Some 75,000 board feet of confiscated lumber will be utilized as tables, chairs and other school fixtures for distribution to the different public schools in Palawan province.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the provincial government have facilitated the documentation for the donation of the confiscated lumber.
DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu and Governor Jose Ch. Alvarez earlier agreed for the provincial government to use the confiscated lumber for the use of the Department of Education (DepEd).
DENR Regional Director Henry Adornado said that with their agency and the provincial government helping together, they can work in protecting the environment and help the youth of Palawan.
“This only proves that the shared efforts of DENR and the LGU are crucial in saving Palawan’s natural resources and in helping our people, particularly the youth, in securing a brighter and greener future,” Adornado said.
The confiscated lumber came from thousands of trees illegally cut by Ipilan Nickel Corporation (INC) in Brooke’s Point town more than three years ago. In a previous interview with the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Eriberto Saños, said that the donation will enable the public to benefit, specifically the students in the public schools.
“Marami yan eh. Ang DepEd ay wala silang budget para testesin ang mga kahoy kaya tutulungan sila ng probinsya. Kaya lang ay nabawasan na ito. Kasi may nabulok na, kasi matagal na,” he said.
In 2017, thousands of trees were reportedly cut down by INC in their mining site located in Brooke’s Point town. The unlawful tree-cutting activities resulted to the damage of a total of 25 hectares of forest in Barangays Maasin and Ipilan.
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