Question & AnswerQ&A (Act No. 1148)
The short title of Act No. 1148 is "The Forest Act."
Public forests include all unreserved public lands covered with trees of whatever age.
The Civil Governor, upon recommendation of the Chief of the Bureau of Forestry and approval of the Secretary of the Interior, may set apart forest reserves from public lands.
No, once declared, forest reserves shall not be entered, sold, or otherwise disposed of but shall remain for forest uses, except as provided in the Act.
No, mining claims are governed exclusively by Act Numbered Six hundred and twenty-four and the provisions of The Forest Act do not apply to them.
No, no prescriptive right, permanent concession, continuing right, privilege, or easement respecting public forests or their products shall accrue or be granted except as provided in the Act.
Provinces are divided into Class A and Class B with specific provinces listed under each class for regulatory and taxation purposes.
Penalties include a fine not exceeding twice the regular government charge on the timber so cut or destroyed and imprisonment not exceeding thirty days.
A fine not exceeding five hundred pesos or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both, may be imposed.
Every private owner of forest land must register his title to the land with the Chief of the Bureau of Forestry.
Officers, employees, or agents of the Bureau of Forestry can make arrests without process in or upon public forests or adjoining territory for violations of the Act or regulations.
Licenses are issued by the Chief of the Bureau of Forestry with the Secretary of the Interior's approval, specifying rights and often granting exclusive territory; licenses last no more than twenty years.
Timber volume is calculated using the metric system with methods based on the type of timber—round, squared, or sawn—and taxes vary by timber group and province class.
An additional payment equal to fifty percent of the government charges due on the forest products is imposed.
A fine not exceeding two hundred pesos may be imposed for neglect, unreasonable delay, falsification, or refusal to submit required reports or documents.