BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, March 17 (PIA) — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has created municipal-based task forces to intensify the campaign against illegal logging in various parts of the country.

Forester Constante Espiritu, Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer(CENRO) of this town said the creation of the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force (AILTF) was formed last year in the 15 local government units in this province to help the agency in curbing illegal activities against the environment.

“This will help a lot in our campaign considering our problem on the lack of manpower in guarding our forests,” Espiritu said during the recent meeting of the Multi-Sectoral Forest Protection Committee(MFPC).

He said that in his area of coverage alone, consisting of the towns of Diadi, Villaverde, Ambaguio, Quezon, Solano, Bagabag and Bayombong with 63,625 hectares of forest land, only four forest guards are being assigned and dispatched to do their work.

The creation of the AILTF was embodied under President Benigno Simeon Aquino III Executive Order No. 23, declaring a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests.

Espiritu said the AILTF was created through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement(MOA) with respective LGUs with the following agencies as members: Philippine National Police(PNP), Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer(MENRO), Department of Interior and Local Government(DILG), DENR and LGU – accredited non-government organizations and private sector representatives.

He said that with the organization of the AILTF last year, their campaign against illegal logging has been enhanced and improved with the confiscation of illegally-transported tree species, charcoal products and mineral ore from their area of coverage.