“ADOPTION OF THE GUIDELINES FOR PILOT TESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNAL FORESTS IN PALAWAN”

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 7611 was enacted on June 19, 1992 to implement the Strategic Environmental Program (SEP) for Palawan whose general philosophy is to improve the quality of life of its people through sustainable development strategies;

WHEREAS. Section 6 of R.A 7611 also provides that the SEP shall serve as the framework to guide government agencies, local government units, non¬government organisation and the private sector in the formulation and implementation of plans, programs and projects affecting the environment and natural resources of Palawan;

WHEREAS, sustainable development comprises environmental protection as well as provisions for the socio-economic well-being of the communities and that, the Environmentally Critical Areas Network (ECAN) strategy of the SEP is a viable tool to attain sustainable development objectives;

WHEREAS, the promotion, encouragement and maximize of participation of various communities of people in the natural resources development, management, conservation and protection is one of the inherent functions of the PCSD in Palawan;

WHEREAS, due to the total commercial log ban currently being imposed in Palawan, the province is faced with difficulty in responding to the needs of the local communities as well as the timber needs for government and private sector infrastructure projects;

WHEREAS, the timber requirements of the Province of Palawan can only be partly met by the minimal timber production from private plantations and other areas with forestry production-related tenurial instruments;

WHEREAS, Item b.2.ii, Sec 17. Book 11 of RA 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991. provides for the management and control of communal forests with an area not exceeding .fifty (50) square kilometers by the Local Government Units;

WHEREAS, said provision of RA 7160 is upheld in Section 3.2 of DENR-DILG Joint Memorandum Circular No. 98-01 and in PCSD Administrative Order No. 05-250 with respect to ECAN criteria;

WHEREAS, the PCSD-ENRC called for the implementation of Communal Forestry Program in Palawan as a relief measure to the shortage of timber prevailing in the province, the implementation of such program shall be pilot-tested in four (4) strategic places in Palawan located in the following areas: Busuanga to represent the environment of island municipalities, San Vicente in the north. Puerto Princesa City in central Palawan and Quezon in the south;

WHEREAS, to institute a policy that will respond to the timber needs of the Province of Palawan, 25 September 2008 the PCSD Environment and Natural Resources Committee conducted a policy consultation workshop participated in by the representatives of the municipalities of the Quezon, Busuanga and San Vicente, the City of Puerto Princesa, the DENR and the members of the PCSD ENR Committee to detemiine the feasibility and practicability of implementing communal forestry in Palawan under the framework of the SEP;

WHEREAS, the technical output of the workshop formed the integral part of the guidelines formulated for pilot-testing communal forest program in Palawan, endorsed by the ENR Committee of this Council;

NOW, THEREFORE, upon motion duly seconded, the Council resolves as it is hereby resolved, to adopt the one (1) year pilot testing of communal forest program in the province of Palawan and the formulated guidelines, subject to close monitoring and implementation of plans and programs.

RESOLVED FURTHER, that the reckoning of the one (1) year testing period shall begin after all the required documents from the concerned local government unit have been submitted and approved for implementation;

RESOLVED FURTHER, that the results of the one (1) year pilot testing period will serve as input in the refinement of the Guidelines On The Identification, Establishment And Management Of Communal Forests In Palawan.

RESOLVED FINALLY, copies of this resolution be furnished to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, City Government of Puerto Princesa and Municipal Government’s of San Vicente, Busuanga, and Quezon, Palawan.

APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 28th day of November 2008 in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

Certified True and Correct: EXEC.DIR. ROMEO B. Dorado                        Secretary

APPROVED : HON. MARIO JOEL T. REYES              Chairman