Legal basis and governing authorization
- The Order is issued pursuant to PD No. 705, as amended.
- The Order is also issued pursuant to EO No. 192 dated 10 June 1987.
- The Order uses authorized DENR officials (particularly CENRO officers and their duly authorized representatives) to issue required certificates and to administer controls.
Policy objectives for controlled transport
- The Order requires monitoring of the movement of timber and other forest products from the resource base through effective transport control.
- The Order provides that monitoring must be implemented without unnecessarily impeding the transport of forest products from point of origin to final destination or point of discharge.
- The Order requires transport documents so that movement can be used as a basis for determining resource drain.
- The Order establishes transport documents as a control mechanism against unauthorized movement and disposition of contraband forest products.
- The Order provides that generated data supports policy formulation and/or decisions.
Key definitions of forest transport documents
- A Certificate of Lumber Origin (CLO) is the document issued by the DENR Local Official (CENRO) to accompany lumber shipment, showing number of pieces, species volume, place of loading, conveyance used, date of transport, source, and consignee.
- A Certificate of Non-Timber Forest Products Origin (CNFPO) is the CENRO-issued document accompanying non-timber forest product transport, showing volume, type of product, place of loading, conveyance used, date of transport, source, and destination/consignee.
- A Certificate of Plywood Origin is the CENRO-issued document accompanying plywood shipment, showing number of pieces and sizes, place of loading, conveyance used, date of transport, source, and destination/consignee.
- A Certificate of Timber Origin (CTO) is the CENRO-issued document accompanying log transport, showing number of pieces, species, volume in cu. m., place of loading, conveyance used, date of transport, source (including name of TLA-holder, AAC, expiry date, location or area), and destination/consignee.
- A Certificate of Verification (CV) is the CENRO-issued document showing that logs, lumber, or non-timber forest products come from private lands or A and D lands.
- A Certificate of Transport Agreement (CTA) is the joint declaration by the shipper and conveyance owner stating awareness of required forestry documents and that the conveyance may be confiscated/forfeited if required documents do not cover the transported forest products.
- A Defective Certificate of Origin means any document with erasures or tampering of vital information including number of pieces, species, volume, place of loading, conveyance used, date of transport/loading, source, and name and address of shipper/owner/consignee.
- Finished Products are end products readily usable without further processing, including examples such as doors, door jambs, picture frames, toolhandles, wooden shoes, mouldings, toothpicks, chopsticks, boxes, plywood, toys, drawers, pallets (assembled), and similar products.
- Greater Manila Area (GMA) or Metro Manila Area (MMA) refers to sixteen (16) municipalities around the City of Manila: Quezon City, Makati, Kalookan, Valenzuela, Malabon, Navotas, Marikina, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Pateros, Pasay City, Taguig, Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa.
- Knock-Down Products are end products whose components/parts are taken apart for ease of packing/handling/transport to market, including cabinets, tables, chairs, and similar products.
- Semi-Finished Products are whole-end products requiring final stages of manufacture and/or assembly, including window components, table tops, veneer, and similar products.
What must be covered by certificates
- The movement/transport/shipment of logs, lumber, plywood, veneer, non-timber forest products, and other forest-based products/commodities must be covered with appropriate Certificates of Origin issued by authorized DENR officials.
- Transport documents apply to products including finished or semi-finished wood and non-wood based forest products and commodities that fall under the Order’s certificate coverage scheme.
- For logs, lumber, plywood, veneer, and non-timber forest products whether from natural forests or forest plantations within forestlands, issuance of a certificate requires prior written request by the licensee/permittee or shipper.
- Certificates are issued only when the licensee/permittee can present required documents showing legitimate sources, payment of forest charges and/or other government fees, and that forest products are marked as prescribed under Department Memorandum Circular No. 13, Series of 1990.
- The CTO is the certificate required for transport of logs, including flitches, subject to specific exemptions and special cases stated in the Order.
Pre-issuance request and required details
- A certificate request must include: number of pieces/volume, date of transport/loading, point of loading, mode of transport/type of conveyance and CTA, name and address of consignee, and point of destination.
- A certificate is not issued unless the applicant presents documents showing: legitimate sources of the forest products, payment of required forest charges or other government fees, and compliance with required marking under Department Memorandum Circular No. 13, Series of 1990.
Certificate requirements by product type
- Logs (CTO): Log transport, including flitches, must be covered by a Certificate of Timber Origin (CTO) issued by the CENRO or duly authorized representative having jurisdiction over the area where the commodities were cut/gathered, and attested by the concerned Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO), using the required form.
- The CTO must be accompanied by the corresponding tally sheet or delivery receipt of the licensee/permittee.
- For logs sold to second parties, the shipment must include the corresponding sales invoice in addition to the tally sheet/delivery receipt.
- Shipments of timber transported to destinations outside the shipper’s log ponds or processing plants outside the boundaries of its concession area and then sold to an authorized log buyer or processing plants must be accompanied by a Sales Invoice.
- A CTO is not required for timber transported within the concession or licensed area of timber licensees/permittees; the company Delivery Receipt must accompany transport to logponds or processing plants within the company’s concession area.
- Imported logs: Imported log shipments must be accompanied by a Certificate of Verification (CV) from the port of entry to the point of destination, issued by the CENRO with jurisdiction over the port of entry area.
- Lumber (CLO): Lumber transport must be accompanied by a Certificate of Lumber Origin (CLO) issued by the CENRO or duly authorized representative with jurisdiction over the processing plant producing the lumber or the lumber firm authorized to deal in the commodity.
- The CLO must be supported by the company tally sheet or delivery receipt, and for sales, a lumber sales invoice.
- Non-timber forest products (CNFPO): Non-timber forest product transport must be accompanied by a Certificate of Non-Timber Forest Products Origin (CNFPO) issued by the concerned CENRO.
- The CNFPO must be supported by the shipper’s tally sheet to be considered valid.
- Plywood (CPO): Plywood transport must be accompanied by a Certificate of Plywood Origin (CPO) issued by the CENRO or authorized representative with jurisdiction over the processing plant or authorized plywood firm.
- The CPO must be supported by a Delivery Receipt, and for sales, a Sales Invoice.
- Veneer (CVO): Veneer transport must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veneer Origin (CVO) issued by the CENRO or authorized representative with jurisdiction over the processing plant or authorized veneer firm.
- The CVO must be supported by a Delivery Receipt, and for sales, a Sales Invoice.
Exemptions from transport certificate rules
- Imported logs, lumber, and unprocessed rattan canes/poles are exempt when trans-shipped from the local port of entry to final domestic destination, provided the shipment is accompanied by a Certificate of Verification issued by the concerned CENRO.
- Logs, fuelwood and derivatives, and non-timber forest products planted inside private land and/or tax-declared alienable or disposable (A or D) lands are exempt when certified prior to shipment by the concerned CENRO as coming from such lands, and a copy of the official receipt of payment of taxes under RA 7161 accompanies the CENRO certification.
- Logs transported from the cutting area to the licensee’s processing plant(s) or logpond(s)/log storage area(s) are exempt when accompanied by a duly issued delivery receipt.
- Lumber transported within the metes and bounds of a Province, or within Greater Manila Area (GMA) is exempt when accompanied by a sales invoice and/or delivery receipt.
- Finished, semi-finished, or knock-down wood and non-wood forest products are exempt from the foregoing certificate scheme when covered by corresponding sales invoices and/or delivery receipts.
Issuance, validity, distribution of copies
- Certificates of Origin are issued by the concerned CENRO, or by the CENRO’s duly authorized representative in the case of absence.
- The CTO is issued per-truck basis for land transport and is valid only for fifteen (15) days from the date of issuance.
- For domestic water transport, the CTO is issued per-shipment basis and is valid only for thirty (30) days from the date of issuance or upon discharge at the point of destination, whichever comes first.
- If a CTO expires before cargo reaches destination or consignee, the nearest CENRO must extend it upon application for a valid reason or eventuality.
- Copies of Certificates of Origin are distributed as follows:
- Original: Consignee/buyer
- Duplicate: CENRO
- Triplicate: Licensee/permittee
- Quadruplicate: CENRO Forestry Specialist
- Quintuplicate: Regional Executive Director
- Sextuplicate: Forest Management Bureau
Penal provisions for document violations
- Any log, lumber, plywood, veneer, non-timber forest products, and other wood or non-wood based products covered by these regulations that are transported without the prescribed documents are considered illegal.
- Illegal forest products transported without required documents are subject to confiscation in favor of the government.
- Confiscated products must be disposed of in accordance with laws, rules and regulations governing the matter.
- Forest Officers who issue defective certificates of origin required under the Order must be suspended immediately, without prejudice to other penalties under Civil Service laws, rules and regulations.
- Any defective certificate of origin issued is null and void and therefore ineffective.
Effect of inconsistency in prior rules
- The Order revokes or amends orders, circulars, memoranda, and instructions inconsistent with its provisions.
- The Order is adopted on September 30, 1993 and signed by ANGEL C. ALCALA, Secretary.