B.F. Notes

Media

Part of Forestry Leaves

Title: B.F. Notes
Language: English
Year: 1965
Rights
Fulltext: B. F. The governments and peoples of sernral countries in Europe as well as Japan and Free China regard their forest resources with primary importance by adopting and implementing progressive policies and programs on forest management on a continuing national scale regardless of who the party in power is. This was the comment of forestry director Apolonio F. Rivera who returned Wednesday (May 12) with his wife, Mrs. Luz Pilarta-Rivera, after a three-month round-the-world observation tour. He said citizens of European countries, Japan and Taiwan treated their forests as if they were their own property. Aware of the importance of forests, they spontanously cooperate with their governments in the management, protection and conservation of forest resources, he added. Rivera lamented the fact that in the race between forest conservation and forest destruction in our country the latter is very much ahead of the former. It was tragic, he said, that while every effort was exerted to protect and conserve the forests at the same time many of our countrymen were mercilessly destroying them. The forestry director, a recipient of two Presidential awards for honesty and integrity, stressed that there is a need to accelerate action on forest protection and conservation. He said he would reflect on his five-year forestry development program his ob-servations on the latest trends of forest management practice abroad. Rivera said his bureau is confronted with the problem of lack of fund, technical men and equip- . ment. But the more serious problem, he pointed out, is the public apathy towards the proper care of forests. He underscored the urgent need for a massive information and education drive in our country if we are to conserve our natural wealth. The director praised the press and radio for spurring into action the government and the people into action against forest destruction. He particularly commended thP. .Sunday Times Magazine for its series of articles on forest destruction by Rodolfo Tupas. Notes Rivera said he \.,,·ould recommend the expansion of the bureau's information staff to maximize its effectiveness in close coordination with the UP College of Forestry and other government forestry agencies. He instructed Amador J. Evangelista, bureau information chief, to lay the groundwork for the coordinated information program. Rivera said he would also invite loggers and civic organizations to sit down with him to formulate a collaborative working forest conservation program. • • • The Philippine Association for Permanent Forests, Inc. sponsored a four - week forest guard training program at the Tungao High School of the Nasipit Lumber Company in this Municipality from June 7 to July 10, 1965, assistant director Juan L. Utleg, concurrently officer in charge of the bureau of forestry disclosed. Utleg said the training program was conceived by association members to give substance to their pledge to go into active partnership with the bureau of foreruy in its program of accelerating action on forest protection and conservation anchored on active public support. · Former director Eugenio de la Cruz of the Forest Products Research Institute who is now the manager of the PAPF said participants in training were high school graduates, at least 21 years old and had completed cadre training. Member companies of the association, he said, would employ the graduates as forest guards. De la Cruz said the bureau of forestry and the UP College of Forestry collaborated in the program. He said dean Gregorio Zamuco of the College of Forestry was the director of the training center with director Juan L. Utleg as co-director. Professor in-charge was Domingo V. Jacalne, chief of the UP College of Forestry extension department. Amando Salamatin, training officer of the forestry bureau, assisted him. According to dela Cruz, the faculty members were regional director Ceferino Abella and district forester Felipe Abraham for general forestry, regional director Jose Bersarnira, Feliciano S. Esmade and f J. Talavero for elementary forest surveying; dean ARBOR WEEK - FORESTRY DAY ISSUE - 1965 Page 101 Calixto Mabesa, foresters Luis Aguilar and Rosario T. Cortes for identification of commercial trees and commercial wood species; forester Epifanio B. Fernandez, Porfirio Quintana and J. Talavero for scaling and timber cruising; and Capt. Macario Bucoy, forester Rufino Sabado and ex-fiscal Benjamin Pia for forest laws and procedures. Meanwhile, Utleg vowed he would implement to the fullest extent possible the program of forest protection and conservation started by director Apolonio F. Rivera. He said the forestry program of Rivera could stop the tide of forest destruction if needed funds and other facilities are made available. He said he had instructed Amador J. Evangelista, bureau information chief, to start the massive information and education program in critical areas. * * * Assistant director Juan L. Utleg, concurrently officer in-charge of the bureau of forestry, announced the approval of a memorandum of agreement to implement UN special fund pilot project on watershed management. The memorandum was signed by 14 heads of offices under the DANR and attested by secretary Jose Y. Fliciano in the conference presided by the latter. The secretary stressed the importance of the project to the country's agriculture and industries. Utleg sought the cooperation and participation of the agencies involved in the implementation of the project. It was learned that the assistant director was one of those instrumental in securing approval of the important project abroad despite the fact he was not given per diems. In line with the plan of_ operation of the UNassisted project, secretary Feliciano formed a coordinating committee to be headed by the DANR head and with the forestry director, reforestation administrator, parks and wildlife officer in-charge and NEC representative as members. The adviser is Macid Y. Gulcur, project manager of UN special fund pilot project on watershed management. Utleg said with the approval of $715,500 UN assistance the Philippines was committed to undertake the project with $631,785 counterpart contribution in kind beginning July this year. Gulcur outlined the work program for each agency to undertake in the project. He was assisted by forester Julian R. Meimban, Jr., officer in-charge of the forest protection and watershed division of the bureau. In conjunction with the implementation of the project, Utleg ordered Amador J. Evangelista, bureau information chief, to include in the massive forestry information and education program a sustained can1Page 102 paign to drum up public support in .the protection of the country's vital watersheds against the forces of destruction. . Others who attended the conference were land reform administrator Benjamin Gozon, Stig Anderson, resident representative of the UN technical assistance board and director of special funds in the Philippines; Carlos Cunanan of the reforestation administration, NWSA general manager Jesus Perlas, Marcelo Buncio of Parks and Wildlife office, T. Angeles and R. Ibarra of bureau of soils, animal industry director A. B. Coronel, E. Hipolito of public highways, weather bureau director R. L. Kintanar, mines director F. S. Busuego, NPC general manager J. 0. Lahoz, A. V. Recto and J. Cruz of the DANR and C. Valera of commission on agricultural productivity. * * * FORESTRY PRO WRITES 30 The remains of Felipe B. Chicano, Jr. were shipped to Taft, Samar, his birthplace, last Saturday for interment. The deceased was the public relations officer of the bureau of forestry and assistant information chief, According to Amador J. Evangelista, bureau information chief, Chicano had been a fighting newspaperman in Samar before he worked witl1 the bureau. Assistant director Juan L. Utleg, concurrently officer-in-charge of the bureau, posthumously commended the deceased for his contribution in the enrichment of forestry literature. The deceased is survived by the former Elsa Pumasen and four children. * * * UTLEG CITES ROLE OF FORESTRY The b]Jreau of forestry is one of the various agencies of the government which are presently engaged in a vigorous effort pursuing the objectives of the socio-economic program of the administration. Forestry Assistant Director Juan L. Utleg said yesterday the bureau helps in the massive tax collection campaign, assist in the implementation of tne land reform program to increase food production, promotes the fish and dairy production, helps maintain the international dollar reserve and regulate the use of the forest to sustain domestic wood requirements and for export. Utleg said, the forestry bureau collected or assessed for collection more than f"36 million in FORESTRY LEAVES B. F. NOTES ... (Continued from page 102) taxes last year, broken down as follows: forest charges, 1"22 million; general fund, P'7 million and reforestation fund charges, P'S million. He said the land classification program of the bureau contributes immensely to the success of the land reform program. The bureau, he said, is the only government agency charged with the classification of lands in the public forests to alienable or disposable and those suitable for pure timber production. Areas classified as alienable or disposable which are mostly agricultural are certified by the bureau to the bureau of lands to be distributed to qualified private parties. Whereas, those classified as timberland are retained hy the Bureau and certified to the President for proclamation as permanent forests pursuant to RA 3092 otherwise known as the permanent forest law. He said a total of 567,107 hectares was delimited last year out of which 69,984 hectares were alienCOMPLIMENTS OF: RAVAGO Commercial Co .. LICENSE & EXPORTER Prov. A .. ddress: Capalonga, Camarines Norte Manila A.ddress: 50 North Bay Blvd. Navotas, Rizal able or disposable and 497,121 hectares timberland. Fish and dairy production are also receiving ample support from the Bureau. Areas suitable for grazing and pasture are released to qualified applicants. Some portions of the country's swamplands are also released for fish pond purposes to accelerate fish production to sustain local fish requirement. Utleg who is concurrently officer-in-charge of the forestry bureau viced former acting director Apolonia R. Rivera who was recalled by President Macapagal to Malacaffang. He said, productive agriculture depends in a large measure upon the favorable influence of the forests. According to him forests minimize the flow of floods and surface water after heavy rains which are destructive to lowlands crops. Besides, forests are windbreaker, soil fertilizer, soil conserver and most of all the source of the raw materials of the lumber industry which is one of the mainstays of the country's economy. COMPLIMENTS OF: GONTLE Lumber Manufacturing Co. Km. 17-Dart Sipocot Road Camarines Norte Manila Office: Tel. No. 4-38-17 ARBOR WEEK· FORESTRY DAY ISSUE -1965 Page 105