The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Mimaropa donated 10,069.89 board feet of confiscated good lumber to Typhoon Ursula-affected fisherfolk in Occidental Mindoro and 399 pieces of confiscated wood to the Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro for the construction of COVID-19 isolation facilities and accommodation for frontliners.
Regional Executive Director Henry Adornado of DENR Mimaropa said in a press statement dated yesterday that under the directive of Secretary Roy Cimatu, confiscated good lumber should be disposed through donation. And in the midst of crisis, DENR has decided to donate the lumber for the use of local government units and other agencies for their COVID-19 response but did not also forget the fisherfolks who suffered from the wrath of typhoon Ursula last Christmas.
“We understand their need for wood to help them repair their boats. We hope that in this very difficult time, the donated materials would give them some ray of hope to start anew,” Adornado noted.
The lumber, which has an estimated market value of P503.494.50, shall be used for the construction and repair of the beneficiaries’ fishing vessels, and are expected to help their families recover from their losses.
The donation of the lumber was made possible through the efforts of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) headed by Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Ernesto Tanada, and the Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (CENRO) in Sablayan and San Jose last June 3. It was also witnessed by San Jose Vice Mayor Roderick Q. Agas.
Meanwhile, CENRO Socorro in Oriental Mindoro also donated to the Provincial Government some confiscated wood from Lauan and Tanguile Dipterocarps species which measured a total volume of 3,534 board feet, worth of P176,700.
RD Adornado, together with Mayor Romulo Festin of San Jose and Representative Josephine “Nene” Ramirez-Sato, led the turn-over of hardwood to 15 fishers from barangays Caminawit and San Roque.
Last April 17, PENRO Occidental Mindoro, together with CENRO Sablayan Coordinating Office, also donated lumber to the Provincial Hospital to help furnish its newly-constructed dormitory for medical staff and COVID-19 frontliners while on April 22, PENRO Oriental Mindoro donated to the Provincial Government, 109 pieces of hardwood to expand and improve the services of provincial hospital for its COVID-19 patients.
The PENRO also sent 20 pieces or 344.66 bd ft of lumber to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to help them construct a quarantine facility at the port that costs P96,699.