Restoration of Philippine Native Forest by Smallholder Tree Farmers - Smallholder Tree Growing for Rural Development and Environmental Services - page 324

conditions to be successful (Williams 2001). He suggested indirect incentives like
research, training, extension and market information instead of the usual direct
government subsidies.
On the regulatory side, special permits are required to harvest and transport cer-
tain indigenous tree species particularly premium hardwood species. DENR
Administrative Order No. 78 regulates the cutting of several premium hardwood
species to specific areas and amounts only. In private lands, a special private land
timber permit (SPLTP) has to be secured for the purpose of harvesting and trans-
porting the planted trees. Almaciga ( Agathis philippinensis) , on the other hand, is
totally banned from cutting in any part of the country as per DAO No. 74 series of
1987. No regulative problems will be encountered in the planting operations except
some registration procedure, but the difficulties will arise when these trees reach
harvesting age. For the ITS, volumes less than 10 m 3 are approved for cutting and
transporting by the Regional Executive Director of the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR; not CENRO or PENRO at, respectively, the municipal
and provincial administrative levels). Volumes in excess of this amount will
have to be approved by the DENR Secretary. A smallholder tree farmer or owner
of a private land may not have the patience, time and resources to secure the neces-
sary special permit from the DENR Regional or Central Office. Exotic trees when
harvested are not subject to similar stringent regulations. Instead of going hard on
illegal loggers of premium hardwoods from the natural forests, these policies have
created an environment that tend to discourage the massive planting of these ITS
and have spawned conditions that favor the planting of exotic trees. The deregula-
tion of plantation timber described above is supported by this analysis. Obviously,
a revision of these “anti-ITS” policies have to be instituted to encourage the
planting of ITS.
Simplification of policies governing the establishment, harvesting and transport
of ITS from CBFM and private tree farms will facilitate the procedures that these
farmers have to go through during the harvesting and transport of their produce.
The current cumbersome and bureaucratic process discourages many farmers from
engaging in ITS planting. The Forestry Development Center of the CFNR-UPLB
has recently completed a study towards the simplification of rules, regulations and
procedures of DENR.
15.5 Conclusions
Philippine reforestation efforts dating back in the early 1900s are characterized by
the dominant planting of exotic tree species. Reasons for their widespread use
include: (1) wide adaptability and tolerance to stress; (2) fast growth and high yield;
(3) accessible information and technologies and; (4) availability of abundant germ-
plasm, particularly improved seeds. Despite this apparent edge over the indigenous
tree species, ITS still has a niche to occupy in Philippine forestry particularly for
forest restoration by smallholder tree farmers. Experiences and interests on ITS are