Wood industries ecozone planned for PICOP plantations
THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) is considering agroforestry economic zone status for plantations operated by the defunct Paper Industries Corp. of the Philippines (PICOP).
If approved by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the zone will lead to the relaxing of a logging ban and create a certifying organization to regulate forest products used in paper making.
“During our dialogue with [Environment and Natural Resources] Secretary [Roy A.] Cimatu, the Director of the Bureau of Forest Management (Nonito M. Tamayo) mentioned that one reason that the industries who need it are importing because there is a need for a certification,” PEZA DirectorGeneral Charito B. Plaza said.
“There’s a certifying organization that will certify that these [pieces of ] wood which will be used by industries are certified as good wood which we don’t have yet in the Philippines,” she added.
“Tree-plantation, wood-based industries, paper-making industries, all the industries [that depend on wood] will be located there.”
PICOP, a private company, maintained tree plantations in Mindanao. It shut down in 2001.
In August 2016, Surigao del Sur Representative Johnny T. Pimentel filed a bill proposing an economic zone in Bislig, which will include the operations of PICOP.
In 2017, Chinese investors reportedly expressed interest in the economic zone. —