindi dapat pakialaman ng malalaking commercial fishers. Suportado ito ng local governments na gustong alamin ang baundaries ng kanilang nasasakupan, suportado ito ng mga maliliit na mangingisda na makikinabang kung hindi makakapasok ang Commercial Fishermen sa loob ng 15 Kms., suportado rin ito ng mga environmentalists na gustong mapangalagaan sa pagka-ubos ang yamang dagat ng Pilipinas.
Ang problema, kontra dito ang mga mayayamang politiko na nagmamay-ari ng malalaking bangkang pang-isda. Tinakot pa ang aming opisina, Coast and Geodetic Survey sa ilalim ni Commodore Renato Feir ng pisong budget sa loob ng isang taon at nagbanta pa kay Elisea Gozun ang magagaling na Congressmen Sandoval ng Palawan at Celso Lobregat ng Zamboanga na hindi ito makakapasa sa Commision on Appointments. Ang lakas nga naman ng kapangyarihan ng Commision on Appointments, ano po? Kaya hayun, nilaglag kami ng aming magandang secretary. Ang nakakatawa pa, ang magigiting na Party List Representatives na kunwari pinoprotektahan ang kalagayan ng mga maliliit na mangingisda at magsasaka wala man lang ginawa o sinabi.
Kaya PCIJ, baka makatulong kayo. Makakapagbigay ako ng impormasyon at contact persons kung kailangan. Huwag sana nating pabayaang matulad ang ating dagat sa mga kalbong bundok dala ng kasakiman ng mayayamang iilan at mga buwayang politiko.
scud_1975
May 26th, 2006 at 11:12 am
“Maganda sanang programa ito ng gobyerno taong 2004”
Sorry, 2001. Here’s a link for more infos http://www.oneocean.org/overseas/200303/chronology_of_events_related_to_dao17.html
Vernon Totanes
May 26th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
mike, thanks for the techie comments. hope you like the google video version better =)
mikekcohen
May 26th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
#
Vernon Totanes said,
May 26, 2006 @ 12:05 pm
mike, thanks for the techie comments. hope you like the google video version better =)
Thanks Vernon- Google roccks! played in this blog window on first click!
also seems to have slighterc better color quality.- cheers-
oh am building my own video and audio blogs as well…
cheers
Mike
Juan Makabayan
May 26th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
Rizalist,
I agree with your points and recommendations.
I second the motion if your moving for an EPA.
Same for a Natural Resource Development Authority.
If our handicraft or jewelry industry is fully developed that enables a high-value-added input, that renders a premium on the raw resources, people in communities in logging and mining affected/threatened areas will more easily quatify their huge loss in the trade off for work in mining or logging.
freewheel
May 26th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
scud 1975 – isang magandang halimbawa ang binanggit mong programa – sa isang sistemang umiiral na nawawalan na ng kumpiyansa ang bawat isa sa kanyang kapwa kahit na kung tutuusin ang isyung ito ay bahagdan tungo sa seguridad at pangangalaga ng kalikasang pandagat ( safeguarding marine resources thru prudent practices ).
isang programang kinakailangan ang pagtangkilik at suporta ng bawat sektor ng lipunan, – isinasantabi dapat dito ang malimit na nakakalitung kulay ng bulok na pulitika.
kung TUMPAK ang pagkakaintindi mo na ang mga konggresistang party-list ay binale-wala ito; malinaw na ito ay isang pagkakamaling malaki. mahusay sana kung makakapag-paliwanag sila tungkol dito.
sa isang banda, ang kabuuang programang nabanggit sa pagkakaintindi ko ay bunga ng samut-saring pakikibaka ng mga organisasyong mangingisdang komunidad at magsasaka na malamang kinabibilangan ng party-list!
dangan nga lang, ang partikular na gawain ng NAMRIA ay teknikal- na kung tutuusin hindi dapat saklaw ng kapritso ng sinumang pulitiko.
ang mahigit na dapat kondenahin ay ang 2 konggresistang nabanggit. sa tono ng ulat mo, hindi na natuloy ang proyekto?
scud_1975
May 27th, 2006 at 8:40 am
Tama freewheel, hindi na nga natuloy ang proyekto dahil kinontra ng malalaking “Commercial Fishermen” na hawak ng mga politiko. Ang ginawang palusot kung bakit kami nilaglag ni Gozun ay dahil daw hindi dapat pakialaman ng DENR, ito daw ay sakop ng Department of Agriculture na ang amo naman nung panahon na yun ay isa ring elitista na si Cito Lorenzo. Kaya kinansela ang DAO 17, at sinabing ang DA secretary daw ang dapat gumawa ng order sa NAMRIA para sa “delineation at delimitation of Municipal Waters”. Eh ano ba naman ang maasahan namin sa isang elitistang Cito Lorenzo, natural proteksyunan nya ang interes ng mga “circle of friends” nya. Sayang nga lang, mahigit 90% na ng mga munisipyo at probinsya sa Pilipinas nagawan na namin ng mga boundaries sa dagat, ang hinihintay na lang ang implementasyon para tuluyan nang maharang ang mga malalaking mangingisda na makapasok sa 15km mula sa shoreline na tinakda ng batas.
scud_1975
May 27th, 2006 at 8:49 am
Freewheel,
Heto pa isang link http://www.bwf.org/bk/tagalog/2001/16/b_01.html
Baka sakaling may media o politikong makapansin at ibalik ang DAO17
freewheel
May 27th, 2006 at 10:52 pm
scud, thanks for the link. just like what i suspected, the issue unfortunately evolved and shaped into an all too familiar big versus small.
when in fact, it is far from it – idiocacy, ignorance laced with greed as against a simple call for prudence in utilization of marine products, is what it is all about.
a thought crossed my mind just now, is it possible to attach NAMRIA to a politically popular entity say, like PHILVOCS? An arrangement not ideal, if you ask me but aside from physically eliminating (good for nothing, politicians) their presence in Congress- which may take more than the ordinary, this may make for an alternative among the many.
this way, politicians suffering from various complexes might just back off for fear of losing ‘pogi points’. besides, for supporters it is relatively a lighter load to gather public opinion to an already entrenched organization- a set up Namria at present do not enjoy, a factor that should not be taken against them, however.
or maybe, the gov’t., the inutile congress (both houses) would rather have an ecological marine disaster to happen first before appreciating the need for delienation between technical, scientific undertakings against pure, unreflective political rubbish .
scud_1975
May 27th, 2006 at 11:22 pm
Freewheel, binuo ang NAMRIA nung panahon ni Cory..panahon ng reorganization ng Dept. of National Defense. Ang Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey dinala sa NAMRIA na attached agency ng DENR, ang Philippine Coast Guard naman dinala sa DOTC, at ang mga pulis dinala sa DILG. Sa tingin ko nga mas nakagulo pa, dahil kahit na hindi inalis sa amin ang ranggo ng pagiging opisyal, hindi rin kami sakop ng Articles of War at iba pang palusot na batas na ginagamit ng AFP sa ngayon. Ang resulta, damay pa rin kami sa “wheeling and dealing” ng mga politiko lalo na sa Commision on Appointments. Madali kaming ibenta ng mga nag-aambisyon para maging secretary ng mother agencies.
May panibagong panukalang batas ngayon sa parehong kongreso kagaya ng independence ng PHIVOLCS para mabawasan ang problema ng NAMRIA na naiipit sa pagsisilbi sa bayan at kapritso ng politiko. Ihihiwalay na ang “hydrographic and coastal survey” at ibabalik sila sa National Defense at sa “topographic survey”, gagawa ng isang ahensya para pagsama samahin ang Land Managment Bureau, Land Registration Authority at Mapping Department ng NAMRIA para makabawas sa problema at matugunan ang lahat ng survey na may kinalaman sa lupa. Sa awa ng Diyos, nakatambak pa rin ang panukalang batas sa bodega ng Kongreso.
tongue in, anew
May 28th, 2006 at 3:57 am
Scud, nahahawig pala ang sitwasyon mo sa kaibigan naming si Col. Rene Certeza. Pati hinaing ninyo pareho.
Dingalan Logging Docu|BATANGBALER - Baler, Aurora, Philippines
March 30th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
[…] According to the blurb: “This video is the first part of a segment in “Luzon: Disaster and Hope,” a documentary produced by Moving Concepts and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Filmed and directed by Antonio Gerena. Written and reported by Howie Severino.” This is mostly about Dingalan, Aurora and was made back in 1993. Pay close attention to the scene where Peter Walpole is presenting a scenario on what might happen in the Dingalan area if the logged-out mountains were saturated with water. That was exactly waht happed in 2004, more than 10 years later. More info here. […]