PhilippinesPhilippinesCountry Report On Country Report On Sustainable Forest Sustainable Forest ManagementManagement

Forest Management BureauForest Management Bureau

Department of Environment and Natural ResourcesDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources

Forest resourcesForest resources

RP lies to the east of continental Asia between the RP lies to the east of continental Asia between the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea, extending South China Sea and the Philippine Sea, extending from 5° to 20° north of the equator and comprising from 5° to 20° north of the equator and comprising more than 7,100 islands. more than 7,100 islands.

Land area of 30 million hectares and a population Land area of 30 million hectares and a population of 90 million people. Lands that are 18% in slope of 90 million people. Lands that are 18% in slope and above are classified as forest lands and owned and above are classified as forest lands and owned by the state / government and total to 15.9 million by the state / government and total to 15.9 million hectares or 52.68% of the country’s area. hectares or 52.68% of the country’s area.

The actual forest cover is officially estimated at The actual forest cover is officially estimated at 7.168 million hectares of which 6.432 million 7.168 million hectares of which 6.432 million hectares is in classified forest lands while .737 hectares is in classified forest lands while .737 million hectares are outside. About .8 million million hectares are outside. About .8 million hectares is considered as primary or virgin forests.hectares is considered as primary or virgin forests.

Forest Change

Deforestation at an annual rate of about 316,000 eforestation at an annual rate of about 316,000 hectares in the 1980s, caused by land conversion, hectares in the 1980s, caused by land conversion, shifting cultivation, forest fires and over-logging. shifting cultivation, forest fires and over-logging.

Deforestation decreased to about 89,000 hectares Deforestation decreased to about 89,000 hectares (1.4%) annually during the 1990s (FAO 2005). (1.4%) annually during the 1990s (FAO 2005). Much of the remaining forest is heavily Much of the remaining forest is heavily fragmented.fragmented.

About 28,000 hectares were detected as forest About 28,000 hectares were detected as forest areas converted to agriculture, settlements, areas converted to agriculture, settlements, infrastructures and other purposes. infrastructures and other purposes.

Unplanned fire destroyed an estimated 8,000 Unplanned fire destroyed an estimated 8,000 hectares while illegal exploitation accounted to hectares while illegal exploitation accounted to about 1,500 hectares based on apprehensions.about 1,500 hectares based on apprehensions.

Recent forest policies and guidelines strengthen SFM implementation with focus on management tools, updating of management information, evaluation and management of protected and production forests, comprehensive upland development program, forest law enforcement, and relating forests to climate change.

An area of 15.9 million hectares has been defined legally as forest land (land with greater than 18% slope), but the estimated natural-forest PFE under actual forest cover is only about 7.168 million hectares. PFE covers 6.43 million hectares of production forest and 1.339 million hectares of protection forest with an estimated 281,764 hectares of plantation.

The PFE is now 100 % demarcated and delineation on the ground with monuments is on going however, the production and protection forest within are yet to be demarcated.

KEY SFM POINTSKEY SFM POINTS

Forest cover and forest types are currently being updated using ALOS satellite images from Japan.

At least 79,000 hectares of natural-forest production PFE are estimated to be sustainably managed. No estimate could be made of the extent to which the protection PFE is similarly managed.

Reforestation / Afforestation exceeds deforestation.

Commercial-scale concessions called ‘timber license agreements’ have been the main mechanism for allocating logging rights in the past; forest management is now being conducted largely under community- based approaches; most expiring TLAs have been converted to IFMA

KEY SFM POINTSKEY SFM POINTS

TThe contribution of the industrial forest sector to the national economy has declined dramatically in recent years and stood at only 0.07% of GDP in 2008 which is a slight improvement from 0.05% in 2003.

An estimated 25 million people are dependent on forest lands (not necessarily forested) for subsistence uses and traditional and customary lifestyles. Indigenous people have been granted Certificates and Titles to their Ancestral Domain to an estimated 7.1 million hectares of lands all over the country including undetermined areas in the PFE. PFE.

KEY SFM POINTSKEY SFM POINTS

DENR is the government agency responsible for forest management and protected areas and administrative decentralization to its field offices has been implemented. Devolution of forestry functions and activities from DENR to local government units is being accelerated.

The Philippines remains a net importer of timber products.

The Philippines has a large number of endangered species. In its protected-area network of 6.85 million hectares, the estimated extent within PFE is 1.339 million hectares.

KEY SFM POINTSKEY SFM POINTS

Progress of SFM Key IndicatorsProgress of SFM Key Indicators

TOWARDS SFMTOWARDS SFM

Policy framework and guidelinesPolicy framework and guidelines PFE delineationPFE delineation Institutional frameworkInstitutional framework Tenure in forest landsTenure in forest lands More reforestation and harvest in More reforestation and harvest in

plantation speciesplantation species Less forest destructionLess forest destruction Information managementInformation management IEC for awarenessIEC for awareness Resource assessment ASLOResource assessment ASLO Planning proceduresPlanning procedures Long-term strategiesLong-term strategies Management guidelinesManagement guidelines Harvesting proceduresHarvesting procedures GDP, GVA, and other economic GDP, GVA, and other economic

contributioncontribution Participation of communities / IPsParticipation of communities / IPs Forest dependents, social Forest dependents, social

relationsrelations Conservation, biodivesityConservation, biodivesity

proceduresprocedures Non-wood productsNon-wood products

AWAY FROM SFMAWAY FROM SFM

LegislationsLegislations Integrated land use plansIntegrated land use plans Production / protection delineationProduction / protection delineation Forest investmentForest investment IncentivesIncentives Monitoring and evaluationMonitoring and evaluation Protected areasProtected areas Ecosystem diversityEcosystem diversity IUCN species, biodiversityIUCN species, biodiversity Soil / water conservationSoil / water conservation Certification of production / protection Certification of production / protection

areasareas Forestry employmentForestry employment Timber productionTimber production Timber trade, importerTimber trade, importer Processing efficiencyProcessing efficiency

Constant since 2001 – 03 inventoryConstant since 2001 – 03 inventory

Resource baseResource base Permanent forest estatePermanent forest estate Forest typesForest types

MABUHAY!MABUHAY!

1212THTH ASOF ASOF

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