Forest Development Center Holds Policy Forum on Promoting Sustainable Forest Management
The Forestry Development Center (FDC) held a policy forum on “Promoting Sustainable Forest Management through Forest Certification System” last August 25, 2016 at the Nicolas Lansigan Auditorium, College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR), University of the Philippines at Los Banos (UPLB), College, Laguna.
The policy forum aimed to present, discuss and promote the proposed National Forest Certification and its standards; and to come up with recommendations or interventions from the different stakeholders on its adoption.
The forum was attended by representatives from government agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), civil society, the private sector including the Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA) and students of the UPLB CFNR.
UPLB CFNR Dean Willie Abasalo welcomed and thanked all who are present in the forum and encouraged everyone to participate in the discussion to make the forum productive and interactive. Forest Management Bureau (FMB) director Ricardo Calderon made a presentation on the rationale and status of the Forest Certification in the Philippines followed by FDC director Priscila Dolom who presented the study including its processes conducted by their office.
Integrated Forest Management Association of the Philippines (IFMAP) Vice President Anton Antonio; Society of Filipino Foresters, Inc. (SFFI) National Council President, Tommy Valdez; Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) representative Richard Laity; and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Marlo Mendoza shared their observations and recommendations based on the proposed certification system from the points of view of the private sector, the professional organization sector, the international environmental sector, and the government .
Mendoza, in his paper, said that forest certification is one of the priorities of the DENR. He then suggested that certification system should be done in transition as tenure, a basic feature in certification is still a work in progress, and that access and control should be determined. He talked about the need for transition policies and the promotion of entrepreneurship as market is important to ensure sustainability.
He also recommended that for certification, legality of source, chain of custody, and different criteria for controlled wood should be considered as priorities.
He also stated that the DENR will be working on the certification system considering the areas of policy predictability, social justice and ecosystem integrity.
Open forum ensued where stakeholders asked questions, shared opinions and insights and recommendations to make the certification system adoptable in the country.
FDC director Dolom gave the synthesis of the forum and thanked all participants for their participation .
As a post forum event, the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for a collaborative project on technical assistance for the Capacity Building on the Establishment of Forest Certification was signed by and between the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI) and the PEFC. The signing was witnessed by DENR Undersecretary Mendoza, DENR FMB director Calderon, SFFI National Council President Valdez, FDC director Dolom and PWPA Executive Director Maila Vasquez.