Law Summary
Definitions of Key Terms
- Forest Land: Includes public forests, permanent forests, forest reserves, and forest reservations.
- Natural and Residual Forests: Forests composed of indigenous trees not planted by humans.
- Plantation Forest: Forests planted pursuant to management agreements with DENR.
- Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA): Production-sharing contract granting exclusive rights to develop, manage, and utilize forest land under sustainable development principles.
- Socialized Integrated Forest Management Agreement (SIFMA): Similar to IFMA but usually smaller scale, also under sustainable development principles.
- Community-Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA): Agreement with local communities allowing sustainable management of small forest tracts.
- National Greening Program: A DA-DENR-DAR cooperative initiative focused on poverty reduction, food security, climate change adaptation, and mitigation.
Moratorium on Timber Cutting and Harvesting
- Complete moratorium on cutting and harvesting timber in natural and residual forests nationwide unless lifted.
- DENR prohibited from issuing any new logging contracts or agreements in natural/residual forests, including IFMAs, SIFMAs, CBFMAs, or similar.
- Tree cutting permits in such forests are forbidden except for specific purposes (road clearing by DPWH, plantation site preparation, silvicultural treatments) with logs turned over to DENR.
- Tree cutting under Indigenous Peoples Rights Act allowed only with strict DENR guidelines compliance.
- DENR mandated to review all existing forest management agreements and terminate those violating contract terms or engaging in illegal logging.
- Enforcement of a forest certification system based on United Nations standards for sustainable and legal timber sourcing.
- Closure of sawmills and wood processing plants lacking proof of legal sustainable timber sources for five years.
- Development of the National Greening Program involving multiple government agencies and the private sector to support tree planting and environmental restoration.
- Department of Education prioritized to receive confiscated logs.
Creation of the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force
- Task Force composition: DENR Secretary as Chair, plus Secretaries of DILG, National Defense, Chief of PNP, AFP Chief of Staff or authorized representatives.
- Mandated to lead anti-illegal logging enforcement and support broader environmental law enforcement.
- Authorized to seek support from any government agency for administrative, technical, and logistical assistance.
- DENR to provide secretariat services.
- Department of Budget and Management to allocate an initial budget of Ten Million Pesos, with further funding subject to Presidential approval.
Repealing Clause
- All prior executive orders, rules, regulations inconsistent with this Executive Order are revoked, amended, or modified accordingly.
Implementation and Effectivity
- Task Force required to immediately draft guidelines for enforcement upon formation.
- Executive Order takes effect immediately upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation.