Key Definitions
- Forest Land: Includes all public forest, permanent forest, forest reserves, and forest reservations.
- Natural and Residual Forests: Forests consisting of indigenous, naturally grown trees.
- Plantation Forest: Man-planted forests under DENR management agreements.
- Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA): A contract granting exclusive rights to develop and manage specified forest lands in line with sustainable development and an approved management plan.
- Socialized IFMA (SIFMA): Agreements for small tract forest management by natural or juridical persons, aligned with sustainable development.
- Community-Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA): Agreements with local communities to manage small forest tracts sustainably.
- National Greening Program (NGP): A convergence initiative targeting poverty reduction, food security, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Moratorium on Timber Harvesting
- Nationwide moratorium on cutting and harvesting timber in natural and residual forests effective upon this order's effectivity.
- DENR banned from issuing new logging contracts/agreements in natural/residual forests (IFMA, SIFMA, CBFMA, or similar).
- Tree cutting permits in these forests are prohibited except for specific purposes (road clearing by DPWH, site preparation, silvicultural treatment).
- Logs from permitted cutting must be handed over to DENR for proper disposal.
- Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act–compliant tree cutting allowed only under strict DENR guidelines.
Review and Enforcement Measures
- DENR mandated to review existing forestry agreements and cancel those violating terms or forest laws at least twice.
- Agreements will also be terminated for illegal logging or abetting illegal logging.
- Strict implementation of a forest certification system based on United Nations standards to ensure sustainable sourcing and legal timber chain of custody nationwide.
- Closure of sawmills, veneer plants, and wood processing facilities unable to prove legal and sustainable timber sources for at least five years, within one month of order effectivity.
National Greening Program and Interagency Cooperation
- DENR, DA, and DAR to jointly implement NGP with assistance from DepEd, CHED (for education campaigns), DILG (communal tree farms), DSWD (social programs for upland farmers), and DBM (funding).
- Private sector and other agencies encouraged to contribute resources.
- Priority use of confiscated logs allocated to the Department of Education.
Creation and Powers of the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force
- Task Force composition: DENR Secretary (Chairman), DILG Secretary, Defense Secretary, PNP Chief, AFP Chief of Staff, or their authorized representatives.
- Mandate: Lead anti-illegal logging efforts, enforce this Executive Order, and assist enforcement of other environmental laws under DENR supervision.
- Authorized to request support, including administrative, technical, logistical, and personnel assistance from any executive branch agency.
- DENR to provide secretariat support.
- Initial budget of Ten Million Pesos from DBM, with further funding subject to Presidential approval.
Legal and Administrative Provisions
- Repeals or modifies all conflicting executive orders, rules, regulations, and issuances.
- Task Force responsible for promptly formulating detailed implementing guidelines.
Effectivity
- The Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation.