QuestionsQuestions (DENR ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 24, S. 1996)
It establishes rules for the Socialized Industrial Forest Management Program to ensure sustainable development and management of forest lands, equitable access/sharing of natural resources, environmental protection, and economic upliftment, including providing security of tenure to qualified participants through a Socialized Industrial Forest Management Agreement (SIFMA).
A contract/agreement between a natural or juridical person and the DENR granting the right to develop, utilize, and manage a small tract of forest land, consistent with the principle of Sustainable Development.
A tract of land planted primarily to trees and other products to support manufacturing/processing facilities and/or to supply wood and energy requirements.
Grasslands, brushlands, and open/denuded forest lands under DENR jurisdiction, including areas within government reforestation projects, as long as they are not classified under NIPAS and not subject of CADC/CALC, vested rights, licenses, permits, or management agreements—unless made available by prior express written agreement of the holder.
Areas subject to CADC/CALC, vested rights, licenses, permits, or management agreements may be made available only by prior express written agreement. Pending applications are not open to SIFMA until DENR, after due notice and hearing, denies or rejects with prejudice the CADC/CALC application.
For individuals/single family: 1 to 10 hectares. For association/cooperative: over 10 to 500 hectares.
CENRO identifies potential sites and informs/validates them with concerned LGUs on the ground. Endorsed validated sites are mapped with data and forwarded to the DENR Secretary for approval. After approval, the CENRO informs concerned LGUs and conducts an information campaign, posting copies of guidelines and the site map in strategic municipal/barangay locations.
Individuals/single family units who are Filipino citizens of legal age (preferably residents of the municipality) and whose actual occupancy is prioritized; government employees require consent of their heads. Cooperatives/associations must have Filipino citizen members resident in the province, be duly registered (CDA or SEC), and prove financial/technical capacity.
Previously issued TFLAs/IFMAs or similar permits canceled for failure to comply; applicants whose officers have derogatory records (anti-dummy law violations, tax evasion, illegal logging/smuggling, unauthorized transfer/subcontracting, or inability to comply despite holding permits); and holders of any existing forest permit/license/lease/management agreement.
It has a duration of 25 years, renewable for another 25 years.
Yes. It may be transferred, conveyed, or sold in whole or in part to qualified persons/cooperatives/associations, subject to approval of the PENRO or the RED (depending on size/rules in the Order) and subject to the area limit not being exceeded (10 ha for individuals/single family; 500 ha for cooperatives/associations). The transferee assumes rights/obligations and must continue performance for the remaining term; transfer must be notarized and copies forwarded to DENR units and concerned LGUs.
The holder must plant forest tree species on not less than 90% of the plantable area, with the remaining plantable area devoted to permanent agricultural purposes. The holder must maintain tree cover on slopes 50% or over and keep strips of at least 20 meters bordering rivers/streams permanently under tree cover.
Conversion into other land uses not authorized under the SIFMA is prohibited. No exotic species may be planted or introduced unless cleared by DENR.
They own planted trees and may harvest/sell/utilize them subject to trees retained for environmental protection; DENR may allow export of logs/lumber and other products per allocation system; plantation products from the area are exempt from forest charges; reasonable compensation for development if cancellation is without cause or for public interest; priority for actual occupants if future permanent tenurial arrangements allow it; improvements can be used as collateral for loans with prior approval; and technical assistance if holders confederate into larger organizations.
Government share is in products/benefits derived from execution of the SIFMA: environmental enhancement/protection and rehabilitation (including steep slopes and riverbanks), trees for protection purposes maintained as government share (not harvested), employment generation, trails/access road development, increased production of fuelwood/food/non-wood products, raw materials supply to wood industries, protection of soil/water/wildlife/natural forests, income taxes paid by the holder, and land rental fees (with free years 1–5; then specified rental rates by years, subject to future adjustments).
Failure to develop within 3 years; finding holder is a dummy; transfer without DENR knowledge/concurrence; conversion to unauthorized land use; allowing residential house entries by others; cutting naturally grown trees within/adjacent area; refusal to allow entry by authorized officers; obtaining SIFMA through fraud/misrepresentation/false statements; conviction for labor law violations; violation of SIFMA terms or forestry laws; abandonment; failure to pay rentals/fees; voluntary surrender; or when public interest so requires.
SIFMAs must be registered with the FMB within 15 days. CENRO uses a simplified reporting format; PENRO analyzes/consolidates and submits through RED to FMB/Secretary. Site monitoring is done by a team (LGU, NGO, and CENRO led). Indicators include seedling production, area/date planted by species, environmental protection measures, progress maps, pictures, and issues/recommendations.
FMB acts as national coordinating office (policy/formulation, review of sites, coordination, evaluation, linkages, data files). RED/RTD implement regionally—approve SIFMAs and cancellations and transfers for areas >10 up to 500 ha. PENRO implements provincially—approve SIFMAs and cancellations and transfers up to 10 ha; evaluates periodic reports. CENRO implements in its jurisdiction—site identification, processing applications, and monitoring/evaluation, submitting reports to PENRO.