Confiscated lumber donated to earthquake victims

LUMBER confiscated through the government’s anti-illegal logging operations have been donated to Davao del Sur province for distribution to families affected by the series of earthquakes in Mindanao last year, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Davao Region office said in a statement Monday. The timber, totalling 31,892.54 board feet, came from the DENR regional offices in Davao and Caraga. DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu issued a directive last year to its Mindanao offices to release confiscated lumber to help Mindanao earthquake victims rebuild their homes. DENR Undersecretary for Enforcement and Muslim Affairs Jim O. Sampulna said during the Deed of Donation signing that the move is a demonstration that the agency’s “mission is not only to have a cleaner and greener environment, but it also includes looking at the welfare of the people.” Davao del Sur was among the hardest hit areas by the series of earthquakes that shook Mindanao in the last quarter of 2019, the strongest of which had a 6.9 magnitude with the epicenter in the province’s Matanao town. Latest data from the national disaster management council show over 32,000 families remain displaced, of which 9,269 are still staying in evacuation centers as of January. A total of 45,085 houses were damaged, with 7,324 totally destroyed.