Confiscated lumber from Caraga to be used in reconstructing Marawi

BUTUAN CITY – Some 401,000 board feet of lumber from Caraga region will be transported to Marawi City to be used in the rehabilitation and reconstruction program of the newly liberated city.

The lumber was part of those seized from illegal logging operators in various parts of Caraga region.

The regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR 13) is only awaiting the “green light” from Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu for the dispatch.

Various provincial and community environment and natural resources offices are ready to extend more donations to Marawi City, from the confiscated forest products in their illegal logging operations drive in their respective areas.

“These lumbers are of good quality and a big number of Marawi City siege victims can benefit from these,” a DENR 13 official said.

These initial forest products from various parts in Caraga region are now being transported by the DENR officials and personnel at the Nasipit International Seaport in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte for loading to a vessel that will sail to Marawi City.

The DENR 13 is only waiting for the signature of the deed of donation and order of Sec. Cimatu.

DENR 13 Regional Director Charlie Fabre is also awaiting orders from the DENR secretary for the disposition of other seized forest products now temporarily deposited in various designated depository areas in the region.

During the first five months of 2017, the DENR Enforcement Division under Modesto Lagumbay Jr. has apprehended and confiscated 1,824,098.4 bd. ft. of illegal forest products in the five provinces of Caraga Region. The total value of these confiscated illegal forest products is R7,386,576.76.

Agusan del Sur registered the most number of apprehended and seized illegal forest products with a total of 732,549 bd.ft. lumber products and 2,100 cubic meters (7,494 pieces) cut logs valued at R3,331,821.66.