BONTOC, Mountain Province – Gov. Leonard G. Mayaen called on concerned government agencies to immediately act on various complaints by interest groups and individuals in order to abate the reported massive illegal tree cutting and small-scale mining activities in Mainit which tend to affect the state of the famous Maligcong rice terraces here.
The local chief executive said provincial officials are also concerned over the reported rampant illegal logging and small-scale mining activities in Mainit which would be detrimental to the state of the environment in the area and would have a significant effect to the scenery of the Maligcong rice terraces, one of the frequently visited places in the province.
“We already brought the said issues to the attention of concerned government agencies and we are only awaiting their findings and recommendations. We need the consolidated efforts of the local government and the government agencies in charge in order to put a stop to the illegal activities in the area,” Mayaen stressed.
The governor underscored the importance of sustaining the scenery and beauty of the rice terraces in order to contribute in attracting the continuous influx of visitors who are one of the major sources of economic activities of people in the province.
Earlier, concerned residents of the capital town and environmentalists called on concerned government agencies and the local governments to exert the appropriate remedies to curb the massive illegal tree cutting and small-scale mining in the area which have greatly affected the state of the environment in the place.
According to Gov. Mayaen, there is a need for concerned agencies to undertake the appropriate measures in order to apprehend those involved in the illegal tree cutting and illegal small-scale mining activities in order to send the clear message that there is an urgent need to protect the state of the environment in Mainit in order to sustain the beauty and scenery of the Maligcong rice terraces.
He explained the people of Mountain Province are known for their love and concern for the protection of the environment that is why the province remains to be one of the forested provinces in the region, thus, it wou8ld be unfair to allege that concerned governed agencies and local governments have not been doing anything to abate the massive illegal tree cutting and small-scale mining activities in Mainit.
Mayaen called on concerned sectors to constantly report to law enforcers and concerned government agencies illegal tree cutting activities and small-scale mining operations in their respective places so that appropriate steps could be undertaken in order to abate activities that are detrimental to the state of the environment but instead promote environmentally-friendly activities worthy of emulation that would translate to the preservation and protection of the province’s forest cover.
Most parts of Mountain Province serve as the headwaters of major river systems providing abundant water supply for agriculture, power generation, industrial, irrigation and domestic purposes, especially for the people in lowland communities of Regions I, II and parts of Central Luzon where the said rivers connect with other rivers situated in the lowlands. Mayaen expressed his gratitude to the vigilance of the people of Mainit to the illegal activities in their place, saying that the same vigilance should be displayed by other villagers. By Dexter A. See
