Resource Use Permit
This entry was posted on 6/21/2007 9:37 AM and is filed under uncategorized.
One of the most interesting topics during
the assessment of CBFM in 2005 discussed
by participants with intense emotions is
the issue on Resource Use Plan and its subsequent cancellation. (RUP) is a permit issued by DENR to the community
with a CBFMA who plan to venture on utilizing timber for commercial purposes.
RUP is the most awaited part of every CBFM
program in a community because they believed that through the RUP they are now
in a position to use their resources with the same footing as the previous
capitalist who logged in their area. Ironically, according to them this is also
the source of their frustrations.
As experienced, assisting government agencies are
a little slow in assisting the community with their utilization plans.
Communities were discouraged to embark on this type of business. They were told
that the resources were not enough for their business to profit and they are
not ready for the many complications of this business. The worst case came when
the log ban was implemented. A case in
point is the experience of the Subanen community of Cuyan-Butin CBFM in RT Lim
Municipality, Sibugay, Zamboanga.
The community said that they were keen to
participate in the CBFM program because of the promise of having the right to
utilize their resources and finally profit from it. According to them, they had
problems with the processing of their papers. There are many confusions and
complications especially because they were not familiar with the documents that
the DENR required. They also complained about the expenses that they incurred
so as to comply with these requirements.
In fact, they said that it was all easy for capitalist to obtain permits
through proper channel or by the use of money than for the community to get
their permit to utilize.
After a long struggle of document
processing and the tedious completion of requirements, the community finally
got their permit to cut trees within their plantation. They entered into contracts
with buyers and financiers to sustain the financial requirement of their
business. However, barely six months after the issuance of their permit, a
national policy of a log ban was implemented. This national directive consequently
nullified their Resource Use Permit and suddenly their operation became
illegal.
The community was frustrated with the log
ban. The first reason is the cost they have to pay for the processing of their
papers. The second is the cost of their six-month operation of cutting and
hauling the logs close to the road. The saddest thing to see is the logs that
would not be transported and sold due to the log ban.
The log ban adversely affected the
environment because the trees felled were never used and there is no way to replace these
trees. Second, is that people will have no interest for the program and for
planting and caring of trees. On top of this, the logs were left to rot along the road because it would be
illegal to use or sell it. The worst is; the community paid for all this loss.
In some areas, even if the suspension is lifted, the damages are already irreversible.
