Restore. Rehabilitate. Repeat.

40% is our magic number. This is what our forest area should cover in relation to our land. And this is what we need to sustain ecological balance.

But deforestation and overexploitation rates us at a mere 22% — leaving more people vulnerable to impacts of climate change.

There are already existing, yet outdated policies. These bring us loose implementation resulting to abuse and misuse.

The proposed Sustainable Forest Management Act promises to strengthen the management of Philippine forests and ensure its sustainability for the next generations.

Forest restoration and rehabilitation are the key solutions to keeping the balance of our ecosystem for climate regulation, and mitigating natural-related disasters. While doing so, indigenous and local communities are empowered to manage and protect our forests, and build sustainable livelihoods. It clearly defines mandatory practices, permissions, and prohibitions on extractive activities to prreserve our forest lands.

The Philippine forests give us everything – air for breathing, water for drinking, food for eating, and medicines for healing. It is also shielding us from the wrath of climate change. That is why we must never allow anyone or any corporation to kill our lifeline.

The Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines remain outdated and needs to be revisited. As of today, four versions of the Sustainable Forest Management Act have been filed in Congress. On November 2019, the House Committee on Natural Resources has approved a consolidated substitute Bill, drafted based on all filed versions. As of January 2020, the draft is still undergoing edits, and the final Committee Report is still to be submitted for approval.

Cover Photo by Risa Barcelona