DENR installs new system for timber and lumber products
by CG Valdez, MC Locsin
Koronadal City (13 February) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region XII recently installed a new system to expedite the processing and issuance of transport documents for timber and lumber products. This is embodied in the DENR Administrative Order No. 2007-31 and in line with the sustainable resource management of the Department.
The new system prescribes the use of computer generated Certificate of Timber Origin (CTO) and Certificate of Lumber Origin (CLO) forms. This shall replace the previous forms prescribed pursuant to DAO No. 07, series of 1994 entitled "Revised Guidelines Governing the Issuance of Certificate of Origin for Logs, Timber, Lumber and Non-timber Forest Products".
Further, the computer generated CTO and CLO systems use two bar code numbers which are randomly generated as an add-in security measures and assigned computer based serial numbers.
In line with this thrust, the DENR Regional Office XII conducted recently an orientation on the salient features of DAO 2007-31, the prescribed guidelines, procedures as well as the features of both the old and the new CTO/CLO forms and the system requirements. Related issues and concerns were also tackled during the forum.
The invited presenters who both came from DENR Central Office were Forester Alexis Lapiz of the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) and Mr. Yul Jose, OIC-Chief, Management and Information Systems Division.
The main advantage for adopting the system is to avoid delay of issuance of CTO/CLO. "Monitoring the movement and transport of timber and lumber products is a social responsibility that entails the support and cooperation of LGUs, private investors and other stakeholders aside from the DENR," Forester Lapiz explained. (DENR XII/PIA SarGen) [top]