From the mail bag

Media

Part of Forestry Leaves

Title: From the mail bag
Language: English
Year: 1950
Rights
Fulltext: 1~~-IMEMORA'.IJDUM FOR The Editor, Forestry Leaves July 6, 1950 . During the recent trip of Director Florencio Tamesis and myself in Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga we were happy to meet most of the forestry alumni in these provinces specially those no lo·nger with the Bureau of Forestry .. In Davao we called on Mr. Juan Acenas, class '20, Superintendent of the Davao Penal Colony. He honored Director Tamesis wit!i a passing review and commemorative tree-planting in the Colony grounds on June 4. We met Mr. Nicolas 0. Estabillo class 'ZO who owns and operates a sawmill, Mr. Democrito L. Dagondon class '40 logging superintendent of the Gulf Lumber Company and Mr. Casimiro L. Mercado, class '27 who was repairing the sawmill of the same company. We failed to see Mr. Roman F. Salvilla class '26, a successful abaca pl!!nter, and Mr. Juan C. Andrada, class '19 another prospero-us farmer in Mati. At Cotabato, there were Mr. Gorgonio Diego de Dios class '14 with the Cotabato Electric Li11:ht Company, Mr. Antonio P. Estaniel, a licensee and sawmill operator and furniture manufacturer and Mr. Esteban Sim Class '20 who runs a big grocery and general merch:m<lise store. On the evening cf June 10, 1950, at the instance of Mr. Nazario Penas, class '13, a reunion of the forestry alumni was held in the New Look Restaurant at ~asilan City. There were present 14 alumni and S rangers and forest" guards of the Bureau of Forestry who were non-alumni. Mr. Juanito Ilustrisimo, class '28 and Mr. Pedro Asagra, class '30 of the Canes Plantation could not attend the party. Mr. Penas inquired about the scholarship award known as the "Ahern Medal" which before the war was awarded each year to the graduate obtaining the highest degree of scholarship in the College of Forestry.· The Director informed those present that after the war the medal was no longer given because of the death of the donor, Major George P. Ahern, former Director of Forestry. Mr. Penas suggested to find a way whereby the granting 11f this medal could be resumed. It was agreed that an appeal be made to all the alumni of the College for a contribution toward a permaAUGUST, 1950 nent fund to be deposited in a bank that wou!d earn a yearly interest sufficient tc· cover the cost of the medal. It was also decided to ex~end the appeal for contribution from the alumni for the propcsed carillon to he constructed by the University of the Philippines at Diliman, Quezon City. Forthwith Mr. Norberto L. Denoga, class '22 put in fer these func!s 2'20.00, which was followed by Messrs. Nazario Penas, Class· '13, Cristobal Perez, class '33, Agustin Pascua, class '2.5 and Monico Eteubanas, class '33 who gave 1"20.00 each and Mr. Constante Bayabos class '35, Pl0.00 Mr. Jose Seneca class '24 pledged P.'20.00. This amount of 1"110.00 is now in the hands of the Director of Forestry. Mr. Penas is local manage~ .of." the Sta. Clara Lumber Co.; Mr. Denoga, Administrator of the U.P. Land Grant assisted by Mr. Et.eu~ banas; Mr. Perez is manager of a 'tevedoring co-mpany and land-owner, and Messrs. Pascua, Seneca and Bayabos are cruisers with the Basilan Lumber Company. We, therefore, appeal to all our alumni to contribute to this fund. . Contributions should be sent to the Director of Forestry. The Director pledged 'P2,000.00 as contribution fro:n the Forestry Alumni for the construction of the carillon. P. SAN BUENA VENTURA Chief, Administrative Division Mr. T. Suprichakorn Director, School of Forestry Prae, Thailand My dear Director Suprichakorn: July 17, .1950 Your letter of June 6, 1950, to Prof .. Blando en·· closing Draft No. 187 for $5.00 was referred to this Office. I wish to inform you that we are tnailing to you by registered mail, under separate cover, one de luxe copy of the Golden Book which costs $3.75, postal charges $.55, or a total of $4.30. The balance cf $.70 out of your remittance of $5.00 was turned over to the Business Manager of Forestry Leaves. A copy of this letter was furnished Prof .. Blando for his information. I am enclosing Official Receipt No. B-929894 covering your remittance of $5.00. Very sincerely, FLORENCIO TAMESIS Director of Forestry Page 33 May 12, 1950 Butuan, Agusan The Editor in Chief, Forestry Leaves College of Forestry, U.P. College, Laguna Sir: With reference to the Anniversary issues of the Forestry Leaves and Forestry Golden Book: I am very sorry to inform you that there are big errors printed in the above referred issues, regarding myself, reported to be deceased. I wish to inform the management that I am very alive and at present I am connected with the Agusan Lumber Project of the National Development Company as Lumber Grader. Please make correction in the next issue of your Forestry Leaves, regarding my present condition, very much alive. PS Very sincerely yo~s, BARBIO CEBEDO * Ranger Graduate Class 1932 Besides I am a regular subscriber to the Forestry Leaves, please see the names of your regular subscribers at present time. Republic of the Philippines Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources BUREAU·'OF FORESTRY City of Zamboanga D-41, Publication April 12, 19SO The Editor Zambuanga Times City of Zamboan~a My dear Mr. Editor: Allow me, in behalf of the personnel of the Bureau of Forestry, to extend to you and your staff, our sincerest thanks and appreciatian on your eloquent Editorial of yesterday's issue of the Zamboanga Times. We assure you that vye shall continue with renewed vigor to accomplish our mission in the forest service. . The ever-green Pasonanca m~untain with its crowq,ing clouds is our testimonial guarantee that Forestry has gat to stay and must survive with popular support. Page 34 Very sincerely yours, REGULO D. BALA Junior Forester, PRO FORESTRY SPECIAL ORDER) No. 17 ) June 23, 1950 SuBJEC'l': Designation of Acting Stenographer Vicente Leonor as Acting Chief, General Service Section, Administrative Division. 1. Acting Stenographer Vicente Leonor, Administrative Division, Bureau of Forestry, Manila, is hereby designated Acting Chief, General Service Section, of the same Division, vice Mr. Isidoro Francisco, Chief, General Service Section, who is transferring to the Bureau of Fisheries effective July 1, 1950. 2. He shall receive all property accountabilities and other responsibilities from the · outgoing Chief of the General Service Section, on or before July 1, 1950. 3. He shall assume his duties as Acting Chief, General Service Section, effective July 1, 1950. (Sgd.) FLORENCIO TAMESIS Director of Forestry Bacolod City, June 17, 1950 Mr. Carlos Cunanan, Officer in Charge Canlaon Reforestation Project, La Castellana, Occ. Negros My dear Mr. Cunanan: I have your letter of the 1 ith, in regard to gathering firewood from public forests, and note your request for cooperation in the sense of not collecting and transporting from said public forests firewood. I am very glad to assure you of my m0'9t wholehearted cooperation in this regard. At the same time, may I call your attention to the fact that firewood is being gathered from the area of Escos lumber concession and not from the public forests? In a sketch shown by Provincial Forester Lopez in the office of the Bureau of Forestry at Bacolod, he showed a sketch wherein were definitely plotted the area where firewood could be gathered and the area where the public for~sts be not intruded upan, (and which, as a matter of fact, has been all along what we have bt>en doing\. we gathered firewood in the area plotted as that of Escos. Following also your suggestion along this line, we (Continued on page 41) FORESTRY LEAVES out the Philippines in general, is still confined in the exploitation and protection of our forest wealth. We are indeed fortunate that the greater bulk of our land area is· still under forest. To plant and raise trees is laborious ancl expensive and takes generations to bring them into the present stage of our commercial forests. Our cherished objective is to conserve by wise use this legacy so as to perpetuate its use not only in terms of wood and its products and other tangible benefits, but also its influence on farming, climate, erosion, water supply, wild life, and on our aesthetic and scenic sense. FROM THE MAIL (Continued from page 34) will also apply for a Gratuito·us Firewood License, so that your administration will succeed, ably carried out by such men as are in the Forest administration in Negros. The people of Negros can only be thankful that they have able and alert men in the Forestry, so as to save the patrimony of the nation. I hope. that in the meantime, though, you will permit us in our operations, seeing that we do not touch the public forests but obtain our fuel in the area ope-· rated by Escos. (Sgd.) BENJAMIN L. GAMBOA Provincial Warden Republic of the Philippines Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources BUREAU OF FORESTRY City of Zamboanga D-+1, Publication April 14, 1950 The Editor Philippines Free Press Manila Sir: I am inclosin~ herewith a clipping of the "Editorial" of the Zamboanga Times, a fearless, militant, and impartial newspaper of this City, of April 11, 1950, requesting its republication in the Philippines Free Press. It is indeed an eloqent and fitting eulogy of the Forestry and· the men behind it. The last part of the "Editorial" is strikingly significant and rare commendation to happen now-a-days. Incidentally, all the technical per&onnel of the Bureau of Forestry came from the same college ... College of Calling All Alumni Remember the U .P. Carillon (Pis. read page 33) AUGUST, 1950 Forestry, University of the Philippines. I am thanking you in advance of the great favor, I remain Very respectfully, REGULO D. BALA EDWIN BINGHAM COPELAND Mr. Florencio Tamesis Director of Forestry Manila, P. I. Dear Director Florencio: 1322 Euclid Avenue Berkeley, California July 22, 1950 This is to thank you for my copy of your GOLDEN BOOK. I do not believe it would be possible for any book to do full justice to the record of your Bureau, or of the School which the Bureau established and which in turn has provided your present staff. But, the GOLDEN BOOK is itself a remarkable creditable work. I congratulate you heartily on it, and thank you again for your courtesy in sending me a copy. Very sincerely yours, (Sgd.) E. B. COPELAND THE PHILIPPINE FORESTS The Philippine forests, which constitute 59 percent of the land area of the country, is managed by the Bureau of Forestry which is charged by law with the administration, protection, and conservation of all public forests. The forests belong to the State, and - like' other natural resources, with the exception of public agricultural lands, can not be alienated. The whole area of the Philippines from the tops of mountains to the seacoast might have been covered with forest, or similar vegetation. Subjected to cutting and clearing, over 5 million hectares, or -about 17 percent of our land area, is open grassland, abandoned by the original occupants due to loss of soil fertility. This commercial forest of the Philippines covering more than 13 million hectares with an average stand of 90 cubic _meters per hectare, has a volume of about one billion cubic meters. 'This forest wealth is worth more than two billion pesos in forest charges, and its commercial value is approximately 58 billion peso.s. Page 41