A Catholic bishop in the Philippines has criticised the country’s government for issuing permits to cut more than 218,000 trees in the western province of Palawan. Source: UCA News.
Palawan, an island group about 600 kilometres southwest of Manila, is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve known as the country’s “last ecological frontier”.
In his June 12 pastoral letter, Bishop Socrates Mesiona, of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, described Palawan as “a grace given by God that brings peace to the heart.”
The 62-year-old bishop said the question was, “What have we done with this grace?”
Bishop Mesiona cited public records showing that “no fewer than 218,854 trees are already covered by special tree cutting and earth-balling permits (STCEPs) issued for mining projects”.
STCEPs are issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the government bureau that regulates environmental activities.
However, data from local environmentalists indicate that the number of STCEPs over the past decade has reached up to 320,000.
Deforestation is one of the biggest problems in the Philippines, a tropical country known for its rainforests, which lost 1.42 million hectares of tree cover from 2001 to 2022, according to data cited by the Climate Change Commission.
The Catholic Church, where nearly 80 percent of Filipinos belong, is one of the biggest groups pushing to protect the country’s ecology.
In his pastoral letter, Bishop Mesiona said it is “baffling that agencies expected to protect nature are perceived to be strict in enforcing the law on ordinary citizens, yet seem lenient and generous toward large mining companies and powerful individuals”.
“This gives some the impression that there are two kinds of law in our country: one for the rich and powerful, and one for the poor,” the bishop said.
He also said it is painful that decades-old or centuries-old trees can be cut down in such a short time and urged the government to review its decision and dialogue with those directly affected.”
He also requested the government “fully publicise all related STCEP permits – including permit numbers, covered areas, and tree inventories – especially in ecologically sensitive provinces like Palawan.”
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Filipino bishop questions permits to cut over 218,000 trees in Palawan (By Paterno R. Esmaquel II, UCA News)
