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Log ban: bane to Ifugao woodcarvers?

BANAUE, Ifugao (Mar. 18) — Life to many Ifugaos engaged in woodcarving has never been fun. This time it has become worse.

“We do not also want to be always chased by law enforcers as if we were criminals. Who wants to be in the forest night and day, rain or shine, and away from our families?” said a group of Ifugao woodcarvers, expressing their disgust over the total log ban.

In December last year, the government imposed a nationwide moratorium on all logging operations following the flashfloods and landslides that killed hundreds of people in eastern Luzon, mostly in Aurora and Quezon provinces. The landslides were blamed on logging in the Sierra Madre mountain range.

The moratorium, they say, has caused great misfortune on the Ifugao woodcarving industry. Many woodcarvers are deprived of their livelihood and authorities accost those asserting their right to their livelihood.

Last month a wood carver and a small-time logger in Lubo-ong, Hungduan were arrested by a composite team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Sangguniang Bayan of Hungduan and the Philippine National Police (PNP). Both hail from Banaue town. Among those confiscated from the duo were their carving tools (paot, in Ifugao), a chainsaw and some 800 board feet of lumber.

Ifugao Governor Benjamin Cappleman requested Banaue Mayor Jerry Dalipog to hold a meeting with the PNP, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) and the woodcarvers to explain the provisions of Presidential Decree 705, the Revised Forestry Code of 1975 and other government forestry laws, programs and policies involving the cutting of trees and to draw solutions beneficial to all parties.

The governor said informing and educating the woodcarvers on the implications of the forestry laws, policies and programs would prevent arrests. Cappleman underscored the need to protect the environment. He, however, stressed the need to protect the people’s livelihood.

Cappleman asked the Ifugao PENRO to exempt the woodcarvers from the total log ban. This was turned down, however because the national office of the DENR has yet to issue exemptions to the presidential order. The DENR only allows transport of log harvested before the logging moratorium on December 8, 2004, and after these have been inventoried by the PENRO.

Aside from being a source of livelihood, woodcarving among the Ifugaos is a skill imbedded in the Ifugao culture. Not all Ifugaos possess a woodcarving skill, though. Although woodcarving is male-dominated, a few women are also engaged in the craft.

Most woodcarvers are unschooled. They do not own any payew (rice paddies) or if they do, those are usually too small to yield sufficiently for their respective families.

In 1996, the national government allowed the cutting of trees in muyong/pinugo areas. These are indigenous forest conservation areas in Ifugao and neighboring provinces. The directive allowed Ifugao woodcarvers to engage in their craft for as long as they get their wood needs in the muyong or pinugo.

Muyong or pinugo is an indigenous system of forest management and biodiversity conservation and preservation. It is traditionally owned and managed by a family or clan. It may also refer to privately owned wood lots.

Environment Secretary Michael Defensor ordered a lift to the total log ban in March for the Caraga or Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur; and Region 11 which includes the three Davao provinces and Compostela Valley. The order also allowed the harvesting of planted trees and non-timber forest products except in the provinces of Aurora and Quezon.

Recently, the DENR is considering opening up the Cordillera for commercial logging.

While maintaining his opposition to commercial logging in the Cordillera, Cappleman still hopes that the national government reassess its earlier total log ban to exempt the Ifugao.

“While we protect the environment, we should not sacrifice our own people, especially the marginalized ones. After all, the people are part of the environment,” Cappleman said. # Jennelyn N. Nanglihan/PIO-Ifugao

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