Some suggested measures to solve Kaingin menace

Media

Part of Forestry Leaves

Title: Some suggested measures to solve Kaingin menace
Language: English
Year: 1965
Rights
Fulltext: Some Suggested Measures to Solve by Kaing·in Menace noRoTEo u. ANTONIO Forestry Supervisor There is a growing apprehension that the forest of the Philippines is fast diminishing. Uncontrolled flood waters are easily blamed for destructions made by loggers in the forests. Loggers, in turn, blame kaifigineros who follow, or are sometimes well ahead of, their logging operations. Indeed, the kaiiiginero seems to be the real culprit in the final destruction of the forest. For in his processes, fire is his most destructive tool. Once fire is set on dry, kaiiigin area, destruction of the remaining vegetation is complete. After the destruction, the land rarely permits growth of forest trees other than those planted by the kaiiiginero. It is, therefore, the destruction of the forest through kaiiigin-making that must be prevented. However, before any measure of prevention can be suggested, the factors that cause the kaiiigineros to destroy the forest must first be determined. There are two motives by which kaiiigins are made: ( 1) by necessity, and ( 2) for speculation. Under the first category, we find kaiiigineros to be the native tribe of specific areas and immigrant land-seekers. Their desire to acquire land which they can rightfully call their own, also lead them to kaiiiginmaking. Under the second category we fin<l the more intelligent lot, recidivists in some cases, who, singly or in organized groups, make kaiiigin in public forest and timberland with the purpose of selling their kaiiigins to buyers or immigrant land-seekers. Groups in both categories are often backed up by politicians who stay behind petitions or requests for the release of certain portions or blocks of public forest or timberlands. Efforts should be aimed at controlling the destruction of the forest which is motivated by necessity. If this can be done, it should be easy to weed out kaiiigin-making for speculation purposes. Kaiiigin-making motivated by necessity is most difficult to control because it involves trespassing on the native liberty of a person to choose where he resides and also it in\'olves certain economic and social problems. Here, government entities charged with the protection of the forest often find themselves dealing with people who never have heard of any fore:;t law and its processes. Most of these people can barely support their families and much less bear the time and expenses in facing their cases in court. Prevention of kaiiigin-making may be effected with a sincere implementation of the following suggested, if not reiterated, measures: 1. Intensify forestry education of the masses. Monthly or quarterly meetings and programs should be conducted in barrio:;, sitios and municipalities near forest areas. It may be necessary to gauge the cooper:1tion of local leaders - from congressmen down to barrio captains and engage their services as resource speakers in promoting the forestry education programs whenever possible. It may also be necessary to conduct forestry educational programs such as seminars, etc. for provincial officials and barrio leaders. Such programs should emphasize: ,a. The necessity of keeping timberlands I and forest reserves fully timbered. ARBOR WEEK - FORESTRY DAY ISSUE - 1965 Page 23 b. The existence and purposes of the forest entities. 2. Organize an effective fore st patrol. a. Aerial detection necessary: Government forestry entities charged with the protection of our forest may need planes for aerial patrol and detection of kaiiigin-making. Making kaifigins is done behind thick forests and gives the impression when seen from a trail or road that nothing amiss is being made until the area is seen from a bird's eye view. A light plane which can load at least three persons (including the pilot) can cruise at slow speed, and can land on short strips, fairly level pastures and beaches suitable for this purpose. If such planes are available they should , be placed in the care of the forestry entities. Selected physically and mentally able forest officers may be trained to pilot them. b. Forest Patrol. Regular forest patrol teams must be organized and assigned at every forest station (and park and reforestation stations). Each team must be composed of: I-forester (team leader) I-scaler or equivalent (team assistant) 2-Forest Guards or equivalent 2-Concession guards (provided by the company whose area is patrolled.) There should be sufficient patrol teams to be able to patrol thoroughly a predetermined area within one week although the length of time may be extended when kaingin-making is detected in order to enable the patrol to gather all the information and data necessary to bring the case to court Page 24 as soon as possible. Patrol work in a particular forest area should be conducted once every quarter. Forest patrol must be coordinated with aerial detection. This is now practiced by some timber companies which have planes. Patrol should be conducted by the team and, never by any individual member. This is necessary because kaingineros sometimes resist forest officers who singlehandedly make surveys and assessments of the extent and damages made in kaingins. The team must be equipped with fast means of transportation such as jeeps and horses in addition to the regular equipment of a forest officer. If immediate arrest of a kainginero is effected, the forest officer should be able to transport the violator to jail or court immediately. If this could be done it might be impressed upon forest violators that the government means business and that alone may deter prospective culprits. 3. Provide enough legal counsel. Lawyers employed by government forestry entities charged with the protection of the forests should be assigned, at least one in every Regional Office, to act as counsels for the government officers during court hearings of kaingin cases. The government's losses in kaingin cases are often due to legal technicalities or deficiencies. Mistakes could be avoided if proper legal counsel is available. 4. Respective timber licensees should be required to shoulder the expense.s of feeding the kainginero while serving sentence in prison. The Bureau of Forestry has required licensees to follow policies for the conservation of forest in their area. Although the requirements are implemented, they FORESTRY LEAVES are sometimes insufficient to be really effective against kaiiigin-making. A logger therefore proposed the idea that it may still be possible to include as part of the timber license regulations that the licensee should also shoulder the expense of feeding the kaiiiginero found in his license when said person is convicted and serves his sentence in prison. This may be necessary because some municipalities lack sufficient funds for feeding prisoners. Perhaps the licensee who sees the prospect of also feeding the kaiiiginero during his jail term may take a stricter action to stop a prospective kaiiiginero right at the beginning. 5. Set aside a portion of public land for the resettlement of deserving Kaiiigineros. To some kaiiigineros, making kaiiigin is necessary to maintain their livelihood. A kaiiiginero may be a displaced native or an immigrant from another province seeking better settlement and livelihood for his family. Out of necessity, kaiiigineros knowingly or unknowingly violate the rules and regulations pertaining to forest lands. Of course, the law against kaiiigin-making must be upheld and perhaps these kaiiigineros will have to serve their penalties and jail sentences. But after serving their sentences, where do these people go? Certainly, out of necessity, they must go back again to kaifiginmaking. It is now a common knowledge that jailing kaifigineros does not solve the problem. Government forestry entities concerned should, therefore, set aside a portion of the public domain in which the deserving kaifigineros should be resettled. These must fall within the scope of work of the government forestry entity in whose jurisdiction the area for resettlement has been chosen. A team composed of experienced foresters and surveyors should be assigned to choose the areas for resettlement. Certain criteria must be evolved to serve as a basis for determining a deserving kaiiiginero. The following criteria are suggested: a. He must be a member of the lesser and semi-civilized tribes, such as: the Manobo and Bagobo of Cotabato, Magahat of Bukidnon, Mandaya of Davao, Subanons of Zamboanga Peninsula, Aetas of Zambales, Dumagats of Isabela, etc. Perhaps land reservation set aside for the settlement of the individual tribes would work best. Certain guiding principles used in resettling the former lawless elements in the NARRA and EDCOR reservations may be adopted. b. He must not be a known speculator - one who makes a kaifigin and sells it within a few years. c. He .must be a recidivist, and does not fall within the scope of criterion No. 2. A recidivist for the third offense may really need government assistance in seeking proper settlement without further committing violations contrary to the law. d. He must not have any known property (real estate) in any locality of the Philippines. The government should make effort in verifying the properties of a candidate for settlement. Areas set aside for resettlement should be subdivided according to the average area which a kaiiiginero is able to cultivate. A study must be made to determine this. Such areas should never be released as alienable or disposable lands but should be maintained in the category as public forest lands. Longterm lease agreements renewable at certain periods should only be given. The holder must be required to pay the regular land tax (rental) for the use of the land. The goyernment forestry entity concerned must (Continued on page 46) ARBOR WEEK - FORESTRY PAY ISSUE - 1965 Page 25 SO'\'IE SUGGESTED MEASURES . (Continued from page 25) keep tract of the transfers or sales of such property to any other party. Sales or transfers should not be made until after 25 years. Resettlement must entirely be handled by the government forestry entities concerned. If necessary, assistance in matters of maintaining peace and order and providing supplies and transportation may be requested from local agencies of the Philippine Constabulary, Social Welfare Administration, etc. in much the same way as their assistance had been called in the resettlement of Hukbalahaps to the Narra and Edcor projects and of the Manila squatters to Sapang Palay. Under similar premises already mentioned, a Davao logger published in 1964 his intentions in implementing a resettlement Compliments of: DACUDAO ENTERPRISES LOGGING AND SAWMILL OPERATORS Cagayan de Oro City Page 46 program for kaiiigineros found in his area. These suggested measures of preventing forest destruction due to kaiiigin-making are not foolproof. However, if implemented, they may serve to strengthen the forest prote~ tion force which the government presently has. Accordingly, in 1963, the total forest land of the Phiilppines is 13,171,000 hectares. Statistics cited in similar articles on the Kaiiigin problem indicated that the rate of forest denudation is 172,000 hectares annually. Mathematical relationship of these figures indicate that within 75 years, or within the lifetime of a child born today, our forest shall have been gone. Only time, selective logging practices, reforestation, and the implementation of effective action in forest protection may disprove this mathematical relationship. Compliments of: TALARAG TIMBER INCORPORATED LOG EXPORTER Office : Cagayan de Oro Citv Concession: Talakag & Malaybalay, Bukidnon FORESTRY LEAVES