Mindfully Greenie
As I am writing this piece, I am deeply disturbed by the ugly noise of a killing machine – that of a chainsaw. It is breaking the stillness of the place. Ever mindful of the dire consequences of such a highly destructive act, the image of hapless trees being snuffed out brings terrible pain and frustration.
Sadly, only a handful out of millions among us look at trees as sources of life not just for humans, but for countless species which depend on them for nourishment and survival.
At the rate we are destroying their habitats, we should not be surprised that birds and other fauna are being vanquished to extinction.
When do we begin to respect our biodiversity for their intrinsic value and appreciate that it is life itself? With this in mind, frantically, I tried to reach out to concerned government enforcers for action.
As a citizen, I wanted them to stop the activity and determine if the tree cutting and the use of the chainsaw were done with the necessary government permit, and their basis for such issuance.
It is mind-boggling that only a handful of local enforcers are familiar with the provisions of Republic Act No. 9175, known as the “Chain Saw Act of 2002,” as with other environmental laws. Neither do we see consistent inter-agency coordination to implement it and other statutes.
The law’s implementing regulations, DENR Administrative Order 2003-24, was signed by the DENR Secretary Elisea “Bebet” Gozun, way back 2003. This directive is anchored on the overriding State policy to “conserve, develop and protect the forest resources through sustainable forest management.” DAO 2003-24 provides that an aggressive forest protection program towards eliminating illegal logging and other forms of forest destruction, facilitated with the use of chainsaws, shall be pursued.
Unfortunately, 13 years after the law’s passage, not many are aware that the use of the chainsaw is heavily regulated. There are rules and processes to be followed, before the license can be issued, if at all, as there are procedures when the law is violated.
If the place is a protected landscape and a key biodiversity area or corridor requiring high standards of protection, one is hard-pressed to ask and should be informed of the basis for allowing the activity.
The fact that the residents did not raise hell about the tree-cutting or even the jarring noise, or might just have chosen to suffer in silence, are sad indications of widespread ignorance.
Or, is the inaction rather attributable to that deadly disease called apathy?
I remember my friend, a law professor from Japan, who shared with me that collective ostracism for the violators of fisheries laws is a big deterrence in committing illegal acts. Why can’t we elevate our sense of outrage and do the same?
There is so much to do to increase stakeholder awareness, vigilance and action in protecting our vastly threatened natural support systems.
Our academic institutions cannot afford to be lethargic, as pressures on the environment must be lessened. They are required to integrate RA 9512, “National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008” in all courses, whether formal or informal, at all levels. Creative approaches to teaching which expose students to the appalling reality of environmental destruction by humanity and hopefully stimulate ecological stewardship are urgently needed. They can live out the environmental principles in their own schoolyard and campuses. Miriam College in Quezon City leads the way in this regard. Its Environmental Studies Institute (ESI) “catalyzes the Miriam Community in spreading to the larger society what it promotes in its campus–care for the Earth.”
Let us strive to have more citizens who practice ethical behaviors, which, in the words of Also Leopold, means “doing the right thing when no one else is watching- even when doing the wrong thing is legal.”
We are still very weak in ethical and ecological leadership. This can only be nurtured through collaborative engagement among stakeholders, from the national agencies, the local government units including the barangays, to the local residents and the family within those communities.
Happily, that seems to be the direction where we are going – judging from the positive developments taking place in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Region 7. We see a commitment from the leadership to reach out to the various sectors to conserve our forests, oceans and protected areas and to a more vigorous implementation of our laws.
The said agencies hosted the strategic planning of the members of the Coastal Law Enforcement Alliance in Region7 and the Regional Protected Area Summit held in the last two weeks in Cebu City and Dauin, Negros Oriental. For many of us present, it was a first in many ways. Civil society and the public sector representatives which included local chief executives, worked together to craft plans, activities and strategies to counter the challenges that continue to haunt all of us and our planet.
It was a pleasure to touch base with distinguished colleagues like Lisa J. Paguntalan of Philippine Biodiversity Conservation, who , together with Myrissa Lepiten-Tabao, Philip Godfrey Jakosalem, Al Orolfo and Ariel Rica produced a book “The State of Cebu’s Biodiversity.” The material is a must-read for all of us.