Illegal Logging Again

GOOD morning again to you people of Bohol , well this is the day before the great event, Christmas Day. How would you define the “Christmas Spirit”? Would it be a friendly smile between strangers, the sound of familiar carols, A tree with twinkling light in the sea of brightly wrapped packages, or just that good feeling you get this time of the year? -None of those elements captured the real meaning of the phrase. They represent feelings that maybe a response to the commercialism that distorts the real meaning and spirit of Christmas. We talk carelessly of the Christmas spirit, rarely meaning more than this than sentimental jollity…it ought to mean the reproducing in human lives of the temperaments of him who for our sake because poor…The spirit of those who, like their master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor-spending and being spent—to enrich their fellowmen, giving time, though, care and concern to do good to others—in whatever way there seems need. Let's pause for a moment: If we walk beyond the Manager to the Cross-of Calvary we will know the reason Christmas brings such joy to you and me. The Spirit of Christmas giving should be seen in all our living.

Our topic in the past, I have written about illegal logging many times, but since the latest typhoon and the havoc it cause in lives of the people I felt in necessary to bring to the forefront the cause of many landslide. Illegal logging is threatening the livelihoods of millions of the worlds poor, robbing government of billions of dollars in revenue and undermining legitimate logging businesses. The world bank said in developing countries, illegal logging of public lands alone causes estimated losses in assets and revenue in the excess of $10 billion a year, the bank report in the release on the sidelines of the IMF-world bank meeting in Singapore. A further $5 billion in revenue was lost each year through tax evasion and loss of royalties on illegal logging .Ms Katherine Sierra, The Bank Vice President for sustainable development, said nearly a fifth of humanity was dependent on some part of there livelihood forest on their livelihoods. She said better law enforcement and land management was essential to protect their future and lift them out of poverty.

Forest are the public good and their degradation imposes global cost such as climate change species loss, said the report…”Despite the magnitude of the problem though there are few instances of prosecution and punishment.” In fact,” If there are prosecution in the poor, looking to supplement their meager livelihood, who are victimized and sent to jail, Large scale operators continue with impunity”, the report said. It also said illicit cash from illegal logging need to be targeted that anti- money laundering and asset forfeiture laws were important tools to fight forest clearing, corruption and organized crime. The forest included estimate of illegal logging rates as a percentage of total production in 17 countries from Bolivia to Myanmar and Veitnam. Approximately two-third of those countries have illegal logging rate of at least 50 percent, in Indonesia between 70 and 80 percent of all logging was illegal, in Bolivia it was 80 percent while in Cambodia it was estimated at 90 percent

Law enforcement in Indonesia were large areas of tropical forest are being destroyed each year, This was the particular problem, the report said. Indonesian investigator had limited capacity to collect evidence and press for prosecution because they had insufficient understanding about recent forest laws and sanction, court procedure and forest crimes. Such work was also very dangerous, the report said, There have been many cases where forest police, park ranger and member of NGO's have been injured or killed for attempting to suppress timber theft. The report also highlighted China 's nudge appetite for timber, with important rising from US $6 billion in 1996 to US $16 billion in 2005. The timber came principally from Russia 's Far East , Indonesia , Malaysia , Papua New Guinea , New Zealand and Thailand. It is feared, the report said, that the Chinese demand, which does not currently distinguish between legally and illegally produce timber for import is escalating the problem of illegal logging. Of course China has denied its plundering the worlds forest to feed export to the west but many conservation group dispute this. While the fate of the words forest looks break, the Word Bank said that in resent year, illegal logging has shifted from an almost taboo subject to new being part of an open dialogue between government on sustainable forest management. I just hope the Government here in the Philippines can standout illegal logging in the beautiful country. Take care, see you next week.